The 10 strongest One Piece characters ranked by their strength as of 2026
Determining the strongest One Piece characters remains a major debate as Eiichiro Oda's manga enters its Final Saga. From legendary figures like Gol D. Roger to current Yonko, Marine Admirals, and the mysterious Imu, rankings depend on battle feats, Devil Fruit powers, and advanced Haki mastery. As the race for the ultimate treasure intensifies, new revelations keep shaping the power rankings.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- How this ranking was determined
- Strongest One Piece characters at a glance (2026)
- 10. Monkey D. Dragon (unknown)
- 9. Kuzan (Aokiji) (Admiral-tier)
- 8. Monkey D. Garp (Yonko-rival tier)
- 7. Marshall D. Teach / Blackbeard ($4b+ bounty)
- 6. Sakazuki/Akainu (Fleet Admiral)
- 5. Dracule Mihawk (World's Strongest Swordsman)
- 4. Kaido ("Strongest Creature in the World")
- 3. Shanks ("Red-Hair")
- 2. Monkey D. Luffy / Joy Boy (Gear 5)
- 1. Imu/Nerona Imu (Godlike tier)
- FAQs
Key takeaways
- Imu (Nerona Imu) sits on the Empty Throne as the hidden sovereign of the World Government, but their true combat strength and Devil Fruit abilities remain largely unconfirmed in official canon.
- Monkey D. Luffy lands a close second after receiving his biggest Conqueror's Haki power-up since Wano in Chapter 1186 of the manga, during his battle against Imu.
- Shanks remains one of the strongest active characters, achieving supreme dominance through sheer Haki proficiency without the aid of a Devil Fruit.
- Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard) is uniquely terrifying as the only known user of two Devil Fruits simultaneously—the Yami Yami no Mi and the Gura Gura no Mi.
- In his prime, Monkey D. Garp fought on equal footing with legends like Gol D. Roger, proving that elite Haki alone can rival the strongest Devil Fruits.
How this ranking was determined
Power here is measured as a cocktail of Devil Fruit mastery, Haki proficiency (Observation, Armament, and Conqueror's), battle feats, and endurance. Our rankings draw on analysis from CBR, Comic Book Co, Shonen Vortex, and Game Rant, incorporating manga chapters up to the Elbaf arc in 2026. We use the most up-to-date feats available at the time of publishing, including the God Valley flashback and Imu's full Devil Fruit reveal.
Strongest One Piece characters at a glance (2026)
Rank | Character | Affiliation | Key Power | Devil Fruit |
1 | Imu (Nerona Imu) | World Government | Hidden sovereign / Status unconfirmed | Unconfirmed |
2 | Monkey D. Luffy | Straw Hat Pirates | Gear 5 / Advanced Conqueror's Haki | Yes (Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika) |
3 | Shanks | Red Hair Pirates | Supreme Conqueror's Haki | None |
4 | Kaido | Beasts Pirates | Dragon transformation / Durability | Yes (Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu) |
5 | Dracule Mihawk | Cross Guild | World's Strongest Swordsman | None |
6 | Sakazuki (Akainu) | Marines | Fleet Admiral / Magma Logia | Yes (Magu Magu no Mi) |
7 | Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard) | Blackbeard Pirates | Dual Devil Fruit user | Yes (Two fruits) |
8 | Monkey D. Garp | Marines | Advanced Haki / Physical strength | None |
9 | Kuzan (Aokiji) | Blackbeard Pirates | Ice Logia / Titanic Captain | Yes (Hie Hie no Mi) |
10 | Monkey D. Dragon | Revolutionary Army | Supreme Commander / Political threat | Unconfirmed |
10. Monkey D. Dragon (unknown)
- Full name: Monkey D. Dragon
- Nationality: Unknown
- Profession: Supreme Commander, Revolutionary Army
- Affiliation: Revolutionary Army
- Devil Fruit: Unconfirmed (widely theorised to be weather-based)
- Key ability: Immense political and military authority
Dragon is still one of the hardest characters in One Piece to rank properly, mostly because Eiichiro Oda continues to treat his combat abilities like classified information. His full combat strength remains unseen, but his massive narrative importance and status as the leader of the Revolutionary Army make him impossible to ignore.
His intervention at Loguetown and the global military threat posed by the organisation he built from nothing speak volumes about his capability.
9. Kuzan (Aokiji) (Admiral-tier)
- Full name: Kuzan
- Nationality: Unknown
- Profession: Former Marine Admiral; Blackbeard Pirate Captain
- Affiliation: Blackbeard Pirates
- Devil Fruit: Hie Hie no Mi (Ice-Ice Fruit)
- Key ability: Ice Logia, Advanced Haki
Kuzan now serves as the strongest of Blackbeard's Ten Titanic Captains. Having eaten the Hie Hie no Mi and been trained by Monkey D. Garp, Kuzan possesses one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in One Piece and fights with some of the most potent Haki.
Even without constant spotlight, Kuzan has the kind of toolkit that keeps him firmly in elite company. His decade-long battle with Akainu on Punk Hazard — which reshaped the island — remains one of the most jaw-dropping displays of endurance in the entire series.
8. Monkey D. Garp (Yonko-rival tier)
- Full name: Monkey D. Garp
- Epithet: "Garp the Fist"/Hero of the Marines
- Nationality: Unknown
- Profession: Vice Admiral, Marines
- Age: Late 70s
- Devil Fruit: None
- Key ability: All three Haki types; Galaxy Impact; unrivalled physical strength
Garp is living proof that advanced age and a lack of a Devil Fruit are no barriers to reaching the absolute peak of power in One Piece. Relying purely on monstrous physical strength and elite Haki mastery, he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with history's greatest legends.
Having famously fought on equal footing with Gol D. Roger, Garp's legacy as the Hero of the Marines endures despite his refusal to accept higher naval promotions.
7. Marshall D. Teach / Blackbeard ($4b+ bounty)
- Full name: Marshall D. Teach
- Epithet: "Blackbeard"
- Nationality: Unknown
- Profession: Yonko; Captain, Blackbeard Pirates
- Devil Fruit: Yami Yami no Mi + Gura Gura no Mi (dual user)
- Key ability: Darkness nullification, earthquake generation
Blackbeard is the only person in One Piece canon who holds two Devil Fruits simultaneously. The Yami Yami no Mi negates all Devil Fruit abilities on contact. The Gura Gura no Mi destroyed Marineford's geography in seconds.
Blackbeard's biggest strength lies in chaos and unpredictability — he fights dirty, adapts quickly, and constantly grows stronger. As the Final Saga antagonist, his full potential has clearly not been shown. He ranks here because his Haki still appears underdeveloped compared to Shanks or Luffy — but that gap could close quickly.
6. Sakazuki/Akainu (Fleet Admiral)
- Full name: Sakazuki
- Epithet: "Akainu" (Red Dog)
- Nationality: Unknown
- Profession: Fleet Admiral, Marines
- Devil Fruit: Magu Magu no Mi (Magma-Magma Fruit)
- Key ability: Magma Logia; overwhelming destructive output
Akainu remains one of the most dangerous straight-up fighters in the entire series. When it comes to proven destructive ability and combat authority, Akainu still belongs firmly in the top tier.
His pursuit of Luffy through Marineford — punching through Whitebeard's Ice Age barrier and burning through flesh — remains a definitive benchmark for Admiral-level destructive power. After then-Admiral Sakazuki killed Ace, Fleet Admiral Sengoku physically restrained Garp to stop him from killing Sakazuki in revenge — illustrating that Sengoku genuinely believed Garp had the power to seriously injure or kill Akainu.
5. Dracule Mihawk (World's Strongest Swordsman)
- Full name: Dracule Mihawk
- Epithet: "Hawk-Eye"
- Nationality: Unknown
- Profession: Former Warlord; Co-leader, Cross Guild
- Devil Fruit: None
- Key ability: Peerless swordsmanship; advanced Haki
Mihawk is one of those characters whose placement depends on whether Oda's titles mean what they say — and in this case, they probably do. As the World's Strongest Swordsman, Mihawk occupies a very important ceiling in the series, especially with Zoro's endgame path tied directly to him.
Mihawk once duelled Shanks as an equal in the era before Shanks lost his arm, and his precision with a blade is treated as an absolute peak. He holds the title that every swordsman in the series chases, and as of 2026, no one has taken it from him.
4. Kaido ("Strongest Creature in the World")
- Full name: Kaido
- Epithet: "King of the Beasts"
- Nationality: Unknown
- Profession: Former Captain, Beasts Pirates; former Yonko
- Devil Fruit: Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Azure Dragon)
- Status: Defeated; presumably deceased
Kaido's Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu turns him into an azure dragon capable of levelling a nation, and his body is so durable he survived every execution attempt, cannon barrage, and 40-plus-story fall the world threw at him.
Kaido pairs that durability with Advanced Conqueror's Haki and a genuine warrior's obsession with dying in a worthy fight. He fought the combined Worst Generation and Big Mom herself, tanking absurd punishment throughout the Raid on Onigashima. He took Gear Fifth attacks, multiple advanced Conqueror's Haki strikes, and a Thunder Bagua exchange that would have killed anyone else on this list.
3. Shanks ("Red-Hair")
- Full name: Shanks
- Epithet: "Red-Haired Shanks"
- Nationality: Unknown (raised in East Blue)
- Profession: Yonko; Captain, Red Hair Pirates
- Bounty: 4,048,900,000 Berries
- Devil Fruit: None
- Key ability: Supreme Conqueror's Haki; master swordsmanship
Shanks commands global respect and fear entirely without the aid of a Devil Fruit. Armed with some of the most overwhelming Conqueror's Haki seen in the series and peerless sword skill, he serves as a definitive modern benchmark for power. His ability to halt major conflicts through presence alone and neutralise formidable enemies with single strikes highlights his elite status among the living legends.
2. Monkey D. Luffy / Joy Boy (Gear 5)
- Full name: Monkey D. Luffy
- Epithet: "Straw Hat Luffy"; reincarnation of Sun God Nika / Joy Boy
- Nationality: East Blue
- Profession: Yonko; Captain, Straw Hat Pirates
- Bounty: 3,000,000,000 Berries
- Devil Fruit: Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika (Human-Human Fruit)
- Key ability: Gear 5; Advanced Conqueror's Haki; limitless creativity in combat
After awakening Gear 5 during the Wano Country arc, Luffy officially stepped into the upper echelon of the world's powerhouses. His awakened Mythical Zoan fruit grants him cartoon-like freedom in battle, which—combined with mastery over advanced forms of Haki—allows him to clash directly with the strongest figures in the Final Saga.
1. Imu/Nerona Imu (Godlike tier)
- Full name: Nerona Imu
- Epithet: "The Hidden King"; True Ruler of the World
- Affiliation: World Government (Empty Throne)
- Devil Fruit: Unconfirmed / Mysterious authority
- Key ability: Supreme global authority and immense destructive implications
Sitting in the shadows atop the Empty Throne, Imu represents the ultimate apex of political and systemic power in the world of One Piece. While narrative context and catastrophic events like the destruction of Lulusia imply devastating power at their disposal, specific details regarding Imu's personal combat abilities, Haki, and true identity remain deeply shrouded in mystery within the official manga canon.
FAQs
Is Zoro stronger than Luffy?
No — and this is not a close debate by 2026 standards. Luffy is leagues above Zoro, and that will always be the case. This does not mean Zoro is not strong — it simply means Luffy is in his own league and levels above any other member of the Straw Hat Pirates. Through Rob Lucci's words in the manga, Eiichiro Oda confirmed Zoro's role as the second strongest man in the Straw Hats — not their equal.
Who is the 2nd strongest character in One Piece?
Luffy is the strongest currently active fighter we have seen perform at full capacity on-panel. Imu ranks above him based on the Lulusia destruction feat, but Imu has not been in a direct fight yet. As of 2026, Luffy is the strongest fighter with confirmed in-combat feats. That makes Luffy a strong claim for second place, with Shanks as a close third.
Who can defeat Luffy?
If you are asking who could defeat Luffy, the answer — as far as the Final Saga has revealed — is Imu, the mysterious sovereign who sits atop the Empty Throne. Imu sits at the top in pure destructive output. Luffy sits just below in active combat potential. The gap between them is real but closeable, and the final arc is built around that collision.
How strong is Monkey D. Garp compared to the Yonko?
In his prime, Garp was one of the strongest characters in One Piece history, fighting on the same level as Gol D. Roger and Rocks D. Xebec. While he has grown weaker in his old age, the grandfather of Monkey D. Luffy is still a force to be reckoned with. He has refused promotion to Admiral on multiple occasions. Despite his comparatively low rank, Garp rivals or exceeds the power of the known Admirals and Fleet Admirals.
Is Shanks stronger than Blackbeard?
Almost certainly yes, based on current evidence. Shanks' Haki mastery is explicitly the greatest of any living character, and his ability to end the Marineford War through presence alone — plus demolishing Kid effortlessly — suggests he operates at a level Blackbeard has not yet reached. However, Blackbeard's dual Devil Fruits and unique physiology mean this gap could close, or even reverse, by the end of the Final Saga.
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Source: Legit.ng
