One Piece: 10 Characters Closest To Beating Kaido, Ranked By Strength

Kaido is one of the Four Emperors of the One Piece world and he rules over the land of Wano currently. He's described as the strongest creature to exist on land, air, and sea, which makes defeating him quite a difficult task.

It is believed that Kaido is unbeatable in a one-on-one fight, however, that certainly doesn't mean he can't be defeated. Throughout his pirate life, Kaido has tasted defeat on seven occasions, meaning he is beatable. Here are the 10 characters closest to defeating Yonko Kaido in One Piece, ranked by how strong they are.

10 Luffy

Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and he's currently attempting to take down Kaido on Onigashima. After having trained his Haki at Udon, Luffy is, more than likely, capable of wounding Kaido in battle.

While there is still going to be a difference in level between the two, Luffy is one of the likeliest characters to defeat Kaido since that's what the story demands. In terms of power, however, some are stronger than him and thus rank above him.

9 Rayleigh

The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh is the former right-hand man of the Pirate King and a man feared throughout the world. At Sabaody Archipelago, Rayleigh was able to stop even Admiral Kizaru, which says a lot about his skill.

Like Luffy, he's a user of advanced Ryou and he is one of the characters who can possibly wound Kaido in battle. Like most characters, however, Rayleigh's chances of defeating Kaido are quite low.

8 Dracule Mihawk

Mihawk is the strongest swordsman in the One Piece world and that automatically makes him one of the strongest characters in the story. He's a rival of Red-Haired Shanks, which also puts into perspective how strong he is.

Mihawk wields one of the Saijo O Wazamono grade swords in Kokuto Yoru and has great control over Observation and Armament Haki. For him, defeating Kaido is an uphill task, however, he might not be too far off from Kaido's level, provided he's still a match for Shanks.

7 Sakazuki

Sakazuki is the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines and ranks among the strongest characters in the One Piece world. He has the power of the Logia type Magu Magu no Mi, which gives him the ability to become magma itself.

His Devil Fruit boasts offensive power of the highest order, and he has incredibly refined control over both Observation Haki and Ryou. Sakazuki is also hinted to be able to see the future. Defeating Kaido might still be hard for him, however, he won't go down without a proper fight.

6 Sengoku

Also known as The Buddha, Sengoku is a legendary Marine who served as an Admiral during the time of Gol D. Roger. Later, he went on to become the Fleet Admiral and retired after the Paramount War concluded.

Sengoku is one of the strongest characters in the entire series, evident from the fact that he took on Shiki along with Garp at Marineford after Roger's capture. Furthermore, Roger himself considered him to be one of the only two Navy members capable of fighting him. With his powers, he would certainly pose a decent challenge to Kaido.

5 Garp

The Hero of the Marines, Garp is the strongest known Marine in the story to date.  He's an incredibly powerful character who has rivaled the likes of Gol D. Roger in the past. Someone who is held in incredibly high regard by the Pirate King himself is more than capable of taking on Kaido in battle, and possibly even win.

Some of Garp's most famous feats include crushing 8 mountains with his bare fists, destroying Rocks with the help of Roger, defeating Shiki with Sengoku's help, and nearly killing Roger on various occasions.

4 Dragon

The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon is the leader of the Revolutionary Army and the world's worst criminal. Although very little about him has been revealed in the story so far, just his name is enough to send shivers down the spines of most people.

Dragon's true strength hasn't been revealed yet, but his No.2, Sabo, was strong enough to take on an Admiral, Fujitora, in battle despite having poor control over his Devil Fruit at the time. This implies that Dragon is stronger than a Navy Admiral at the very least and capable of rivaling Kaido.

3 Shanks

Shanks is a Yonko of the Sea, just like Kaido himself. He's an exceptionally strong character who holds a bounty of 4,048,900,000 Berries on his head. In terms of power, Shanks has matched the likes of Whitebeard in a clash that split the heavens apart.

Furthermore, he also clashed with Kaido briefly in the New World a day before the Paramount War began. All things considered, Shanks is just as capable of beating Kaido as Kaido is of beating him.

2 Marshall D. Teach

The newest addition to the Yonko, Teach has a bounty of 2,247,600,000 Berries on his head. He's an incredibly powerful character who holds two Devil Fruit powers in the Gura Gura no Mi and the Yami Yami no Mi.

With his Logia power, Teach can very well nullify the defensive armor that Kaido has due to his dragon Zoan powers, which makes him a massive threat to the Yonko. He also holds the world's strongest Paramecia, meaning he can hit quite hard. Teach has a decent chance of beating Kaido and he's only going to get stronger with time.

1 Charlotte Linlin

Also known as Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin is a former member of the Rocks Pirates, just like Kaido. After the God Valley Incident, she went her own way and created the Big Mom Pirates, who eventually went on to rule Totland. Right now, Big Mom is easily among the strongest characters in the world and she's known to be equal to Kaido.

The two fought for over 12 hours on Onigashima in a battle that eventually ended in a draw. Out of all the characters, Big Mom has the highest chance of beating Kaido, in terms of strength.

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One Piece: 10 Swordsmen Who Can Challenge Mihawk, Ranked By Strength

Mihawk, also known by his epithet of Hawk Eyes, is the strongest known swordsman in the One Piece world. He was introduced in the story during the Baratie arc, where he showed the fans a glimpse of what he was capable of in the anime.

Being the strongest swordsman in the series, Mihawk wields the all-powerful black blade called Yoru, which is one of the 12 Saijo o Wazamono grade swords. Only a few other swordsmen can match him in battle, and even fewer can hope to defeat him. Here are 10 characters who can challenge Hawk Eyes Mihawk to a proper fight.

10 Roronoa Zoro

The swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro is a powerful pirate with a bounty of 320 million berries. He practices the famous Three-Sword Style, and he currently wields Enma, Wado Ichimonji, and Sandai Kitetsu.

Zoro is extremely skilled in the way of the sword, and he can use Busoshoku Haki to quite a good effect. However, the exact level of his skill isn't known just yet. Zoro hasn't fought any strong opponents so far, making it hard to gauge his exact level of strength.

9 Trafalgar Law

The Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law, is one of the Worst Generation, and he has a bounty of 500 million Berries on his head. He's an incredibly powerful pirate, strong enough to fight the likes of Doflamingo. Since Dressrosa, Law has gotten further stronger, as evident from his portrayal of Luffy and Kid in Onigashima.

He has the power of the Ope Ope no Mi, which, when combined with his cursed sword Kikoku, makes him extremely difficult to take on in a fight.

8 Charlotte Cracker

With a bounty of 860 million berries, Charlotte Cracker ranks among the finest swordsmen in One Piece. He wields the peerless blade Pretzel, and combined with his Devil Fruit powers; Cracker is very difficult to take on in battle.

Cracker was strong enough to force even Gear Fourth Luffy on the defensive and what's even more impressive is the fact that his Busoshoku Haki allowed him to take the brunt of Luffy's attacks without struggling too much. While he can't beat Mihawk, he would certainly pose a great challenge to him.

7 Shiryu

Shiryu is the Captain of the Second Ship of the Blackbeard Pirates. Before joining the crew, he was the Head Jailer of Impel Down and was known to be a match for Magellan in terms of power.

He wields a seemingly cursed sword called Raiu, and along with that, he also has the power of the infamous Suke Suke no Mi, which grants him invisibility. All these powers combined make him a decent rival for Mihawk.

6 Vista

Also known as the Flower Blade, Vista is the former Fifth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and the man known to be the crew's strongest swordsman. He's capable of fighting the strongest people in One Piece without too much trouble, as seen during the Marineford arc.

Vista was able to fight and even match Mihawk in battle. The latter even paid him respect by saying only a fool wouldn't have heard of his name and be aware of what he's capable of.

5 Denjiro

Denjiro is one of the Nine Red Scabbards of Kozuki Oden and ranks among the finest swordsmen of Wano Country. As seen when he was able to hold back Zoro without even breaking a sweat at the Flower Capital, he's mighty.

Denjiro possesses tremendous control over Haki as he can injure even the mighty Kaido, something that is considered a nigh-impossible task. With such great powers, he can certainly take on Mihawk in battle.

4 Kin'emon

The leader of the Akazaya Nine, Kin'emon, is also a samurai from Wano who is currently fighting Kaido in a high-level battle at Onigashima. He is a user of the Two-Sword style and can cut through any fire without trouble.

Kin'emon was able to wound Kaido on more than one occasion, which is an incredibly impressive feat. His Haki is very refined, as is his swordplay.

3 Fujitora

Fujitora is an Admiral of the Navy, and that automatically makes him one of the strongest people in the world of One Piece. He wields an unnamed sword with an unnamed grade. However, it does seem to be his weapon of choice.

Fujitora also uses his Devil Fruit, known as Zushi Zushi, no Mi, in conjunction with his sword. His powers allow him to control gravity freely. He's a worthy challenger for anyone in the world, including Mihawk.

2 Rayleigh

The former right-hand man of the Pirate King, Rayleigh, is a legendary figure in the One Piece world who also ranks among the strongest. He is a user of all three Haki types, and his weapon of choice is a yet unnamed sword.

At Sabaody, he was strong enough to hold back Kizaru despite being old, and Garp mentioned his name in the same breath as Whitebeard himself. He could very well match Mihawk in a fight.

1 Shanks

Shanks is one of the Four Emperors of the One Piece world and ranks among the series's strongest characters. Long before he became a Yonko, Shanks was a rival to Mihawk. However, after losing his arm, the two stopped fighting.

Shanks' skill with a sword appears to be exceptional as it is his primary weapon at the moment. He is also a mighty Haki user, and he's certainly someone who could actually defeat Mihawk in a fight.

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One Piece: Everything We Know So Far About The One Piece

As the prize that the entire series is named after, one could assume that there would be a great deal of information surrounding the fabled One Piece, especially considering how long One Piece has been running. However, the minds behind one of the longest-running manga series of all time appreciate the impact suspense and mystery has on the story, so have kept many aspects of the treasure close to the chest.

Over time and the many adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the Strawhat Pirates, both the main characters and the audience have been able to piece together some aspects of what this great treasure really is, which has only increased the audiences desire to see Luffy finally obtain it. While it seems like the discovery of One Piece is still quite a ways off in the story, that doesn't mean fans can't endlessly speculate on what it is based on the information already given to them.

5 It Was The Cause Of The Great Age Of Pirates

The world of One Piece is almost entirely made up of pirates in search of glory and the equally vicious Marines who claim to be able to keep them in check. Even before Gol D. Roger turned himself in to the authorities and was executed, various pirate factions dominated the seas in search of fame and fortune. However, it was Roger's final words as he was executed, claiming to have amassed an enormous fortune that he hid in the Grand Line, which set off a new age in humanity known as the Great Age of Pirates.

Unfortunately for the Marines, who thought they could quash the growing numbers of pirates by killing the most notorious pirate of all time, this new age would bring about conflict on a scale that hadn't been seen in centuries. Many people who already knew about One Piece would go on to say that anyone who discovered the fabled treasure would spark a battle that would engulf the entire world, bringing a further sense of turmoil to an already chaotic period of time.

4 Located On The Grand Line

Aside from it being mentioned explicitly in the 4Kids opening for One Piece, Gol D. Roger himself confirmed that the One Piece was left on the Grand Line, a vast ocean current that spans the entire equator of the world. This current makes passage through the Grand Line incredibly dangerous and as such, comparatively few people have managed to navigate the Grand Line without dying in the process, which made it the perfect hiding place for a treasure like the One Piece.

Specifically, the One Piece is said to be located on the final island of the New World on the Grand Line, which was named by Roger himself after discovering it. After seeing some of the undisclosed treasure that makes up the sum total of the One Piece, learning of the true nature of the world, and the events that occurred during the Void Century, he burst into laughter. Considering the entire ordeal nothing more than a funny story, he named the island Laugh Tale.

3 It's All Of Gol D. Roger's Treasure

One of the first things the audience learns about One Piece is that it is most likely one of the most valuable treasures of all time, being the total accumulated wealth that Gol D. Roger was able to obtain over his life as the King of The Pirates. Considering just how powerful and notorious Roger was by the end of his life, it's safe to assume that anyone lucky enough to find his treasure would be set for life and could easily retire from a life of piracy.

Since Luffy is the main protagonist of the series, it seems very likely that he will at least get his hands on it at some point, if not be the one to find it in the first place, but it seems unlikely that he would give up a life of piracy so easily. Unlike many other pirates in One Piece, Luffy is after the glory and adventure of being King of The Pirates and doesn't have much of an attachment to material things, aside from his straw hat.

2 At Least Some Of It Once Belonged To Joy Boy

One of the few pieces of information that wasn't given about One Piece during the opening moments of the anime was the fact that, at one point, it actually belonged to someone else. Long before Roger claimed it for himself, at least some of the One Piece belonged to a man named Joy Boy during what is known as the Void Century. This was a period of 100 years, beginning 900 years before the series began and ending 800 years before this point, where history wasn't recorded and is said to be vastly important to knowing the true nature of the world. What this means exactly hasn't been stated yet, but it is clear that something to do with the One Piece is key to understanding what happened in the world during this 100-year gap in history.

1 Few People Know What It Is

While most people know that the One Piece is the accumulation of all of Gol D. Roger's wealth during his time as the King of The Pirates, as well as whatever parts of it once belonged to Joy Boy, few people know what it actually is. The clear exception to this are the Roger Pirates who made the journey to the Grand Line and Laugh Tale, though even those few who did make the trip are willing to talk about it.

Ussop once tried to ask Silvers Rayleigh, one of the few Roger Pirates who was both with Gol D. Roger when he discovered Joy Boy's treasure and who is still alive by the events of One Piece, but Luffy refused to let him answer the question, as he felt it would go against the whole point of becoming the Pirate King to know what the treasure was before actually finding it. Whitebeard, Roger's biggest rival, also seemed to know what it was, as he stated that anyone who found the One Piece would spark a global conflict and would shake the world to its core.

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Shanks, Gildarts & the Misunderstood One Piece-Fairy Tail Connection

One Piece and Fairy Tail are both incredibly popular shonen series with huge fanbases. Over the years, there have been plenty of theories about the intertextual connections between the two works, and one primary piece of evidence that fans think they've found relates to two of the respective franchise's most powerful characters: Shanks from One Piece and Gildarts from Fairy Tail.

At first glance, the character designs already look similar enough. Both have wavy red(ish) hair, beards, capes, and most importantly, they both carry a similar disability from past battles. Shanks lost his left arm when saving Luffy from a Sea King, while Gildarts lost his left arm and leg during his battle with The Dragon King Acnologia. But Gildarts usually wears prosthetics while Shanks does not. Besides appearances, the characters even share pretty similar personalities. Both are relatively easy-going, and while they do not like to harm others they can absolutely dominate during a fight. They are also well-respected by their peers and can be good leaders without resorting to controlling tactics. Moreover, they are both among the most powerful characters within their respective series and serve as a mentor to the protagonists.

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With all these unavoidable similarities in mind, it is only natural for fans to speculate about the relationship between their creators, One Piece's Eiichiro Oda and Fairy Tail's Hiro Mashima. Some suspect some purposeful or incidental copying by Mashima, since Gildarts debuted in 2009, while Shanks was introduced in 1997 in Chapter #1 of One Piece. But there are enough differences between the two series, such as different power systems, and the characters themselves -- like the fact that Gildarts and his daughter Cana's relationship is one of the character's most defining traits -- to set them apart.

Besides, Oda and Mashima have a similar art style, so the evidence is not strong enough to warrant the copying claim (whether intentional or not) by design alone. There are even some that think Oda and Mashima are brothers, or that they are actually the same person using different names. But given the rigorous schedule of shonen manga publishing, this theory seems implausible. The most reasonable theory circulating amongst fans is that Mashima used to be Oda's assistant, and these similarities are actually tribute to his former mentor.

This theory makes sense because this type of relationship is very common within the manga industry: Oda himself worked as an assistant to Shinobu Kaitani who created One Outs and Lier Game, as well as Nobuhiro Watsuki of Rurouni Kenshin fame, and it is possible to spot the influence of these mangakas' styles within One Piece.

However, Mashima's publisher has denied this claim and said that Mashima has, in fact, never worked as an assistant to any artists. Mashima created a story that got the attention of publishers, which led to him winning a manga competition in 1998. His work went into serialization in Weekly Shonen Magazine immediately after winning. This was Mashima's debut series, Rave Master, which was serialized from 1999 to 2005. Since One Piece started serialization in 1997, the timeline would make Oda and Mashima contemporaries rather than teacher and student.

Fairy Tail's former English publisher Del Ray Manga postulated a more grounded theory as to why the two works share so many similarities: since both Oda and Mashima have publically stated that one of their biggest inspirations is Akira Toriyama, the creator of the Dragon Ball series, it is entirely possible that Toriyama's influence has seeped into both of their works, and the similarities they share are actually with Toriyama rather than with each other.

In other words: fanboys (and girls) think alike. There's validity to this theory if we simply look at the protagonists of Dragon Ball, One Piece and Fairy Tail. All three characters -- Goku, Luffy and Natsu -- all have similar, happy-go-lucky personalities; they all started out as underdogs and they are all motivated to fight for friendships. They even all have spiky hair... The list goes on. Or, perhaps these are just tropes shared by almost all shonen manga series. Take a look at Gildarts and Shanks for yourself and be the judge.

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One Piece: 10 Amazing Pieces of Straw Hat Couple Fan Art We Wish Was Real

For over 20 years, One Piece has entertained fans worldwide with its high-fantasy tales about Monkey D. Luffy and his crew known as the Straw Hat Pirates. While the mystery behind the legendary treasure known as One Piece has certainly contributed to the series’ popularity, what keeps fans coming back for more are the strange, yet, captivating pirates of the Grand Line. In particular, the relationships between the Straw Hat Pirates and how it sometimes veers from friendly to romantic.

If you were to ask series creator Eichiro Oda about who loves who in One Piece, he would simply respond with "They're all in love... with adventure." That answer, however, isn’t enough to satisfy the romantic hearts of One Piece shippers everywhere. Finding out if Luffy and Nami end up together is a more pressing question to answer than what the One Piece truly is. Before closing shop, the original Naruto series and Bleach resolved the romantic dynamics of its characters (the former dedicated its last theatrical movie to it). So, it’s possible One Piece might reveal who ends up with who, before it sets out for its final sail.

Until then, fans can delight themselves with these amazing fan art of the most popular One Piece ships of the Straw Hat Pirates. If you loved these Straw Hat couple fan art featured here, make sure to show your love and appreciation to the artists themselves.

10 Luffy x Nami

It goes without saying that Luffy x Nami is the most popular ship in One Piece. While it’s easy to say it’s because Luffy the main male character in the series and Nami is the main female character, the two have developed a strong relationship with each other, ever since they first made eye contact at the end of episode one. Nami’s anti-pirate stance changed dramatically after seeing how caring and courageous Luffy was, and no matter how braindead he can be at times, she truly cares for him. Patreon artist zippi44 (@zippi44) drew a fantastic Luffy x Nami fan art that has the would-be King of the Pirates in shock, as Nami kisses him passionately.

9 Zoro x Nico Robin

Even though Roronoa Zoro didn’t trust Nico Robin when she joined the Straw Hat Pirates post-Alabasta, the former pirate hunter has become very protective of the ex-agent of Baroque Works. Zoro famously caught Robin after Enel nearly killed her and fought ferociously against him, in her honor. Robin has also been protective of Zoro, such as saving him from Marine Admiral Kizaru. The two also share the same calm and serious demeanor, regardless of any situation. Russian artist KaSaKu drew a sweet Zoro x Nico Robin fan art that has the two embracing each other at sea, set behind a ray of sunshine.

8 Sanji x Nami

While it’s easy to downplay Sanji’s attraction to Nami as him just being a womanizer, the great chief of the East Blue has always had a soft spot for the pirate thief. No matter the situation, Sanji won’t let anyone - including his fellow crew members - lay a finger on Nami. And Nami, while sometimes using Sanji’s crush on her to her advantage, does care for him as well. Argentinian artist MuffinMonstah (@MuffinMonstah) illustrated a phenomenal Sanji x Nami fan art that poses the two pirates in a very steamy moment.

7 Luffy x Boa Hancock

If there’s one example of a romance in One Piece, it would be the relationship between Luffy and Boa Hancock. Or, to put it more precisely, Boa Hancock’s one-sided relationship with Luffy. In a kind of monkey paw situation, Hancock, the most beautiful woman in the world, can’t get her intense feelings of love through Luffy’s dense skull. While Luffy might not fully grasp Hancock’s romantic feelings for him, he does love her in his own way, such as hugging her out of appreciation for everything she’s done for him. Costa Rican artist KuroNeko-art (@Kur0kurochan) drew a fantastic Luffy x Boa Hancock fan art of Luffy hugging Hancock, as her face turns red from blushing.

6 Nami x Vivi

When Nami first met Nefertari Vivi, she only cared about how much money she could extort from the princess of Alabasta. However, Nami really connected with Vivi during their emotional journey to Alabasta. Just like how Nami sacrificed her dignity by working for Arlong to save her friends and family, Vivi did the same by working for Sir Crocodile, the man trying to overthrow her kingdom, in order to save her people. Nami even risked dying over a serious illness, just so the Straw Hats could reach Alabasta as fast as they could without any distractions getting in the way. Vivi, however, believed Nami’s health should come first. That moment shows just how much Nami and Vivi mean to each other. CherryInTheSun (@CherryInTheSun), a yuri fan artist on Patreon, drew a heartwarming Nami x Vivi fan art that highlights their beautiful relationship.

5 Sanji x Zoro

As the two original alpha males in the crew, Sanji and Zoro don’t always see eye to eye on everything. Similar to other anime rivalries (Naruto vs. Sasuke), Sanji and Zoro are always looking for an opportunity to one-up each other. Such as the two of them trying to collect the most prehistoric meat from the island of Little Garden. Even though Zoro and Sanji often butt heads over their conflicting personalities, they share the same hot-headed personality. That’s why shipping Sanji with Zoro is so much fun. Italian artist AkiMao (@MaoABbestia) drew a stunning Sanji x Zoro fan art of the two strong men getting close and personal.

4 Usopp x Nami

Being the two most “normal” members of the Straw Hat Pirates, Usopp and Nami share a unique bond with each other. While both possess essential talents, Usopp and Nami lack the superhuman strength of their comrades. In fact, the reason why Nami begged Usopp to make a special weapon for her during the Alabasta arc is that he was the only crew member who could understand her feelings of inadequacy. They’re also often the most level-headed people in the group who try to steer Luffy away from incredibly dangerous situations, but hilariously fail in the process. Digital artist KellyBear (@okaybeex) drew a cute Usopp x Nami fan art that has Nami giving long-nose a passionate smooch.

3 Zoro x Luffy

What could be stronger than the love between a captain and his first mate? While Luffy and Zoro are worlds apart in personality and appearance, the two initial members of the Straw Hat Pirates are dreamers who live their lives by their own personal code. Yes, there are (lots) of moments where Luffy’s foolishness can get on Zoro’s nerve, such as Luffy blindly assaulting him over a misunderstanding at Whisky Peak, but there are also times where Zoro is right by Luffy’s side in combat or in principle, like the time they refused to engage Bellamy in a pointless brawl over his childish mockery of them. Russian artist NichtVOBLA drew an adorable Zoro x Luffy fan art that has Zoro helping his captain look for treasures in the ocean.

2 Nami x Nico Robin

Outside of Vivian, Nico Robin is the one crew member Nami gets along with the best. Granted, Nami may have been somewhat influenced by Robin giving her a purse full of jewels that one time. However, the two of them do share a tragic bond of losing their mothers at a young age. Nami and Nico Robin are also the only female members of the Straw Hat Pirates; giving them a special feminine relationship they can’t possibly have with the male lunkheads on the ship. As strong femme fatales, Nami and Nico Robin love and respect one another. American artist Alex Siple (@alexcsiple) drew an excellent Nami x Nico Robin fan art that has Robin about to plant a kiss on Nami's cheek.

1 Franky x Nico Robin

Another entertaining One Piece ship is Franky x Nico Robin. They both get along very well with each other; share a wrongfully-convicted criminal history as children, and were both former adversaries to the Straw Hat Pirates before hopping on board the Thousand Sunny. Robin also enjoys Franky’s eccentric attitude and can wind down his extreme acts of masochism. The greatest example of this is Robin squeezing Franky’s… family jewels to convince him to join the Straw Hats. They have a unique relationship, no doubt, but a relationship nonetheless. Swiss artist Evanyia a delightful romantic Franky x Nico Robin fan art that has them lost in each other’s eyes.

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One Piece: 5 Ways Characters Look Better Post Timeskip (& 5 Ways They Look Worse)

There's a lot to love about One Piece, the world-renowned Shonen series by Eiichiro Oda. Whether it's the uniquely loveable larger-than-life characters, the complex and gigantic world covered by ocean, or the supernatural powers at play with the Devil Fruits.

Yet, since the Time-Skip, fans have suddenly found a lot to complain about regarding One Piece and most of it is undeserved. That said, there are still a few ways the characters have changed in this two-year gap, stylistically that may not be for the best, so let's look at both sides of the issue

10 Better: More Exaggerated

It really seems like Oda just cranked the "style" knob on One Piece a few more notches during the timeskip. Whatever traits characters had before were exaggerated upon even further. Over time Tony Tony Chopper was becoming less of a reindeer-mutant and more of an adorable mascot for the Straw Hats. Franky, as another example, had tons of hidden toys and tricks hidden within his seemingly normal-looking body. Now, Franky is proud of his cyborg body and has gone out of control with the modifications to his shape and form.

9 Worse: Women All Look The Same

Before the Battle of Marineford and One Piece's big timeskip, the female designs were all pretty varied. Fans had characters like all over the map such as Alvida, Robin, Kokoro, Vivi, Miss Doublefinger, Miss Valentine, And Miss Monday. Women of all types with different nationalities, facial structures, and tons of other variables at play. Now, after the timeskip, a lot of the female cast ends up looking like they used the same barbie-doll base to build on top of. Fans adore Nico Robin, for good reason, but they completely changed her design post timeskip and got rid of a lot that made her look unique, and that's just one out of many characters this happened to.

8 Better: Scars And Signs Of Change

Fans seem to forget, but in the early chapters of One Piece, characters get shot at or cut up a lot. Luffy gets cut and stabbed numerous times before they even enter the Grand Line, and Zoro probably should've died five-times over by that point. Yet, most of these injuries felt shallow and unimportant simply because there weren't any visual indicators of them, no scars or anything like that (other than Zoro who was always healing from some injury). Now, after the Timeskip, it's become clear that Oda wants to keep track of very prominent injuries such as Luffy's chest scar or the scars on Zoro's ankles.

7 Worse: Everyone Is Either Gigantic Or Buff

One Piece is a wacky cartoony series, there's no denying that. Characters are sometimes designed with the intention to make them as ugly as possible, such as Kokoro (sadly), or Oda can create gigantic characters who are all bark but no bite, such as Shirahoshi. But, this "gigantic" design methodology really started to pick-up after the timeskip and it hasn't really stopped.

If someone is "strong" in the New World, it's more than likely that they're bigger than a normal human by at least a couple of feet. Charlotte Katakuri, Smoothie, Doflamingo, Kaido, Big Mom, Oden, and the list goes on. It seems like Oda really liked this size = power mentality that series like Dark Souls implemented before, and started implementing it himself, but it doesn't quite make sense within the internal logic of One Piece.

6 Better: Themeing Everything Around Devil Fruit Powers

It's not like One Piece has never themed islands or events around the power of a Devil Fruit User (not everyone has a Devil Fruit anyway), the Thriller Bark arc is the perfect example of how well done it can be. But, after the timeskip, the series has doubled down on this premise even more so, adding multiple new layers of complexity to each world entirely centered around one (usually overpowered) Devil Fruit ability. Big Mom can steal souls and has an eating problem, so everything on her islands is food-based and has been given life by her Devil Fruit. Kaido is a towering man all about strength who can turn into an Eastern-style Dragon, so his country is based on Japan, and only the strong are given the right to eat and live prosperously. Lastly, Doflamingo is dark to his core but hides it with a smiley outer shell while he controls things from behind the scenes with his String Devil Fruit, which is very similar to Dressrosa as a country under his rule.

5 Worse: Simplified And Rounded Shapes

Eiichiro Oda is a masterwork artist and story writer, no one can dispute this claim. But, while his style has mostly changed for the best over the years, there are a few ways this change has negatively affected One Piece for some readers. Back in the olden days of OP, characters were allowed to look different and even the style itself was a bit intentionally offputting. Characters had giant feet, Chopper was this weird semi-human mutant, and Usopp was just a scrawny kid with a gigantic nose. Now, after the timeskip, everything is just a bit more rounded-out, simplistic, and "acceptable". Chopper inexplicably became more adorable and round, Usopp got buff and his nose shrank in length, and Nami/Robin became even more stereotypically beautiful while losing a lot of what made them unique visually.

4 Better: No More Simple Backgrounds

One Piece has always had some amazing artwork and world design. The intricate structure of Alabasta and its deserts, the marvels of Thriller Bark and its inhabitants, the wonders of Skypeia and how that society functions. Oda really loves to create these cartoony worlds that somehow feel both realistic and completely fantastical, and that's only gotten better as time has gone on. After the timeskip, the designs of these islands have somehow become more complex, so much so that the backgrounds are almost too complex at times in the manga, it's actually one of the more confusing parts of Wano. That said, it's still awe-inspiring to see in color, or in the anime.

3 Worse: The Anime Team Put A Bit More Work Into The Show Back Then

To be fair, it's not like Toei Animation has ever been known for their stellar work with the One Piece anime adaptation. They've always been consistent, and they've been doing it since the beginning, but the anime itself has never been a paragon of pacing or animation quality.

That said, earlier arcs absolutely have had a higher amount of quality on average compared to more recent ones. Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Thriller Bark in particular are pretty stellar. But, nowadays, the quality sort of muddles along until an important scene happens, and then it jumps up rapidly until said scene is over, such as the fight between Zoro and Killer (who has shockingly changed) in Wano.

2 Better: A Lot More Complexity

In a general sense, everything about One Piece has become more complex as time has gone on, especially after the timeskip. Goals have changed, conflicts have become more nuanced, and it seems like the story is actually on the path towards an ending now. But, in regards to character designs, they've become a lot more complex in terms of their designs and range of abilities. Not to say that the characters' pre-timeskip weren't complex. But, just look at Big Mom's design & transformations and then compare them to someone like Buggy the Clown or Enel.

1 Worse: A Lot Less Diversity

And finally, while characters do look more complex since One Piece's jump in time, they have become a bit less diverse in general. Everyone in the New World seems to be either gigantic or insanely buff and there aren't as many characters that deviate from that norm. Remember regular human marines? And, outside of that, there isn't as much representation for characters of different nationalities anymore. Most of the POC who were introduced in One Piece (such as Usopp, Nico Robin, Gendatsu, Daz Bones, and even Admiral Aokiji) were introduced before the timeskip, and there haven't been many that were introduced after.

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