| Elephant | Rhino |
|---|---|
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| Wins 69.60% of 1k fights | Wins 30.40% of 1k fights |
Somehow, a year into Fantasy Brawls and countless battles between monstrous animals, the African Elephant has yet to grace the battlefield with its presence. But that changes today as the African Elephant is going to go tusk to horn with a wild Rhino. We'll start the battle analysis by first measuring the size of each of Africa's finest.
It may come as no surprise to many that the African Elephant is bigger than the rhino. In fact, the African Elephant holds the distinction of being the biggest land animal on the planet. The rhino is by no means a tiny animal. It stands between 5 and 6 feet tall and can weigh as much as 5,000 pounds.
The animal is comically large but the elephant's girth is the stuff of legend. It towers at 13 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs up to 13,000 pounds. In no scenario would a fully grown rhino compare to an elephant in size. The advantage in the size department goes to the elephant. But does that size advantage mean its stronger? Let's find out.
Rhinos are strong enough to dent jeeps and pierce some of the strongest material around. Its charge is one of the most devasting attacks in all of Africa. But it does not pack nearly as much of a punch as an elephant does. Using their trunks along they can lift up to 1,000 pounds.
In addition to this, they can run down trees, flip cars and topple villages entirely. Rhinos are powerful but can boast no such feat. Thus making the Elephant the winner. With size and strength out of the way, let's determine which of these big boys is the fastest.
Despite weighing well over 10,000 pounds the African Elephant can run up to 25 miles per hour. But rhinos have the edge here, maxing out at 35 miles per hour. Both are truly terrifying in a race but the rhino has the clear advantage here...at least for the first minute or so.
The winner in the stamina department is the elephant by a wide margin. The big eared behemonth can travel long distances at relatively high speeds without breaking a sweat. They can outpace a rhino in a distance race with ease but shorter distances will result in a big L for Dumbo. With speed, size, and strength analyzed let's move on to weapons.
Rhinos have big, powerful horns that allow it to pierce jeeps with ease. Some even believe their horns have medicinal properties. Its a tough, face mounted sword that helps it defend its self and terriority. Their horns are made from keratin, a protein similar to that found in hair and fingernails making it fibrous and tough.
Elephant tusks, however, are made of ivory which makes them tougher and more dense. The tusks grow continually from their upper jaw and can reach lengths of 8 feet. This gives them more rang than the rhino's 3 foot horn. In addition to tusks, the elephant sports a super power and versatile trunk that allows them to grab trees and fling them through the air.
Having both a powerful trunk and crazy strong tusks means the elephant's weapons are far superior to the rhino's resulting in yet another advantage for the elephant. All is not lost for our horned friend, we still have one department that could turn the tide of the battle and that's aggression.
It doesn't take much to piss a rhino off. If you wander into its terriority, make a loud noise or smell funny you can set it off on a deadly charge. Elephants are much more calm and generally only attack is provoked or their babies are threatened.
The only exception to this rule are themales going through musth. In this state the animals are in a constant state of rage and will trample, gore, and stomp anything that gets too close. Their testerone in 60x the normal level and they are looking to dominant anyone unfortunate enough to be in its path. But for most of the year the winner in this area is the rhino.
With all our categories fleshed out let's put these two monsters in the Fantasy Brawls battle simulator and figure out who would win.
In our battle scenario a lone rhino is grazing about and gearing up to roll around its favorite mud puddle when its catches the scent of something enormous and annoying. Its a big bull elephant that has wandered into its terriority looking for a mud pit to cool off in. Being the angry tank that it is, the rhino charges immediately at the elephant who tanks the hit and staggered a bit.
The once gentle elephant has now been pushed into survival mode and lets out a battle cry and returns with a charge of its own. This time the exteremely hard tusks of the elephant pierce the rhino's hide enough to stun it. The elephant then moves in to finish the job by flipping the massive creature and stomping it rib cage, eventually ending the battle.
Would a rhino and elephant ever fight?
Yes, they would. In fact, there might be a fight going on right now somewhere in Africa. They share the same habitats, and if a male elephant is in musth, he may attack a rhino without warning. There have been documented cases of elephants killing rhinos purely out of aggression.
Are elephants and rhinos related?
Not really. Elephants are more closely related to manatees and hyraxes. Rhinos are in a completely different group called perissodactyls, which also includes horses and tapirs. They may look similar, but they're not part of the same family tree.
Who would win in a one-on-one battle?
The elephant would win in most cases. It is much larger, heavier, and stronger than a rhino. While rhinos can be fast and aggressive, an elephant has the size and tusk power to dominate a head-to-head clash.
Do rhinos and elephants avoid each other?
Usually, yes. In the wild, both animals tend to keep their distance. Rhinos are more solitary, while elephants move in herds. Unless something sparks a confrontation, they generally leave each other alone.
Can a rhino kill an elephant?
It's very rare. A rhino would have to strike at just the right spot, like under the belly or into a leg. Even then, it's unlikely to kill a fully grown elephant. A baby elephant or a sick one might be more vulnerable, but in a fair fight, the elephant usually survives.
Do rhinos and elephants ever get along?
Sometimes. In many nature reserves, elephants and rhinos can be seen grazing in the same areas without conflict. They don't form friendships, but they do tolerate each other when there is no threat or competition.
Why are rhinos more aggressive?
Rhinos have poor eyesight and are extremely territorial. They often charge when startled or unsure, even if the target isn't a real threat. It's not about rage, it's about instinct and survival.
Are elephants peaceful animals?
Most of the time, yes. Elephants are social, intelligent, and often avoid conflict. But if threatened or provoked, especially if calves are nearby or the bull is in musth, they become extremely dangerous.
In it's debut brawl the African Elephant walks away with the coveted W. Its size, strength and weapons were too much for the rhino to overcome. But all is not lost for the rhino, head over to Hippo vs Rhino to see how it fares in another African battle.
And to play this battle and others out yourself check out Fantasy Brawls the Online Game. There, you can choose your combatants and fight out any hypothetical battle you can think of. If you want to play against other people in PvP action, fight a much more challenging AI, and gain access to additional battle mechanics like poison, burn, and other debuffs, consider signing up for a free account.
Posted by: Matt Irving on 04/14/2025
