6 Dinosaurs That Were Fierce Enough to Kill a T-Rex

People who grew up studying dinosaurs or just watching Jurassic Park probably know that the Tyrannosaurus rex was a terrifying creature. The average T-rex was about 12 to 14 feet tall at the hips. They weighed from 9,000 pounds to 18,000 pounds and had teeth measuring 8 to 12 inches long. With that in mind, we’re going to show you dinosaurs that were fierce enough to kill T-rex.

Keep in mind that we’re including all dinosaurs, not just the T-rex’s contemporaries. Also, we’re only considering dinosaurs that stood a chance against the Tyrannosaurus rex as an adult.

1. Triceratops

We’re going to start this list off with a somewhat controversial take. Members of the Triceratops genus were large, quadrupedal herbivores that weighed somewhere between 12,000 and 20,000 pounds. One of the largest species stood about 10 feet tall at its utmost and grew from 25 to 30 feet long.

The triceratops had two very long horns protruding from its head and a shorter one on its snout. The dinosaur also had a bony frill to protect it from attacks, making it harder for an enemy to bite its neck. While a T-rex could certainly kill a Triceratops, the herbivore could also kill the T-rex.

A charging Triceratops could bury its horns in a Tyrannosaurus rex, puncturing vital organs and killing it. The herbivore does not win this battle every time. Remember, though, we’re looking at dinosaurs that could have killed a T-rex, not those that would take them down all the time.  

2. Alamosaurus

Alamosaurus may seem like a random choice for massive sauropods. Yet, there’s a simple reason we chose to include this one. Alamosaurus lived alongside T-rex during the waning days of the Cretaceous.

Although it’s tempting to root for the smaller, scrappy fighters in a contest, sometimes the size difference makes a fight nearly impossible to win. The largest specimen of Alamosaurus sanjuanensissuggested the dinosaur measured about 98 feet long, stood upwards of 25 feet tall, and weighed nearly 100,000 pounds.

The T-rex had an insanely powerful bite force. However, the much larger dinosaur would fend off and kill the T-rex using its tail as a whip or perhaps knocking over and stomping the smaller reptile.  

3. Supersaurus

While we’re on the topic of massive sauropods taking down the T-rex, let’s throw another name out there— Supersaurus. The Supersaurus was possibly the largest dinosaur to ever exist. This massive sauropod measured anywhere from 105 to 138 feet long, and they may have weighed upwards of 80,000 pounds.  

This massive dinosaur would have used the same methods to kill the T-rex as the Alamosaurus. It would use its tail and feet to smack and stomp on the T-rex until it is no more. Although Supersaurus was an herbivore, it was certainly one of the dinosaurs that were fierce enough to kill a T-rex.  

4. Argentinosaurus  

Argentinosaurus huinculensis was another massive dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. Unlike Alamosaurus, this gigantic sauropod never left South America. Argentinosaurus measured somewhere between 98 and 115 feet long, and it weighed somewhere between 130,000 and 220,000 pounds. Each of its legs was taller than a T-rex!

The comparatively tiny T-rex would stand no chance against a beast this size. Instead, the T-rex would have found itself at the mercy of something much larger, stronger, and heavier. The T-rex may have taken a chunk out of the beast’s leg before becoming a fossil candidate.  

5. Patagotitan

Did you think this was going to be a large apex predator? Nope, it’s yet another one of the immense, herbivorous dinosaurs that were fierce enough to kill a T-rex. Patagotitan is another South American sauropod that made the T-rex look quite small by comparison.

This immense dinosaur, sometimes called the Titanosaur, measured about 102 to 121 feet long and weighed between 57 and 85 tons. Modern estimates of the dinosaur’s weight are closer to 57 tons than 85 tons. Still, a creature that weighed over 100,000 pounds and stood 20 feet tall was more than capable of putting down the T-rex.  

6. Giganotosaurus

Giganotosaurus was one of the largest theropods to ever live. This creature looked somewhat similar to the T-rex with its short arms, long tail, and enormous head. Giganotosaurus was taller and longer than T-rex, and it had an extra finger on each of its forelimbs. The dinosaur measured between 40 to 43 feet long, stood about 12 to 13 feet tall at the hips, and weighed somewhere between 9,000 and 18,000 pounds.

In the past, we’ve said that the T-rex would win a fight against Giganotosaurus. After all, the T-rex had an immense bite force, and its stockier frame would give it an advantage. However, it’s difficult to imagine that every matchup between every adult T-rex and every Giganotosaurus would have led to the former winning.

Some Giganotosaurus would have been able to bite and claw a T-rex to death, even if it was simply because it was a larger specimen than the one it stumbled upon.

In this case, we’re not saying that the Giganotosaurus is going to win the fight every single time. Instead, we are taking the position that the Giganotosaurus has the size and offensive toolkit to kill a T-rex.  

These are just some of the dinosaurs that were fierce enough to kill a T-rex. Many other large sauropods could have gotten the job done as well. Make no mistake, though— T-rex was a nasty piece of work that would have taken a lot of force to put down.

Summary of Dinosaurs Fierce Enough to Kill a T-Rex

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/para827