Updated through the Egghead Arc
Picking up right where Part 2 left off, this is our strongest characters ranked 11-20 breakdown — the Marines, revolutionaries, and near-Yonko names still standing before we hit the top 10.
One Piece has already published over 115 volumes and sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, with over 1,500 named characters having appeared across its run. Every single one of them has a past, and many are written with enough depth that they could carry an entire story of their own. Strength isn’t everything in this series, but it’s hard not to wonder who’s actually the strongest.
One Piece is genuinely one of my favorite manga of all time, and it’s not just about the characters. The overall plot and world-building are incredible on their own, but what really gets me is the art. Oda draws with such a wide range of angles and perspectives, sweeping wide shots, extreme low angles, backgrounds rendered in insane detail, in a way you don’t see as often in manga that lean more on close-up character shots panel after panel. I’ve read a huge amount of Shonen Jump over the years, Dragon Ball included, and One Piece still sits at the very top for me. That’s exactly why I wanted to start this ranking series with it. Here’s our ranking through the Egghead Arc.
This installment covers #20 through #11, the tier just below the very top.
#20 — Kozuki Oden
Widely regarded as the finest swordsman Wano ever produced, Oden was strong enough to leave a lasting scar on Kaido himself. He came up through both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates, putting him in the company of two of the greatest crews in history. His resolve matched his skill: he took on public disgrace for his people’s sake and endured a full hour in boiling oil without breaking, a display of willpower and physical endurance that’s rarely been matched anywhere else in the series.
#19 — Issho (Fujitora)
A blind Marine Admiral, Fujitora fights with gravity manipulation powerful enough to pull meteors down from orbit, one of the most overtly destructive abilities in the entire Marine ranks. He’s also one of the rare high-ranking Marines with a genuine moral compass, openly questioning the government’s use of the Warlord system and showing a willingness to work against orders when he believes it’s the right thing to do. That combination of raw destructive power and a conscience willing to act on it makes him a uniquely dangerous wildcard within the Marines.
#18 — Sengoku
The former Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Sengoku faced down legends like Roger, Whitebeard, and Shiki in his prime. At Marineford, despite his age, he unleashed his Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu form and held Blackbeard back with it, proving he hadn’t lost a step. What sets him apart isn’t just power but principle, he’s shown genuine anger at the government’s cover-ups and a real commitment to protecting ordinary citizens, giving him one of the more grounded senses of justice among the Marine brass.
#17 — Monkey D. Dragon
Luffy’s father and the commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon carries the title “World’s Worst Criminal”, a label that says more about how threatened the World Government is by him than about who he actually is. In truth, he’s an ideologically driven leader fighting to dismantle the discriminatory system upheld by the Celestial Dragons. He hasn’t been shown fighting directly on-page, which makes his true strength hard to pin down, but the story has hinted strongly that he holds real Devil Fruit power and Haki, leaving his ceiling as one of the biggest question marks in the series.
#16 — Borsalino (Kizaru)
Kizaru’s Pika Pika no Mi turns him into living light, letting him move and attack at speeds that are functionally impossible to react to, while also granting powerful laser-based offense. As a longtime Marine Admiral, he’s fought some of the strongest pirates in the world and rarely shows real strain doing it. His laid-back, almost lazy demeanor tends to undersell just how dangerous he actually is in a straight fight.
#15 — The Five Elders
Sitting at the top of the World Government’s visible power structure, the Five Elders can each transform into forms modeled on mythical beasts, and their abilities let them shrug off direct hits, even attacks reflected back at their own attackers, while regenerating from wounds that would kill anyone else. After everything he went through fighting Kaido, Luffy could only respond to their durability with disbelief, and that reaction alone says a lot about where they sit on this list.
#14 — Kuzan (Aokiji)
A former Marine Admiral, Kuzan wields the Hie Hie no Mi, letting him freeze entire stretches of ocean solid and generate ice on a massive scale, he’s frozen out battles that would otherwise have overwhelmed entire fleets. His fighting style is patient and methodical compared to his fellow admirals, but no less dangerous, and his decision to leave the Marines and align with the Blackbeard Pirates only adds more uncertainty to how far his ambitions might go.
#13 — Monkey D. Luffy
Luffy has already defeated Kaido, the former “Strongest Creature in the World,” and gone toe-to-toe with the Five Elders directly, remarkable feats for how quickly he’s risen through the ranks to become a reigning Emperor. His fighting style increasingly echoes the legends of “Joy Boy” and the “Sun God Nika,” tying his personal growth to the story’s larger mythology. Just as importantly, Luffy’s ability to earn trust and loyalty from an enormous range of allies, crewmates, brothers, friends, and pirates who admire him, means he rarely fights alone, and that support network is arguably as much a part of his strength as his own fists.
#12 — Big Mom (Charlotte Linlin)
A former Emperor and former member of the Rocks Pirates, Big Mom held the highest bounty ever recorded for a female pirate. Her strength showed early, she was capable of killing bears and half-destroying a giant village as a child, and by her prime she could fight Kaido to a standstill through an entire night. Her Soru Soru no Mi lets her manipulate and steal souls outright, shortening lifespans in the process. Underneath the destructive power, she’s also shown real warmth toward her family and anyone she takes a liking to, which adds some complexity to an otherwise terrifying character.
#11 — Monkey D. Garp
Garp is Luffy’s grandfather and Dragon’s father, and he’s held his own against legends like Roger, Whitebeard, Shiki, and Rocks over the course of his career. Even pushing 80, he can still hurl cannonballs and iron balls bare-handed, and he’s traded blows with an active admiral in Kuzan. He’s mastered all three types of Haki, and his Conqueror’s and Armament Haki in particular give his punches devastating force, enough that the underworld put a bounty on him despite his Marine rank. What makes him stand out beyond raw strength is his character: he turned down promotions rather than serve the Celestial Dragons he despises, and he’s shown fierce loyalty to both his family and the future of the Marines.
Quick note here, Luffy isn’t #1, and honestly, I don’t think he should be, not yet. I do think he’ll get there eventually, but right now I don’t believe he beats Big Mom one-on-one, and looking at how Garp still handles himself, I don’t think Luffy’s caught up to that level either. As things stand, I don’t think he beats either of them straight up.
Dragon, Oden, and Sengoku were the trickiest calls in this batch. Sengoku’s genuinely strong, but he’s retired at this point in the story, so it’s tempting to rank him based on his peak, except he’s still alive and still shown in the present timeline, which makes it hard to just default to his prime-era strength. In terms of raw power right now, I think there are people above him who’d win that fight. This whole stretch of the ranking is probably the most debatable part of the list, I’m sure plenty of people would order it differently, but this is where I personally landed.
Final Verdict: Strongest Characters Ranked 11-20
That wraps up our strongest characters ranked 11-20 — a lineup stacked with Admirals, a Yonko, and one very dangerous grandfather. Ready to see who actually makes the top 10? Check out #1-10.
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