Maximus vs Leonidas: who wins, Gladiator or 300's Spartan king?

Maximus against Leonidas: who wins? Both men are among the greatest warriors in their worlds, but I think there's a big gap between them, and my pick is Leonidas. It comes down to how superhuman the Spartans are portrayed in 300.

Maximus comes from Gladiator (2000), starring Russell Crowe, while Leonidas is the Spartan king from 300, starring Gerard Butler.

Maximus is a skilled and experienced fighter in Gladiator

Maximus is an incredible fighter. Before he became a gladiator, he was a Roman general leading entire armies. Once he steps into the arena, he immediately starts beating everyone he faces.

He fights groups of armed gladiators, adapts to different weapons, and even defeats Tigris of Gaul while dodging real tigers released into the arena. At the end of the film, he manages to kill Commodus despite being stabbed before their duel. So Maximus is clearly a skilled and highly experienced fighter.

Leonidas and the Spartans of 300 are closer to superhumans

Then you have Leonidas, and to be frank, he and the rest of the 300 Spartans are closer to being superhumans. These men fight entire Persian armies, break through the ranks of the Immortals, and perform feats of strength and agility far beyond anything we see from Maximus.

Leonidas is one of the best fighters among all of them. He's very fast, incredibly skilled with his spear, and able to take down whole groups of enemies with ease.

Spear and shield give Leonidas the reach over a Roman short sword

On top of that, his weapons give him a big advantage in this fight. Leonidas fights with a spear and shield, while Maximus usually uses a Roman short sword. That means Leonidas can attack from a greater distance, while Maximus would have to get past the spear and shield before he could land a blow.

Maximus is smart enough to deal with that problem. I can picture him using his shield to block the spear and forcing Leonidas into close combat.

Why Leonidas wins a head-to-head fight

In the end, though, Maximus may be the realistic, more grounded warrior, but Leonidas comes from a film that portrays the Spartans as unstoppable killing machines. In a straight fight, that's a very big advantage. Leonidas wins.