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Humans have successfully hunted and killed lions, and lions can definitely kill a human.
I think it depends on the arena. Believe it or not, I think the human has better chances in the wild. Human endurance is our superpower, and you could keep scaring the lion with loud armor noises until it collapsed from exhaustion.
In a cage match, I think the lion wins. A knight's sword in any era is not designed for hunting. If the knight was using a lance or a pike, that would be a better choice, but I think maneuverability is the biggest liability for the knight. Mail armor would deflect scratches, and full plate armor might prevent bites to the covered areas, but once the lion has the knight on the ground, it wouldn't matter how much protection he has. Proximity benefits the lion, and there's no question who is faster and stronger.
Still, humans have killed lions without any armor, so it's any given sunday and all that.
Edit to add a dramatic reenactment of such a battle.
I think one point not to miss is it’s human”s” hunted lions. Probably a single human doesn’t stand much chance.
Even two spear-wielding humans would be a huge challenge to a single lion. He could even hurt/kill one, but receive a fatal wound from the back as a result. We are too clever and well-coordinated.
Definitely. That’s still human”s”.
So here's the thing, I have never hunted a lion, so I really am just speculating. I know that individual humans have hunted and killed lions, and theoretically a single human could do it. I don't think that, even with 10 hunters, the humans are guaranteed to come out unscathed. Modern hunters with rifles and jeeps and tranquilized lions still get mauled to death on occasion, so like I said, any given sunday.
Human endurance is mostly nullified in a full suit of armour. They breath as well as you'd expect.
While I'd prefer a spear, a sword will kill a lion just as well, and the armour mostly fixes the problem of how to get close (they maneuver well enough).
Animals are pretty predictable in their attacks. A sword would give any half intelligent armored knight the absolute edge. A competent swordsman will know a few cuts will send the lion reeling. If they're well placed, it's deadly.
The knight would have to be very competent. A lion’s swat is very fast and powerful, that medieval sword is going to fly if it’s not handled skillfully.
Not at all. Watch some lion fights. They get very close in a display of dominance. Well within striking range of a sword. They don't understand a straight line piercing attack to their vulnerable chest and belly. This likely means they won't defend a quick thrust.
You might be right, they would need cat-like reflexes to evade that kind of stab.
It really depends on what sort of knight we're talking about. Despite how they are portrayed in movies, swords were more for ceremony than for fighting, and could have been anything from a dagger to a saber to a broadsword. Full plate armor is designed for mounted combat, and most duels were won by whoever knocked the other guy down first.
One good swing could kill a lion, I'm sure, but if you miss, or it doesn't kill the lion, then the lion will pounce and knock down the knight. Even lightweight armor would be 30-60 lbs, and once you're down, the lion has won.