More Scharnhorsts versus one Bismarck

Would a Bismarck developed from the Scharnhorst design be too weak against 14- or 15-inch shells?

It would be a modified, probably heavier Scharnhorst-derived design whose chief advantage was producing more ships rather than one exceptional Bismarck.

The answer starts from an improved Scharnhorst hull rather than simply placing smaller guns on Bismarck. The derivative would probably grow heavier and incorporate changes needed to face 14- or 15-inch fire. Keeping one hull family could reduce disruption between building programs and place more German capital ships in service. That numerical value matters because Bismarck remained one unit, while Italy could sometimes field several battleships and Japan's heavy ships belonged to a much larger fleet. A later aside adds that Bismarck could lose to Littorio and was not automatically the strongest Axis battleship. Standardization and deployable numbers mattered more to the fleet than one ship's specifications.