15 Strongest Swordsmen in One Piece (Ranked)

One Piece’s universe is filled with extraordinary abilities like haki, devil fruit, and more. Yet there are individuals who dominate the oceans and send chills down the enemy’s spine with their extraordinary swordsmanship. These swordsmen can cut through anything and split the heavens without the use of any devil fruit powers. Swords come in many different varieties, and each has a different amount of strength. So, it is entirely up to the wielder to utilize the blade to its maximum potential in the pirate world. From Mihawk to the most recent Wano arc’s samurais, One Piece has highlighted many cool swordsmen. So, we have put together a list of the top 15 strongest swordsmen in One Piece.

We have already talked about the classification of swords as well as the strongest swords in the One Piece world. What all-powerful blades are wielded by your favorite One Piece characters? Find out in our ranking of the strongest swordsmen in One Piece. Every time a new One Piece character is introduced, this list will be updated accordingly in the future.

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers about the swordsmen and their abilities in One Piece. We suggest you watch the anime and read the manga first to avoid ruining your experience.

Note: Our rankings are solely based on the character’s swordsmanship and the ability to enhance their power, incorporating techniques such as haki, strength, stamina, etc.

1. Dracule Mihawk

• Name of the Sword: Yoru
• Grade: Supreme Grade Blade
• Type: Black Sword

Dracule Mihawk, better known as Hawk Eyes, is recognized as the “World’s Greatest Swordsman” in One Piece right now. Being the best swordsman of his generation, his swordsmanship skills are unmatched. Even Oda admitted that Mihawk’s mastery over swords is far superior to his rival Shanks. If there is one man who has mastered every aspect of swordsmanship and is the most versatile when it comes to swordplay, it’s Mihawk! Mihawk can create various types of sword attacks depending on the situation.

We have already seen him using the “Strong Blade” and “Gentle Blade” swordsmanship in the anime. For example, he can slash giant icebergs, battleships, and more with a mighty air slash from his sword. He can also deflect anything that comes his way like bullets. That is exactly why Mihawk’s swordsmanship is unprecedented.

Mihawk is also one of the greatest Observation Haki users, which is why he carries the epithet “Hawk Eyes.” He is also an excellent user of Armament Haki, which greatly elevates his swordsmanship skills. Mihawk will remain One Piece’s number 1 swordsman until Zoro claims his throne.

2. Gol D. Roger

• Name of the Sword: Ace
• Grade: Supreme Grade Blade
• Type: Cutlass

Thanks to his Haki and his fabled blade called Ace, the Pirate King was able to rule the seas without the aid of any devil fruit powers. Roger used his sword Ace throughout his whole pirate career and battled renowned foes such as Rocks D Xebec, Whitebeard, Shiki, etc. It was the ideal weapon for the Pirate King himself. Theoretically, one might even claim that Roger’s raw strength was one of his primary abilities, but when combined with his extraordinary swordsmanship and Haki, he truly lived up to the “Pirate King” of the Pirates” name.

Roger enhanced the potency of his blade by coating it with Armament and Conqueror’s type of Hakis. Roger was one of the most powerful Haki users in One Piece, and you can imagine how much it boosted his swordsmanship. A single slash from his sword was enough to knock back Kozuki Oden and clash against Whitebeard easily. Thus, Roger should not be forgotten when it comes to the strongest swordsmen in One Piece.

3. Shanks

• Name of the Sword: Gryphon
• Grade: Unknown Grade
• Type: Saber

Everyone must be so surprised to see Shanks being ranked so high despite the fact we haven’t seen any of his powers. But, we have some great news for you. Shanks was highly skilled in swordsmanship from the beginning of the anime itself. It was confirmed by the fact that Shanks would often duel against Mihawk in his early days and their duels were so popular among the people.

Therefore, as a rival to the world’s greatest swordsman, Shanks is a tremendously skilled swordsman who can take his opponents single-handedly (pun intended).

Even after losing an arm, Shanks went on to clash against Whitebeard, trading blows and splitting the heavens. He was able to hold off Marine Admiral Akainu’s magma attack during the Marineford War arc. Currently, Shanks is known to be a master of Haki, which greatly boosts his powers and swordsmanship.

In the recent manga chapter, Shanks was able to knock out Eustass Kid (3 billion Berries bounty in One Piece) in a single shot with the heavenly departure attack. Everyone, including us, literally waited to see Shank’s true powers, and it was unleashed in the best possible way. Thus, Shanks is currently the third strongest Swordsman in the One Piece universe.

4. Kozuki Oden

• Name of the Swords: Enma and Ame no Habakiri
• Grade: Great Grade and Great Grade
• Type: Katana and Katana

Kozuki Oden was a legendary samurai from the lands of Wano. He was the leader of the formidable samurai group named the “Nine Red Scabbards,” which featured some great samurais. Oden wielded two amazing swords – Ame no Habakiri and Enma – and used them with his unique two-sword style. He once stated that the two-sword style is the greatest sword style. Oden was skilled with swords from a young age as seen in his backstory. Therefore, he grew up stronger and better with swords over time.

He has faced several mighty enemies, including Ashura Doji, the mountain god at this time. He then clashed against legendary figures like Whitebeard and Roger !! A feat that sends chills down the spine of every fan. After spending time as a pirate with two of the greatest pirate crews, Oden returned to Wano as an invincible man. Although he managed to give Kaido a big scar, he was defeated and executed by Kaido and Orochi. But Oden still lives in the hearts of the fans and his tales will be passed down generations.

5. Shimotsuki Ryuma

• Name of the Swords: Shusui
• Grade: Great Grade
• Type: Katana

Shimotsuki Ryuma is known to be the sword god of the Wano Country. This statement alone is enough to make you curious about his power, and a testament to his skills when it comes to swords. It is said that Ryuma once cut a giant dragon’s head like it was nothing. Even the zombie version of Ryuma was strong enough that Zoro struggled greatly in his battle against it. Since we haven’t seen him in action in the flesh, fans tend to forget him when talking about the strongest swordsmen in One Piece. But we have got it covered.

Ryuma is worshipped as a legendary figure in the lands of Wano as people have witnessed his mastery in swordsmanship. His tale has been detailed in another manga named “Monsters” by Eiichiro Oda, which is a must-read. Ryuma had immense Armament Haki, such that the Shisui turned into a black blade.

He could easily be the strongest swordsman in One Piece from what we have heard. But since we haven’t seen him in an actual fight in his prime, we have decided to position him in the middle of the top 10.

6. Zoro

• Name of the Swords: Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and Enma
• Grade: Great Grade, Grade, and Great Grade
• Type: Katana, Katana (Cursed Sword) and Katana

Roronoa Zoro, the man who aims to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman is the right-hand man of our beloved Luffy. Zoro is the main combatant and swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates. Out of all the Swordsmen here, Zoro is the only one whom we have seen grow in power and sharpen his swordsmanship over time. Thus, we all know how Baratie Arc’s Zoro is different from today’s Zoro.

Zoro has come a long way, and he indeed faced many powerful opponents to be in the place where he is today. His training under Mihawk significantly increased his powers, but he still has a long way (the ones above him) to go to become the Greatest Swordsman, which he will likely become in the future.

Zoro’s defeat against Mihawk back then shaped him to become one of the strongest swordsmen currently. Zoro’s family tree was revealed recently and it revealed that he has blood from the Shimotsuki family flowing in his veins. And just like the other Shimotsuki, he is rising up to become a great swordsman. He doesn’t have any devil fruit powers and completely relies on his strength, willpower, and haki.

Zoro has honed his Haki skills to successfully incorporate them into his swordsmanship skills. Furthermore, Zoro has used a number of swords and was able to master them over time. Zoro was highly talented from the beginning and now those rigorous training have bore fruit for him. He cut and slashed many opponents and is just a few steps away from becoming the best swordsman ever.

7. Silvers Rayleigh

• Name of the Sword: Unknown
• Grade: Unknown
• Type: Double-edged straight sword

Silvers Rayleigh, widely known as Dark King, was the first mate of pirate king Roger. Rayleigh has been recognized by many of the world’s renowned figures such as Garp, Whitebeard, Shanks, etc. That is a testament to his incredible powers. As many might know, Rayleigh was the one who introduced us to Haki in One Piece (and explained it well). He is a master of Haki himself, which plays a role in his excellent swordsmanship skills. That is also the reason for him being one of the strongest haki users we have seen in One Piece.

Rayleigh is not a devil fruit user, and moreover, he doesn’t have a high/supreme-grade sword. He is seen carrying a saber from time to time; unleashing monstrous attacks with it. The old Rayleigh was feared by many, and he went on to fight Kizaru back in the Sabaody arc. Even recently, he went up against Blackbeard. So, just imagine the reputation he must have held in his prime. Rayleigh’s mastery of Haki made him a master of swords.

8. Fujitora

• Name of the Sword: Unknown
• Grade: Unknown
• Type: Shikomizue

Issho aka Fujitora is one of the three main and strongest Admirals of the Marines right now. Fujitora is a blind swordsman who feels like a Daredevil-esque superhero. He has one of the strongest devil fruit powers, Zushi Zushi no Mi, and uses his sword as the primary weapon to release his devil fruit attacks. His devil fruit allows him to control gravitational forces, which he combines with his sword technique. Unlike everyone, Fujitora holds the sword in a different reverse grip.

Although he is blind, Fujitora’s use of his supreme Observation Haki enables him to sense everything around him. That is how he can fight using a sword despite being in a disadvantageous position. Therefore, Fujitora’s swordsmanship is just incredible in that he can parry, land lightning-fast attacks, defend himself, and last but not least, combine them all with his devil fruit powers. So, Fujitora steals himself a spot among the top 10 strongest swordsmen in One Piece.

9. Big Mom

• Name of the Sword: Napolean
• Grade: Unknown Grade
• Type: Can take any form

Be it a list of any power scaling in One Piece, Big Mom will always make a spot for herself. That’s how much of a monstrous character she was in the show. Charlotte Linlin aka Big Mom used to be an Emperor of the Seas, leading the Big Mom Pirates. Big Mom was well versed with her devil fruit powers, Haki, and even with her one and only Napolean sword.

She possessed inhumane levels of strength, which when combined with her devil fruit powers, allowed her to unleash tremendous sword attacks. These are the reasons why she is one of the best female characters in One Piece.

Did you know that her sword Napolean is one of the homies she created herself? Initially, it appears in the form of a hat and seems rather harmless, but it can transform into a long sword at any time. Even the mightiest can’t withstand the powerful blows from Big Mom’s sword. It all comes from the brute strength of this iron lady and she was considered scary by many for these reasons. Now that Big Mom was defeated together by Kid and Law, we don’t when we will get to see her swordplay again. But she definitely deserves a spot and is the only swordswoman on our list.

10. Trafalgar Law

• Name of the Sword: Kikoku
• Grade: Ungraded
• Type: Nodachi and Cursed Sword

Trafalgar Law is one of the most popular characters in One Piece and is loved by millions of fans around the world. He is popularly known as the “Surgeon of Death” and is the captain of the Heart Pirates. Ever since Law started an alliance with Luffy, we get to see more of his character and his powers. Law has one of the strongest devil fruits in existence and can use his sword in tandem with it, which makes him a worthy swordsman.

Law has a long sword (nodachi) named Kikoku and uses it unitedly with his devil fruit. He can mutilate the enemies inside his room technique with this sword. He was able to defeat Kin’emon, a great swordsman from the Wano Country, Vergo of the Donquixote Pirates, Tashigi, who is a sword expert, and many more.

In the manga, he has defeated Big Mom and is now dueling against Whitebeard with his amazing swordsmanship and devil fruit powers. Therefore, Law is another underrated swordsman whom people will start to recognize shortly.

11. King

• Name of the Sword: Unknown
• Grade: Unknown
• Type: Katana

King is the right-hand man of the strongest creature on this planet, Kaidou. He was one of the members of the All-Stars of Beast Pirates. King has been one of the important antagonists in the latest Wano Country arc (read all the One Piece arcs in order here). He has been up against Zoro and their battle is approaching the end. Additionally, he is an incredible swordsman like Zoro, giving the Straw Hat member the hardest time right now.

King belongs to the super rare Lunarian race and Zoro had to figure out his background in order to come up with a plan to defeat him. King along with his insane devil fruit powers wielded a katana and dealt massive blows. He is recognized as a skilled sword user, as he gave Zoro and Marco a tough time. Moreover, he can incorporate his devil fruit powers with his swordsmanship skills, making him unpredictable. But even with all this, he was completely defeated by Zoro in the end.

12. Shiryu

• Name of the Sword: Raiu
• Grade: Unknown
• Type: Nodachi

Shiryu of the Rain is one of the vital members of the Blackbeard Pirates now. He used to be the head jailer of the Impel Down prison until he himself was imprisoned due to his malevolence and cruelty to the prisoners. During Blackbeard’s raid on Impel Down, he was recruited by Blackbeard and has now become the second strongest member of the crew (excluding Aokiji).

Even before becoming a devil fruit user, Shiryu was cited as one of the most powerful characters equal to Magellan. Shiryu being a level 6 prisoner also explains how much of a threat he poses. Since then, Shiryu has eaten the Suke Suke no Mi devil fruit, which enables him and the object he possesses to become invincible. Now, this is the perfect power for a stealthy swordsman like Shiryu.

Shiryu is considered a highly proficient sword user for his quickness and stealthiness. He can cut down opponents within seconds with his ultra-quick slashes. His devil fruit powers vastly boost his swordsmanship skills, and he can catch opponents off guard easily. We haven’t seen much of Shiryu in the anime, so we have ranked him lower on the list.

13. Vista

• Name of the Swords: Unknown
• Grade: Unknown
• Type: Unknown

Whitebeard’s former 5th division commander, Vista of the Flower Swords, is underrated and one of the strongest swordsmen in the anime. Vista is a dual-sword wielder and is recognized as the strongest swordsman of the Whitebeard Pirates which is why he was promoted to one of the division’s commanders. Nowadays many have forgotten about this legend, let me remind you even the World’s Greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk acknowledged his swordsmanship skills. That’s the testament right there to Vista’s power.

We do not know if Vista has any devil fruit powers but many fans claim that he has one. It’s because when he fights with his sword, rose petals can be seen coming out of nowhere. In the Marineford arc (one of the best arcs in One Piece), Vista went head-to-head against the Mihawk! He was also able to successfully deflect Mihawk’s powerful flying slash. This is a perfect example of his mastery over swords, and we can’t miss him out on our list.

14. Kin’emon

• Name of the Swords: Sukesan and Kakusan
• Grade: Ungraded
• Type: Dual Katana

Kin’emon is one of the best samurai from the Wano country. Currently, he is the leader of the Nine Red Scabbards of Kozuki Oden and one of the strongest members of this team. Throughout the show, his swordsmanship was acknowledged by Boss Hyogoro, Orochi, etc. He can wield one or dual swords; performing the single-sword style and two-sword style perfectly. His special sword-style technique is called “Foxfire Style,” which allows him to generate fire and incorporate it into his attacks.

During the raid, he was able to cut and deflect Kaido’s Bolo Breath (a really scary attack) with his fire sword. He can also perform Oden’s Two Sword Style, which he was taught by Oden himself. Therefore, being the leader of the great samurais, Kin’emon is worthy to be one with his excellent swordsmanship skills.

15. Brook

• Name of the Sword: Soul Solid
• Grade: Unknown Grade
• Type: Shikomizue

Brook is a veteran warrior with extensive sword-fighting expertise. Brook honed his swordsmanship talents and became a sword master while also fulfilling the role of the Straw Hats’ musician. Using a combination of iaidō and fencing methods, he can destroy a large number of opponents in a single slash.

In addition, he may use his devil fruit power to cover his blade with the radiance of his soul. This is described as freezing the sword, and a blow from this sword can also freeze the opponents. Brook’s swordsmanship has significantly improved and is currently being recognized in the raid on Onigashima.

Bonus: S-Hawk

The Seraphims are the real deal in One Piece right now and the catch is that nobody saw it coming! We have seen the Pacifista dominating before the time skip, and it’s now time for the Seraphim to shine.

The S-Hawk model is the clone of the renowned greatest swordsman Dracule Mihawk, and you can already imagine the clone’s immense power. The man behind this mass destruction weapon, Dr. Vegapunk, mentioned that the Seraphims are the strongest form of humanity to ever exist, which simply means you don’t mess with them unless you want to get kicked to the curb.

Like all the other Seraphims, S-Hawk has superior strength, physique, and a dangerous devil fruit power. His devil fruit power allows him to transform any part of his body into razor-sharp steel blades. Thus, he can create a sword out of nowhere and as many as he wants. Along with this, he has a look-alike of the Black Blade Yoru.

S-Hawk’s swordsmanship skills are excellent as he was seen cutting a section of Amazon Lily’s mountain. He even forced Blackbeard to use Armament haki for his defense against S-Hawk’s sword attacks. This is the mighty power the Seraphims possess, and we can’t wait to see it get animated.

Everyone has an opinion on who the best swordsman in the One Piece universe is, and the discussion is going on for years. As indicated in the list above, mangaka Eiichiro Oda has shared some of his opinions on these swordsmen with us. Hence, the decision of who is stronger and better is entirely up to you. But, as One Piece nears its conclusion, we shall undoubtedly learn who’s the best swordsman in the world. Until then, tell us about your favorite swordsman in One Piece in the comments below.

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