Don't let the pudgy appearance fool you—the hippopotamus is widely considered the most dangerous large animal in Africa, killing more humans annually than lions, leopards, and crocodiles combined. Its massive jaws open to a terrifying 180-degree angle and generate 1,800 PSI of bite force through foot-long canine teeth. At 4,000 pounds, it can outrun most humans on land and is absurdly agile in water.

The largest and most powerful of the big cats, the Bengal tiger is a 600-pound ambush specialist that strikes from the shadows with surgical precision. Its jaws deliver a bite force of 1,050 PSI—enough to crush bone like chalk—and it hunts entirely alone, needing neither pack nor pride. Where the lion rules through reputation, the tiger earns its crown through sheer, solitary violence.