10 Best Luffy Fights in One Piece, Ranked

Over the last two and a half decades, One Piece, besides taking fans on one of the grandest adventures of all time, has also given fans many memorable fights. While One Piece’s fights have garnered plenty of mainstream action as of late with Gear Five, and the Egghead Arc’s flashy animation, the series boasts many excellent fights even from before the time skip that still stand the test of time even with their simple animation. Although many of the Straw Hats also undoubtedly have fan-favorite fights, many of the series’ most iconic battles unsurprisingly belong to the titular protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy himself, who is always tasked with bringing down the “big bad’ so to speak.

From fights with flashy transformations like those against Kaido, Doflamingo, and Lucci, to emotionally heavy ones such as those against fellow crewmates, and even simply entertaining ones like that against Foxy and Enel, Luffy’s fights in One Piece are as different as they come. With so much to choose from, every fan is sure to have their own personal favorite, though these are certainly some of the top favorites.

10. Luffy vs. Foxy

Although the Long Ring Long Land Arc is one of the most divisive story arcs in One Piece, there’s no denying that the climactic fight between Luffy and Foxy is nothing short of hilarious. The arc as a whole has had fans divided for years, with some hating it and others loving it. The hate is mostly due to the arc essentially being canon filler, though there are many who agree the concepts introduced during the arc, like the Davy Back Fight, could end up being crucial in the future.

This Davy Back Fights forms the entire basis of Luffy and Foxy’s battle, which arguably has quite high stakes given that many of the Straw Hats are on the line and Luffy has to win to get his friends back or become one of Foxy’s underlings, essentially throwing away his dream of becoming the Pirate King. All that said, what truly makes the fight so memorable is the Afro Luffy gag, which, together with Usopp’s hilarious boxing coach act, is sure to leave fans in stitches every single time.

9. Luffy vs. Crocodile

Though Luffy faces many significant threats in the East Blue, Crocodile, by virtue of being one of Luffy’s first opponents in the Grand Line, is impossible to forget. Crocodile is also the first of the Seven Warlords and the first Logia user that Luffy encounters, putting him in a class above any of Luffy’s previous opponents.

The fight between Crocodile and Luffy is an excellent early example of Luffy’s perseverance and his ingenuity, as Luffy is forced to find a way around Crocodile’s Logia powers. As many may remember, Luffy does so in the most creative way, using water, and, subsequently, his own blood to wound Crocodile, very satisfyingly taking revenge for Alabasta with a barrage of punches that literally bring the roof down.

8. Luffy vs. the Admirals

Easily one of the most memorable moments of the Marineford Arc is the moment Luffy lands in front of the Admirals holding onto a broken mast. Despite his utter defeat against Kizaru at Sabaody, Luffy fearlessly faces Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru, who represent the strongest the Navy has to offer, completely prepared to face them if it means getting to Ace.

Granted, this isn’t much of a fight as the Admirals are unfazed by Luffy’s Stamp Gatling, and Kizaru once again easily pushes Luffy back. Even with Gear Second, Luffy finds himself completely unmatched against Aokiji, forcing Marco to essentially come to his aid. Great as the face-off may be, the short-lived nature of this battle is the only reason it ranks lower compared to the rest of Luffy’s fights in One Piece.

7. Luffy vs. Usopp

Luffy and Usopp’s fight in Water Seven is easily one of the earliest emotionally packed battles of the series. The fight, which sparks over the need to leave the Going Merry behind, conceals layers of complex emotions and fleshes out the power dynamics between the Straw Hats in a way that hadn’t quite been explored before. On Usopp’s end, his refusal to leave the Merry behind isn’t just because the ship was given to them by Kaya, but also because he had been repairing and taking care of the ship all this time, thus attaching his own worth to the ship and his ability to fix it.

However, when the Merry can no longer be repaired and has to be replaced, Usopp’s insecurities bubble up to the surface, and he fears being left behind by the Straw Hats in a similar manner because he is weak. On Luffy’s end, this fight was a way for him to come to terms with the bitter reality that being a captain came with making difficult decisions and that he had to assert his leadership when the time called for it, even if it meant losing a friend.

6. Luffy vs. Enel

Hated as the Skypiea Arc may be, the final fight between Enel and Luffy is simply impossible not to love. The entire arc sets up Enel as this all-powerful, all-seeing, self-proclaimed god, and in a way, marks Luffy’s first time going up against such a figure, which was likely the blueprint for the larger conflict between the D Clan and the Celestial Dragons.

That said, despite Enel’s presented dominance, the fight quickly shifts in Luffy’s favor with the revelation that Enel’s lightning doesn’t work on Luffy. The twist is easily one of the most clever ones in One Piece that intuitively makes use of one of rubber’s natural properties to turn Luffy into Enel’s natural enemy. All that said, from Enel’s meme-worthy reaction to his lightning not working, to Luffy’s dazed dodging, one of the biggest appeals of the fight is that it’s simply hilarious.

[RELATED: One Piece’s Teen Prodigy Animator Blows Minds With Kizaru Fight]

5. Luffy vs. Sanji

Much like the fight between Usopp and Luffy, the fight between Sanji and Luffy during the Whole Cake Island Arc is incredibly emotionally loaded. At the core of this conflict, Sanji leaves the Straw Hats to protect them from entering a conflict with his family and Big Mom.

Despite his harsh words to Luffy, it is clear that Sanji is simply trying to protect them, though arguably the most memorable moment of this fight is when Luffy declares that he won’t, or rather can’t, become the King of the Pirates without Sanji. Luffy, who loves food above all else, even goes hungry to prove his determination to Sanji, and that alone speaks volumes about how much Luffy values Sanji and the rest of his friends.

4. Luffy vs. Doflamingo

While the Dressrosa Arc doesn’t have the best standing among fans owing to the anime’s horrendous pacing, the climactic fight between Doflamingo and Luffy is arguably quite good. The biggest highlight of this fight would have to be the debut of Gear Fourth, which at the time had fans just as excited as Gear Five.

Beyond Luffy’s new transformation, the Doflamingo fight also introduced the concept of Devil Fruit awakenings, with the former Celestial Dragon being Luffy’s first awakened opponent. This fight also has a most unforgettable ending, with Luffy shattering Doflamingo’s God Thread and punching his face into the ground as his allies and the citizens of Dressrosa cheer him on.

3. Luffy vs. Lucci

While it’s a tough pick between the original fight and the recent rematch at Egghead, the Enies Lobby fight between Luffy and Lucci is arguably a smidge better. The original fight saw Luffy reveal two whole new abilities, Gear Second and Gear Third, and is easily one of Luffy’s grittiest fights from before the time skip. There’s also the fact that the stakes at Enies Lobby were infinitely higher, with Robin and the rest of the crew’s freedom resting on Luffy’s ability to defeat Lucci, the biggest obstacle in their path to escape.

That said, Luffy’s fight against Lucci is largely memorable because of Luffy’s satisfying finishing move, Gum-Gum Jet Gatling, which rained down a barrage of punches on Lucci in a panel that is still considered one of the best double spreads in One Piece’s manga.

2. Luffy vs. Katakuri

Besides the tearful fight between Luffy and Sanji, the Whole Cake Island Arc also gave fans one of One Piece’s best fights to date with one of the series’ most respectable villains. What makes the fight between Luffy and Katakuri so great is the underlying current of mutual respect and fair play between the two. Unlike previous opponents, Katakuri’s motives for fighting are honorable, given that he only wants to protect his family amidst the ensuing chaos. The fight also reveals just how well-written Katakuri is, being one of the few sympathetic villains in One Piece.

As for the action itself, Katakuri’s Mochi-Mochi Fruit coupled with his Future Sight, makes him one of Luffy’s most challenging opponents after Kaido. Katakuri’s mochi powers are almost presented as a superior version of Luffy’s Gum-Gum powers, and it would have been virtually impossible for Luffy to defeat him if he hadn’t been able to develop Future Sight to rival Katakuri’s in the moment. The battle also introduced fans to an all-new form of Gear Fourth, which is Snakeman, though the real highlight of this fight would have to be the ending when Katakuri seemingly acknowledges that Luffy is capable of becoming the Pirate King, and the latter covers Katakuri’s mouth with his hat out of respect once he passes out.

1. Luffy vs. Kaido

As far as Luffy’s fights in One Piece go, his big battle against Kaido at Wano needs no introduction. The overarching battle between Kaido and Luffy is by far the longest fight in One Piece, spanning 162 episodes from when Luffy reaches the rooftop in Episode 914 to when Kaido is ultimately defeated in Episode 1076. Yet, despite its length, it is unanimously regarded as the best One Piece has to offer to date. Of course, a huge reason for this is that this fight marks Luffy’s devil fruit awakening and the epic introduction of Gear Five, an ability that would forever change everything fans thought they knew about One Piece.

Besides giving Luffy many memorable goofy attacks like Gum-Gum Jumprope and Gum-Gum Giant, the fight is also a consequential one due to the high stakes that Kaido’s defeat carries. Throughout his fight against Kaido, Luffy carries the thoughts, prayers, and suffering that Wano has endured for over two decades, with everything leading up to this one chance to defeat Kaido, which multiple people have sacrificed themselves to create. No other fight in One Piece is as well-written as Luffy’s fight against Kaido, and there’s simply no competition that it’s the best.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.