WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Record of Ragnarok, now streaming on Netflix.
In Netflix's Record of Ragnarok, defeating Zeus' pantheon of gods seems like an impossible task for Brunhilde, the leader of the Valkyries who's vouched for humanity. Tasked with picking 13 elite warriors, she decides to use Adam, the First Man, in the second bout, plucking him from history after he got expelled from the Garden of Eden.
But while it seems like Adam is just an ordinary man created by God, he turns out to be Ragnarok's own version of Naruto's Kakashi, which makes him the ultimate god-killer.
Kakashi Hatake is one of Japanese anime and manga's most popular exports, with fans the world over loving his aesthetic, from his cool demeanor to his mask. He's helped Naruto and Sasuke as a father-like figure, and is well-respected for his actions in the field. Fans have always been impressed by Kakashi's ability to learn jutsu from people and then use them himself, garnering him the nickname of "Copy Ninja."
Record of Ragnarok's Adam is just like this, as revealed when Zeus decides to take him on. The Greek god throws a mighty jab at the speed of light, but Adam somehow dodges it. What's intriguing is it's not super-speed -- rather, he's mimicking Zeus' actions. Adam's eyes are programmed to learn everything and anything in front of him, subverting what we know from the Bible.
Adam was created in God's image, thus his power is the ability to copy anything any god does. As such, he's able to copy Zeus' motion and throw the same blows his opponent is unleashing. It's his "Divine Reflection," allowing him to beat Zeus up. The leader, as well as the Valhalla arena, are all stunned as Adam picks up moves in seconds, including the "Divine Axe," which he turns into a kick to smash Zeus' crotch.
Brunhilde also gives Adam the knuckleduster, created from the Valkyrie soul of Reginleif, to inflict further damage. This, along with his Kakashi-like ability to copy Zeus, gives Adam the upper hand, leading to Brunhilde being overly ecstatic as she knew he could be the god-slayer she was looking for. Their brawl causes Zeus' body to burn out after turning into a Hulk, but being an imitator ends up hurting Adam. When Zeus unleashes his Adamas form, throwing blows so fast it seems like time has frozen, Adam does the same.
They're canceling each other out, but Adam starts to bleed from the nose. His body is still a flesh-and-bone machine with a limit, as opposed to Zeus with his celestial muscles. Adam needs a break, but as Zeus relentlessly attacks, the constant copying burns his body out and he dies. Zeus survives but is left on the ground, lucky and barely alive. At this point, the gods of Record of Ragnarok realize Brunhilde's army can indeed kill them.
