Jurassic Park: The 15 Most Powerful Dinosaurs, Ranked - Screen Rant

The Jurassic Park franchise now has six movies under its belt, providing audiences with a litany of choices when figuring out the strongest dinosaur in Jurassic World and beyond. The Jurassic Park film series started off with a bang, seeing Michael Crichton's spell-binding novel adapted to the screen with out-of-this-world special effects and a sense of wonder that would ensnare both kids and adults. The plot was simple yet fantastical, as John Hammond (David Attenborough) opened a theme park full of cloned dinosaurs that had far-reaching consequences when his creations broke loose.

The Jurassic Park franchise expanded with the new Jurassic World trilogy and the concept of powerful hybrid dinosaurs, such as the Indominus Rex. While some were wary of this plot thread, it brought new species to the franchise and quickly had viewers debating which was the strongest dinosaur. While the series is also defined by its outstanding human ensemble cast, the dinosaurs are the main event in Jurassic Park, and their depictions throughout have maintained an elevated status as modern feats in film and CGI technology since the franchise began.

20 Dreadnoughtus

Peaceful But Extremely Powerful

Though not the strongest dinosaur in Jurassic World, Dreadnoughtus are still formidable. Dreadnoughtus are depicted in Jurassic World: Dominion, roaming the world in their majestic herds during the film's opening sequence. The species makes its very first appearance in this third Jurassic World film, which is surprising given its status as one of the largest dinosaurs to ever exist.

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Though Dreadnoughtus are relatively peaceful, they are incredibly powerful as a result of their size. Their stature lends great strength to their massive legs and necks, which could easily smash entire buildings if given the opportunity. They were once believed to be the heaviest dinosaur in existence (59 tons), but more recently that has been downgraded to only around 38 tons, which is still a very heavy and powerful creature. The term "dreadnought" was even used to describe wartime battleships.

19 Pachycephalosaurus

Characterized By Its Domed Head Made Of Bone

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The Pachycephalosaurus isn't the most powerful dinosaur in Jurassic Park, but it is the dinosaur that viewers first see in The Lost World, the sequel that's heavily paralleled in Jurassic World: Dominion. This creature isn’t a carnivore, but this does not mean it isn't just as powerful or scary as other species in the franchise. The Pachycephalosaurus is characterized by its domed head made of bone, which is used to combat predators (and others of the same species during mating season).

They shouldn't be underestimated. Their headbutting defenses prove lethal against other dinosaurs, so it's a wonder what they'd do to humans. They might be small, but they are very strong. They are the largest in their family group, often weighing nearly 990 pounds, and were about the length of a large car. With a strong body and a thick tail, they could defend themselves against other dinosaurs of a similar height.

18 Dimorphodon

A Terrifying Force When In Clusters

Meat-eating dinosaurs that stalk the land are scary enough, but those that can fly are even worse. The Dimorphodon isn't technically the strongest dinosaur in Jurassic World, but when in a cluster they become a terrifying force. To be strictly technical, Dimorophodons are pterosaurs, but there's no time for semantics when an angry group of them is on the hunt.

When a Dimorphodon attacks a smaller target, it is almost always deadly as it has five longer teeth and 30 to 40 smaller pointed teeth in its mouth.

A real terror from above, it is their strength in numbers that makes them a real threat, as the aviary breakout sequence in Jurassic World so clearly showed. They laid havoc on anything in their wake. These dinosaurs had a small brain in a big head, a tall beak, and two types of teeth, which was rare for pterosaurs. When a Dimorphodon attacks a smaller target, it is almost always deadly as it has five longer teeth and 30 to 40 smaller pointed teeth in its mouth.

17 Triceratops

A Stronger, Larger, & Scarier Rhino

Triceratops are among the most recognizable dinosaurs. They are herbivores that have a lot of power and were introduced early on in the Jurassic Park franchise. This dinosaur has large horns to keep it safe from predators. The Triceratops have a large frill that could reach around three feet long. This, combined with those two large horns and a small beak, makes this animal intimidating to look at.

They are powerful in the way that a rhino is powerful but with even more strength and size to them. A Triceratops can lift animals and other objects weighing up to a ton by just using its head. If it attacks an enemy with its brow horns, it has the chance of inflicting fatal wounds on its target. To understand how powerful a Triceratops is, if it ends up in a battle with a T-Rex, a Triceratops is one of the dinosaurs that have the ability to kill one thanks to its horns being capable of skewering the other dinosaur.

16 Apatosaurus

Their Long Tails Are Powerful Weapons

Apatosaurus is one of the most powerful dinosaurs in Jurassic Park because of its huge size. These gentle animals tended to move in herds, which also gave them an element of strength and power. While a large carnivore could still attack them, their ability to use their long, strong tails to defend themselves makes them a force to be reckoned with. Much like the Triceratops, they were more than capable of fighting off their share of hungry predators.

They might not be as heavily armed, but their size and strength made them absolute units. They are comparable to elephants because they are massive but move slowly. However, their tail was extremely powerful, and it is said it was supersonic and fast enough to reach the speed of sound when whipped at something. These dinosaurs can also lift up to five tons and have been known to be able to kill an Allosaurus while being durable enough to survive gored attacks.

15 Dilophosaurus

A Dinosaur With Venomous Defense Mechanisms

This dinosaur isn’t as big as some other giants, but the Dilophosaurus is frightening in its own way and stands as one of the most powerful dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. The Dilophosaurus is close to the size of a large dog, and it can even seem harmless at first. However, it can also be rather deadly. Viewers will remember that the Dilophosaurus spits a tar-like venom on Dennis Nedry before moving in for the kill in the original Jurassic Park.

On top of the venom, the Dilophosaurus also has sharp claws and teeth and enhanced senses, allowing it to sneak up on an enemy and attack with deadly precision.

With its venomous defense mechanisms, the Dilophosaurus could hold its own against carnivorous predators. On top of the venom, the Dilophosaurus also has sharp claws and teeth and enhanced senses, allowing it to sneak up on an enemy and attack with deadly precision. While the Dilophosaurus in Jurassic Park seemed smaller, they could grow to the size of a brown bear and weigh as much as 880 pounds, making them also a very strong carnivore.

14 Pteranodon

Large With Almost Sword-Like Beaks

Pteranodon are flying dinosaurs that team up with Dimorphodons, which also escape from the aviary to cause havoc in Jurassic World. For this reason, they're often high on the list of the strongest dinosaurs in Jurassic World. They also make a famous franchise appearance in the sequence inside the original aviary on Isla Sorna in the third Jurassic Park movie.

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They're not only large, withlarge and almost sword-like beaks, but they're both agile and very aggressive. They go straight for humans when they see them, and they've been the cause of some brutal moments in the franchise. The dinosaurs are very fast, which means they can fly up on their target and use their legs to grip them and pull them into the sky. However, this only works on smaller targets as the Pteranodons do not weigh much. With that said, they can hit and run and do lots of damage that way.

13 Allosaurus

A Meat-Eating Therapod That Hunts In Packs

If anything, the Allosaurus certainly looks like the strongest dinosaur in Jurassic World. Like the Velociraptors, the Allosaurus is a meat-eating therapod that hunts in packs, though they are only seen by their lonesome in the movies and don't really see much action, so to speak. Nevertheless, they're a frightening dinosaur who would be just as deadly up close as their more well-known relatives are.

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In the Jurassic Park movies, even in their junior form, they're shown to be even larger than Velociraptors, with an intimidating set of claws and teeth. Their bite force is similar to that of a wolf in today's world, but they are about 10 times larger than an African lion. However, while the bite force hurts and can tear flesh, the real danger here comes with their speed and sharp, curved claws, which are what they use to kill most of their enemies and victims.

12 Ankylosaurus

Referred To As A "Living Tank"

Referred to in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as a "living tank," the Ankylosaurus fights closely for the spot of the strongest dinosaur in Jurassic World and is the most heavily armored dinosaur seen in the franchise. With a thick, scaly, top side and a powerful tail that includes a club on the end of it, the Ankylosaurus uses this weapon to devastating effect.

However, an Ankylosaurus is one of the few dinosaurs that could actually kill a T-Rex.

With all the power and defensive plating, it may seem like a shoo-in for the most powerful dinosaur, but its underside is still relatively unprotected, meaning they're in big trouble if it can be successfully flipped over. However, an Ankylosaurus is one of the few dinosaurs that could actually kill a T-Rex. There is little chance the T-Rex can bite through its armored hide, and its spiked tail could be used to possibly shatter a T-Rex's bones with a well-aimed strike, likely killing it on the spot.

11 Pyroraptor

The Pyrorapter Is Remarkably Fast & A Terrific Swimmer

The Pyroraptor appears in Jurassic World: Dominion in an attempt to produce a more scientifically accurate dinosaur. Though it's not the strongest dinosaur in Jurassic World, it could be the most historically accurate, as the feathered dinosaur adheres to more recent scientific descriptions of what dinosaurs might have looked like, though its abilities are far more fictional than its design.

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In Dominion, the Pyroraptor proves to be remarkably fast and, against all odds, a terrific swimmer. The beast confronts Owen and Kayla after their crash landing, quickly demonstrating how easily it could kill either one of them. In real life, the Pyroraptor was an extremely aggressive dinosaur and was smart enough to hide and attack without warning. They are also predatory creatures in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, making them deadly.