A 400-pound wall of pure muscle wrapped in a surprisingly gentle soul—until you threaten its family. The silverback gorilla can bench-press an estimated 1,800 pounds and possesses grip strength capable of crushing a crocodile's skull with its bare hands. Pound for pound one of the strongest animals on Earth, and smart enough to learn sign language while doing it.

The ultimate team player of the animal kingdom, the gray wolf hunts in coordinated packs with military precision that would make Navy SEALs jealous. Individually, a wolf can sprint at 40 mph and deliver a 400 PSI bite—but its true weapon is pack tactics that can exhaust and overwhelm prey ten times its size. They don't fight fair, and that's exactly why they win.