10 strongest swordsmen in One Piece – Destructoid

Set in a world where piracy is at an all-time high, it isn’t surprising that One Piece has plenty of powerful warriors. While the addition of whacky Devil Fruit abilities makes the power struggle between the major factions far more intense, some characters rely on swordsmanship to dominate the high seas. This then raises the question of who the strongest swordsman in One Piece is.

Before jumping into the list, let’s clear something up first. I only included characters who use swords as their primary weapons. Furthermore, their fighting style should be swordsmanship primarily. In that sense, Big Mom, while being one of the strongest characters who uses a sword, doesn’t qualify for the list. For discussion’s sake, the list will also include characters in their prime state.

Jack the Drought

Jack was one of Kaido’s strongest henchmen. Specifically, he was the Emperor’s third strongest underling, which he proved numerous times. During the fight on Zou, he took on the alternating assault of Cat Viper and Dogstorm’s forces for days on end. He also fought the prime Ashura Doji on numerous instances in an attempt to recruit him to the Animal Kingdom Pirates.

As one of the highest-ranking members of the Animal Kingdom Pirates, Jack possessed a powerful Zoan Devil Fruit. He ate the Eleph-Eleph Fruit, Model: Mammoth. While his animal form granted him increased strength and durability, Jack was strongest when utilizing his two curved blades in his hybrid form.

Kozuki Oden

Kozuki Oden is arguably the strongest samurai in Wano’s history. He was the former Daimyo of Kuri and was the son of the former Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki. But despite being of royal descent, Oden was a pure rascal. He was constantly seeking troubles in the guise of adventure. Even so, he was one mighty swordsman.

Oden wielded two named swords: Enma and Ame no Habakiri. These swords allowed him to defeat most of his enemies, including a so-called Mountain God. However, his greatest feat was injuring the highly durable Kaido. Unfortunately, though, he wasn’t strong enough to take down the former Emperor. In addition, he also miserably lost to both Whitebeard and Roger.

Admiral Fujitora

Admiral Fujitora is one the strongest swordsmen the Marines have to offer. Being an Admiral alone is proof of his strength. Unfortunately, however, we still haven’t seen him exert himself in a fight. Even so, he has shown enough to prove he is a force to be reckoned with.

He is a swordsman who has eaten the Press-Press Fruit, giving him gravitational control. He combines his Devil Fruit abilities with his swordsmanship to take down even the mightiest foes. Even though he has yet to show his full potential, he is at least strong enough to walk away unscathed in a three-way fight against Doflamingo and Law.

Roronoa Zoro

The Straw Hat Pirates’ very own Roronoa Zoro cannot be left behind when listing down the strongest swordsmen in One Piece, especially since it’s his dream to claim the Strongest Swordsman title. Certainly, he has come a long way since his debut, though arguably still not enough to stand at the top.

Zoro is a master swordsman who uses the three-sword style. His craziest feats include cutting down the mountainous Pica and slashing Kaido — a feat that only Oden achieved before. Furthermore, he took down the almost invincible King. Given that the Straw Hats are yet to arrive on Laugh Tale, he has likely not yet reached his prime.

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Law may be more known for his Devil Fruit abilities, but he certainly is a swordsman. He was trained in swordsmanship by Diamante at a very young age, which he further honed as he grew up. Just like Fujitora, Law uses his Devil Fruit abilities in tandem with his swordsmanship.

He is undeniably the strongest once he activates his Devil Fruit Awakening. This allowed him to ultimately beat Big Mom, albeit with the help of Kid. Even before that, he managed to cut down Vergo, who clad his entire body in Color of Armament Haki. Unfortunately, though, he still wasn’t at Emperor level as his crew miserably lost to Blackbeard’s crew.

Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro

The Five Elders have finally made a move, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Each one possessed formidable battle prowess, including the Godhead of Finance Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro. He is the only swordsman among the original five. Just like the others he also possesses a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. Nusjuro’s Devil Fruit allows him to transform into a Bakotsu, a yokai that appears like a flaming, skeletal horse.

However, he wouldn’t be a candidate for being the strongest swordsman in One Piece if he only relied on his Devil Fruit. He is a master swordsman capable of delivering a succession of precise slashes, even as he gallops in his human-beast form. By using his swordsmanship with his Devil Fruit ability, he can freeze his enemies’ insides without dealing any external damage.

Dracule Mihawk

Dracule Mihawk is the current holder of the Strongest Swordsman title in the series, and he certainly deserves it. Despite not having anyone under his rule, he was still feared by many as one of the Seven Warlords. During his stint as such, he participated in the Paramount War, easily slicing a gigantic iceberg.

He was also Shanks’ sparring partner when the Emperor still had both hands, and their fights usually ended in draws. He lost interest in fighting the Emperor after he lost his arm, stating he was no longer at his best. Interestingly, Mihawk has yet to show his full fighting potential. With Zoro gunning for his title, the Staw Hat may be the one to force the swordsman’s true strength.

Red-Hair Shanks

Being Mihawk’s former sparring partner also proves Shanks’ swordsmanship is top-notch. However, I will have to disagree with Mihawk’s assessment of him. As the only remaining Emperor from the original Four Emperors, Shanks is far from weakened. He may have even become stronger, though it’s hard to tell given how little screen time he gets.

Even so, Shanks has proven on multiple occasions how powerful he is. He and his crew were the ones who ultimately stopped the Paramount War. Furthermore, he one-shotted Kid and his crew. This feat speaks volumes as it was after Kid teamed up with Law to take down Big Mom.

Shanks is also a very powerful Haki user, so much so that his mere presence would knock down weaker individuals. His Color of Observation Haki is also powerful enough to see into the immediate future.

Dark King Rayleigh

Rayleigh may have received most of his screentime way past his prime, but he certainly is still one of the strongest swordsmen in the series. His feats as an old man are proof of how strong he was during his prime.

When the Straw Hats were being besieged by Kizaru and the Pacifista in Sabaody Archipelago, Rayleigh stepped in and stopped the Admiral. As such, Kizaru backed down. Even though Kizaru could possibly win at the time, it wouldn’t be an easy battle for him. Furthermore, it was due to Rayleigh and Jimbei’s help that Luffy managed to infiltrate Marineford once more and deliver his message to the other Straw Hats.

Given these feats and the fact that Rayleigh was the Roger Pirates’ second-in-command, it’s highly likely that prime Rayleigh is second only to prime Roger in terms of strength.

Gol D. Roger

Every One Piece fan knows who Gol D. Roger is. It’s not just because he is the renowned Pirate King, but also because his face is the first to show during the first episodes of the anime.

During his reign as the number one pirate, Gol D. Roger was undisputed. Even the Hero of the Marines, Monkey D. Garp, failed to defeat him during their many fights. In fact, the Marines didn’t actually capture him. He merely surrendered given that he was already beyond saving.

As the Pirate King, Roger’s swordsmanship is top-notch. In addition, he also has mastery over Haki. Prime Roger was strong enough to beat Oden with a single strike. He also fought prime Whitebeard for days, only for it to end in a draw.