Strongest One Piece Characters Right Now (September 2025)

The One Piece story has been progressing rapidly after entering the Elbaf arc. As Oda promised, things have been quite chaotic and a lot has been going on, including the raid on Elbaf by the Holy Knights, and even the entrance of Imu as the main antagonist of the arc. Fans are also finally discovering the secrets of God Valley, and through all of that, see who currently stands as One Piece’s most powerful characters, which includes the likes of Imu and Shanks.

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Mihawk

The World’s Greatest Swordsman

Mihawk holds one of the most respected titles in the One Piece world, and that is the title of World’s Greatest Swordsman. He's an incredibly powerful swordsman and has yet to go all out in One Piece. Fans know for a fact that he is powerful and was able to duel against the likes of Shanks without losing.

Rayleigh

The Right Wing of the Pirate King

Rayleigh was the Right Wing of Roger, the late Pirate King. Rayleigh is out of his prime right now, but it doesn’t mean he is weak. He has access to three kinds of Haki, and he's proven that he can go up against an Admiral, but also scare off a Yonko into retreating.

Gaban

The Left Wing of the Pirate King

Gaban, just like Rayleigh, is quite old now in One Piece, but he is still kicking, as seen in Elbaf. Gaban was very impressive in Elbaf, being able to take down a Holy Knight in one attack and proving that immortality can be bypassed. He's known to be an equal of Rayleigh and to be on the same level as Roger. Fans definitely can’t wait to see more of him. Gaban considers himself the second strongest of the Roger Pirates after Roger himself.

Blackbeard

A Powerful Yonko of the Sea

Blackbeard is one of the Yonko of the One Piece world, and definitely one of the strongest and most special characters overall. Blackbeard is an important character with an interesting heritage, as he is a descendant of Davy D. Jones and Xebec and carries their legacy with him. When it comes to power, fans know he carries two Devil Fruits, and at the same time, strong Haki as well.

Akainu

The Fleet Admiral of the Marines

When it comes to powerful Marines, Akainu comes to mind. Akainu proved his strength by defeating Aokiji and earning the title of Fleet Admiral, and has become one of the highest authorities in the One Piece world. He wields a monstrously strong Logia Devil Fruit, Magu Magu no Mi, which allows him to control magma at will. Fans can’t wait for Akainu to eventually take center stage in a One Piece arc.

Dragon

The Leader of the Revolutionary Army

Monkey D. Dragon, the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army, is a character that fans have yet to see in all-out action, but he is more than certainly a powerful character. Dragon’s powers remain a mystery at the moment, but that might change very soon with the escalation of God Valley. One thing is for sure, he's as strong as the Yonko.

Luffy

The Nika of The Third World

Monkey D. Luffy is the beloved protagonist of the One Piece series. Luffy has grown a lot over the last few arcs and reached new heights. Luffy’s biggest power-up remains Gear 5 at the moment, a form he unlocked against Kaido. He can also control all the advanced forms of Haki, which makes him a monster. He still has a long way to go, but he is already a top-tier fighter.

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Gorosei

The World Government’s Most Powerful Force

The Gorosei, also known as the Five Elders, are one of the strongest antagonist groups ever seen in One Piece. The Gorosei are only second to Imu in the World Government hierarchy, and fans can see why. They have immortality, but also powerful Yokai powers, along with Haki of all types, making them undying monsters in combat.

Imu

The Secret Sovereign of the World

When speaking of powerful One Piece characters, one can’t ignore Imu Nerona, possibly the strongest One Piece character ever. Imu has access to all Haki types, and a powerful Devil Fruit to boot as well. They control the world of One Piece from the shadows. Right now, Imu has made an entrance on Elbaf through Gunko, and their powers are quite insane.

Shanks

Red Haired Yonko

Out of all the current Yonko of One Piece, undoubtedly, Shanks is the strongest one. Shanks is the last standing of the previous generation of Yonko and has shown quite a few times now that he is one of the most powerful characters in the series. Shanks doesn’t have a Devil Fruit, but he is the greatest Haki user alive at the moment and one of the greatest overall.

One Piece Chapter 1161 will be out this week. As usual, One Piece is going to drop on Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on September 28. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1161 is September 28, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.