Cage Match: Conan vs Tarzan TO THE DEATH!

[Desdichado]

When I was in junior high, a friend of mine and I were discovering the pulp masters more or less at the same time. I stumbled first on Edgar Rice Burroughs, and his Tarzan (and other) series, while he stumbled first on Robert E. Howard and the Conan stories. We later traded books, so we got to read a lot more that way; it actually worked out very well for us.

But we had a very vocal and vicious debate about which of the two was the most "bad-ass", and for some reason, that assinine debate of my youth has come back to mind. So now, to settle it once and for all; let's put Tarzan in one corner, Conan in the other, have them fight their way through hordes of man-apes (from the jungles of Stygia, or the ruins of Opar; take your pick), giant snakes and crocodiles to finally face each other and prove, once and for all, who is the King of Over-The-Top Pulp Heroes.

 

[demiurge1138]

Conan. I mean, really. He's got a really big sword. And mighty thews. Now, if Tarzan's apes were behind him, it might even the odds, but Conan's still likely to win.

Demiurge out.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Conan, definately.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Conan would destroy Tarzan.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Tarzan would be lucky to have any intact bones in death.

 

[Mark CMG]

Any weapons?

 

[MonsterMash]

Conan by a whisker, as the Tarzan of the books is more of a bad ass than the movie versions.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Got to go Tarzan, he was smart, sneaky, skilled, fast, brutal, equaly as strong as Conan.

 

[shilsen]

If it's no weapons, Tarzan in a heartbeat. If Conan has his sword, I'd give him a very slight edge. Actually, like most such matchups, it would depend on whether Howard or Burroughs was writing

 

[Viking Bastard]

Rules of Pulp fiction. Tarzan is a hero. Conan is an Anti-Hero.

Tarzan wins.