Can 100 men defeat one gorilla? This was the question that threw many social media users off after one netizen shared his thoughts on a hypothetical battle between humans and gorillas. The statement which rapidly gained traction, saw internet users arguing for and against the theory, but what do the facts and figures say about the strength of a man and a gorilla?
The now viral debate originated on X after a user from Los Angeles stated that he believed that the strength of a gorilla could be bested as far as one hundred men were willing to bring it down. It didn’t take long for fellow X users to share their reactions. While some opted for pulling out facts, others circulated scores of funny memes with videos of gorillas. The tweet read:
“I think 100 ni**as could beat 1 gorilla everybody just gotta be dedicated to the sh*t.”
“Let the battle begin,” one person chimed. A second user replied: “The group would have to be crazy organized, fearless and prepared to suffer heavy losses immediately and even then it would get ugly.” “Bro fr, if 100 duded locked in, like truly committed no fear, no second thoughts, they could maybe take the gorillla… after 87 of them get turned into smoothies first…“
However, not everyone believed there was strength in numbers. “The 100 guys won’t surely come out of the fight the same. Broken bones everywhere is certain,” someone wrote. “Gorillas are so strong that their strength can’t be quantified. 100 would die trying some stupid sh*t,” another user declared. The tweet gathered over 200 million impressions across X, TikTok, and Reddit as internet users continued to debate the 100 men versus one gorilla theory.
Can 100 Men Beat One Gorilla?

Gorillas are the world’s largest primate and one of the strongest animals. Of all the primates in the world, gorillas have a physique and muscular composition most similar to humans. However, their sizes differ. They are primarily larger than men, which means the strength of one gorilla is at least four times that of one man.
According to wildgorillasafari.com, a Silverback gorilla can lift 4,000 lb on a bench press, while a well-trained man cannot go beyond 885 lb. These primates can lift objects over 20 times their weight. They are also known to tear down banana trees without much effort. When it comes to humans, adult males are considered to be physically stronger than their female counterparts. That being said, a trained man could not possibly take down a gorilla. However, 100 able-bodied men are more than enough contenders for one gorilla.