Luffy’s journey to become the next King of Pirates in One Piece is never easy, as Eiichiro Oda never fails in introducing well-written villains who challenge Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates from one island to another. Luffy and his crew may be strong, but strength alone is never enough when they’re up against villains with greater power and deeper ambition.
One Piece: 8 Strongest Characters of All Eras
These characters defined their generations and stood out as the strongest.
Among the bad guys in One Piece, there are exceptional villains who made a lasting impression on fans due to how well-written they are. From the ideological opposites of Luffy, tyrannical rulers, and cold-blooded warlords to shady government agents, these villains stand out among the rest for their compelling backstories, overwhelming strength, and overall impact on the story of One Piece.
St. Jaygarcia Saturn
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 233
St. Saturn had one of the best villain introductions in One Piece, as expected of someone from the Five Elders. He looked menacing in his human-beast form, which radiated genuine authority and danger. The sight of him insulting the characters he considered insects is truly terrifying and memorable. His character design is top-tier, which reflects his status as an absolute force within the World Government.
Unfortunately, Saturn doesn’t really get a lot of love from the fans due to his consecutive failures as the story drags on, eventually resulting in his death. Despite this, Saturn deserves recognition for his unforgettable introduction, the lasting impact he had on Kuma and Bonney, and the incredible power he displayed even against Luffy in Gear 5.
Enel
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 254
It’s rare for a villain in One Piece to reach their ultimate goal, but Enel proves that nothing is impossible as long as he has the power of lightning at his disposal, combined with his relentless belief in his own divinity. His dream of conquering the moon came true, even after he took a major beating from Luffy.
Eiichiro Oda also gave Enel a fascinating character design, making him an iconic villain that is instantly recognizable. While he doesn’t have any emotional backstory to justify his evil actions over Skypiea and its people, his pettiness, superiority complex, and devil fruit power are enough to earn a place on this list.
Akainu
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 397
Akainu is one of the most efficient Marines in One Piece for delivering impeccable results, thanks to his unwavering adherence to Absolute Justice. As fans are aware, Akainu isn’t only responsible for Ace’s death, as he also played a vital role in the demise of Whitebeard.
Relentless and uncompromising, Akainu is a Marine who never hesitates to go for the kill. However, despite his position, he doesn't care about innocent lives, unless they serve to uphold or strengthen the system he so fiercely enforces.
Kaidou
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 795
In terms of villainy, Kaidou is the exact opposite of Doflamingo. He lacks a compelling backstory and the stylish charisma that makes Doflamingo unforgettable. Instead, he’s just a chill, overpowered drunkard who wants to die gloriously like Whitebeard and leave behind a legendary legacy.
For most of the story, Kaidou serves as a huge obstacle that Luffy needs to overcome to grow stronger. He wasn’t built as an overly complex character, but his obsession with power, chaos, and destruction provides just the right amount of tension to make every encounter with him exciting.
Big Mom
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 651
Big Mom is often described as the mean, cruel, and terrifying pirate of One Piece who embodies both insatiable greed and overwhelming power. Her physical appearance, which most fans view as overly cartoonish, perfectly fits the world that Eiichiro Oda created. From her flamboyant outfit to her exaggerated features and big personality, it’s easy to see why fans adore her despite her warped and twisted perspective of the world.
Besides that, Big Mom has a shocking yet cool backstory that’s not for the faint of heart. She was robbed of a normal childhood and was forced to survive in a cruel world that fueled her drive to become one of the most unstoppable pirates in the series. Plus, her inventive abilities set her apart, making her far more entertaining to watch than any other villain.
Crocodile
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 126
Defeating Luffy is no easy feat, and defeating him twice speaks volumes about Crocodile’s overall strength. He is one of the most dangerous villains in the early story arcs of One Piece, demonstrating that it’s possible to take down Luffy and put his entire crew in serious trouble.
The series also did an impressive job of building tension around his character, gradually revealing details about his schemes and devil fruit powers throughout the Alabasta arc. On top of that, Crocodile exudes a gangster-like charisma that makes him both cold and stylish.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Doflamingo
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 233
For many fans, Doflamingo is the best-written villain in One Piece for exuding a sadistic charisma, having a traumatic backstory that invites fans to sympathize with him, and being a skilled and effective master manipulator who knows so much about the secrets and inner workings of the underworld.
Funny, Doflamingo is one of those characters who can wear pink and still look cool. While his downfall isn’t entirely unexpected, it still broke the hearts of so many viewers, as they witnessed the fall of a well-written villain who was as charismatic and captivating as he was ruthless and dangerous.
Imu
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 906
At this point, Imu has the potential to become the best villain in shonen. Fans have waited for a very long time to see Imu take action, and now that we’re here, their presence is a solid reminder that the conclusion of One Piece is coming soon.
Every major challenge Luffy and his crew have faced can ultimately be traced to Imu, making them an omnipotent threat ideally suited to serve as the final villain of the series. Everything about them is important to the story, from their secret control over the World Government and their devil fruit to the mysteries surrounding their connection to the Void Century.
Blackbeard
- Chapter Debut: One Piece Chapter 223
Blackbeard is one of the most fascinating villains that fans have ever seen in One Piece. Just like Imu, Blackbeard has the potential to become the ultimate shonen villain in the final saga of One Piece. After all, he’s scheming to conquer the world, with many fans speculating that he’s after the Empty Throne instead of becoming the next Pirate King.
Unlike other villains, Blackbeard had humble beginnings. Before he became a powerful pirate, he was navigating the world with just ambition and curiosity. Long story short, he evolved into the perfect foil to Luffy’s character. Sure, he makes mistakes and sometimes falls short, but he always gives his absolute best.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
- Franchise(s)
- One Piece
- Creator(s)
- Eiichiro Oda
