Urek Mazino made his debut in Tower of God Season 2, Episode 6, and has since captured the attention of fans with his imposing presence and immense power.
Voiced by Hiroki Takahashi in the anime, Urek Mazino is a character who brings with him a wave of excitement and speculation about his capabilities and role in the story.
His fame precedes the anime, as he is one of the most formidable figures in the Tower. Urek’s introduction will naturally sparked discussions about his strength and the impact he might have on the ongoing narrative.
So, we are going to take a look at who Urek is, and if he is the strongest character in the series (even stronger than Jahad himself)!
Who is Urek Mazino?
Urek Mazino is an Irregular, a term in Tower of God used to describe individuals who entered the Tower without being chosen by its administrators. His name, a blend of the Korean word for Rockfish (“Ooreok”) and the Maginot Line.
His status as an irregular alone sets him apart, as Irregulars are known to possess abilities that defy the Tower’s rules.
But that’s not all.
Urek is also a High Ranker, meaning he is among the elite group of individuals who have ascended the Tower and are recognized for their exceptional power and influence.
And he is not just any High Ranker; he is one of the most well-known and feared within the Tower. His reputation is such that his name alone can instill fear in others.
Despite his power, Urek is largely indifferent to the Tower’s politics. He shows little concern for the monarchy or Jahad’s reign as king, focusing instead on his own goals. In fact, he comes across as a goofy and charismatic person.
Unlike FUG, a group that actively seeks to overthrow Jahad and the 10 Great Families, Urek’s organization, Wolhaiksong, takes a different approach. While Wolhaiksong opposes Jahad’s rule, it does not engage in direct attacks against the monarchy.
Instead, the group is more focused on finding a way out of the Tower.
How Strong is Urek Mazino in Tower of God?
Fair warning: This section contains spoilers from the manhwa and also information revealed by SIU in their blogposts.
Urek Mazino’s strength is legendary, to say the least. He was once considered the strongest Ranker until Jahad, the ruler of the Tower, became active again.
In fact, Urek’s confidence in his power is so overwhelming that he once arrogantly declared himself the “Champion of the Tower,” a title few could dispute given that no other active Ranker could rival him.
Naturally, as with any shonen series, the power scaling aspect comes into question in Tower of God too! And to properly understand how strong Urek is, we need to take a look at his feats.
Urek’s feats are nothing short of extraordinary. For instance, he was seen effortlessly tanking attacks from Hell Joe on the Floor of Death while using zero shinsu.
In the same arc, Urek demonstrated his dominance by defeating Karaka, the FUG slayer powerhouse, using just a single finger and one percent of his power. Till that point Karaka seemed like a formidable opponent. But Mazino showed us that he was in a totally different league compared to the FUG slayer.
Urek’s strength is further emphasized by Poe Bidau Gustang, one of the 10 Family Heads in the Tower.
Gustang acknowledges Urek as being on par with the 10 Great Family Heads and even Jahad himself. He remarked to Urek during the events of the floor of death that he was the only one who’s equal with the 10 Great Heads and Jahad in the Tower.
Even the official rankings within the Tower point to this. Urek is the fourth strongest individual in the Tower, surpassed only by Phantaminum, Enryu, and Jahad, though they are not a definitive source of strength.
One of Urek’s most notable feats was when he challenged Arie Hon, another of the 10 Family Heads, on his Floor. Arie Hon, known for his special tests, tasked Urek with enduring his attacks for 10 minutes.
Not only did Urek pass the test, but he became the first person to successfully complete the challenge. This led Arie Hon to acknowledge Urek as stronger.
Now, Arie Hon is believed to be by many as the strongest Family Head in the Tower, though this isn’t confirmed. He is said to be the strongest Fisherman, with sword skills that are impossible to describe with words.
But, that the 10 Family Heads are some of the strongest beings in the Tower, Urek’s ability to match and surpass them places him near the very top in terms of power.
Also, combining the ranking, Gustang’s statement, and his feat against Arie Hon together, we can suggest that Urek might be stronger than the 10 Family Heads.
But then, can Urek be called the strongest ranker in the Tower? Can he defeat king Jahad?
Is Urek Stronger than King Jahad?
Thanks to all the feats mentioned above, the question of whether Urek Mazino is stronger than King Jahad has been a topic of speculation among Tower of God fans.
While the official rankings place Urek below King Jahad after the latter reactivated as a Ranker, many believe that this ranking might not fully reflect their true strengths.
Urek has been repeatedly described as the strongest in the Tower, a title attributed to him by various Rankers and regulars. Garam Jahad, one of the Princesses of Jahad, has even suggested that Urek could potentially kill Jahad.
However, given his character, that is a task he is not interested in.
Additionally, some fans argue that Urek’s faster ascent up the Tower could indicate that he might be stronger than Jahad.
But once again, there are a few important considerations that challenge this view.
First, Urek was labeled the strongest in the Tower during a period when Jahad was inactive. As Rank 4, Urek was indeed the most powerful human in the Tower when the three ranks above him were out of the way.
But with Jahad’s return, that title is contested.
Second, Urek’s rapid climb of the Tower does not necessarily reflect greater strength. Unlike Jahad and his companions, who had to pioneer their way through the Tower without established tests or tools, Urek benefited from the systems and infrastructure that Jahad’s team created.
Some fans point to Poe Bidau Gustang’s statement on the Floor of Death (mentioned in the previous section) as evidence that Urek could defeat Jahad.
However, Gustang never definitively claimed that Urek could or could not kill Jahad, possibly because even he might not know which of the two is stronger. He merely stated that they were equal.
It’s also important to consider that Jahad has faced Arie Hon, another of the 10 Family Heads, multiple times and defeated him in all their encounters. Given that Arie Hon acknowledged Urek as stronger, it suggests that Urek could be on par with Jahad. But to say he is stronger or weaker would be purely speculative.
Another point worth mentioning is the comparison between Data Urek and Data Jahad on the Hidden Floor. Data Humans like Data Urek and Data Jahad are digital constructs created by the Hidden Floor system.
Data Urek, an imperfect copy of the real Urek, refers to himself as “slow” compared to his real counterpart during the Hell Train arc.
The Mirror of the Hidden Floor failed to perfectly replicate Urek because his power exceeded the system’s measurement capabilities, leading to an imperfect copy. However, the same mirror was able to perfectly replicate Jahad.
This comparison between Data Urek and Data Jahad could hint that Urek, at that time, might have been stronger than Jahad.
But again, Jahad seems to have had more time at his hand to train and hone his abilities. So, if the two were to clash at this point, the result would be unknown.
While Urek Mazino is undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings in the Tower, whether he surpasses King Jahad remains an open question. The rankings suggest otherwise, but the nuances of their respective journeys and the opinions of other characters leave room for debate.
In conclusion, Urek and Jahad are more evenly matched at this point. Atleast that’s the conclusion I came to. And unless we get some concrete information from the webtoon or the anime that says otherwise, my answer will remain the same.
Now, despite his immense strength, there are also limitations to Urek’s abilities. Surprised?
The Limits of Urek Mazino’s Power:
While Urek Mazino is undoubtedly one of the strongest characters in Tower of God, there are factors that could potentially limit his dominance.
One of the most significant is the possibility of being surpassed by Twenty-Fifth Baam, the series’ protagonist. Baam, another Irregular, has shown tremendous growth in power and has the potential to reach, and perhaps exceed, Urek’s level.
Another limitation is Urek’s inability to control Shinsu without an administrator’s contract.
This was particularly evident on the Floor of Death, where Urek’s power was restricted due to his lack of control over Shinsu.
This inability to freely manipulate Shinsu contrasts with characters like Enryu, who was able to kill an administrator, a feat that Urek has not achieved.
SIU mentioned in one of his blog posts that he will focusing more, or dealing deeply with Urek in a further part of the story, so we can look forward to it and hope to get more information on him.
What are your thoughts on Urek Mazino? How strong do you think he is? Let me know in the comments below!!