Ranking the strongest character in One Piece is like ranking the most viral internet moments.
Not long ago, nothing had more online impact the Barbenheimer internet apocalypse, but then the internet saw the Oompa Loompa at Willy Wonka’s Nightmare Experience and Barbenheimer became a thing of the past. That’s the Number One Rule of the All Blue: No matter how strong you think you are, there’s always someone stronger to come along and knock you out with a rubbery knuckle.
10. Monkey D. Garp
You know things are dire when the god-tier Monkey D. Garp is at the bottom of the list. Although Garp only holds the rank of Vice Admiral in the Marines, his influence extends far beyond that. He is known as the Hero of the Marines and was once considered to be an equal of Gol D. Roger, the late Pirate King himself. While he hasn’t had much screen time showing his awesome power, he doesn’t really need to. His reputation precedes him.
9. Dracule Mihawk
Dracule Mihawk is known as the World’s Strongest Swordsman, which he showcased in his completely one-sided fight against Roronoa Zoro in the beginning of the series. He nearly killed the green-haired triple sword threat with a blade the size of a letter opener. In fact, it probably was a letter opener—to open all of his fan mail, I’m sure.
8. Shanks
Shanks is captain of the Red Hair Pirates and currently one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. He was mentored by the Pirate King himself in his 20s and grew into one of the most formidable fighters in the entire world. He has mastered Haki to a greater extent than any other pirate in history. He’s also a formidable swordsman in his own right, second only to Dracule Mihawk in his bladework.
7. Monkey D. Dragon
Monkey D. Dragon is the leader of the Revolutionary Army, one of the most powerful organizations in the entire world. The Revolutionary Army is able to stand against the might of the World Government, which, if the name didn’t clue you in, has the resources of the entire world on their side. Monkey D. Dragon’s fearsome reputation has given him the title of “World’s Worst Criminal,” and his power likely rivals those of the Emperors. He’s also the dad of the soon-to-be most powerful character in the series: Monkey D. Luffy.
6. Whitebeard
The late, great Whitebeard was known as the World’s Strongest Man in his prime. And unlike most, this man’s prime lasted for the entirety of his adult life. Even as an old man, Whitebeard was still one of the most formidable combatants on the sea. The man was over 20 feet tall with muscles on his muscles. He was eventually brought down by combined efforts of the Marines and the Blackbeard Pirates. He was stabbed 267 times, shot by 152 bullets, and hit by 46 cannonballs. And even after all of that, he died standing up. What a legend.
5. Kaido
Kaido is known across the world as the “World’s Strongest Beast.” While the man himself has the proportions of a California redwood in his human form, his dragon form is what you really gotta worry about. Kaido possesses a mythical Zoan fruit that allows him to turn into an ancient and powerful dragon. He is the most powerful enemy that Monkey D. Luffy and the gang ever faced, and his battle allowed for Luffy to push himself into his ultimate Gear Five form. Though Kaido was eventually defeated by Luffy, he will likely reign as the World’s Strongest Beast forevermore.
4. Blackbeard
Marshall D. Teach (a.k.a. Blackbeard) is one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, along with powerhouses like Red-Haired Shanks. Blackbeard is also the only person on the sea to have the power of TWO different Devil Fruits. He possess the Yami Yama no Mi, which gives him freaky control over the power of darkness. He also somehow managed to steal Whitebeard’s devil fruit from his corpse, which allowed him to create powerful earthquakes. While he’s yet to battle Monkey D. Luffy, it’s a fight that will likely rock the boat. Every boat. Every single boat on the sea.
3. Monkey D. Luffy
Monkey D. Luffy is the protagonist of the biggest shonen anime ever made. It is INEVITABLE that he will become the most powerful character on the show—just how the genre works. While Monkey D. isn’t quite there yet, he’s soon to surpass every other character in the history of the world. How do I know? Aside from being the son of one of the world’s most powerful dudes, Monkey D. Luffy is also the reincarnation of the legendary Joy Boy, a messiah-like figure from ages past. Luffy’s Gear 5 allows him to bend reality itself to his will, turning cold matter into goofy rubber that he can manipulate.
2. Gol D. Roger
Gol D. Roger is the only man in history to ever be known as the Pirate King. He and his crew are also the only people to have ever laid eyes on the mythical One Piece. He’s so influential that he ushered the world into the Golden Age of Pirates through his words alone. He could hear the voices of the Sea Kings, overpower giants, and defeat legendary swordsmen with one strike. If it hadn’t been for his strange terminal illness, Gol D. Roger could very well have defeated the World Government itself.
1. Imu
A mystery wrapped in enigma and deep fried in question marks, Imu is the Big Bad of the Big Bads in the One Piece series. While Imu’s physical strength is unknown, his power comes from the fact that he is the de facto leader of the World Government, arguably the most powerful geopolitical organization in the entire world. He commands legions upon legions of Marines, and even the World Government’s most powerful figures cower in fear before him—for good reason. Imu possesses a weapon (likely one of the three Ancient Weapons) that allows him to destroy entire island chains in an instant. He will likely be the last enemy Monkey D. Luffy will have to destroy, and therefore the most formidable.
(featured image: Toei Animation)
