One Piece has been one of the longest running manga and anime series out there with a following that never seems to die in popularity. Those who love pirates and anime seemed to find a kindred spirit in the show that lead to a long-lasting love throughout the many arcs and years and the fanbase has never been shakey, staying loyal to the anime and/or manga. The tale follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a rookie pirate who is dead set on his dream to becoming the Pirate King. Like any shounen anime, this series is filled with absurd adventure and colorful characters to match, all memorable and unique in their onw way.
Since this series has been running for so long, you can only imagine the dozens of characters we’ve met along the way; villains and heroes alike. As our favorite Straw Hat crew grew in size and strength, so did the people they came into contact with. The sea is filled with many different adventures, pirates and the Marines, but out of all these characters, who are the strongest out of the vast array of characters that have been introduced over the years? If you’ve asked this same question amongst your friends or with other fans online, we may have just found the answer. We’ve gathered the best of the best to answer this very question. With that in mind, we present you with a list of the most powerful characters to ever appear in one of the most popular series of all-time, One Piece.
25 JIMBEI
The most recent member of the Straw Hat crew joined for a number of reasons, namely because Luffy requested it. However, had he only been invited based on his power, we could see why! Jimbei is not only the only fishman crew member, but he also has insane powers including incredible speed and strength.
We’ve seen him hold back a second-gear Luffy, kick another giant fishman out of the way like it was nothing. This is the man that stood up to Big Mom, one of the emperors of the sea, just so that he could be on Luffy’s team; he certainly deserves a spot on our list.
24 CAPONE BEGE
Everyone’s favorite mob-themed character, Bege has an absurd Devil Fruit ability that makes him pretty tough to beat. The bearer of the Shiro Shiro no Mi, Bege has the power to turn into a giant fortress. The coolest part? Even when he’s back to his human form, the inside of the castle still remains intact, meaning people can literally live inside him.
Not only does this fortress huge and carry many rooms, it’s also well-equipped with weaponry should anyone try to fight him. Pair this with his own physical endurance and excellent strategies, he’s definitely worth the mention.
23 VINSMOKE SANJI
A lover of women and the chef of the Straw Hats, Sanji has been getting a lot of attention due to the recent arc. Much like the rest of the crew, we’ve seen just how much Sanji has grown since the beginning of the series; this includes gaining two forms of Haki, Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku, that allows him to sense others and harden his spirit into armor.
Despite never using his hands to fight, so not to risk damaging his ability to cook, Sanji also is able to his famous ability, Diable Jambe, that allows him to heat his legs to the point that they glow bright red, as if on fire.
22 RORONOA ZORO
Zoro and Sanji have often been considered on par with one another, particularly because they’re both powerhouses of the Straw Hat crew with their respective abilities. Zoro is famously known for being able to use three sword at the same time and we’ve seen this ability grow over time.
His physical attacks have always been strong, thanks to the way her grew up, but he’s certainly become more hardened thanks to training. He has an incredible pain tolerance and his skills have developed so much, we’ve even seen him block moves from King Neptune himself.
21 EUSTASS KID
As one of the 12 pirates deemed the “Worst Generation”, Eustass Kid is anything but. Before the time skip for the Straw Hat crew, we heard of the Kid Pirates causing destruction, assuming that their leader Eustass was just as bad. He’s grown since then, utilizing his Devil Fruit powers that have to do with magnetism.
He can both attract and deflect metal objects, which comes in handy considering that makes most weapons obsolete. The most terrifying part about him isn’t even his Devil Fruit abilities, but rather, his sheer boldness and willingness to take on anyone who gets in his way.
20 CROCODILE
Another Devil Fruit user, Crocodile has the abilities of the Suna Suna no Mi; the sand fruit. He can change into sand in an instance, making it extremely difficult to hurt him. We’ve seen plenty of characters who can turn their bodies into something flexible, like Ceasar with gas, but the biggest difference between them and Crocodile is the sheer intelligence on this man.
He knows how to use it which made it so difficult for Luffy to beat him in the first place. His physical endurance, as well as strength and speed, are already up there, but if you put him in a desert, he’s nearly impossible.
19 UROUGE
Also known as the Mad Monk, we met Urouge with the the rest of the "Worst Generation" in Saobody, but since than the pirate has gone toe to toe with Kaido and survived. Yet again, we find another Devil Fruit user on our list, but this one is actually extremely interesting. Urouge has a fruit that gives him the abilities to increase his muscle and body size.
He also gains strength from pain; getting in a fight with him is pretty difficult for this reason. Unlike some of our previous entries on this list, his powers don’t make him impervious to injuries, but the pain he goes through does increase his strength.
18 BOA HANCOCK
The Pirate Empress of the Sea, captain of the Kuja Pirates and only woman in the Shichibukai, Boa Hancock is a force to be reckoned with. During the series, we hear a lot of how beautiful she is, but that isn’t what makes her famous.
Not only does she have the power over Amazon Lily and the rest of the Kuja tribe, all women, she also has a Devil Fruit power to use lust and seduction to turn her victims to stone. This combined with her physical strength and Busoshoku Haki that allows her spirit to harden to armor, there’s a clear reason why she’s so deadly.
17 TRAFALGAR LAW
Law is one of the most popular characters in the series that isn’t a member of the Straw Hat crew. He worked for Doflamingo for a very long time, meaning his training was rigorous in order to bring his physical skills up to par with everyone else.
This only got more overpowered when he ate the Ope Ope no Mi; the Devil Fruit which allows the user to essentially make a “room” where they can control the power of things. Law has, notoriously, done this by stealing people’s hearts in order to gain control over them.
16 CHARLOTTE SMOOTHIE
The daughter of Big Mom, Smoothie is considered yet another powerful character within the series. She has exceptionally long legs, being from the Longleg Tribe, which makes her statuesque in comparison to most other people.
She is a Sweet Commander, meaning she is second in command to her mother, and uses a Devil Fruit that allows her to remove liquids from people and objects with just one squeeze. It’s no wonder she’s also known as the Minister of Juice! As one of Big Mom’s children, you knew she had to be dangerous.
15 DONQUIXOTE DOFLAMINGO
Doflamingo is perhaps one of the most hated villains One Piece ever introduced. One of his greatest attributes was deception and being able to manipulate people; this made him look like a cunning leader when he was far from the truth. His famous move “Parasite” comes from his Devil Fruit ability to let him control other people against their will.
By doing this, he was able to seal the fate of King Riku in Dressrosa when he forced him to harm his own people so that Doflamingo could rule them.
14 CHARLOTTE KATAKURI
Yet another one of Big Mom’s children, Katakuri also has a terrifying power we should all be shaking from. A Sweet Commander like his sister Smoothie, he possesses the same position that is only second to his mother’s. He is also considered the strongest of the three commanders; even Bege had to worry about his presence.
His Devil Fruit power is the ability to turn into Mochi at will, and while that seems to be adorable, it’s proven to be quite difficult to beat in the recent arcs.
13 MONKEY D. LUFFY
We couldn’t have a One Piece article on here and not talk about the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates! While Luffy has always been the hilarious and fun-loving main character of the show, we’ve seen him improve a lot since the beginning of the show. Luffy’s abilities originally came from the Devil Fruit that allowed the user to become a rubber man.
Since his extensive training, Luffy has learned new gears that he can throw his body into in order to defeat his enemies; partnering this with his stubborn personality, there’s no way he won’t be the King of the Pirates one day.
12 ISSHO/FUJITORA
Issho, also known under the alias Fujitora, is a fearsome part of the Marines. We wish we could have a list of just pirates, but the Marines do have some fearsome members to consider. Issho’s most popular attack is using his Gravito; a maneuver that allows him to utilize his Devil Fruit abilities that control gravity through the blade of his sword.
He has mastered both Busoshoku Haki and Kenbunshoku Haki, which is said to be common amongst Marine vice admirals. His use of amazing swordsmanship makes him a force of the sea itself and an extremely difficult foe to beat.
11 AOKIJI
Also known as Kuzan, Aokiji used to be an admiral for the Marines but is now associated with the Blackbeard Pirates. Despite no longer being with the Marines, he does still possess the Busoshoku Haki. His power to control ice is so intense that he can cover a Sea King or several miles of ocean in just moments.
We’ve seen him repel attacks from some of the most powerful members of the Straw Hat crew, even Luffy himself. He can actually use this Devil Fruit power to help him move around the sea by freezing the water beneath him.
10 DRACULE MIHAWK
Mihawk was one of the first big names we saw in the beginning of the series; especially since Zoro wants nothing more than to one day defeat him, despite training with him for two years. He is a member of the Shichibukai and considered the “Greatest Swordsman in the World”, a title he’s held onto throughout the entire series so far.
This isn’t without reason; his superhuman physical abilities have lead to his sword strikes being incredibly powerful. This is the same guy that defeated Zoro with a small dagger that he usually uses as a dinner knife.
9 MONKEY D. GARP
The name should look familiar because this is the grandfather of Monkey D. Luffy himself! It was quite a twist when we found out that Luffy’s own flesh and blood was actually in the Marines, but this also means that he’s got a bloodline of power.
In addition to having the same Haki as the other vice admirals, Garp is in charge of his own fleet of soldiers and also has years’ worth of experience in combat; so much so that we can actually consider him one of the strongest Marines we’ve seen so far in the series. This man can literally throw a cannonball with his own hands.
8 SENGOKU
Another vice admiral that’s usually compared side by side to Garp, Sengoku is another person we have to include on this list. He’s renowned for his tactical skills that comes with years of military training and experience. In addition to having very similar privileges and skills that Garp has, Sengoku also has a Devil Fruit power.
The Hito Hito no Mi allows him to Daibutsu, otherwise known as a “giant Buddha”, which gives him immense strength no one previously on this list can compare to.
7 BORSALINO/KIZARU
An official admiral of the Marines, we’ve heard a couple different mentions of Borsalino, also known by his alias, Kizaru. He’s considered one of the strongest fighter in both the Marines and the World Government, meaning he’s kind of a big deal. He’s so powerful that he can fight Whitebeard equally despite some of the pirate’s unique Haki skills.
Kizaru possesses the Devil Fruit power of light. Some of his most powerful moves are laser beams and creating a sword made of pure light.
6 MONKEY D. DRAGON
The father of Monkey D. Luffy himself, Dragon is certainly one of the strongest people we’ve ever seen in the series. This guy is so influential in the series his nickname is literally “Dragon the Revolutionary” and leads his very own revolutionary army.
He’s also considered the world’s most wanted man by the World Government, so we know he has incredible power we have yet to see fully in the series. One thing is for certain, through the conversations Luffy has had with others, we know that he’s definitely Dragon’s son in strength and stubbornness!
5 BIG MOM
The most recent arc of One Piece has had us toe to toe with one of the most famous members of the Yonko; the most elite pirate captains in the world. She leads the Big Mom Pirates, many of whom are her children.
If you though Katakuri and Smoothie were powerful, just wait till you see their mama. Without Haki, her skin is very difficult to damage, making her tough to injure. She also has the Devil Fruit power to interact with souls, which also includes taking them if she so chooses.
4 SHANKS
Mentor to Luffy, Shanks certainly deserves a spot as one of the top five most powerful characters in One Piece. He’s a member of the Yonko, like Big Mom, and also the leader of the Red Hair Pirates. As a former member of Gold D. Rogers crew, he has a lot of experience that’s made him powerful but also has acquired a lot of interesting powers that make him stronger than almost everyone on this list.
Perhaps the most important of these abilities is his Haoshoku Haki, something that only on in a million people have that allows them to exert their willpower over others.
3 KAIDO
Kaido of the Beasts, known as the "Strongest Creature in the World", is deserving of a leading role on this list. If the name wasn’t a dead giveaway, the fact that he is the captain of the Beast Pirates and another member of the Yonko should. His strength is perhaps his greatest advantage; he once sunk several prison ships singlehandedly.
Because he’s so tough, it’s difficult to injure him. This leads him to always wanting to fight his fellow Yonko and attempt fatal feats to prove just how tough he is to beat.
2 BLACKBEARD
Also known as Marshall D. Teach, the admiral of the Blackbeard Pirates and final member of the Yonko, he is the only man in the series that we’ve seen with the power of two Devil Fruits. One of the fruits gives him the power of darkness, which can sometimes help him to create blackhole-like manifests to aid him.
As a former member of the Whitebeard Pirates, he also took the Gura Gura no Mi from Whitebeard himself, which allows him to create massive earthquakes that cause a lot of destruction.
1 SAKAZUKI/AKAINU
Finally, we have the Fleet Admiral of the Marines. It’s incredibly tough to say whether or not he’s more powerful than Blackbeard, as both are considered to be incredibly strong, but perhaps one day we’ll see them fight it out to determine a true winner. Not only does he have the entire Marine organization under his control, but he also has the Devil Fruit ability that allows his body to turn into magma.
Even in his battles with Whitebeard, he was not easy to take down despite the pirate’s Haki and Devil Fruit abilities. Truly, he’ll be one obstacle our Straw Hat heroes will have to overcome is Luffy is ever to truly be the King of the Pirates.
