Gorilla vs. Grizzly Bear: Which Is Bigger? Who Wins in a Fight?

It’s the battle of the beasts: gorilla vs. grizzly bear. Picture a silverback gorilla facing off against a grizzly bear, two of the strongest and most iconic wild animals on the planet.

While this clash is strictly hypothetical (and practically impossible in the wild), it’s a fascinating way to explore the sheer power and adaptations of these different animals.

In one corner, we have the grizzly bear, a heavyweight bruiser with sharp claws, enormous strength, and a bite strong enough to crush a human skull. In the other, the dominant male gorilla — armed with powerful arms, opposable thumbs and enough muscle strength to lift heavy objects with ease.

Are Gorillas or Grizzly Bears Bigger?

Let’s start with body weight: A silverback can weigh up to 400 pounds (181 kilograms), while a single grizzly bear can tip the scales at 600 pounds (272 kilograms) or more. Some Kodiak bears — a subspecies of brown bear — can even exceed 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms).

The Grizzly's Advantages

Grizzlies walk on all fours but can rise up on their hind legs to fight. You don't want to catch a devastating blow from a grizzly’s claws. The grizzly bear's neck is thick and muscular, allowing it to absorb attacks with minimal damage. With hind feet planted, a bear can overpower almost any threat.

Their bite force clocks in around 975 PSI (pounds per square inch), enough to snap bones and crush the average human. Add in bear's claws, a dense bear’s skull and sharp teeth, and you have a predator designed for combat. Even compared to polar bears, grizzlies are fierce solo fighters.

The Gorilla’s Advantages

The gorilla brings serious strengths to the table. Adult males — especially silverbacks — possess staggering muscle strength and impressive long arms that deliver crushing blows. They may not have wolverine claws, but they do have a stronger bite than many big cats.

The gorilla's bite comes in at around 1,200 to 1,300 PSI, thanks to powerful jaw muscles evolved to chew tough vegetation.

And although a gorilla lacks claws, its opposable thumbs and intelligence could be an edge. It can use tools, assess threats and even strategize — something a bear can’t do.

But while a gorilla may be able to defend itself against smaller predators like leopards or mountain lions, confirmed accounts of such interactions are rare and mostly speculative.

Who Wins the Fight?

So in a real gorilla versus grizzly brawl, who would win? Most stats say the bear wins. The size difference, durability and raw aggression of a grizzly — especially when fighting on two legs — make it an overwhelming opponent. Its ability to easily rip flesh and outmuscle other animals gives it a lethal edge.

Still, fans of King Kong might argue that the gorilla has the smarts and upper hand in certain scenarios. But against a rampaging grizzly with nature on its side, the odds don’t look good. In the wild, it would likely be a quick and brutal ending.

As fun as these matchups are to imagine, both animals are best admired from a distance. In the natural world, these titans rule their domains without ever crossing paths — and that’s probably for the best.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.