Highlights

• The One Piece series has a wide range of well-written villains who have left a significant impact on both the story and the viewers.
• Some of the most powerful and memorable villains include Kaku, King, Queen, Bartholomew Kuma, Ryokugyu, Caesar, Smoker, Arlong, Kizaru, and Aokiji.
• Each villain has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, but all of them have managed to captivate the audience and contribute to the overall quality of the series.

The One Piece anime series is famous for having a vast array of characters, and a lot of these characters are very well-written. This isn't just limited to the heroes — the series boasts of some incredible villains who have left a drastic impact on both the viewers and the series as a whole.

The sheer amount of villains in the series makes it difficult to choose a favorite. However, it's impossible to deny some of these rapscallions are a cut above the others. The following are not only among the most powerful but leave an impression as some of the most memorable personalities.

Updated April 17th, 2024, by Suzail Ahmad: One Piece fans have been patiently waiting for the Final Saga for decades. They want to know how the story of Monkey D. Luffy comes to an end. The quality of One Piece is unmatched. Despite being one of the longest-running manga series of all time, One Piece does not suffer from a drop in quality. In fact, it is considered by many to be the best manga of all time.

Even if a person looks at it objectively, it is hard to argue against the sales. One of the highlights of One Piece is its villains. Each of them has a unique personality, which makes them stand out. But not all of them manage to capture the attention of the audience in the same way. Only the best villains in One Piece are able to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats.

32 Kuro

Captain Of The Black Cat Pirates

• Affiliation: Black Cat Pirates
• Bounty: 16,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 23
• Devil Fruit: None

Kuro is one of the many villains that the Straw Hats encountered in the East Blue Saga. He was living undercover in Syrup Village as a butler for Kaya. Kuro had concocted a plan to take over Kaya's wealth and then live happily.

After his plans were exposed, he decided to attack the village with his crew. Kuro's speed, along with his long claws, made it extremely difficult to fight him. A person with slow reflexes would never stand a chance against him. His best quality was his intelligence. Kuro had a very high IQ, and he could outsmart most people in the story. After his defeat, Kuro disappears, but there are some fans who think that he might make an appearance in the future.

31 Jack

Third Strongest All-Star

• Affiliation: Beasts Pirates
• Bounty: 1,000,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 801
• Devil Fruit: Zou Zou no Mi, Model: Mammoth

Jack was the first All-Star to be introduced in the story. He ate the Zou Zou no Mi, Model: Mammoth, an Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to transform into a Mammoth. His Devil Fruit significantly enhanced his physical attributes, giving him an edge in battle.

Jack was a ruthless man who was willing to go to great lengths for the sake of a mission. For instance, he nearly destroyed the entire Mokomo Dukedom when they refused to hand over Raizo. Jack used his own power first, but when it proved to be ineffective, he used the poisonous gas developed by Caesar.

30 Orochi

Shogun Of Wano

• Affiliation: Wano Country
• Bounty: None
• Debut: Chapter 927
• Devil Fruit: Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi

Orochi was one of the main villains of the Wano Country arc. Many years prior to the current timeline, Orochi was nothing more than a weakling who had no authority whatsoever. But he carefully planned his ascension to power. Orochi ousted Oden with the support of Kaido.

Orochi was extremely cunning, and he made sure that nobody would rebel against him. He executed people for speaking against him, which made them stay in line out of fear of losing their lives. While Orochi did have a Devil Fruit, he did not have great control over it. He could only intimidate and kill people who were weaker than him. If he had trained more, Orochi could have easily become one of the strongest characters in the series.

29 St. Figarland Garling

Leader Of God's Knights

• Affiliation: World Government
• Bounty: None
• Debut: Chapter 1086
• Devil Fruit: Unknown

St. Figarland Garling was introduced in the Final Saga of One Piece. In his heyday, he was considered the champion of the Celestial Dragons. He was a regular participant in their Hunting Competitions, where he tracked and killed many innocent people.

Currently, Figarland Garling serves as the leader of God's Knights, who act as the security of Marijoa. He has enough authority to kill a Celestial Dragon without suffering any consequences. His way of thinking is quite akin to that of the Celestial Dragons, so he has no compassion for those beneath him. His power level is unknown, but given his status, it is safe to say that he is among the strongest characters in One Piece. Fans can expect to see him in action in the upcoming arcs.

28 Kaku

One Of The Strongest CP0 Assassins

• Affiliation: World Government
• Bounty: None
• Debut: Chapter 323
• Devil Fruit: Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe

Kaku is a masked assassin in the service of CP0. Initially, he belonged to CP9 but was kicked out after their loss to the Straw Hat Pirates. Eventually, he was promoted, and he joined CP0. Kaku has acted as the antagonist in three different arcs, namely, Water 7, Enies Lobby, and Egghead.

In the Enies Lobby arc, he fought against Roronoa Zoro. The swordsman had to come up with a brand-new technique to defeat him. In the Egghead arc, Kaku once again opposed the Straw Hats, but this time Stussy put an end to his rampage.

27 King

Right-Hand Man of Kaido

• Affiliation: Beasts Pirates
• Bounty: 1,390,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 925
• Devil Fruit: Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Pteranodon

King was the right-hand man of Kaido. He is a Lunarian, a rare race of people who have nearly been wiped out. King's lineage made him highly coveted, which is why Vegapunk performed many experiments on him. His Lineage Factor helped Vegapunk to create the Seraphim.

King ate the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Pternaodon, which he used to fly at great speeds through the sky. The Devil Fruit also granted him great durability and recovery speed. King could use Haki, which added to his overall combative abilities.

26 Buggy

Leader Of Cross Guild

• Affiliation: Buggy Pirates
• Bounty: 3,189,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 9
• Devil Fruit: Bara Bara no Mi

Buggy is the leader of the Cross Guild and the captain of the Buggy Pirates. He debuted in the East Blue Saga and initially came off as a vicious individual. Slowly, it became quite clear that Buggy was just a funny person.

He has appeared in other arcs, but he never comes off as a serious threat. Oda has used him to induce humor in situations. However, that might change since he is very serious about claiming the One Piece. There is a chance that Buggy will face the Straw Hats again and fight them for an opportunity to find his former captain's elusive treasure.

25 St. Jaygarcia Saturn

One Of The Five Elders

• Affiliation: World Government
• Bounty: None
• Debut: Chapter 233
• Devil Fruit: Unknown

St. Jaygarcia Saturn is one of the Five Elders, which makes him one of the few endgame antagonists in One Piece. Even though he appeared in the story before the time skip, his name, along with that of his compatriots, wasn't revealed until the final saga. St. Jaygarcia's appearance is enough to trick any person into lowering their guard, but in reality, he is nothing short of a dangerous monster.

In the Egghead arc, Jaygarcia Saturn traveled to Vegapunk's Island to personally deal with the latter's betrayal. Upon his arrival, St. Jaygarcia Saturn almost immediately began to use his power. His transformation looks like some kind of spider, so it is possible that it could be a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Or it could be some kind of supernatural ability.

24 Queen

All-Star Of The Beasts Pirates

• Affiliation: Beasts Pirates
• Bounty: 1,320,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 925
• Devil Fruit: Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Brachiosaurus

Queen was one of the All-Stars, which meant that he was one of the strongest members of the Beasts Pirates. What separated Queen from the rest of the villains in the Wano Country arc was his interesting personality. Despite being an antagonist, Queen was extremely entertaining.

His singing and dancing won over the hearts of the fans. When it came to strength, there weren't many characters who could compete with him. Queen's Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Brachiosaurus, granted him immense strength and durability. He had also made several modifications to his body, making him a dangerous opponent.

23 Bartholomew Kuma

Former Revolutionary

• Affiliation: None
• Bounty: 296,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 233
• Devil Fruit: Nikyu Nikyu no Mi

When Bartholomew Kuma appeared on Thriller Bark, his presence terrified all those who saw him. Kuma was taciturn and only spoke if it was absolutely necessary. In the Thriller Bark arc, Kuma could have easily killed the Straw Hat Pirates, but he decided to respect Zoro's sacrifice.

Kuma fought the Straw Hat Pirates on Sabaody, and, this time, the outcome wasn't much different. Luckily for the pirates, Kuma was on their side, and he only sent them to locations where they could train. However, Luffy did not know about Kuma's intentions, so he was completely distraught. It was one of the few times that Luffy was helpless and couldn't do anything but cry.

22 Ryokugyu

A Marine Admiral

• Affiliation: Marines
• Bounty: None
• Debut: Chapter 905
• Devil Fruit: Mori Mori no Mi

Ryokugyu joined the Marines sometime during the time skip. He was only mentioned by name in the Dressrosa arc, and he didn't make an appearance until after the war of Onigashima. Ryokugyu traveled to Wano in hopes of capturing the big-name pirates to get inside Akainu's good books.

Ryokugyu used the power of his Mori Mori no Mi to attack Momonosuke and his retainers. Before he could cause any further damage, he was forced out of Wano by Shanks. It was later revealed that he captured Edward Weevil, which is a big achievement.

21 Caesar

Evil Scientist Employed By Two Yonko

• Affiliation: Germa Kingdom
• Bounty: 300,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 658
• Devil Fruit: Gasu Gasu no Mi

Caesar was the main villain of the Punk Hazard arc. A once-proud member of MADS, Caesar, suffered several setbacks, causing him to work with Donquixote Doflamingo. Caesar was a malevolent, selfish individual who only cared about completing his job.

Caesar had no principles, which is why he decided to experiment on kids. He didn't even like his underlings, and he exploited their simplemindedness by making them do all sorts of dangerous work.

20 Smoker

A Marine Vice Admiral

• Affiliation: Marines
• Bounty: None
• Debut: Chapter 97
• Devil Fruit: Moku Moku no Mi

Smoker was the first villain to actually overwhelm Luffy in a fight. He made his debut in the Loguetown arc, where he nearly captured Luffy, who was only saved by Dragon's intervention. After letting Luffy slip through his hands, Smoker continued to follow the young pirate into the Grand Line.

The two crossed paths many times, and each time Luffy narrowly escaped. After the time skip, Luffy's power increased significantly, and he could easily defend himself from Smoker. The Vice Admiral's own strength has not been impressive, and he was humiliated in the Punk Hazard arc, which is why he is no longer among the most feared villains in the series.

19 Arlong

Captain Of The Arlong Pirates

• Affiliation: Arlong Pirates
• Bounty: 20,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 69
• Devil Fruit: None

Arlong was the main antagonist of the Arlong Park arc. He used to be a member of the Fishman Pirates, but he left them and started his own pirate group. Arlong came to Cocoyashi Village and took over by force. He began extorting money from the villagers in exchange for keeping them alive.

Arlong was given a bounty of 20,000,000 berries, which was very low. The reason why his bounty was so low was that he had made a deal with the Marines, who did not report any of his activities. Arlong was a ruthless individual, who had a strong hatred toward humans, and he would never pass up an opportunity to torment them.

18 Kizaru

Oldest Marine Admiral

• Affiliation: Marines
• Bounty: None
• Debut: Chapter 504
• Devil Fruit: Pika Pika no Mi

Endowed with the power of the Pika Pika no Mi, Kizaru is one of the three Marine Admirals. He was the second Admiral to be introduced in the series, and he made his debut during the Sabaody Archipelago arc. When he arrived at Sabaody, every pirate began running for their life.

With the help of his devil fruit powers, Kizaru was easily able to defeat multiple members of the Worst Generation. Kizaru also fought against the Straw Hat Pirates and nearly killed all of them, but luckily, Rayleigh stepped in. Kizaru was also involved in the Paramount War, where he injured Whitebeard, Luffy, and Marco. He is yet to be involved in a serious fight after the time skip, but that will change soon as the anime enters the final saga.

17 Aokiji

One Of The Ten Titanic Captains Of Blackbeard

• Affiliation: Blackbeard Pirates
• Bounty: Unknown
• Debut: Chapter 303
• Devil Fruit: Hie Hie no Mi

Aokiji is a former Marine Admiral, and one of the major antagonists of the Marineford arc. Aokiji possesses the Hie Hie no Mi, a logia-type devil fruit that allows him to manipulate ice at will. The ability is very versatile, and it proved invaluable when he used it to save the Marines from the tidal waves created by Whitebeard.

During his first encounter with the Straw Hat Pirates, Aokiji defeated them single-handedly and without any problems. After the Summit War was over, Aokiji left the Marines and joined forces with the Blackbeard Pirates. He was also involved in the attack on Whole Cake Island, as he helped the Blackbeard Pirates to kidnap Charlotte Pudding.

16 Charlotte Cracker

Sweet Commander Of The Big Mom Pirates

• Affiliation: Big Mom Pirates
• Bounty: 860,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 835
• Devil Fruit: Bisu Bisu no Mi

Charlotte Cracker was the first strong member of the Big Mom Pirates that Luffy fought during the Whole Cake Island arc. Luffy struggled to beat Cracker and required Nami's assistance to take down the Sweet Commander.

Luffy complimented Cracker's absurdly strong Armament Haki, which made his biscuit clones nigh unbreakable. Furthermore, Cracker was able to match Luffy's speed in Gear Fourth quite easily. If Nami hadn't helped Luffy, then the crew wouldn't have been able to rescue Sanji.

15 Senor Pink

A Top Officer Of The Donquixote Pirates

• Affiliation: Donquixote Pirates
• Bounty: 58,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 702
• Devil Fruit: Sui Sui no Mi

Senor Pink holds a special place in the hearts of One Piece fans. While he might not have the evil charisma of his captain, Senor Pink had something else to make up for it— his hard-boiled attitude.

Senor Pink's fight with Franky made him a fan favorite, and his actions in that fight endeared him to the community. ​​​​​​He also had a grim backstory, which revealed why he dressed up like a baby. His devil fruit power allowed him to swim in solid material, and he used the power quite expertly throughout the series.

14 Vinsmoke Judge

Ruler Of The Germa Kingdom

• Affiliation: Germa Kingdom
• Bounty: Unknown
• Debut: Chapter 832
• Devil Fruit: None

Vinsmoke Judge is among the most inhumane characters in the series, a character that fans love to hate. He experimented on his own children by altering their lineage factor in the hope that they would awaken special powers. However, the experiments resulted in his children developing no emotions. He solely wanted to create children to use as weapons to raze entire battlefields.

Judge also mistreated Sanji because the latter had emotions and wasn't strong like his siblings. In the Whole Cake Island arc, Judge traded his own son's life to gain Big Mom's favor. He is by far one of the cruelest characters in the series.

13 Charlotte Katakuri

Strongest Sweet Commander

• Affiliation: Big Mom Pirates
• Bounty: 1,057,000,000
• Debut: Chapter 860
• Devil Fruit: Mochi Mochi no Mi

He is one of the Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates. Before his fight against Luffy, Katakuri had an unbeaten record, which was extremely impressive. Katakuri ate the Mochi Mochi no Mi, which is a paramecia-type devil fruit, and it allows him to create and control mochi at will.

As an experienced fighter, Katakuri was able to use the Advanced versions of both Armament and Observation Haki. His Advanced Observation Haki allowed him to look into the future, and plan a counter accordingly. Katakuri used his powerful Haki and devil fruit ability to clobber Luffy.