Miyamoto Musashi: Over 60 Duels Won
Over the course of his lifetime, Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai from Japan, defeated over 60 people in life-or-death duels. These duels were all against highly skilled warriors, and there could only be one left alive at the end of each battle. His first duel was perhaps the most remarkable, as he won it at the mere age of twelve. His opponent was an adult, highly trained samurai. To make the story even more interesting, the adult samurai had a sharpened blade, while Musashi held only a stick.
From that point on, until he was twenty-nine years old, he fought in over 60 more duels to the death and fought in six wars, often leading his men into battle. This is why, although the number of duels fought was 60, his total number of enemy kills is most likely much, much higher. During all of this, he never received more than a scratch.
Carlos Norman Hathcock II: 93 Confirmed Kills
Known as "Gunny" to his fellow soldiers, Sergeant Carlos Norman Hathcock II has over ninety confirmed kills during the Vietnam War. A sniper, he was extremely skilled in anticipating enemy movement and advances. Although he has 93 confirmed kills, the actual number is most likely much higher, with many believing the number to over 300. Nicknamed "white feather" for the feather in his hat, he had a large bounty placed on his head.
However, when someone tried to collect it, "Gunny" shot the man first, without actually having seen him first. He instead saw a glint of light in the trees, and chose to shoot what he thought was an enemy soldier. This famous shot has been glorified in movies such as The Sniper and Saving Private Ryan.
Female Snipers: 775 Total Kills
The Soviet Union boasted many female snipers during WW11, as the extra manpower was sorely needed. These female snipers were largely seen as an excellent contribution to the war. By utilizing a large percentage of previously unattainable warriors, the Soviet power was able to better protect itself.
Rather than listing each one individually, we can view this historically unique group as a whole.
All together, these women had over 775 confirmed kills, much more than most male snipers in the history of war. For women snipers in total during the war, over 12,000 kills were confirmed.
Simo Hayha- 705 Kills
Simo Häyhä, a Finnish sniper who fought against the Red Army during the Battle of Kollaa, is said to be the best sniper to have ever lived, according to his kill count. His unprecedented tactics gave him an edge over enemy soldiers.
He would dress in all white to blend in with the snow, never used scopes (as the glare may give him away) and even kept snow in his mouth so that his breath would not show. He was named "The White Death" by the Soviet enemies, as he had over 700 kills in total.
His life has been idealized and idolized since his involvement in the war, and to date, there nobody has surpassed him as a sniper.
Genghis Khan- 40,000,000 Total Kills
The wars he led killed some 40 million people, about 11% of the world's population at the time. But, as a new study showed, these bloody conquests helped the environment, removing nearly 700 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere.
While the Mongol ruler wasn't even thinking about it, he was causing the first man-made global cooling.
Censuses from the Middle Ages show that the population of China plummeted by tens of millions during Khan’s lifetime, and scholars estimate that he may have killed a full three-fourths of modern-day Iran’s population during his war with the Khwarezmid Empire.
At its peak, his Mongol Empire spanned more than 11 million square miles, stretching from Korea to Europe and bringing Eastern and Western cultures into contact. Remembered for his ruthlessness and bloodlust—and for his purported millions of genealogical descendants—he left a broad and surprising legacy.