Topline
Social media users are fiercely debating who would win in a hypothetical matchup—one gorilla, or 100 men—and although experts agree one gorilla is clearly stronger than one man, the sheer numbers of the fight would likely leave the gorilla at a disadvantage.
Key Facts
A gorilla would come to the fight boasting more physical strength, much stronger jaw muscles and thick skin that is tough to penetrate, Tara Stoinski, president and CEO and chief scientific officer for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, told Forbes, adding even if the men win, they probably wouldn’t all walk away alive.
Adult male gorillas, known as silverbacks, can weigh more than 400 pounds, and Stoinski said they are estimated to be about four to 10 times as strong as humans.
“It’s just an issue of sheer numbers,” Stoinski said, adding the human capability to strategize, coordinate and multitask would lend an advantage the gorilla may not be able to overcome if it were surrounded on all angles.
Stoinski said gorillas are typically calm and known as “gentle giants,” citing their family-oriented nature, but would fight back to defend their family if cornered, stating their “size and strength is for a reason.”
Stacy Rosenbaum, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan, where she teaches about primate behavior, told Forbes an additional problem the gorilla may face is it would “certainly get tired, and probably fairly quickly,” because gorillas are “not endurance athletes” in the way humans are.
Rosenbaum cited a viral simulation a user posted on X that demonstrates humans approaching the gorilla in waves of a few at a time, stating the gorilla could easily overpower a few humans at a time, which would give it a “fighting chance,” though it may get worn out.
Who Else Has Weighed In On The Viral Question?
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith debated the question on his show Tuesday, suggesting 100 men could win if they were all Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. ESPN host Pat McAfee led a panel discussing the viral question on his show Monday. “I’m going with the 100 dudes if they from Chicago,” former NBA player Quentin Richardson said, suggesting 25 men could restrain each of the gorilla’s limbs. MrBeast, the star YouTuber who topped Forbes’s list of the top-earning creators of 2024, joked in a post on X he wants 100 volunteers to test out the hypothetical fight. Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, apparently volunteered in a response: “Sure, what’s the worst that could happen?” Animal rights organization PETA left a critical response to MrBeast: “100 men vs. a gorilla? Maybe try 100 reasons to leave animals out of your content instead…”
Who Do Social Media Users Think Would Win?
Both the gorilla and the army of men have found support on social media. TikTok user @flossybaby posted to her 4.5 million followers she believes the men would win because the gorilla is “severely outnumbered” and suggested all the men would have to ambush the gorilla at once, though she acknowledged “there’s going to be at least 10 of y’all that die.” Another user garnered more than 570,000 likes in a video stating he believes the men would win as long as everyone is “dedicated” and “willing to die for the cause.” Joe Bartolozzi, a TikTok user with nearly 25 million followers, doubted an army of 100 men could overpower the gorilla, stating the gorilla could easily knock out human challengers while the humans would not have an easy way to take out the gorilla. One user on X garnered 250,000 likes stating that those siding with the 100 men need to “be serious,” posting pictures of a gorilla’s muscular stature and massive, sharp teeth.
How Did The 100 Men Vs. Gorilla Question Go Viral?
Though the question went viral this week, social media users have pondered as far back as 2022 whether 100 men could defeat a gorilla, according to Know Your Meme, a website that tracks the development of internet memes. TikTok user @yuri5kpt2 asked his followers in a post in February 2022 who would win, stating he was debating the question with his friends. More TikTok users began posting the question last week, which helped spark its resurgence. The question also went viral on X, largely because of one user who posed the hypothetical matchup in a post—which now has more than 283 million views—prompting many users to reply and quote with their thoughts.
Tangent
Stoinski told Forbes gorillas historically have “not fared well against people,” stating it is not exactly the same question, but humans have posed a threat to their existence through habitat destruction and poaching. Gorillas are critically endangered, Stoinski said, and the mountain gorilla species only has about 1,000 gorillas left in the wild. “That’s the more important conversation to be having,” Stoinski said. “What can we be doing to really help gorillas, rather than thinking about would we win in a battle against them?”
Further Reading
Gorilla facts and figures: everything you need to know (International Fund for Animal Welfare)