📖 Part of our One Piece: 40 Strongest Characters series #31–40 · #21–30 · #11–20 (coming soon) · #1–10 (coming soon)
Updated through the Egghead Arc
This is our One Piece strongest characters ranked 21-30 breakdown — the ten names who prove things get serious once you crack the top 30. 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 #30 through #21, where former Warlords, Emperor commanders, and rising Straw Hats all compete for a spot.
#30 — King
The strongest of Kaido’s “All-Stars,” King is a Lunarian, a nearly extinct race with innate fire abilities, on top of the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Pteranodon that lets him fly and fight from the air. He held his own for most of a brutal fight against Zoro during the Wano raid before finally falling, and his stoic, almost detached demeanor throughout the battle underscored just how much punishment he could absorb. As the last known member of his species, his true ceiling as a Lunarian is still largely unexplored.
#29 — Shiryu
A former Impel Down Level 6 inmate and one-time Warlord, Shiryu wields the Suke Suke no Mi, turning himself invisible at will, an ability that makes him extraordinarily difficult to pin down in a fight. He’s also a highly skilled swordsman in his own right, having served under Blackbeard after the prison breakout at Impel Down. His combination of invisibility and swordsmanship makes him a dangerous wildcard, especially in situations where he can strike without being seen coming.
#28 — Eustass Kid
One of the “Worst Generation” pirates and a reigning Emperor candidate by the time of the Egghead Arc, Kid’s Jiki Jiki no Mi lets him manipulate magnetic force on a massive scale, pulling in metal debris to construct giant limbs and weapons on the fly. He fought Big Mom to the point of losing an arm and later teamed up with Law and Luffy to take down Kaido, showing he’s willing to go toe-to-toe with the very top of the food chain even at serious personal cost.
#27 — Trafalgar Law
A former Warlord and the captain of the Heart Pirates, Law’s Ope Ope no Mi is widely considered one of the most versatile Devil Fruits in the series, letting him perform surgical alterations to space itself, swapping objects, removing organs without a scratch, and even granting immortality at the cost of his own life. His tactical mind is just as sharp as his fruit, having played a key role in the plans that brought down both Doflamingo and Kaido. Combining that intellect with genuine swordsmanship and Haki makes him one of the more complete fighters among the newer generation.
#26 — Roronoa Zoro
Luffy’s first crewmate and the Straw Hats’ swordsman, Zoro has climbed from a promising rookie to a fighter capable of matching one of Kaido’s strongest subordinates in King. His mastery of all three types of Haki, combined with his relentless drive for self-improvement, famously training under Mihawk himself, has made him one of the fastest-growing characters in the entire series. His willingness to take on nearly unsurvivable amounts of damage without backing down has become as much a part of his identity as his swordsmanship.
#25 — Doflamingo
A former Warlord and the man behind the Donquixote Pirates, Doflamingo’s Ito Ito no Mi lets him control string-like appendages sharp enough to slice through steel and precise enough to puppet other people’s bodies against their will. He built and ran an underground weapons and slave-trading empire for years while hiding it from the World Government, and his fight with Luffy and Law at Dressrosa remains one of the most drawn-out, high-stakes confrontations in the series. His willingness to weaponize anything, including his own subordinates, makes him one of the more unsettling opponents on this list.
#24 — Beckman (Benn Beckman)
The right-hand man of the Red Hair Pirates, Beckman is trusted enough by Shanks to be called by an affectionate nickname, which says a great deal in a crew built on hard-earned respect. He fights with Armament Haki channeled directly into his weapons, and he’s shown enough presence that even an active Marine Admiral in Kizaru backed off rather than provoke him. As one of the most experienced members of one of the most powerful crews in the world, his combat record, while rarely shown in detail, is implied to be considerable.
#23 — Sabo
Luffy’s sworn brother and the current chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo inherited the Mera Mera no Mi after Ace’s death, giving him full command of fire-based Devil Fruit power on top of his own considerable martial arts skill. He’s shown strong enough Haki to fight Warlord-level opponents and played a pivotal role in the assassination attempt on a Celestial Dragon during the Reverie, an act with massive political consequences. His growth since his reunion with Luffy has been rapid, and his position within the Revolutionary Army suggests there’s still more to reveal about his true strength.
#22 — Marco
Known as “Marco the Phoenix,” he served as the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and one of Whitebeard’s most trusted subordinates. His Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix grants him regenerative flames that heal his own wounds and those of his allies almost instantly, making him exceptionally difficult to put down for good. He held his ground against Blackbeard’s crew at Marineford and later helped rebuild what remained of the Whitebeard Pirates’ legacy, cementing his reputation as one of the more durable and dependable powerhouses in the series.
#21 — Silvers Rayleigh
Known as the “Dark King,” Rayleigh served as first mate of the Roger Pirates and remains one of the most respected names among old-guard pirates and Marines alike. Even well into old age, he’s shown he can fight an active Admiral in Kizaru to a standstill using swordsmanship alone, and his mastery of Haki is considered among the finest in the world, he’s the one who taught Luffy Haki in the first place. His decades of experience and restraint make him a stabilizing, almost mentor-like presence whenever he does step into a fight.
I’m genuinely happy with how this section came out, I think the ordering worked out well. Doflamingo’s an interesting case: everyone he lost to years ago has kept getting stronger since then, so there’s definitely some power inflation at play. Back at Dressrosa, I really don’t think Luffy beats him without Law in the picture, that team-up mattered. But at this point in the story, I think present-day Luffy could take him solo. That said, I still don’t think Luffy beats someone like Zoro, Law, or Kid right now. And if anything, losing might set Doflamingo up to come back even stronger, he’s got Conqueror’s Haki on top of everything else, and personally I’d put him above Zoro as things stand right now.
Marco’s placement makes sense to me too. He was fighting King and Queen at the same time at Onigashima, so I’d guess he beats King one-on-one if it ever came to that. And Rayleigh, he was the Roger Pirates’ actual number two, so even now, I think he’s still got a lot in the tank.
If you want to jump into the story from the beginning, our first box set pick covers East Blue through Baroque Works — and Box Set 2 picks up right after that, taking you through the Skypiea and Water Seven arcs.
Final Verdict: One Piece Strongest Characters Ranked 21-30
That’s our One Piece strongest characters ranked 21-30 rundown — Warlords, an Emperor’s right hand, and future Yonko candidates all mixed together. Next up: #11–20, where the real heavy hitters start showing up.