Aquaman vs. Namor: Which Superhero Would Win?

Aquaman has taken over the big screen box office with Jason Mamoa bringing flair to a character that's otherwise normally been flair-less. However, Ocean Master isn't the only one who has taken issue with Arthur Curry being named the rightful King of Atlantis. Namor, Aquaman's Marvel counterpart, first surfaced in 1939, two years before DC's Atlantean emerged in his orange and green getup.

DC and Marvel have shown no signs of pitting these two characters—or any others—against one another any time soon, on-screen or in the comics. However, upon further examination, it becomes clear who would win in a battle of Aquaman vs. Namor!

Namor was originally a villain

When Namor debuted in 1939, he wasn't a good guy. He may have had Magneto-like intentions, but he still wasn't a hero by any means. That's since changed, but The Sub-Mariner certainly still has an edge to him. especially when it comes to humans. That's not to say Aquaman doesn't a have a wild side. Read Flashpoint try to justify Arthur Curry as some mild-mannered do-gooder.

That being said, Aquaman is half-human, which Namor (half-mutant, half-Atlantean) will have zero patience for. It could even lead him to use lethal force. if nothing else to keep the throne of Atlantis safe from a putrid homo sapien.

Aquaman is, in fact, a better swimmer

What does that have to do with anything? Well, for one, the majority of this fight would take place underwater. Not just because these two are better fighters in the water, but they also tend to fatigue more easily when they spend too much time on dry land. With regards to swimming speeds, there's some debate as to how fast both Namor and Aquaman can swim. But the general consensus seems to be 70 to 80 miles per hour on average for Namor, topping out around 3,500 MPH. Not bad, right? Well, Aquaman blows that out of the water—pun intended—sitting 100 MPH on average while reaching up to just shy of 7,000 MPH.

His super-swimming would be vital in creating high-impact collisions, which play into one of Namor's few weaknesses.

Namor's accelerated healing

His power might not be as strong as Wolverine or Deadpool's accelerated healing, but it's certainly there and can help Namor noticeably. While Aquaman is very strong and god-like, he doesn't have accelerated healing as a specified power (with it not being a major ability on Aquaman's resume, it's hard to factor that into the fight).

Accelerated healing is huge for Namor, though, as he'll have to deal with Aquaman's Trident at some point in this battle - and that Trident may be an important factor in this debate/fight. As we've seen with other characters that have healing powers, they're usually hard to keep down, or kill in Wolverine and Deadpool's case.

Aquatic Telepathy

Both Aquaman and Namor have the ability to communicate with underwater sea creatures. However, one has a history of using it more than the other, that being Aquaman. So while they could have the potential to be on the same level, Aquaman has been able to hone this power more because of his frequent use. There's something to be said about repetition. Furthermore, Aquaman's power has trickled outside of underwater creatures on occasion, which further represents how his capabilities have surpassed Namor's.

Whether or not this is a cool ability is another thing entirely, but in a fight, having a few creatures help your cause can't be taken lightly.

Conjure the powers of the deep

Aquaman may have the advantage in the mental game when it comes to underwater sea creatures, but Namor has another power related to his water breathing pals. One that's, if nothing else, cooler than Aquaman's telepathy.

Namor can channel the abilities of underwater animals. That means sonar can come into play or, better yet, the abilities of an electric eel. That'd really make things difficult for any adversary in an underwater battle.Water is a terrific conductor of electricity for those who understandably fell asleep in science class.

The Trident of Neptune

First things first, Neptune and Poseidon are pretty much the same God. Poseidon is the Greek God of the Sea, while Neptune is the Roman God of the Sea. It turns out, the issue of creating two characters that are almost exactly the same thing has plagued mankind for centuries. Namor's trident is that of Neptune. Aquaman's also came from Neptune, though it's been called the Trident of Poseidon, as well (nothing can ever be simple).

What's important in all of this are two things: Namor doesn't use his trident much and Aquaman's mastered the use of his. Namor prefers to fight hand-to-hand, which could be his ultimate downfall. Meanwhile, Aquaman has a weapon that's pierced the skin of Darkseid before. That both speaks to his personal power and the true indestructibility of his version of Neptune's Trident.

Keeping the Earth and its oceans clean

Justice League Throne of Atlantis Animated Movie Aquaman and Mera with Whales

We've seen some ridiculous weaknesses through the years, but Namor has some that are real head-scratchers, one being his weakness against pollution. Pollution can be a fairly broad term when you think about it, but if that's all-encompassing, then things could go south for Namor pretty quickly.

Not that Aquaman necessarily wants to hurt his fellow sea dwellers, but if playing dirty for a little bit helps him keep hold of his title as King of Atlantis, he will for the betterment of his people. By the way, the "playing dirty" pun was not intended.

Namor can fly

Aquaman has some serious jump, to the point where it's, at times, appeared he can fly. For the sake of this argument, he can't, though he can leap for miles at a time.

However, no jumping ability can match flight, which Namor has the gift of. Most of this fight will likely take place underwater, but if Namor is looking to make a big splash (that one was intended, sorry), then he may need to resort to an air attack.

Head trauma

So, Namor has a history of getting knocked out. he's even been knocked out by regular old human beings. For one, he should probably see a doctor because he clearly has concussion issues. Two, if human beings are knocking him out with a punch to the face, what's going to happen when he takes a shot to the head from a Super Atlantean?

It's a pretty major character flaw. It doesn't make a ton of sense that a character has these issues, but that's not what this discussion is about.

The winner is...

In the end, we believe Aquaman would come out victorious against Namor.

Between his speed underwater and command for his allies, not to mention his overpowering trident, Aquaman is too much for the clean-freak, headcase that is Namor. And if Aquaman is calculated in his approach or has time to prepare for this fight (which we were initially assuming neither did), then this battle would be remotely close.