Adapted from the Nakaba Suzuki manga series of the same name, The Seven Deadly Sins finally concluded its 5-season, 100-episode run on Netflix in June 2021. Now that fans have had a year or so to digest the long-running story arcs, it's worth doing a deep dive into what separates the magical prowess of the Ban (Greed), Diane (Envy), Escanor (Pride) Growther (Lust), King (Sloth), Meliodas (Wrath), and Merlin (Gluttony), the seven titular warriors out to clear their name of a crime they did not commit.
While some fans may disagree on which are most powerful, for others, there is little mystery regarding which magical warriors reign supreme, with each character channeling a unique element or attribute to wield as much power as possible.
Ban (Greed)
Bearing the symbol of the Fox on his wrist, Ban was the lone survivor of the Fairy King's forest yet took the blame for destroying the area even though he prevented the Red Demon from doing more damage. After being sentenced to death in the popular anime rated higher than the manga, Ban was declared the Sin of Greed for ostensibly craving immortality, which couldn't be further from the truth.
Equipped with Snatch magic, which includes the ability to rob others without them noticing, Ban has a magical power level of 3,220. Ban uses his signature Courechouse Sacred Treasure, a nunchaku-like Holy Rod to maximize his mental and physical prowess. The weapon has a chain that can be shortened to attack enemies at any angle, distance, or speed imaginable.
Merlin (Gluttony)
Sporting the mark of a boar face on her neck, Merlin was deemed a gluttonous sinner for her insatiable appetite for knowledge, which the Demon King and the Supreme Deity both sought to punish her for after she tricked them to gain more omniscience. Merlin also manipulated the Deadly Sins by attempting to free Chaos, something she regrets most, especially since she was unable to channel her Infinity Magic to do so in the beloved anime adaptation.
Indeed, the big cross to bear for Merlin is maximizing her magical potential. While she officially holds a power level of 4,710, Merlin's Infinity Enchantment Magic gives her the ability to keep her spells active until she opts to dispel them on her own. Along with her Morning Star of Aldan Sacred Treasure, a small crystal ball that she can summon at any time, Merlin is the only person stopping her from becoming the most powerful Sin alive. She has the potential but not always the desire.
Diane (Envy)
Marked by the sign of the Serpent's Envy on her left thigh (a snake), Diane was wrongfully accused of killing her mentor Matrona, who was actually dispatched by King Gannon's men. As such, Diane was declared an envious sinner who was jealous of Matrona and sought to take her place. Afterward, Diane avoided a death sentence via beheading when Meliodas stepped in and stopped the execution.
With a power level of 8,800, Diane channels Creation magic, which gives her the immense power to mold the Earth below her as she sees fit. She can bend iron, turn herself into metal, perform a slew of elemental attacks, and perhaps best of all, uses her almighty 2,200-pound Gideon War Hammer Sacred Treasure to greatly increase her Creation magic and use it as a blunt instrument to pulverize enemies into the ground.
Growther (Lust)
Growther was accused of assaulting his lover Nadja, the sister of Bartra Liones, who succumbed to her injuries while they were intimate. In reality, Nadja was already on her deathbed and wanted one last passionate embrace with Growther, which he granted. When she died, he was given the Sin of Lust, marked by the symbol of a horned goat on his chest.
With a major increase over Merlin, Growther has a power level of 35,400 thanks to his omnipotent Invasion Magic, which gives him the ability to manipulate enemies' souls and memories. It's one thing to mount deadly attacks with bows and mold the physical environment around foes, it's quite another to harm them spiritually and psychologically. Yet, with his awesome Twin Bow Herrit Sacred Treasure, Growther can fire arrows made of light, which increases his Invasion Magic exponentially.
King (Sloth)
Fairy King Harlequin, aka King, was accused of turning a blind eye to the genocidal war atrocities perpetrated by his best friend Helbram. In reality, the extremely likable Seven Deadly Sins character had amnesia during the war and couldn't recall what was happening. Still, after the murder of thousands, King was given the Sin of Sloth, symbolized by a grizzly bear tattooed on his left leg.
Wielding Disaster Magic that grants him a power level of 41,600, King has the ability to completely control life and death, which gives him full authority to preside over the Fairy Realm as its official ruler. If that wasn't godly enough, King's Spirit Spear Chastiefol Sacred Treasure is a holy weapon stronger than steel derived from the Sacred Tree that grants him even greater magical power. The spear can shape-shift and turn into shields, pillows, a swarm of bumblebees, deadly sunflowers, armored cloth, and more.
Escanor (Pride)
The only one of the Deadly Sins to be guilty of what he was accused of, Escanor was given the Sin of Pride after razing several settlements in the Kingdom of Liones, disrespecting the king, and nearly killing the Great Holy Knight Zaratras. As such, he bears the symbol of a scar-faced lion on his back.
In a bit of an oddity, Escanor has a power level ranging as low as 15 and as high as 114,000, depending on what time of day it is in the beloved English-dubbed anime. Channeling Sunshine Magic, which is most potent at noon and weakest at midnight, Escanor can emanate intense heat and light waves directly from the sun that can vaporize rocks and melt metal. Merlin equates Escanor's power to the sun itself, which increases in power by using his Divine Axe of Rhitta Sacred Treasure, a deadly battleaxe so large and heavy that Meliodas can't even pick it up.
Meliodas (Wrath)
Far and away, the most powerful Sin is Meliodas, who was accused of being unable to control his wrath and violently destroying the Kingdom of Danafor. In Meliodas' eyes, his true transgression was failing to protect Liz during the attack. Afterward, Meliodas was granted the Sin of Wrath, marked by the sign of a Dragon on his left arm.
With a power level ranging from 60,000 to 142,000, Meliodas can use both Hellblaze Magic and Full Counter Magic two wield twice as much power as her fellow Sins. Hellblaze Magic allows Meliodas to summon black flames from hell that cannot be extinguished. Full Counter allows Meliodas to literally ricochet enemy attacks back at them, rendering her nearly impervious in any scenario.
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