Ranked: The Straw Hat Pirates' Strength from Weakest to Strongest

The Straw Hat crew, initially from East Blue but composed of individuals from various global locations, are the central characters in the popular anime and manga series known as One Piece. Led by Monkey D. Luffy, the group is informally recognized by their shared symbol – a straw hat, which Luffy received from Shanks. The crew was initially referred to as “Straw Hat Pirates” by Smoker in Alabasta after one of their encounters. Post events on the Sabaody Archipelago, the original nine members found themselves scattered apart.

For a span of two years, they honed their skills in secluded areas, growing more powerful so they could support one another. Subsequently, they came back together and emerged as a potent and immense presence in the New World. As it stands, the team consists of 11 individuals, and this article will evaluate and rank them based on their strength.

11. Usopp

Even though Usopp lacks physical prowess, similar to his father, he boasts remarkable shooting skills. In fact, he can consistently hit multiple targets without ever missing them, a feat that becomes particularly evident during the Enies Lobby arc when he successfully takes down Spandam, leader of CP9, and his soldiers on the island. Moreover, his accuracy is so precise that he can even lock onto targets as small as a mouse’s eye. This talent reaches its peak when, in sync with Sogeking’s song, he hurls the remaining keys to Franky.

In the Loguetown arc, Usopp obtained glasses that expanded his visual field, courtesy of Ensign Daddy Masterson. It’s worth noting that Usopp stands out among the Straw Hat crew for having the longest reach in attacks, exceptional vision, and proficiency in ranged combat. This is followed by Nico Robin, thanks to her Devil Fruit abilities, and Luffy, also due to his Devil Fruit powers. While Zoro can attack from a distance, his range isn’t as expansive compared to the others.

Usopp employs a homemade slingshot to launch various projectiles he calls stars (Boshis). These stars come in different varieties: some explode, create smoke or fire, are equipped with spikes, or even contain hot sauce. On occasion, he’s been known to use rotten eggs, rocks, and shurikens as substitute ammunition instead.

Occasionally, he resorts to using a hammer against his adversaries, an action that may not appear very impactful, but it’s with this tool that he was able to conquer Chew from Arlong’s crew and Mr. 4 from Baroque Works. Moreover, he employs a small blackboard which he scratches with his fingernails as a means of disorienting opponents.

In his repertoire of deceptive strategies, he uses heavy hammers called the “5-ton Hammer” and the “10-ton Hammer” against characters like Mr.4 and Perona. On the other hand, Usopp’s trick is known as “Usopp Wagomu”, which essentially boils down to a basic rubber band that he uses to mislead or confuse his adversaries, making them think he’s launching an attack (used against Hatchan, Chew, and Arlong; the latter wasn’t fooled).

Usopp’s unique abilities include a spell that manipulates opponents’ perceptions based on what he says, as demonstrated against Enel and Luffy. Another attack is “ketchup sandworm kill,” where he projects an illusion of spitting blood by spitting ketchup, which confuses enemies like he did with Luffy and Chew. Following their journey to Skypiea, Usopp has incorporated the Dials he obtained there into his collection of weapons.

10. Brook

Brook consumed the Yomi Yomi Fruit, which miraculously brought him back to life after his prior demise. This unique ability resulted in his body taking on its current skeletal form. Consequently, his weight became significantly reduced and his speed increased, making it challenging for him to submerge in water (even though as a Devil Fruit user, he still has the unfortunate tendency to sink). However, this characteristic enables him to move swiftly across water without sinking, provided he doesn’t jump into it.

Prior to his demise, Brook was noticeably lean, suggesting he was naturally swift. Given this and the subsequent events, Brook might have been the least robust crew member. However, his speed would compensate for his weakness. He only resorted to stealing when Luffy activated Gear Second or Gear Four. Moreover, he developed an unusual resistance to pain, allowing him to endure fractures without discomfort and even crack open his skull effortlessly – a feat he performed to save the Tone Dial containing Binks Sake.

Brook was skinny before he died, but he was fast and agile. He wasn’t strong, but he made up for it by being quick. He also didn’t feel much pain and could do things like cracking open his skull without causing himself harm. This happened when he needed to save something important.

To fully utilize this talent, Brook prefers milk (a rich calcium source), his preferred drink. Moreover, he possesses exceptional swordsmanship skills, differing slightly from Zoro; while he specializes in fencing, not traditional swordsman-ship. Interestingly, his weapon of choice is a unique cane, the “Shikomizue”, which conceals a saber within it.

Among the crew members, Brook may not be the strongest physically, but he more than compensates by being the swiftest and displaying great bravery, unlike Usopp who is rather timid. In combat situations, Brook employs music as his weapon – strumming a lullaby on his violin to put opponents to sleep before launching swift attacks.

9. Tony Tony Chopper

Though it’s unusual for physicians to perform duties beyond medical care for their companions, like Chopper who acts as the doctor for the Straw Hat Pirates, his roles within the crew go beyond just maintaining health. He frequently takes on additional responsibilities, such as serving unofficially as the ship’s helmsman, particularly when the Going Merry was in use.

In combat scenarios, Chopper takes on the part of a formidable hand-to-hand combatant. Typically, he engages in fights using his Rumble Ball, which he can transform into for battle. Originating from the Hito Hito Fruit, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Chopper has the unique ability to morph into a Reindeer-human hybrid and a human (though he doesn’t closely resemble a real one). However, this fruit has endowed him with much more than just those transformations – it has given him incredible physical strength and intelligence that enables him to communicate and reason like humans.

As a hybrid tanuki, much like a raccoon, I’ve managed to break the norm and pursue my dream as a doctor, learning medicine – something that’s typically unattainable for regular reindeer. In everyday encounters with common adversaries, I maintain my human form. However, when faced with more challenging circumstances, I can tap into a series of powerful transformations to ensure I’m equipped to handle the situation effectively.

8. Nefertari Vivi

Vivi, exceptionally skilled at operating undercover, successfully penetrated the Baroque Works organization, partnering with Mr. 9 to assume the roles of frontier agents. She remained hidden within their ranks for two years, eluding suspicion until her true self was exposed. In Alabasta, her regal status went unrecognized by the locals. As a princess, Vivi’s combat experience was relatively limited.

In the Baroque Works organization, where she belongs to the ninth pairing, she and her partner are superior to four other pairs within the group. Vivi possesses the ability to utilize Kaloo as well. On her own, she demonstrates unexpected agility, effortlessly evading attacks with a grace that seems almost instinctual, leaving her momentarily surprised after the fact. In combat, she often overpowers her opponents, pinning them down, as seen in her encounters with Luffy and Kohza on two separate occasions. Together with Mr. 9’s acrobatics, their fighting style creates a rhythmic, dance-like theme.

7. Nami

In their voyage across the sea, Nami serves as both the ship’s navigator and the unofficial treasurer of the Straw Hat Pirates. She charts the course while also managing the team’s finances by distributing funds upon arrival at each new destination. Among the crew, only Sanji and she have some knowledge of cooking.

Initially, Nami was paid to cook when Sanji wasn’t around. Later, she resumed this duty. At first, Sanji requested payment for cooking, but Luffy’s ill-advised attempt to cook for the team to save money changed that. Eventually, he agreed to cook without charge, as he could prepare a tasty fish dish using one of Sanji’s recipes found on the ship.

1) Nami’s indomitable spirit enables her to withstand Big Mom’s Haoshoku Haki. Throughout her life, she’s been a skilled thief, swindling money from various individuals, even dangerous pirates, in order to free her village from the Arlong Pirates. These tough and occasionally brutal encounters have significantly boosted Nami’s physical prowess. During the Water 7 arc, she showcased remarkable agility and extraordinary leg power, leaping considerable distances between the rooftops of Water 7 with ease.

In addition to her physical prowess, Nami possesses an impressive level of fitness. When provoked, particularly by Luffy’s reckless spending, she can unleash incredibly powerful punches that leave Luffy, known for his extraordinary durability, bearing visible and bloody bruises – a comedic element rather than a true reflection of Nami’s actual strength. During their time in Weatheria, Nami demonstrated an ability to run at astonishing speeds while carrying a bag far larger than both herself and Haredas with apparent effortlessness.

6. Franky

The alterations undergone by his body and his role as a bounty hunter and ship-stripper within the Franky Family have transformed Franky into a formidable powerhouse. This strength enabled him, among other feats, to momentarily go toe-to-toe with Monkey D. Luffy before the Galley-La Company carpenters intervened during their battle. Furthermore, Franky demonstrated his might by overpowering Blueno by simply lifting him off the ground using just his face.

After refilling his energy stores with Cola, he effortlessly shattered Fukuro’s Tekkai, a remarkable feat given that Fukuro is an accomplished Rokushiki user. In the aftermath of the battle, despite feeling the urge for more Cola, he still possessed enough power to halt the charging elephant Funkfreed, and ultimately hoisted him aloft by his trunk before slamming him into Spandam.

In his youth, before transforming into a cyborg, Franky had already shown exceptional fighting skills by delivering a powerful punch to Spandam’s face, causing permanent deformation. It appears that Franky was skilled in boxing and wrestling even without his Cyborg enhancements, often employing techniques from both martial arts disciplines.

For instance, Franky’s Iron Boxing method overpowered Senor Pink, while his Southland Suplex technique allowed him to lift Shuuin in reverse before colliding his head with Senor Pink (who was attacking from behind). This demonstrates that he has a remarkable sense of timing and has mastered the suplexes to perfection.

After becoming a Cyborg, Franky gained superhuman durability that enabled him to effortlessly withstand gunfire and anti-personnel mines, as well as other extraordinary resistances. While on Balgimoa Island, an accident caused Franky to detonate Vegapunk’s laboratory, which was unfortunate since he was inside at the time. Remarkably, despite the explosion completely charring him, Franky managed to survive with minimal harm.

Despite not having any cybernetic enhancements, Franky demonstrates extraordinary toughness and vitality. In fact, after being hit by a Sea Train, he showed remarkable determination to keep going, even when bleeding and unable to stand. Remarkably, his unaltered back withstood Señor Pink’s Nyannyan Suplex: Baby Buster, enabling Franky to recover and ultimately emerge victorious in the fight.

5. Nico Robin

When Robin turned eight years old, she gained notoriety for possessing a fortune of 79 million Berrys due to her unique skill in deciphering poneglyphs. This talent of hers poses a significant danger to the World Government, who view her as a major threat on account of it. She is renowned for her immense power and legend has it that she single-handedly sank six Buster Call warships.

As a cinephile, I’ve come to realize that much of what I’d believed was a fabrication by the government. The ships we saw were actually destroyed by Haguar D. Sauro, who had assisted Robin in her escape during the devastation of Ohara. For 22 years, Robin has been a fugitive, leaving destruction and dismantling numerous criminal organizations in her wake. But now, she’s found a new home among the Straw Hat Pirates, where she serves as their Archaeologist.

While Robin primarily identifies as a scholar, she doesn’t hesitate to resort to violence against her adversaries. Interestingly, she has honed a particular skillset in the area of assassinations, though her actual performances in this field remain unseen. However, it is known that when confronted by enemies, she often chooses to neutralize them by breaking their necks or spines, even when they plead for mercy.

4. Jinbe

Jinbe is highly skilled in Aquatic Martial Arts, particularly Amphibian Karate. This unique skill allows him to overpower several opponents simultaneously. The power behind his strikes is such that he doesn’t even have to touch his enemies; instead, the force of his blows pushes them away due to an intense air repulsion.

A demonstration of his prowess and skill in Amphibian Karate is evident through his win against Minorhinoceros, one of the protectors of Impel Down, which he accomplished with a solitary uppercut. In contrast, Luffy utilized Gear 3 to conquer another guardian of Impel Down.

Clearly, he’s quite formidable, given his ability to match blows with Ace for an entire five days. Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that he employs water as a weapon; this is evident when he conjures up a massive vortex in the sky, which he uses to strike a naval vessel.

3. Vinsmoke Sanji

Among the group, Sanji is one of the four top fighters, joining forces with Luffy, Zoro, and Jinbe. At present, his bounty ranks third within the crew, following Luffy and Jinbe, but exceeding Zoro’s. Typically, it’s Luffy who takes on the strongest opponents, while Sanji and Zoro often find themselves battling enemies considered second or third in strength.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d put it this way: In our crew, it’s common that who I face off against depends on our combat style. Typically, I, Zoro, engage with the sword-wielding foes, while Sanji takes on the martial artists. Interestingly, Sanji and I are the only ones in the group who prefer to fight without relying on weapons or Devil Fruits, with just raw power and skill, backed by Jinbe.

Despite their rivalry often influencing their battle skills, Sanji and Zoro typically set aside their competition to aid Luffy as effectively as possible. They engage formidable foes while Luffy tackles the toughest one. For instance, they intervened between Dosun and Icaros Mucchi to enable Luffy’s assault on Hody Jones, and similarly, they interfered between Indigo and Scarlet for Luffy to attack Shiki.

2. Roronoa Zoro

Zoro is an extraordinary swordsman who didn’t require joining the Straw Hat Pirates to establish a strong reputation for himself. At the start of the series, Zoro was already well-known as the formidable East Blue Pirate Hunter, striking fear and respect in those who knew him. As the Supernova crew members on the Sabaody Archipelago put it, he’s not someone who takes orders from others. Additionally, workers at Water 7 and Zambai recognize that he possesses the strength to command as a captain.

Zoro practices a unique form of kendo known as Santoryû, which he both developed and named himself. His skills are rarely misjudged due to his intimidating demeanor; unlike Luffy or Sanji, he strikes fear from the outset with his chilling aura and piercing gaze. Ryuma the undead samurai compares him to a wild beast. According to Brook, Zoro shares the Power of Destruction with Ryuma.

It’s worth mentioning that among all One Piece characters, only Zoro is observed undergoing rigorous training in the present. He’s been seen lifting extremely heavy weights using various methods, performing one-finger push-ups with weights on his feet, braving freezing water without a shirt, and meditating for extended periods. This grueling training regimen has given him the unique ability to cut through steel and most other metals, a skill he initially didn’t possess (although he was already able to slice cannonballs).

Among the characters introduced thus far, Zoro stands out as exceptionally powerful, deriving his might solely from rigorous training and unyielding willpower. Unlike other prominent figures in the series who typically rely on Devil Fruits, Zoro has chosen a different path. In fact, he declined an offer to join Baroque Works.

1. Monkey D. Luffy

As the protagonist of the manga, Luffy frequently showcases his ability to smash rocks with his bare fists and even snap sword blades with his teeth. Time and again, he has shown that he’s not just physically powerful, but also incredibly determined, resilient, and tenacious. A prime example is when he managed to scale the 5,000-meter-high Drum Rockies while carrying an ailing Nami on his back and with a unconscious Sanji in his mouth, all without his coat in the bitter cold.

Without neglecting the fact that on Thriller Bark, he withstood an unprecedented hundred shadows being infused into him – a feat even a well-trained ordinary man could manage no more than three or five times. Moreover, he underwent Emporio Ivankov’s hormone healing treatment, a remarkable accomplishment in itself. However, what sets him apart is that instead of the usual two days, he completed this treatment in just 20 hours. According to Ivankov, this swift recovery time underscores his indomitable will and resolute determination.

Following the time jump, it’s clear that Luffy has developed immunity to poison after his battle against Magellan. Unlike Zoro and Sanji who follow traditional martial arts, Luffy fights using whatever part of his body he deems necessary in a given situation. For instance, he bit Rob Lucci or even spat water on Crocodile during fights.

Luffy’s combat approach is spontaneous and unforeseeable, often leaving his adversaries taken aback, just as he did against Crocodile by transforming the Gomu Gomu no Pistol. In a battle, he won’t flinch, though it should be noted that this applies only to Marines lacking moral values. In such situations, Luffy might even utilize an enemy as a shield. Despite his reputation for being dim-witted, Luffy demonstrates surprising strategic thinking during fights, which is not typically associated with him.

2025-05-11 03:15

Ranked: The Straw Hat Pirates’ Strength from Weakest to Strongest