The strongest characters in One Piece have never been easy to rank, and the Elbaph arc shook the list up again. Imu stepped off the Empty Throne to fight in person, a cursed giant prince turned into a legendary dragon, and the World Government gained a new Elder.
Below are ten of the most powerful characters still alive in the manga, grouped into four tiers. Placement within a tier follows on-page feats first, then titles and bounties. Spoilers run through the latest chapters, available on MANGA Plus and the Shonen Jump app.
One Piece Power Tiers: The Top 10 at a Glance
| # | Character | Tier | Signature power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imu | Tier 1: Above the Emperors | Possession, covenants, Omen black flames |
| 2 | Monkey D. Luffy | Tier 2: The Emperors | Gear 5 (Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika) |
| 3 | Shanks | Tier 2: The Emperors | Conqueror's Haki, no Devil Fruit |
| 4 | Marshall D. Teach | Tier 2: The Emperors | Yami Yami and Gura Gura no Mi |
| 5 | Dracule Mihawk | Tier 3: Emperor-class fighters | Swordsmanship with Yoru |
| 6 | Sakazuki (Akainu) | Tier 3: Emperor-class fighters | Magu Magu no Mi |
| 7 | Loki | Tier 3: Emperor-class fighters | Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhöggr |
| 8 | Figarland Garling | Tier 3: Emperor-class fighters | Immortality through Imu's covenant |
| 9 | Kuzan | Tier 4: Veteran powerhouses | Hie Hie no Mi |
| 10 | Monkey D. Garp | Tier 4: Veteran powerhouses | Haki and Galaxy Impact |
What the Elbaph Arc Changed About the Rankings
The giants' homeland has been the biggest shake-up to One Piece power scaling in years. If you last caught up after Egghead, these are the developments that reshaped the list:
- Imu fought in person. The King of the World left Mary Geoise for the first time in the story and went straight for Elbaph's strongest fighters.
- Loki became a top-tier name. His Devil Fruit was revealed as the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhöggr, once held by the legendary Warrior God who was said to have battled Nika.
- Garling joined the Five Elders. The former Knights of God leader replaced Saturn and kept his covenant-granted immortality.
- Garp is alive. After Hachinosu, he was revealed to be a prisoner of the Blackbeard Pirates.
- Supreme King Haki got a new purpose. Gaban explained it can help counteract the immortality of the Elders and Knights, and Zoro learned he can use it.
Those last two points matter for the future of this list. Characters with strong Supreme King Haki now have a real answer to the World Government's immortal enforcers, which could move several names up quickly once the war Jarul declared on the World Government begins.
Tier 1: Above the Emperors
1. Imu
Imu rules from the shadows as the King of the World and one of the First Twenty who founded the World Government around 800 years ago. Through covenants, Imu gives the Five Elders and the Knights of God immortality and monstrous forms, and can take over other people's bodies at will.
The arrival in Elbaph showed what that power looks like directly. Imu moved faster than the giants could react, countered Zoro without effort, launched bursts of black flame called Omen and swelled in size to battle Loki in his dragon form. No other living character has displayed anything comparable.
Defining feat: Wiping the Lulusia Kingdom off the map with the Mother Flame.
Tier 2: The Emperors
Three of the four Emperors sit here, separated by very little. Each would be the final boss of a lesser series.
2. Monkey D. Luffy
Luffy's awakened Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika gives him Gear 5, a cartoonish, reality-bending form backed by advanced Conqueror's Haki. His bounty stands at 3,000,000,000 berries after toppling Kaido.
In Elbaph, he showed new control by using Gear 4 techniques on single limbs, and Imu's Domi Reversi did nothing to him. He edges ahead of the other Emperors because the story is clearly building him toward Imu.
Defining feat: Defeating Kaido in Wano after awakening Gear 5.
3. Shanks
With no Devil Fruit at all, Shanks has the highest active bounty, 4,048,900,000 berries, purely on the strength of his swordsmanship and Haki. Recent chapters revealed he was born into the Figarland Family of World Nobles, as Garling's son and Shamrock's twin.
His Haki alone has ended confrontations, and his one serious strike against Eustass Kid finished the fight immediately.
Defining feat: Defeating Eustass Kid with a single Divine Departure.
4. Marshall D. Teach
Blackbeard broke a rule everyone thought was absolute by wielding two Devil Fruits: the darkness of the Yami Yami no Mi and the quakes of Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi. His bounty is 3,996,000,000 berries.
His fleet is the most dangerous in the series, with a former Admiral among its captains and Garp held as a prisoner after the battle at Hachinosu.
Defining feat: Claiming Whitebeard's Devil Fruit at Marineford.
Tier 3: Emperor-Class Fighters
5. Dracule Mihawk
The World's Strongest Swordsman wields Yoru, one of the Supreme Grade blades, and carries a reissued bounty of 3,590,000,000 berries as a founder of the Cross Guild.
His legendary rivalry with Shanks and his role as Zoro's final goal keep him near the very top, even though he has rarely been pushed on the page. He also trained Zoro for two years during the timeskip, an unusual investment for a man who rarely takes an interest in anyone.
Defining feat: Holding the World's Strongest Swordsman title for the entire series.
6. Sakazuki (Akainu)
The Fleet Admiral's Magu Magu no Mi produces magma hot enough to burn fire itself. His philosophy of Absolute Justice has made him the Marines' most ruthless leader.
He claimed the top Marine job by beating Kuzan after ten days of fighting on Punk Hazard.
Defining feat: Killing Portgas D. Ace and scarring Whitebeard at Marineford.
7. Loki
Loki, the giant prince wrongly blamed for his father's death, holds Elbaph's national treasure, the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhöggr. His bounty is 2,600,000,000 berries, and his hammer Ragnir carries the spirit of Ratatoskr.
He shares Luffy's immunity to Domi Reversi and went toe to toe with Imu, meeting Omen with lightning.
Defining feat: Freezing a Draugr MMA solid with a single Niflheim strike.
8. Figarland Garling
Garling commanded the Knights of God before being promoted into the Five Elders as Warrior God of Science and Defense, filling the seat left by Saturn.
His covenant with Imu lets him heal from nearly any wound, with only strong Haki slowing the process. He is also the father of both Shanks and Shamrock.
Defining feat: Surviving Rocks D. Xebec's attacks on God Valley.
Tier 4: Veteran Powerhouses
9. Kuzan
The former Admiral Aokiji wields the Hie Hie no Mi and can freeze huge stretches of sea. He now captains the tenth ship of the Blackbeard Pirates.
His record includes ten days against Akainu and a win over Garp at Hachinosu with his crewmates' help.
Defining feat: Fighting Akainu for ten straight days.
10. Monkey D. Garp
The Hero of the Marines never ate a Devil Fruit and remains one of the most fearsome Haki users alive. He can also hear the Voice of All Things.
Captured by the Blackbeard Pirates, he was confirmed alive in the Elbaph arc.
Defining feat: Carving a crater into Hachinosu with Galaxy Impact.
Who Could Break Into the Top 10 Next
- Monkey D. Dragon: the Revolutionary Army leader has an unknown bounty and almost no fights shown, so his true level is still a mystery.
- Figarland Shamrock: Shanks' twin now leads the Knights of God, and every chapter reveals a little more of what he can do.
- Roronoa Zoro: discovering Supreme King Haki, which can work against the Elders' immortality, could fast-track his rise.
- Issho (Fujitora): the gravity-wielding Admiral who can pull meteors from the sky.
Bounty vs Real Strength
A bounty reflects how dangerous the World Government thinks someone is, not a measured power level. That is how Buggy, with 3,189,000,000 berries, outranks Luffy on paper, and why Marines and World Nobles have none. Wikipedia's list of One Piece characters is a handy reference for affiliations when the cast grows this large.
If you like drawing these characters, our roundup of free drawing software covers apps that work for manga-style art, and fans of anime battles on Roblox can grab rewards from our Anime Fighting Simulator codes page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is number one in One Piece power rankings?
Imu, the King of the World, who rules the Five Elders and overwhelmed several of Elbaph's defenders on arrival.
Which Emperor is the strongest?
Luffy and Shanks are the closest contenders, with Blackbeard just behind thanks to his two Devil Fruits.
Is Loki stronger than Mihawk?
They are in the same tier. Loki has fought Imu directly, while Mihawk's ceiling remains largely unseen.
Is Garp still alive in One Piece?
Yes. After his defeat at Hachinosu, the Elbaph arc confirmed he is alive and held by the Blackbeard Pirates.
