The captain of a pirate crew is the individual who is in command of the ship and all the other members onboard.
As a general rule in One Piece, captains are the strongest in their crew, but the reason they persist as leaders depends on more than just physical ability.
They must have what it takes to keep their crews evolving in terms of power and greatness, have the will to conquer and reach the top.
The best captains not just have high Haki and battle strengths, but are also swift and strategic decision-makers, inspirational commanders, and loyal to their crew.
You can check out my piece here for a list that includes legends like Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard. In today’s article, I will be ranking the best current captains in One Piece.
This list also includes a category based on the captain’s relevance in the current world of the series, which is a gamechanger in terms of ranking.
10Buggy – The Buggy Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 10/10
Conqueror’s Haki –
Strength – 5/10
Leadership Skills – 9/10
Crew Loyalty – 8/10
Crew Strength – 6/10
Tactical Skills – 9/10
Decision Making Skills – 10/10
Pirating Skills – 7/10
Total – 64/90
Not all captains are physically stronger than their crew. Buggy the Clown is a prime example of how to be a baws without getting yourself dirty.
Buggy is a Yonko now, so, of course, he’s probably the cause of some major havoc outside Wano. But of what we’ve seen of him, Buggy’s tactical decision-making is his main strength.
The reason he’s so successful is due to his strategic partnerships with crews stronger than him.
Buggy’s Bara Bara no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, allows him to split his body into pieces and reassemble them at will. This power also makes him immune to slashing attacks – a perfect power for a captain who is more a businessman than a pirate.
9Boa Hancock – The Kuja Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 5/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 7/10
Strength – 8/10
Leadership Skill – 9/10
Crew Loyalty – 8/10
Crew Strength – 8/10 – 8/10
Tactical Skills – 7/10
Decision Making Skills – 6/10
Pirating Skills – 7/10
Total – 65/90
Boa Hancock aka the Pirate Empress, is the captain of the Kuja Pirates, and the only female former Warlord of the Sea. She rules over the island of women, Amazon Lily, and is a terrifying threat to any man in the world.
This is mostly because of her Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, Mero Mero no Mi. Like Medusa, she can turn the people that lust after her into stone.
Boa’s charisma, physical prowess, and command over her crew, makes her a unique and dangerous captain, and I hope she makes an appearance in the new post-Wano arc.
8 Eustass Kid– The Kid Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 8/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 6/10
Strength – 8/10
Leadership Skills – 7/10
Crew Loyalty – 9/10
Crew Strength – 6/10
Tactical Skills – 7/10
Decision Making Skills – 7/10
Pirating Skills – 8/10
Total – 66/90
“Captain” is Kid’s middle name. Literally. One of the Worst Generation, Kid, along with Law, are strong enough to be considered Luffy’s rivals.
When the 11 Supernovas were first introduced in the Sabaody Archipelago, Kid was the rookie with the highest bounty among them.
Kid not only has the very powerful Jiki Jiki no Mi Devil Fruit that can induce magnetism, but has also displayed Conqueror’s Haki, which helped him defeat the Yonko Big Mom.
7Trafalgar Law – The Heart Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 8/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 0/10
Strength – 7/10
Leadership Skills – 8/10
Crew Loyalty – 10/10
Crew Strength – 5/10
Tactical Skills – 10/10
Decision Making Skills – 10/10
Pirating Skills – 9/10
Total – 67/90
Trafalgar D. Water Law, also known as the Surgeon of Death, is a pirate captain from the Worst Generation.
Law is also the doctor of the crew, which means he doesn’t just lead them, he heals them, too. His Paramecia-type Ope Ope no Mi is quite OP – granting him the ability to orient space and perform inoperable surgeries.
This makes him one of the best doctors in One Piece, as well as a massive threat in battle – as Big Mom would know.
6Donquixote Doflamingo – The Doflamingo Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 5/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 6/10
Strength – 8/10
Leadership Skills – 5/10
Crew Loyalty – 9/10
Crew Strength – 8/10
Tactical Skills – 10/10
Decision Making Skills – 8/10
Pirating Skills – 9/10
Total – 68/90
Donquixote Doflamingo might be a name of the past, but his piracy is such, that he is still considered one of the best captains ever.
The guy used to be a Celestial Dragon as well as a Warlord, but his main conquests lie in his time as the infamous pirate that ruled Dressrosa.
He ate the Paramecia-type Ito Ito no Mi, which has properties similar to Luffy’s Gomu Gomu/Hito Hito. He is also the first individual in the series to Awaken the power of his Devil Fruit.
5Kaido – The Beasts Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 7/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 10/10
Strength – 10/10
Leadership Skills – 6/10
Crew Loyalty – 8/10
Crew Strength – 9/10 – 9/10
Tactical Skills – 5/10
Decision Making Skills – 7/10
Pirating Skills – 7/10
Total – 69/90
The King of the Beasts, the former Yonko, the man who dominated the Wano arc – Kaido!
Kaido with his immense power has been the perfect villain. His Mythical-Zoan Uo Uo no Mo, Model: Seiryu, lets him transform into a gigantic azure dragon or a dragon-human hybrid.
Kaido has great mastery over his Devil Fruit powers as well as all 3 types of Haki. He’s the one who told Luffy that however strong one’s Devil Fruit is, Haki is the more important of the 2!
Kaido and his crazy-strong crew of literal beasts have given us awesome battles against warriors like Oden and then the members of the Alliance.
4Blackbeard – The Blackbeard Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 10/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 0/10
Strength – 9/10
Leadership Skills – 9/10
Crew Loyalty – 7/10
Crew Strength – 9/10
Tactical Skills – 10/10
Decision Making Skills – 8/10
Pirating Skills – 9/10
Total – 71/90
Marshall D. Teach is one of the current Emperors of the Sea. He is also a former Warlord. He took his place as a Yonko after he killed Whitebeard, who was his captain.
Taking Whitebeard’s place as captain, Teach has been a truly despicable leader, only growing in power. Blackbeard has one Paramecia Devil Fruit, Whitebeard’s Gura Gura no Mi, which he stole, and his own Logia-type Yami Yami no Mi, which give him the power of darkness.
Blackbeard has been assimilating only the strongest people into his crew, which now consists of dangerous criminals powered by even more dangerous Devil Fruits.
3Big Mom – The Big Mom Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 7/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 9/10
Strength – 10/10
Leadership Skills – 7/10
Crew Loyalty – 10/10
Crew Strength – 9/10
Tactical Skills – 7/10
Decision Making Skills – 8/10
Pirating Skills – 8/10
Total – 75/90
Charlotte Linlin, former Yonko and queen of Totto Land, is one of my favorites. She has the largest territory of any other pirate.
The majority of her followers and crew are her family, making her an even bigger force to reckon with.
Apart from the undying loyalty she instils, Big Mom’s Soru Soru no Mi allows her to drain the soul of any person and infuse it into a non-living object.
She has immense durability and it took Kid and Law together to induce her downfall. Big Mom’s dominance is mainly due to her mastery over all 3 kinds of Haki. She’s easily one of the most memorable captains in One Piece.
2Luffy – The Straw Hat Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 10/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 8/10
Strength – 8/10
Leadership Skills – 9/10
Crew Loyalty – 10/10
Crew Strength – 9/10
Tactical Skills – 6/10
Decision Making Skills – 8/10
Pirating Skills – 7/10
Total – 85/90
You already know I want to put our boy Luffy on #1. But as of now, Luffy makes for a pretty solid #2.
He has come a long way – East Blue to Wano, rookie to Yonko. Luffy is what every captain should aspire to be. He has big dreams, a bigger will, and the strength to see it through. It doesn’t hurt that his Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika actually turns him into Joy Boy.
As a captain, he has made some questionable decisions, but no other pirate has made as many allies. Luffy’s Conqueror’s Haki might be powerful, but what is most impressive is his power to make friends.
Luffy and his crew are nakama, and they will do anything for each other. A true pirate crew!
1Shanks – The Red Hair Pirates
Relevance in the New World – 10/10
Conqueror’s Haki – 10/10
Strength – 9/10
Leadership Skill – 10/10
Crew Loyalty – 10/10
Crew Strength – 9/10
Tactical Skills – 10/10
Decision Making Skills – 9/10
Pirating Skills – 9/10
Total – 89/90
Shanks is the best captain in One Piece currently. He is an Emperor of the Sea and is the only one out of the original 4 still holding the title. His crew is implied to be the strongest of the 4 Yonkos. Shanks, as a captain, will play a crucial role in the final leg of the series.
Shanks has had the least screentime, but has the most hype among any other character.
He began as an apprentice along with Buggy on the ship of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Now he’s collectively believed to be one of the strongest characters in the series. And he doesn’t even have a Devil Fruit!
Shanks probably has the highest Haki in the series. The same can be said off his crewmates, whose reputation precedes them.
About One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.
The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!
Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.
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