The Strongest Characters in One Piece

35 Enel Commanded the Power of Lightning In the Upper Yard

Debut: Episode 167, “God Enel Appears!! Aubade to the Survivors”

For a pre-time skip antagonist, Enel is incredibly powerful. As the user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Enel possesses one of the strongest Devil Fruits in One Piece. In fact, his lightning-based Logia abilities made quick work of almost every opponent that he went up against — effortlessly defeating them with a single massive bolt of electricity.

Besides his Devil Fruit, Enel is also the first One Piece villain to use Observation Haki against the Straw Hats. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit is completely useless against Luffy’s body, since rubber is an insulating material and the physics apparently remains the same. And yet, he managed to defeat the Straw Hat captain during their first altercation. Even if Enel’s ultimate defeat at the hands of Monkey D. Luffy drove him to greater heights, there’s no doubt that he’s the weakest character on this list.

34 Shiryu Of The Rain Was Once Impel Down’s Feared Warden

Debut: Episode 440, “Believe in Miracles! Bon Kurei Cheers From His Heart”

Despite Blackbeard and his crew’s position as an Emperor of the Sea, they tend to be very particular when moving against other forces. As a result, powerful characters like Shiryu of the Rain haven’t gotten a chance to show just how strong they truly are. He served as the Head Jailer of Impel Down for several years before being imprisoned and replaced. Many of his peers stated that Shiryu was equally strong as Grand Warden Magellan, who effortlessly defeated Luffy.

If this is true, then the fact that Shiryu ate the Clear-Clear Fruit after joining the Blackbeard Pirates makes him a tremendous threat. Brief flashbacks also make it clear that Shiryu is a vicious person who will gladly kill prisoners on a whim, suggesting he places no value on human life. Even Magellan, himself a tough and strict warden, thought Shiryu was too brutal as Impel Down’s previous warden.

33 Queen Can Morph Into a Dinosaur Warrior

Debut: Episode 918, “It’s On – The Special Operation to Bring Down Kaidou!”

The Beasts Pirates are one of the most feared pirate crews in the New World, largely due to the presence of dangerous individuals like Queen the Plague. Formerly a member of the scientific research unit known as MADS, Queen complements the powers of his Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit with some of the best cybernetic technology that the Grand Line has to offer. He is also capable of using Armament and Observation Haki to great effect.

Given Kaido’s status as an Emperor of the Sea, it’s only appropriate that Queen also possesses devastating strength as well. He forces Sanji to push past his limits during the pair’s battle in the Raid on Onigashima, proving that the Beasts Pirate is one of One Piece‘s strongest characters. Ultimately, however, even Queen the Plague couldn’t stand against Sanji’s Bœuf Burst attack.

32 Sanji Vinsmoke Delivers Powerful Kicks and Cooks a Mean Lunch

Debut: Episode 20, “The Famous Cook! Sanji of the Floating Restaurant”

Sanji Vinsmoke is the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates and one of their strongest fighters. Thanks to the Black Leg Style taught to him by Chef Zeff, Sanji is extremely proficient in most combat settings, even if he never uses his arms during battle. This, combined with the physical augmentations performed on him as part of the Vinsmoke Family, resulted in the Grand Line’s most fearsome cook.

Sanji’s trajectory as a character isn’t particularly clear at this point, since his goal of finding the All Blue doesn’t appear to have anything to do with the Straw Hat Pirates’ current goals. That said, there’s no doubt that Sanji will continue to get stronger along with the rest of the crew. Based on his prior accomplishments and massive strides as a fighter, he may dispatch a Marine Admiral all by himself by the end of One Piece. He might even get to defeat one of the Five Elders.

31 Eustass Kid Faced Big Mom and Won

Debut: Episode 392, “New Rivals Gather! The 11 Supernovas”

Just like Monkey D. Luffy and Trafalgar D. Law, Eustass Kid is one of the key members of the Worst Generation. Akin to his two peers, Kid aims to use his Devil Fruit powers to become the next King of the Pirates. For years, this ambition seemed unrealistic, but after his remarkable performance during the Raid on Onigashima, his goal didn’t seem nearly as far away.

By teaming up with Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kid was able to push Big Mom to her absolute limits and defeat her at Wano, which is no mean feat, even for one of the most famed pirate captains of the Grand Line. Despite his clearly overwhelming strength and ferocity, Kid made the mistake of challenging Red-Hair Shanks and his fleet. He would have eviscerated several ships and killed dozens of people with Damned Punk if Shanks hadn’t struck him first.

30 Yamato Fought Kaido Well at Onigashima Island

Debut: Episode 972, “The End of the Battle! Oden vs. Kaidou!”

Estimating Yamato’s strength is difficult, but at the end of the day, Kaido’s child wields several of the most powerful abilities in One Piece. Yamato’s Conqueror’s Haki, Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, and battle experience make him a major ally to the people of Wano. Were it not for Yamato’s assistance, there’s a pretty big chance that the Raid on Onigashima would have failed.

Although Yamato isn’t as strong as his father, Kaido, or his idol, Kozuki Oden, Yamato is no pushover. Yamato effortlessly defeated Ulti with a single strike, and during his battle with Kaido, he even succeeded in drawing blood from the Emperor of the Sea. Although it can be argued that Yamato is on par with Luffy’s Gear 4, he’s still got a long way to go before he can successfully challenge some of the overpowered fighters on this list.

29 Charlotte Katakuri Harnessed the Terrifying Power of Mochi

Debut: Episode 825, “Liar – Luffy and Sanji”

When the Straw Hat Pirates venture to Whole Cake Island, Monkey D. Luffy isn’t strong enough to take on Charlotte Linlin. However, as evidenced by his battle with her second son Charlotte Katakuri, he went blow-for-blow with the Emperor of the Sea’s second-in-command, who is incredibly powerful in his own right.

Thanks to the powers of his Mochi-Mochi Fruit, Katakuri can transform into and manipulate mochi, which he utilizes almost identically to a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. In addition to this, he also possesses a highly advanced form of Observation Haki known as Future Sight, granting him the ability to briefly glimpse into the future. In many ways, Charlotte Katakuri was Luffy’s counterpart and equal, from their hard-hitting melee fighting style to their powerful Devil Fruit abilities and their immense fondness for eating.

28 King Earned His Place as Kaido’s Right-Hand Man

Debut: Episode 918, “It’s On – The Special Operation to Bring Down Kaidou!”

Every great pirate captain has an impressive second-in-command. However, few are as fearsome as King the Conflagration, easily one of the most powerful characters to be introduced in One Piece. As Kaido’s most trusted subordinate, King has accompanied the World’s Strongest Creature for several decades, leaving a trail of defeated opponents in his wake.

King is part of the Lunarian race, which is an ancient, powerful group of people previously thought to be extinct. Because of his Lunarian DNA, King can create and manipulate flames, adding to a long list of abilities that already included impressive Haki and Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit powers. As a result, Roronoa Zoro was pushed to his maximum limits while fighting King. Zoro even had to develop an entirely new technique — the 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation — to bring King down.

27 Sabo Ate Ace’s Devil Fruit to Become Even Stronger

Debut: Episode 494, “Enter Sabo! The Boy From Gray Terminal”

The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army and Monkey D. Dragon’s very own right-hand man, Sabo, is already one of the strongest characters in One Piece. He’s powerful enough to clash evenly against an Admiral, although it may be argued that Fujitora wasn’t taking the fight seriously enough. Sabo returned alive and well in the Dressrosa Saga, where he reunited with his childhood foster brother Luffy in a happy moment.

Then Sabo got to work, obtaining Ace’s former Devil Fruit and helping Luffy’s crew free the island from Donquixote Doflamingo’s tyranny and abuse. Thanks to the powers of the Flame-Flame Fruit and high-level Armament Haki, stopping Sabo in combat is extremely difficult. He has already survived multiple conflicts against the Marines’ strongest forces, so Monkey D. Luffy’s brother may end up even more powerful than imagined.

26 Roronoa Zoro Has Come a Long Way Since His Baratie Battle With Mihawk

Debut: Episode 1, “I’m Luffy! The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King!”

As Monkey D. Luffy’s right-hand man and the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates, Roronoa Zoro aims to become the World’s Strongest Swordsman. To do so, he must first unseat Dracule Mihawk and his current claim to the title — Zoro is destined to succeed, although not for a while. Clearly, Roronoa Zoro has come a long way since his East Blue saga days, when he tried in vain to challenge Mihawk during the battle for the Baratie restaurant ship.

Throughout the Wano Country arc, Roronoa Zoro has made massive strides as a character. He recently acquired Enma, the former sword of Kozuki Oden, and developed a rudimentary control over his latent Conqueror’s Haki. Armed with these two tools, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Dracule Mihawk or a Marine Admiral giving him a run for his money. Zoro’s accomplishments at Wano even earned him a bounty well over a billion berry.

25 Marco The Phoenix Earned a High Rank Under Whitebeard’s Command

Debut: Episode 151, “The 100,000,000 Man! The World’s Highest Authority and the Pirate Blackbeard”

When the Whitebeard Pirates lost their leader during the Summit War, their future as a group was thrown into flux. Thankfully, Whitebeard’s first mate, Marco the Phoenix, is a stellar leader, and through his guidance, he briefly reassembled the crew. While Garp managed to knock him down easily when he tried to save Ace, there’s no doubt that Marco remains a formidable opponent.

Marco isn’t as strong as Emperor of the Sea-level combatants like Blackbeard, but he’s only a small step behind. He simultaneously held his own against both King and Queen of the Beasts Pirates. On several occasions, he has repelled the efforts of Big Mom, the Marine Admirals, and their contemporaries. That said, Marco’s relatively advanced age means that he’s not in his prime anymore, explaining why he has been ranked so low on this list.

24 Trafalgar D. Water Law Is the Famed Surgeon of Death

Debut: Episode 392, “New Rivals Gather! The 11 Supernovas”

Also known as the Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar D. Law is one of the most influential characters in the entire world of One Piece. He triggered the war against Kaido, squared off against the villainous Donquixote Doflamingo, and, perhaps most importantly, wore the burden of the Will of D. the entire time. With the powers of the Op-Op Fruit, Trafalgar Law’s potential is almost limitless.

Using his extremely valuable Devil Fruit, Trafalgar Law can rearrange people’s bodies inside a specified place, called ROOM, which is how Law fused part of Kin’emon’s body to a dragon on Punk Hazard. By combining his efforts with Eustass Kid, Law put Big Mom on the defensive during the battle for Onigashima Island in the Wano arc, meaning that he occupies a rarefied air among the pirates of the New World.

23 Admiral Ryokugyu Can Reshape Nature At Will

Debut: Episode 882, “The Paramount War – The Inherited Will of the King of the Pirates”

While One Piece‘s narrative predominately follows pirates, another group technically governs the sea. The Marines are the military branch of the World Government, and within their ranks preside some of One Piece‘s strongest characters, including the mysterious Admiral known as Ryokugyu. Ryokugyu is first mentioned shortly after the series’ timeskip, but he doesn’t make his first appearance until the tail-end of the Wano Country Arc.

At this point, Ryokugyu is capable of outmatching the Red Scabbards of Kozuki Oden, although it must be admitted that they were heavily injured and exhausted at the time. In fact, he only left after Shanks sent him a long-distance warning through his Conqueror’s Haki. The new Admiral’s Devil Fruit, which allows him to control nature itself, is one of the most overpowered abilities in the entire series, explaining why he rapidly ascended the ranks of the Marines.

22 Benn Beckman Is No Doubt Quite Powerful as Shanks’ First Mate

Debut: Episode 4, “Luffy’s Past! The Red-Haired Shanks Appears”

Projecting the strength of Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates is virtually impossible, but it’s safe to assume that characters like Benn Beckman are extremely powerful. Beckman serves as Shanks’ first mate, and with Roronoa Zoro, Silvers Rayleigh, and Marco the Phoenix as his comparisons, he will almost certainly be one of One Piece‘s strongest end-of-series characters.

Thus far, Shanks’ first mate has engaged in zero combat scenes with other named characters (his sole fight on-screen was against an unnamed and rather weak mountain bandit). However, as evidenced by Kizaru’s nervous reaction and immediate withdrawal when Beckman merely pointed his gun at him during the Battle of Marineford, he’s likely on par with some of the most well-known names in the Grand Line. Fans are hoping to see him in action soon enough.

21 Boa Hancock Can Make Anyone Swoon and Turn to Stone

Debut: Episode 409, “Hurry! Back to the Crew – Adventure on the Isle of Women”

Whereas some Warlords of the Sea didn’t live up to their title, Boa Hancock has repeatedly proven that she’s among the strongest female characters in One Piece. She wields all three forms of Haki in addition to the Love-Love Fruit, which allows her to transform most opponents into stone. Although this Devil Fruit would only work with someone like her, Hancock has shown considerable levels of physical strength as well.

Boa Hancock sports a bounty of nearly two billion Berries, and when the Blackbeard Pirates invaded Amazon Lily, she almost single-handedly repelled their attack. The only reason she lost that fight was because Blackbeard neutralized her Devil Fruit abilities using his mysterious Dark-Dark Fruit. All things considered, Hancock’s deep attachment to Monkey D. Luffy could be a vital asset in One Piece‘s final saga.

20 Silvers Rayleigh Is Still Powerful Even After All These Years

Debut: Episode 8, “Who Will Win? Showdown Between the True Powers of the Devil Fruit!”

As the first mate of the Roger Pirates, it should be no surprise that Silvers Rayleigh still strikes fear in the heart of the World Government. Known as the “Dark King,” Rayleigh helped Gol D. Roger rise to the top of the pirate world and taught Monkey D. Luffy everything he could about the ways of Haki. Despite his age, Silvers Rayleigh is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with One Piece‘s top brass.

His encounters with Kizaru and Blackbeard only further solidified him as one of the New World’s living legends. Despite being one of the strongest characters in One Piece, though, Silvers Rayleigh seems content to play a humble supporting role in most arcs, such as training Luffy to use Haki and coating the Thousand Sunny in resin to allow deep dives into the ocean’s depths. Considering his age, however, there are several characters stronger than Rayleigh on this list.

19 Admiral Fujitora Can Crush Anyone With Unnatural Gravity

Debut: Episode 630, “Adventure! The Country of Love and Passion, Dressrosa”

Were it not for the Marine Admirals, the World Government’s vice grip on the Grand Line would be significantly less tight. Following One Piece‘s two-year timeskip, two new Admirals are introduced: Fujitora and Ryokugyu. The former of these two wields the Press-Press Fruit, which is actually a lot more overpowered than it sounds. In fact, this Devil Fruit grants Fujitora the ability to create and control gravitational fields.

Many of Admiral Fujitora’s accomplishments occur off screen, but he’s gone toe-to-toe with notable figures like the Straw Hat Pirates, Sabo, and Trafalgar D. Water Law and fared extremely well. Although the full extent of his powers remains to be seen, he’s undeniably one of the Marines’ strongest weapons and ranks among the strongest One Piece characters by virtue of his lofty rank alone.

18 Admiral Kizaru Moves as Fast as Light Itself

Debut: Episode 398, “Admiral Kizaru Moves! The Sabaody Archipelago in Chaos”

Every Marine Admiral is incredibly powerful, and in the case of Kizaru, he also benefits from the powers of a Logia-type Devil Fruit. Kizaru’s power is on full display during One Piece‘s Sabaody Archipelago and Marineford Arcs and he’ll still be a massive threat to any pirate by the end of the series. With his Glint-Glint Fruit, Kizaru can transform his body into light itself, allowing him to travel faster than any character in One Piece not using portal magic.

Only time will tell how strong he is, but like his fellow Admirals, Kizaru is one of the World Government’s strongest weapons moving forward into the Final Saga. Admiral Kizaru’s Devil Fruit failed to defeat Luffy’s Gear 5, but that doesn’t mean he’s gotten any weaker. On the contrary, Kizaru’s role in the story is far from finished.

17 Former Admiral Kuzan Defeated the Straw Hats Single-Handedly

Debut: Episode 225, “The Man of Pride! Foxy the Silver Fox”

After serving as an Admiral of the Navy during the first half of One Piece, Aokiji staked his claim as the next Fleet Admiral of the Marines. In opposition was his foil, Admiral Akainu, resulting in a 10-day battle between the two on Punk Hazard that would define the future of the Marines. Ultimately, the fiery Akainu emerged victorious over his icy peer.

That said, the fact the two effectively fought to a standstill is a testament to both, even if Aokiji lost one of his legs in the process. It was also Aokiji who casually defeated the entire Straw Hat crew single-handedly on Long Ring Long Land, but fortunately for Luffy’s team, Aokiji showed them mercy. After retiring from the Marines and losing the Aokiji epithet, Kuzan has cast his lot with the Blackbeard Pirates as one of their strongest members.

16 Sengoku Commanded the Entire Navy Fleet at One Point

Debut: Episode 151, “The 100,000,000 Man! The World’s Highest Authority and the Pirate Blackbeard”

At 79 years old, many fans likely underestimate Former Fleet Admiral Sengoku. He has mostly operated in a non-combat capacity throughout One Piece, even more so after his retirement following the Summit War at Marineford. Still, as indicated by his Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and Haki usage, Sengoku could challenge virtually any pirate on the Grand Line.

Mythical Zoan is the rarest type of Devil Fruit in One Piece, and Sengoku’s Golden Buddha form perfectly exemplifies this. Even at his advanced age, its powers were a massive deterrent to the Blackbeard Pirates. Since Sengoku has been confirmed to use all three forms of Haki, he’s possibly one of the greatest fighters of his generation, allowing him to preserve the justice that he strives to protect.