Throughout most of One Piece, no group of characters has been as imposing as the Emperors of the Sea, also known as the Yonko. Universally regarded as the most powerful pirates in the world, both in-universe and IRL, this select group of individuals is fearsome enough to serve as a counterbalance to the entirety of the Marines.
The Emperors are the strongest characters in One Piece, and Monkey D. Luffy has only surpassed some of his current peers. While Gear 5 has certainly made him more dangerous and awe-inspiring than several Emperors, both past and present, the likes of Shanks and Kaido demonstrate how much more he needs to grow.
Buggy Maintains His Power Through Mihawk and Crocodile
Buggy the Clown laughing in the One Piece anime.Image by Toei Animation
Buggy the Clown is one of the most important supporting characters in One Piece, but his status as an Emperor is purely a gag. While a formidable fighter compared to the average pirate, he is nothing compared to the other Emperors, having only amassed his power and influence through a series of cons and misunderstandings, and the “recruitment” of Mihawk and Crocodile.
Despite having been a part of Gol D. Roger’s crew, Buggy has no Haki, and his Devil Fruit power is pitiful by the standards of the New World, let alone the ones set by the other Emperors. There is a genuine Emperor level fighter in the Cross Guild, but his name is Dracule Mihawk.
Whitebeard Was Far Past His Prime During the Marineford Saga
Captain Whitebeard is extending his arms to activate the Gura Gura no Mi during the Marineford Arc in One Piece.Imaga via Toei Animation
At the time of his introduction, Whitebeard appeared to live up to his reputation as the strongest man in the world. While it’s possible that he did indeed have the most impressive offensive output at the time, it’s become clear that the rest of the Emperors were all his betters, despite him having been far beyond them when he was in his prime.
With the power to summon earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as all three types of Haki, Edward Newgate was stronger than everyone else present during the Summit War, Admirals included. What he wasn’t, however, was healthy or durable enough in his old age to withstand the onslaught of attacks that were thrown at him.
Monkey D Luffy Has the Potential to Be the Strongest One Piece Character
Monkey D. Luffy is currently fighting the greatest evil in the world of One Piece, Nerona Imu, but that doesn’t mean he’s actually ready to face him. With the power of Gear 5, Luffy becomes nearly unstoppable as he transforms into Sun God Nika, allowing him to bend reality around him, and render his enemies helpless.
The issue that has now persisted for several arcs, however, is that Luffy’s stamina in Gear 5 is non-existent. Especially if he hasn’t eaten a massive meal before entering the form, Luffy simply cannot stay as Nika long enough to defeat the vast majority of Emperors, and none of his Gear 4 forms even make him as fearsome as Whitebeard.
Big Mom One of the Only Major Villains Luffy Never Defeated
Big Mom shows her enormous figure in One PieceImage via Toei Animation
Big Mom is a strange case where fans have never truly seen her at her peak, with the modern day version of the character not being entirely mentally present, and the younger Charlotte Linlin seen during the God Valley flashback being a relative rookie. Regardless, even if she’s past her prime, the version present in the modern day is still a complete monster, and one that Luffy never actually defeated.
One of the strongest people alive since she was a child, in her old age, Big Mom combines her natural physical strength with all three types of Haki and one of the most over-powered Devil Fruits in the series. Some fans attempt to downplay Linlin because she lost to Law and Kid, but Luffy’s rivals didn’t actually beat her in a fair fight and, had the circumstances of the battle been different, Shanks and Blackbeard never would have had to sully their hands with the two disappointments, as they never would have escaped Wano alive.
Kaido Would Still Defeat Luffy in a Clean Fight
Kaido of the Beasts in One PieceImage via Toei Animation
One of the biggest misconceptions among One Piece fans is that Luffy surpassed Kaido during the climax of the Wano Country Saga. While it’s true that Gear 5 Luffy came out on top in their final battle, believing that the protagonist surpassed the Strongest Creature requires one to forget that Kaido had already been worn down by the Red Scabbards, Zoro, Yamato, the weight of Onigashima, and weaker versions of Luffy himself.
On top of everything he was struggling against physically during the raid on Onigashima, Kaido had just engaged in a multi-day battle against Linlin a short time before, and he actively carried a death wish through it all. Narratively, Kaido and Big Mom are equals, but it’s clear from how they were portrayed during their last moments that the Captain of the Beast Pirates is the stronger of the surrogate siblings.
CBR Exclusive · One Piece Quiz WHICH ONE PIECE LEGEND ARE YOU? Set sail — Quiz sequence initiated ⚓ The Grand Line stretches endlessly before you. Across its treacherous waters, legends are born — forged in Devil Fruit power, unbreakable will, and the fierce loyalty of a crew that would sail into any storm. Twenty questions. One legendary result. Your adventure begins now. 🌊
🍖Luffy
⚔️Zoro
🗺️Nami
📖Robin
🍳Sanji
01
The Going Merry is ready to leave port. What’s your first move? 🚢 How you set sail says everything about who you are at sea.
02
A Marine warship is blocking your route. You: 🏴☠️ Crisis response reveals your true pirate nature.
03
You find a Devil Fruit on the table. What do you hope it is? 🍈 The fruit you crave is the power you were always meant to have.
04
What is your one, unshakeable dream? 🌟 Every great pirate sails for something deeper than treasure.
05
The Thousand Sunny docks at a new island. First stop? 🏝️ What you do first in port reveals your deepest priorities.
06
Your greatest weapon aboard the ship? ✨ Every Straw Hat has one thing that makes them irreplaceable.
07
What’s your natural role when things get tense? 🪝 The pressure moment is where your true function reveals itself.
08
Honest confession — what is actually your biggest flaw? 😬 Even the greatest pirates have one thing they’re still working on.
09
A crewmate is in serious danger. You: 💪 How you protect the people you sail with is who you truly are.
10
Halfway across the Grand Line. What keeps you going? 🌟 Not the crew’s reason. Yours. The private one.
11
You lost the fight. The crew is watching. Now what? 😳 How you rise after falling is what separates legends from passengers.
12
Your bounty poster just went up. What’s on it? 💰 The World Government describes you the way your enemies see you.
13
Free day on a peaceful island. What actually happens? 🌴 How you rest is a window into what drives you when no one’s watching.
14
What does your crew actually say about you behind your back? 📋 The people who sail with you see the version you can’t.
15
Which Haki do you feel most aligned with? 🔮 The Haki you master reflects the deepest truth of who you are.
16
What does it truly mean to you to be a pirate? 🌊 Not Garp’s definition. Not the Marines’. Yours.
17
In a hundred years, what will they say about you? 🎬 The Void Century has room for one more name. What does yours mean?
18
A Warlord of the Sea is blocking the path forward. You: 👀 Warlords don’t intimidate legends. They reveal them.
19
The crew celebrates a big victory. Your contribution? 🎉 How you celebrate says as much as how you fight.
20
You reach Laugh Tale. The One Piece is real. What do you do? 🔥 Twenty questions. One truth. No turning back now.
⚓ The Grand Line has made its judgement ⚓ YOUR ONE PIECE LEGEND
Your scores are revealed below! The character with the highest number is your One Piece counterpart. Read their profile to discover your true pirate destiny. 🌊
🍖 Luffy
⚔️ Zoro
🗺️ Nami
📖 Robin
🍳 Sanji
You don’t understand the word impossible — not because you’re naive, but because you genuinely never accepted that it applied to you. You charge into every situation with the full force of your personality, your body, and your heart, and somehow the universe rearranges itself to accommodate you. You don’t lead through command; you lead through being so completely, recklessly yourself that everyone around you becomes a better version of who they were. You eat too much, feel too loudly, and care too deeply. The world calls it recklessness. Your crew calls it home. 🍖
You have made exactly one promise and you have organised your entire existence around keeping it. Stoic to a fault, terrifying in combat, and somehow always facing the wrong direction — you are the immovable foundation that the whole crew leans against when everything else shakes. You don’t ask for recognition. You don’t need it. The work is its own reward. The sword is the path and the path is the sword. You will lose a thousand times before you reach the top, and you will get back up every single time. That is not stubbornness. That is who you are. ⚔️
You are sharper than anyone in the room and you know it — but you also know exactly when not to show it. Pragmatic, resourceful, and carrying more than you ever show on your face, you are the reason the ship reaches anywhere at all. Every route was planned by you. Every impossible weather reading, every near-catastrophe avoided — that was you. The world tried to take everything from you once, and you built something extraordinary out of the wreckage. You love the people you’ve chosen fiercely, quietly, and without much ceremony. The map isn’t finished. You’ll get there. 🗺️
You spent so long being hunted for what you know that you forgot — briefly, painfully — that you were also worth loving for who you are. You carry the weight of erased history in your memory and the quiet certainty of someone who has survived what should have been unsurvivable. Calm where others panic, perceptive where others miss everything, and in possession of a dark humour that still catches people off guard. You don’t trust easily, and when you do, it is the most complete and devastating loyalty imaginable. You want to know the truth. You deserve to live to read it. 📖
You have principles carved so deep they function like a skeleton — invisible, structural, and the thing holding everything else upright. You cook for people because food is love expressed at its most honest. You fight for the crew because protecting them is the most natural thing in the world. You are elegant, occasionally absurd, capable of extraordinary tenderness and absolutely terrifying combat in the same five-minute span. You came from darkness and chose light so deliberately and so completely that it became your defining act. The sea called and you answered. All Blue is out there. You’ll find it. 🍳
Blackbeard is Clearly the Main Villain of One Piece Over Imu
Blackbeard clenches his fist while facing Law and the Heart Pirates in One Piece’s Egghead Arc.Image via Toei Animation
Up until Imu was introduced, it seemed obvious that Marshall D. Teach would be Luffy’s final opponent, and would thus steadily grow to be the strongest villain in the series. Now, with Luffy clashing with Imu before Blackbeard, this once again appears to be the case and, based on recent demonstrations of his power, it’s easy to imagine how he’ll be clashing with Gear 5.
Blackbeard is one of the only characters in One Piece to possess not just one, but two Devil Fruits, and both rank among the most powerful in the series. He defeated Trafalgar Law, he’s fearsome enough that former Admiral Kuzan serves him and, unlike Kaido and Big Mom, he isn’t currently rendered powerless in a pool of magma.
Shanks is Currently the Strongest One Piece Character Besides Imu
Shanks has been known to be one of the strongest characters in One Piece for ages, but only in recent times has it become apparent that no other mortal is on his level. Like Gol D. Roger before him, the Captain of the Red Hair Pirates possesses no Devil Fruit, but makes up for it by wielding unmatched Haki.
While Law was able to at least put up a fight against Blackbeard, Eustass Kid never stood a chance against Shanks. He’s a member of one of the most powerful families in the world, the Figarlands, and as far as fans currently know, he defeated Loki, who has been portrayed throughout the Elbaf Arc as far stronger than Blackbeard, Kaido, and Big Mom.
First TV Show
One Piece
Cast
Mayumi Tanaka, Kazuya Nakai, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Christopher Sabat, Kerry Williams, Kappei Yamaguchi, Sonny Strait, Hiroaki Hirata, Eric Valette, Ikue Ootani
