It’s not hard to see the similarities between the heroes of the MCU’s Iron Fist and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Not only do both titular heroes wield similar abilities as martial artists but they also carry comparable mythical power as well. However, there does seem to be one hero who’s more powerful than the other. Here’s a breakdown of Danny Rand’s powers as the Iron Fist in comparison to Shang-Chi’s – as well as who’s the stronger of the two in the MCU.

As seen in the Iron Fist‘s first season, Danny Rand was the son of a wealthy CEO who lost his parents in a plane crash. Rescued by monks and taken to the mythical city of K’un-Lun, Danny learned kung fu and eventually earned the right to face Shou-Lao the Undying, a mighty dragon who bestowed Danny with the power of the Immortal Iron Fist. As the Iron Fist, Danny can manipulate his chi in all sorts of ways to become “a living weapon,“ most often channeling his chi into his fist to make it unbreakable and capable of dealing heavy damage. He can also heal others along with his enhanced agility and senses.

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In comparison, Shang-Chi has a lot in common with Iron Fist. The son of the Mandarin is also a master martial artist as seen in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings who also learned new techniques when he visited Ta-Lo (another mythical city like K’un-Lun) where his mother grew up. When his father invaded Ta-Lo with his forces with the intent to release the Dweller-in-Darkness, Shang-Chi redirected and took control of the Ten Rings from his father while also joining forces with the mighty dragon known as the Great Protector. While the Iron Fist shares similar skills and mythical backgrounds right down to the other-dimensional cities and dragons, Shang-Chi is easily the stronger of the two thanks to the powerful Ten Rings combined with the fact that Danny Rand never became a full Iron Fist, having left K’un-Lun for New York before his training was complete.

Danny Rand never learned what he was fully capable of the Immortal Iron Fist, a fact which became obvious as early as his first season where he continually struggled to maintain his balance and chi with the Iron Fist’s power often being unattainable. While he seemed more focused with the Defenders crossover where he joined Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, Danny ended up losing the power of the Iron Fist in his second season to Davos, his former friend turned rival. Although the final scene of Iron Fist season 2 teased that he somehow got his power back, the details were never revealed with the series being canceled. Regardless, Danny Rand’s power as the Iron Fist was always limited even when he could manage to light up his fist.

In comparison, Shang-Chi’s bond with the Great Protector made him incredibly powerful as he wielded the Ten Rings against the Dweller-in-Darkness. The Ten Rings grant Shang-Chi superman strength, durability, and agility along with near-immortality so long as they’re worn, extending his life. He can also summon and manipulate the Rings at will in all sorts of ways for attack and defense. Combined with the power of the Great Protector, Shang-Chi used the Rings to fire a massive blast of energy that killed the Dweller at the end of Shang-Chi. While Shang-Chi and Danny Rand might be evenly matched as martial artists, The Ten Rings easily make Shang-Chi the more powerful hero overall than Danny Rand was as the Iron Fist.

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Kevin Erdmann
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Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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