Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! It’s been over 28 years since the One Piece manga began serialization, and it has introduced dozens of powerful characters during this time. The series follows characters in several timelines, with the mysterious Void Century being the most crucial one. Additionally, apart from the current era, which is on its way to change the world as we know it, the story has introduced several legendary figures through flashbacks. One Piece has two kinds of power systems: one that revolves around Haki and the other that includes Devil Fruits. In some cases, a character can have both kinds of power, but that isn’t the only way to determine their true power.
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Additionally, power scaling One Piece characters is often challenging because the story relies heavily on narration and legends instead of actually showing what a certain character is capable of. There are several characters, such as Monkey D. Dragon, Saint Figarland Garling, and Marshall D. Teach, who are powerful but haven’t yet displayed enough skills or have the narrative portrayal to be considered on the Top 10 list. Not to mention that the ongoing backstory in the Elbaf Arc has made considerable changes in the ranking of the most powerful characters. So, here’s a list of the 10 One Piece characters who have proven themselves to be on the list.
10) Kaido
It can’t be denied that Kaido, having the title of the “World’s Strongest Creature,” was a bit of an exaggeration, especially when there were already certain characters stronger than him. That said, the man was an absolute monster, having not only the power of a Mythical Devil Fruit but also complete control over all forms of Haki.
His display of Conqueror’s Haki in particular is one of the best in the entire series, which explains why the fight against him went on for so long. Kaido also had a reputation for being undefeatable, and he believed that only Joy Boy could defeat him, which turned out to be true. Even someone like Luffy was defeated over and over again until he awakened his Gear 5 form.
9) Monkey D. Luffy
Not many people realize how broken Luffy’s abilities are, and that has something to do with the fact that One Piece fights aren’t streamlined. There’s just so much happening at a single time that it’s easy to miss several details. He would be ranked much higher in the coming years once he stops running out of stamina mid-battle. His Devil Fruit gives him absolute control over his surroundings, and he can bring imagination into reality, which is a clear depiction of one of the series’ biggest themes. After all, his Devil Fruit is literally the manifestation of centuries of prayers by people wanting to be free.
Another wonderful thing about Luffy is that he grows in almost every arc, so there’s no limit to how powerful he can become by the final war. Ever since the Wano Country Arc, he has gained even better control over his Haki. In the Egghead Incident Arc, he learns to be more in tune with his Gear 5 form. He will soon be joining the fight against the Holy Knights in Elbaf, where we can expect him to learn the trick to stop their regenerative abilities.
8) Monkey D. Garp
Although with his Gear 5 abilities, Luffy is stronger than the current Garp, the situation would reverse if we consider the Marine Vice Admiral during his prime. At the time, Garp’s strength was even compared to Gol D. Roger’s, and he had the reputation of a Marine Hero. Without any Devil Fruit power, Garp relied solely on his Haki and rose to the top. Even after he had grown old, he was able to hold his own against several Titanic Captains of the Blackbeard Pirates.
If he had gone for one-on-one fights, he could’ve easily defeated all of them, but unfortunately, all of Blackbeard’s subordinates at Hachinosu ambushed him instead. It’s almost a shame that even someone as incredible as him didn’t manage to change anything in how the Marines work and oppress people, like how Admiral Fujitora is trying to make a change. However, at the very least, he trained a new generation of Marines, whom fans have high expectations for.
7) Edward Newgate
Edward Newgate, better known as Whitebeard, was one of the greatest pirates of all time who lived and died as a legend. He was on the same footing as Gol D. Roger, and maybe he would’ve achieved something even greater, but that wasn’t his dream at all. Whitebeard had one of the most horrifying Devil Fruits in the world, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, which was akin to causing natural catastrophes. All of this, paired with his advanced Haki, made him unstoppable. What we witnessed in the Marineford Arc was only a fraction of his powers, and even that left everyone speechless.
Akainu, who is often hyped as one of the strongest characters in the series, was no match for the old pirate who already had one foot in the grave due to his illness. At the very least, Akainu could never have dreamed of defeating Whitebeard on his own. After suffering from 267 sword wounds, 152 bullet wounds, and 46 cannonball hits, having half his face melted by Akainu’s magma, and being continuously attacked by the Blackbeard Pirates, Whitebeard died standing after delivering one of the greatest speeches in the series’ history.
6) Gol D. Roger
We’ve only ever seen a glimpse of Roger’s abilities, but the main character, who acquired all the wealth and treasure in the world and journeyed to the last island where no one had set foot in the last 800 years, can’t really be considered weak. What makes Roger even more special than Whitebeard is that he achieved everything without any Devil Fruit ability. He was also a swordsman who could effortlessly overpower Kozuki Oden, the greatest Samurai in the Land of Wano.
Currently, the manga is featuring a crucial backstory in the Elbaf Arc, highlighting the events of the God Valley Incident. So, we may get to see more of his abilities since he fought several battles during that time.
5) Shanks
Shanks’ ranking in the series is often controversial for many reasons, but he has shown the greatest display of Conqueror’s Haki of any character except for Joy Boy. He is also known as the “Haki Killer” because of his ability to temporarily nullify his opponent’s Observation Haki. After the main fight in Wano ended, he was able to intimidate an Admiral from several miles away and force him to surrender and leave the country. Just like Roger, Shanks wields one sword and possesses no Devil Fruit ability.
Not to mention that his Divine Departure shocked the entire fandom when he took down the Kidd Pirates. This is only a fraction of his ability, and his true strength far surpasses anything we have seen before. It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to say that he is the second strongest character alive after Imu, the mysterious ruler of the world.
4) Harald
Harald was introduced in the Elbaf Arc of One Piece as the greatest king the country has ever known. He had the blood of the Ancient Giants, which explains why he was several times taller than ordinary Giants and possessed monstrous strength. In hopes of creating a better future for his country, Harald sneaked into the Reverie so he could learn more about the World Government.
There, he clashed with Rocks D. Xebec, who was escaping the Holy Land of Marijoa after killing an Admiral. Both of them used their weapons, and the impact of the clash blew away everyone within a five-kilometer radius. If we compare it to the clash that Whitebeard and Roger had during Oden’s backstory, the difference is overwhelming. Despite being legends, both of those pirates were seriously outmatched against Harald.
3) Rocks D. Xebec
Although Rocks D. Xebec was introduced several years ago, we finally learn more about him during the ongoing backstory. He is not only a legendary pirate but also Blackbeard’s father. Initially, it was believed that Rocks was defeated after the combined efforts of Roger and Garp, but the truth was far from it. He is also nowhere near as evil as Sengoku described him to be. However, his power is undeniable, which explains why the World Government feared him and painted him as a villain.
During the Reverie several decades ago, Rocks infiltrated the Flower Room and came across Imu. He also appeared unharmed after killing an Admiral, meaning that one of the Marine powerhouses was not even a challenge to him. After creating havoc among the Holy Knights, he clashed with Harald and escaped unscathed. The backstory continues to hype the character, and we will learn about the true extent of his powers soon enough.
2) Imu
Although Imu is still shrouded in mystery, we have more than enough reasons to believe that the most likely candidate for being One Piece’s final antagonist also happens to be an immortal. The first glimpse of Imu’s powers was shown at the end of the Egghead Incident Arc when they killed Saint Jaygarcia Saturn while sitting inside the Pangea Castle. Imu is already believed to be menacing enough, but the power to remotely kill someone is not something anyone else can do.
Additionally, the Elbaf Arc sheds more light on their power and the fact that they can take over anyone’s mind and make them their puppet. Imu can also cause their targets to lose all their senses while amplifying their powers. Such an ability is quite convenient for a person who wields this much authority without ever leaving the Pangea Castle.
1) Joy Boy
Just the image above proves how little One Piece has revealed about the original Joy Boy, to the point that we do not even know what he looks like. However, the series has at least given us enough hints to believe that he is the strongest person in history, someone Imu fears to this day. Even a fraction of his Haki stored inside Emeth for centuries was enough to bring Imu to their knees, which they felt all the way from Egghead to the Pangea Castle.
His powers were so incredible that the World Government always feared the Devil Fruit would find its rightful owner and mark his return. In the current era, Joy Boy has returned in the form of Luffy, passing down his will and his Devil Fruit abilities, but the man himself met his end during the Great War 800 years ago. At the time, he stood alone against 19 rulers of the allied nations to protect the Ancient Kingdom. How and why he lost is still a mystery, but there is a possibility he was betrayed by the people closest to him.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
