One Piece‘s world is one of the largest in anime and manga, and as such the series boasts many compelling people. In a world where pirates are ready to pillage, navy officers are ready to arrest and bandits are always on the prowl for victims, this prompted people to become as strong as possible to defend themselves.
Strength is everything in the dangerous world of One Piece. Characters who want to make a name for themselves need the power to do it. When pirates are ready to attack civilians or monsters roaming the sea, survival can only be guaranteed through fists and weapons. Here are the 25 strongest characters in One Piece.
25 Jesus Burgess
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 222 & Episode 146
The 10 Blackbeard Titanic Captains each wield some of history’s most formidable Devil Fruits. While many of them allow their users to manipulate themselves and their enemies, none personifies strength as much as Jesus Burgess’s Strong-Strong Fruit. Its full power and limits have yet to be demonstrated, but the loud-mouthed wrestler has showcased a level of pure strength that should be challenging for any of One Piece‘s strongest characters to face.
During the Earth-shattering battle between the Trafalgar Law’s Heart Pirates and Blackbeard’s crew, viewers received the best look yet at the series’ most broken Devil Fruit abilities, including the sight of Burgess lifting an entire mountain and throwing it like a beach ball. Still, with a Devil Fruit solely based on its ability to increase strength, it only feels like a tease for a grand showcase author Eiichiro Oda has in store with Burgess in One Piece‘s final arcs.
24 Charlotte Katakuri
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 860 & Episode 825
Of all the fearsome opponents Luffy has come across in the New World, Charlotte Katakuri is undoubtedly right up there along with Kaido and Doflamingo. Luffy’s fight against Katakuri was incredibly challenging and this was greatly due to Katakuri’s Future Sight which allowed him to see a few seconds into the future and foresee every one of Luffy’s attacks. Katakuri’s advanced Observation Haki is often underappreciated, and it is arguably a miracle Luffy was able to defeat him at all.
Katakuri also wields the power of the powerful Mochi-Mochi Fruit, which together with his advanced Armament & Observation Haki and reflexes, makes it nearly impossible to land a hit on him. Awakended Devil Fruit users in One Piece are rare, making Katakuri all the more impressive. With Big Mom’s defeat, Katakuri is easily the top candidate to fill the void left behind and lead the Big Mom Pirates.
23 King
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 925 & Episode 918
King “The Conflagration”, real name Alber, is one of the All-Stars of the Beast Pirates and Kaido’s second-in-command. Kaido freed King from imprisonment when they were both being experimented on at Punk Hazard, and ever since then, King has been Kaido’s most loyal confidant and the one who most supported Kaido’s quest to become the Pirate King,
King’s mastery of the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Pteranodon gives him a lot of versatility with his attacks, but the biggest source of King’s strength comes from his being a Lunarian, a secret race of winged people with powerful fire abilities and immense speed and durability. Zoro only barely defeated King in their fight, and the fact that King’s Lunarian Lineage Factor was used as the basis for the powerful Seraphim only further cements his status as an incredibly powerful fighter.
22 Rob Lucci
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 323 & Episode 230
Rob Lucci is a Cipher Pol agent who’s repeatedly fought Luffy and his friends in One Piece‘s story. Originally, Lucci was a member of CP9 and was involved in the plot to kidnap Robin, and following the timeskip, Lucci graduated to CP0, the World Government’s most elite group of assassins, and he fought Luffy once again at Egghead.
Between his mastery of the Six Powers and the strength of his Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard, Lucci has always been a force to be reckoned with and gave Luffy one of his toughest fights ever at Enies Lobby. Lucci became even stronger by the Egghead arc thanks to Haki and awakening his Devil Fruit, and while he was no match for Luffy in Gear 5, Lucci could fight almost evenly with Zoro, despite the latter having advanced Conqueror’s Haki, so he’s still one of the strongest One Piece villains, to date.
21 Roronoa Zoro
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 3 & Episode 2
Along with Luffy, Zoro has considerably increased his skills and power after setting out to sea only a few years ago in One Piece‘s timeline. Before he met his future captain in Shells Town, Zoro was already one of the most renowned and feared swordsmen of the entire East Blue. Still, as Mihawk demonstrated to him during the Baratie arc, he still had a way to go before he’d earn the title of the World’s Greatest Swordsmen.
Zoro has a habit of pulling off unbelievable feats of strength, like cutting through solid steel and cleaving the Enies Lobby tower in two, and that was before he endured intense training during One Piece‘s time skip. During his time in Dressrosa and Wano, Zoro cut apart the mountain-sized Pica and deflected Kaido and Big Mom’s combo attack, Ocean Sovereignty, which might be the most vigorous attack in the series yet. Fans would be devastated if Zoro’s rematch against Mihawk did not happen because it would show Zoro undoubtedly surpassing his previous feats yet again.
20 Eustass Kid
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 498 & 392
Eustass Kid is the captain of the Kid Pirates and a member of the Worst Generation, the group of pirates responsible for the most trouble in the world following the Paramount War. Kid and his crew teamed up with Luffy and Law to defeat Kaido and Big Mom at Onigashima, but following their defeat, the three groups returned to being rivals in pursuit of the One Piece.
Kid uses the power of his Magnet-Magnet Fruit to create powerful mechanical constructs to deal with his opponents, his strongest creation being a railgun that can blow away an entire armada of ships. Kid’s power is so great that Kid and Law’s combined power was enough to defeat Big Mom, although his quick defeat at Shanks’ hands did do a lot to tarnish his reputation in-universe and out.
19 Trafalgar Law
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 498 & Episode 392
Trafalgar Law, real name Trafalgar D. Water Law, is a member of the Worst Generation and a former Warlord. Law entered an alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates to defeat Kaido, something that began as a ruse before turning real, and sure enough, they went their separate ways after Kaido was defeated in the Wano arc.
With the power of the Op-Op Fruit, Law can manipulate anything within a specific area as if he were a surgeon performing an operation, and the things he can do become even more fine-tuned when using his Awakening. Law and Kid together were strong enough to defeat Big Mom, and Law, unlike Kid, narrowly survived a one-on-one fight with an Emperor following the Wano arc, so that’s another great showing for his power, even if it was a loss for him.
18 Kizaru
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 504 & Episode 398
Admiral Kizaru is no doubt one of Luffy’s strongest enemies from before the time skip. In fact, Kizaru is the entire reason Luffy decided to get stronger over the time skip in the first place. the Straw Hats’ crushing defeat at Sabaody was greatly due to Kizaru’s presence, making him one of the most anticipated rematches in One Piece.
Kizaru’s strength stems from his Devil Fruit called the Glint-Glint Fruit, which gives his body the properties of light. As such, Kizaru can move at the speed of light itself, making it very difficult to defend against his laser-based attacks. That said, Kizaru’s appearance in One Piece‘s Egghead Arc extensively showcased Borsalino’s range of abilities and finally proved how much Luffy had evolved since their last battle.
17 Kuzan
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 303 & Episode 225
As a former Admiral in the Navy alongside Akainu and Kizaru, Aokiji is undoubtedly one of the strongest characters in One Piece history. Aokiji’s strength is reflected in the fact that he competed with Akainu for the title of Fleet Admiral and left half of Punk Hazard’s climate permanently frozen in the process.
Aokiji’s powerful Devil Fruit powers stemming from the Chilly-Chilly Fruit allow him to control and manipulate ice in a variety of ways. As a Logia, Kuzan can also turn his body into ice, but the truly frightening aspect of his Devil Fruit power is its range, which can easily freeze over large areas. Unsurprisingly, Aokiji also possesses the ability to use Armament and Observation Haki at an advanced level, making him a dreadful enemy the Straw Hats are sure to encounter again now that he has joined the Blackbeard Pirates as one of their ship captains.
16 Silvers Rayleigh
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 19 & Episode 8
As Roger’s first mate, Rayleigh’s strength is all but given. Even though he may not possess a Devil Fruit like many of the other strong characters in One Piece, Rayleigh more than makes up for it with his powerful Haki. Having taught Luffy everything he knows about Haki, Rayleigh himself is a master of all three types of Haki which is quite a rare occurrence in One Piece.
Rayleigh’s Armament Haki, in particular, is incredibly powerful and was able to block an attack by Kizaru with relative ease at Marineford. His advanced Observation Haki can instantly perceive every living thing across an entire island with no effort. Rayleigh still retains a lot of physical strength and vigor, as seen from his ability to swim across the Calm Belt and fight Sea Kings with his bare hands. However, he is not immune to the effects of age and even suggests that he no longer has the strength to defeat newer-generation powerhouses like Blackbeard.
15 Blackbeard
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 223 & Episode 146
A member of the Worst Generation, Emperor of the Sea and a Warlord, Blackbeard did the impossible by wielding two Devil Fruits at once. His thirst for power and strength is incredible – killing his own crew member, capturing Ace, and stealing Whitebeard’s powers in a plan that finished off the strongest Emperor of the Sea. His pursuit of strength propelled him to monstrous levels.
With One Piece nearing its end, Teach will play a key role as one of One Piece‘s final villains, as Luffy’s brother and adoptive father were killed by him. Blackbeard has been set up as Luffy’s ideological opposite in many ways, with the villain using piracy as an excuse to further his own selfish goals, as opposed to Luffy, who is constantly freeing the oppressed. With Blackbeard’s ability to wield two Devil Fruits, it will truly be a blowout when he and Luffy finally get their long-awaited true fight.
14 Akainu
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 397 & Episode 278
The current Fleet Admiral of the Navy, Sakazuki is as twisted as he is powerful. His Devil Fruit gave him the scary power of becoming lava. Although he was no match for an angry Whitebeard, he dealt serious damage to him and contributed to his death.
Akainu’s endurance is off the charts, as he battled Aokiji for ten days straight on Punk Hazard and came out on top. His body is extremely strong, withstanding two consecutive full power punches imbued with both Haki and Devil Fruit powers from Whitebeard and still getting up to fight. Given that his Devil Fruit power is heat-based, Akainu might also be Luffy’s ultimate enemy, with his magma able to seriously wound the Straw Hat Captain no matter how far he stretches.
13 Big Mom
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 651 & Episode 571
Charlotte Linlin, better known as Big Mom, is easily one of the most frightening people to go up against in the world of One Piece with Devil Fruit powers capable of sending a chill down anybody’s spine. Big Mom not only wields all three forms of Haki but also possesses the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit, which allows her to manipulate the soul of any living thing that is afraid of her.
Big Mom’s most deadly power is the ability to take away years from one’s lifespan, even to the point of instantly killing them. Big Mom is also incredibly durable, freakishly strong, and quite agile, which made her practically unkillable. While all three forms of her Haki are quite advanced, Big Mom’s Armament Haki is surely her specialty. That said, Big Mom’s Conqueror’s Haki has even split the skies like many other powerful users of the variant.
12 Kaido
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 795 & Episode 736
Known as the King Of Beasts, Kaido has tried to take his own life multiple times, but his body was just too tough. Nothing could damage him, and it took Luffy in his Gear 5 and many other powerful foes while he was holding up an island to defeat him.
Kaido is an unstoppable force even without using his Devil Fruit powers or Haki. Cities can be leveled with an attack in his dragon form and his size, strength, and speed are out of this world. Part of what makes Kaido so intimidating too is that, for all his power, he never even awakened his Devil Fruit. If he had, then even Luffy’s Gear 5 probably wouldn’t have been enough to stop him. As the best villain in One Piece, he deserves a high rank among the series’ most powerful characters.
11 Monkey D. Luffy
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 1 & Episode 1
The 19-year-old Emperor Of the Sea is the youngest on this list and has the highest potential and talent. He managed to defeat the world’s strongest creature, Kaido, even though he needed some help along the way. With him awakening his Devil Fruit and being able to transform into Gear 5, it’s only a matter of time until he fully masters it and increases its endurance.
He has earned the respect and fear of the most powerful characters, such as Shanks and Kaido. With his battle experience and proficiency in Haki only increasing, Luffy is on his way to becoming one of the strongest pirates in One Piece‘s massive world. Despite Luffy’s strength in One Piece, he still has a lot of growing to do before he’s ready to take on some of the series’ most powerful characters.
10 Dracule Mihawk
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 49 & Episode 23
Known as One Piece‘s strongest swordsman, Mihawk is a lone wolf and manages to become a Warlord despite having no crew. Many journey far and wide to challenge him, including Zoro, and they’ve all lost. He doesn’t have Devil Fruit powers, as his sword skills and Haki are more than enough to defend himself.
With one slash of his huge cross-shaped sword, Mihawk managed to cut a huge iceberg in half and destroy a huge ship. With his incredible agility, observant eyes that gave him the nickname Hawk-eye, and mastery of Haki, he came to be known as Shanks’ rival, who is an Emperor of the Sea. Currently Mihawk, Crocodile, and Buggy are leading the Cross Guild, and though the latter two members are powerful in their own right, there’s no doubt that it’s Mihawk who is the real muscle of this powerful pirate team.
9 Shanks
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 1 & Episode 4
Shanks is one of the few characters who has yet to use his full powers, so the fact that he’s so high up on this list despite that says more than enough about his strength. He has sailed with Roger since he was an infant, and has been on the battlefield most of his life. He is one of the few characters on this list without Devil Fruit powers, but he does not need that.
Shanks’ mastery of Haki is arguably the best, and he is a powerful swordsman. He managed to get the Navy and Blackbeard Pirates to back off and ended the Marineford War without fighting. He’s been shown capable of using such high levels of Conquerors & Observation Haki that help him see many seconds into the future. A popular fan theory is that Shanks will be Luffy’s final obstacle to becoming King of the Pirates. With his former mentor finally coming out of the shadows, Luffy has one incredible challenge ahead of him.
8 Uta
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 1055 & One Piece Film: Red
Uta is the adoptive daughter of Shanks and the main antagonist of One Piece Film: Red. Uta is recognized the world over as a popular diva, but she secretly holds a massive disdain for pirates stemming back to Shanks abandoning her as a child, and she’s taken it upon herself to create a world where no one has to live in fear of pirates anymore.
While
One Piece Film: Red
is non-canon, Uta is canon, so it can be assumed that anything she did in the film could also be done in canon.
Uta’s Sing-Sing Fruit lets her trap the consciousness of anyone who hears her singing in a virtual world where she’s in complete control of everything, and she can also control their lifeless bodies, powers and all. Furthermore, Uta can use the Sing-Sing Fruit to summon Tot Musica, a demon so powerful it took the combined power of some of One Piece‘s strongest characters to defeat it, so with all that power at her disposal, there are few characters who even come close to Uta’s power.
7 Sengoku
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 234 & Episode 151
Known as Sengoku the Buddha, he spent his career challenging fearsome pirates like Whitebeard, Roger, and Shiki in their prime, a career that eventually made him Fleet Admiral. Along with his good friend Monkey D. Garp, the legendary Admiral possesses all three types of Haki, and his Devil Fruit powers are extraordinary.
Sengoku’s Human-Human Fruit Model: Buddha allows him to transform into a Buddha, with all physical stats maxing out. A single punch broke the execution platform and sent the members of Blackbeard’s crew flying. The shockwave from his blows deals severe damage. As the Fleet Admiral, he is a brilliant tactician and leads the world’s navy members. After the tumultuous events of the Marineford arc, Sengoku retired, and Admiral Sakazuki took his place.
6 Monkey D. Garp
First Appearance: One Piece Chapter 92 & Episode 68
Garp is a Vice Admiral but could’ve easily been a Fleet Admiral if he hadn’t refused the multiple offers to be promoted. He frequently fought Gold D. Roger and Roger even said that they almost killed each other many times. Together with Sengoku, they were at the forefront of the fight against the pirates in their younger years. He earned the respect of Roger and even raised his son Ace together with Luffy at Roger’s request.
A master of Haki and the strength of a superhuman, Garp is one of the strongest, and barely anybody could go toe-to-toe with him in his prime. Though Devil Fruits might give out some of One Piece’s flashiest powers, Garp and others like him prove that the mysterious fruits aren’t the only way or the best way to truly obtain strength. He dramatically proved this point when he arrived at Blackbeard’s base to rescue Koby, making quite the entrance with one of One Piece‘s strongest attacks that the anime has adapted so far.
