20 Best One Piece Anime Fights of All Time, Ranked

July 8, 2023, 8 p.m.

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20 Best One Piece Anime Fights of All Time, Ranked

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Summary Fights from One Piece's first arcs still hold up to be considered some of the best in the series.

Several Straw Hat Pirates give their everything in the best One Piece fights, and more.

Battles against and within Luffy's crew nearly fractured The Straw Hats.

The One Piece series is primarily a story about adventure, but that hasn't stopped the anime from producing some of the best fights in the genre. Whether it be against the ruthless might of the Marines, the corrupt World Government's lackeys, or super-powered self-serving pirates, Luffy and his allies have stood against outrageous odds time and time again and looked epic while doing it, too.

With a series as large as One Piece, it's easy to recall dozens of battles that captivated the imaginations and spiked the adrenaline of its viewers. The anime has been producing weekly episodes since 1999, and it has shown no signs of slowing in providing flashy and often more-fleshed out battles from author Eiichiro Oda's manga.

Custom Image by Merlyn De Souza

The Egghead Island arc has provided even more incredible battles to the anime, and it's likely only getting started with spoiling fans. Still, this list of One Piece's top 20 anime fights looks back on some of the most epic and heartbreaking battles that have concluded in Eiichiro Oda's epic up until anime episode #1110.

20 Ms. Merry Xmas and Mr. 4 Test The Weakest Straw Hats

One Piece Episodes #113 - #115

The mission to save Vivi's country of Alabasta from Crocodile and his criminal syndicate army was one of One Piece's longest pre-time skip arcs. While it contains many entertaining battles, the battle with two Straw Hat Pirates not known for their overwhelming strength stands out in the arc. Usopp and Chopper fought against two of Crocodile's top agents, Mr.4 and Miss Merry Christmas, while highlighting some of the best early One Piece had to offer.

Usopp and Chopper each took much damage from explosive baseballs, Mr. 4's giant metal club, and Christmas's Mole-Mole Devil Fruit powers. The pair of accomplished assassins set up a network of tunnels to make full use of the battlefield along with the art of surprise. Still, teamwork and using their foe's weapons against themselves to flood the tunnels with explosives earned the weakest Straw Hats a booming victory.

19 The Cat Burglar Versus The World Class Assassin

One Piece Episodes #293 - #296

Enies Lobby is known as one of One Piece's best arcs for a great reason. More than one of its battles is featured on the list, but Nami versus Kalifa stands out for showing how much the Straw Hat's Navigator has evolved. Her battle against CP9 agent Kalifa and her slippery Bubble-Bubble Fruit demonstrated that Nami's mage-like abilities had grown considerably since first using the Clima-Tact in Alabasta. While the agent was an extremely capable spy and assassin, she failed to defeat Nami's Mirage Tempo duplicates and powerful Thunder Lance Tempo, which were ultra-effective combos thanks to her brilliant tactics.

18 Brook Outsmarts & Holds Back Pirate Emperor Big Mom

One Piece Episodes #818 - #820

Brook is a Straw Hat Pirate who often finishes his opponents with quick-draw sword techniques. However, he earned an MVP title during the Whole Cake Island arc for stealing a copy of Big Mom's incredibly rare Road Poneglyph before fighting the Yonko one-on-one. Big Mom's soul powers were well-matched against Brook, The Soul King, and the anime expanded on the manga's short fight.

Brook was able to disable many of the Emperor's minions and even dealt damage to Big Mom's fiery homie, Prometheus, who had never been hurt in his life. The Straw Hat Musician was given many impressive moments where he defended and lasted through an onslaught that many fighters would have quickly fallen to before he was captured. Still, in the grand scheme of things, he won the fight by surviving and stealing the red Poneglyph's information, which'll prove vital in finding the One Piece.

17 The Straw Hat's Manliest Against The Donquixote Pirates' Manliest

One Piece Episodes #693 - #716

Dressrosa is a divisive arc among the One Piece fanbase for its pacing and the enormous amount of new characters it introduces into the series. However, Franky's opponent, Senor Pink, proved so hard-boiled with an emotional backstory and hilarious design that he became one of the arc's standouts. Senor Pink's ability to liquefy solid matter and his multitude of manly piledrivers proved not to be enough to keep Franky down. Still, the two became brothers from another mother through their hard-fought battle.

16 Black-Leg Sanji Surpasses Family Trauma Against A Cyborg Dinosaur

One Piece Episodes #1036 - #1061

Many of Sanji's best battles include a heavy dose of humor, but much of that gets engulfed in flames of hatred during his climactic battle against Kaido's most personable henchman, Queen. The evil scientist once had a close relationship with Sanji's warmongering scientist father, who had no issue experimenting on humans, even his own children. On the surface, Queen versus Sanji is a beautifully adapted visual feast for the eyes, but it also shows Sanji developing his abilities while having a healthy outlet to vent the frustrations of his family drama against an evil former subordinate of his father.

15 Luffy's Takes On The East Blue's Biggest Fish

One Piece Episodes #28 - #29

Don Krieg had taken a fleet of 50 ships into the legendary Grand Line, but most of his forces were destroyed by Warlord of the Sea, Dracule Mihawk. Krieg attempted to steal the Baratie cooking ship and kill anyone who got in his way, even his crewmates. To make up for his debt for destroying a part of the Baratie, Luffy took on Krieg. Krieg used dirty tactics, lots of weapons, and metal spikes in his battle against the Straw Hat Captain, but Luffy's inventive use of his Gum-Gum powers shut the despised pirate down for good.

14 The Worst Generation Takes On The World's Strongest Pirate Emperors

One Piece Episodes #1015 - #1031

It took many episodes of building up to reach the point, but Luffy, Zoro, Kid, and Law finally made it to the battle that'd change their lives and the world of One Piece forever. Pirate Emperors Big Mom and Kaido had long been known as some of the strongest characters in the series who'd ruled over the seas for decades. However, the alliance of the Worst Generation finally saw the beginning of the end of the long-established rule. Each pirate showed off their incredible strength, which was animated masterfully, surpassing the presentation of the manga in several instances.

13 Law and Luffy Against Doflamingo Almost Makes Up For Dressrosa's Pacing Issues

One Piece Episodes #698 - #733

After what felt like a long build-up, Luffy and Law finally reach the man pulling Dressrosa's strings, only to discover that Doflamingo could create string clones of himself, again making fans wait to see the heroes reach the villain. Luffy's frustration with the cocky foe was shared with viewers. Watching Luffy charge towards his ally with his powerful Red Hawk attack to have Law switch places with the real Doffy was the first major hit the long arc's villain took and the first time the man who had been in control for so long had his smirk taken away.

It was the true turning point of a battle that viewers had waited a long time to see. The anime's battle against Doflamingo had several stages and incredible moments, like when Law landed his Gamma Knife attack on his abuser and when Luffy saved Law from Doflamingo's heel. However, Luffy revealing Gear 4 Bounce Man was another massive highlight for the divisive arc that proved to be more than the fallen Celestial Dragon could handle.

12 It Took Kid's Giant Laser and Law's Broken Powers To Finally Beat Big Mom

One Piece Episodes #1045 - #1067

One Piece's longest arc would have ended differently for Luffy and his allies if Big Mom and Kaido were not both defeated. Law and Kid separated Big Mom from Kaido and were tasked to take her down. Episode #1066 showcased each of the three character's monstrous abilities and expertly encapsulated each of their fighting styles. Law's teleportation and Kid's heavy attacks were on full display in their fight against Big Mom, which did not receive nearly as much action in the manga. This battle proved how anime can expand on the source material in an intelligent and wildly entertaining way.

11 Luffy Crumbles Crocodile's Shady Empire

One Piece Episodes #110 - #126

Luffy Vs. Crocodile was another battle that took several rounds for Luffy to come out on top. Their first bout in the desert displayed many of Luffy's attacks that all proved useless against Crocodile's Sand Logia abilities in the desert. However, Luffy learned from the battle and eventually started to moisten his attacks so that they could damage the man made of sand. Round 2 finally saw Alabasta's antagonist take damage for the first time, and the retaliation saw Luffy drained of his moisture, almost killing the Straw Hat Captain a second time.

After some incredible luck, Luffy recovered, and the struggle culminated with him cutting his fists to deal considerable damage to the tormentor of Alabasta. Luffy vowed to surpass the Warlord of the Sea before smashing him into an underground ceiling and assaulting him with a flurry of punches that sent Crocodile through the surface of the country's capital for all its citizens to see.

10 Whitebeard Moved Oceans Against The Marines

One Piece Episode #461 - #486

Many of One Piece's strongest pirates, Warlords of the Sea, and Marines gathered at Marineford for the most significant battle the series had seen. The chaos presented many short fights until Edward Newgate, aka Whitebeard, joined the battle. In his quest to save Ace, Whitebeard took many stabbings and canon blasts without being phased. He dispatched hordes of Marines, fought toe-to-toe with their toughest officers, including the Magma Fruit-powered Marine Admiral Sakazuki, and devastated the entire island with his Earthquake powers. Throughout Marineford's arc, Whitebeard consistently proved why he was regarded as the World's Strongest Pirate.

9 Luffy and Lucci's Rematch Started To Crack Egghead Island

One Piece Episodes #1100 - #1101

One of the Egghead arc's first big battles was elevated from an exciting rematch to a smorgasbord of incredibly fluid animation and choreography with the One Piece anime's adaptation of Awakened Lucci versus Gear 5 Luffy. While viewers have recently seen the glory of the Gear 5 transformation near the end of the Wano arc, seeing how one of Luffy's greatest challenges recently leveled-up transformation had evolved. The World Government assassin couldn't give the Straw Hat Captain the challenge he did during Enies Lobby, but he did put on a great show for fans.

8 Blackbeard Fought The Law, and The Law Did Not Win

One Piece Episode #1093

Since the Egghead arc began the final saga of One Piece's epic storyline, several beloved characters searching for the Pirate King's treasure needed to be taken out of the race. One of the series' best battles came when Blackbeard's ultimate Devil Fruit-wielding crew ambushed Law's Heart Pirates. The broken abilities of Law's Devil Fruit were on full display, but it was Blackbeard's colossal showcase that made him an ultimate threat to Luffy and anyone hoping to find the One Piece.

7 Mihawk Taught Zoro and Fans How Big The World Was

One Piece Episode #24

Zoro versus Mihawk introduced the Straw Hats to a fearsome level of strength that awaited in the Grand Line. It also introduced audiences to one of the most intimidating characters in fiction, Dracule Mihawk. After single-handedly destroying Don Kreig's fleet of 50 ships, he arrives at the Baratie to finish the job. When challenged by the ambitious young Zoro, he refuses to use his main sword and brandishes a tiny knife before delivering intimidating quotes like and "Frog in the well...Know how big the world is."

Zoro fails to land a single blow on the World's Greatest Swordsmen, proving the large gap in their abilities and established the heights the Straw Hats will need to reach if they want to tango with the world's best pirates. Still, Zoro left a big enough impression on Mihawk that he spared his life so the two could have a rematch in the future.

6 The Giant Zombie Oars Brought The Straw Hats Together Like Never Before

One Piece Episodes #372 - #373

Thriller Bark remains a divisive arc among One Piece fans, but it still contains more than one of the series' best moments (and one of its most hilarious ones, with the Straw Hats "locking" in a classic giant robot formation). Near its end, the entire Straw Hat crew is faced against a single opponent, the zombie of an ancient giant named Oars the Continent-Puller. Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria, used his Shadow-Shadow Devil Fruit to control the corpse of the largest and most destructive foe the series had yet seen.

Like most Shōnen series, One Piece arcs usually pair the series heroes against the antagonist's underlings with the leaders battling one another. Still, like Moria's zombie army, Thriller Bark was built differently. Moria's abilities gave Oars Luffy's powers, which had devastating results. Each Straw Hat member was pivotal in putting the giant down for good. Chopper formulated and coordinated the ultimate team attack that saw Nami, Usopp, and Franky freeze Oar's legs, Sanji restrained the foe with a huge chain, Zoro's attack forced Oars to look up, while Robin and Brook got Luffy to the top of the castle. The Straw Hat Captain then dropped an aerial Third Gear Bazooka onto Oar's raised head, breaking the zombie's spine and rendering the massive foe useless.

Related One Piece's Pirate King Could Return From The Dead Thanks To Blackbeard Blackbeard's crew have stolen many of One Piece's mightiest Devil Fruit powers, and now they have what they need to resurrect the former Pirate King.

5 Zoro Puts Everything He Has Into Defeating King of the Beast Pirates

One Piece Episodes #1046 - #1062

The One Piece anime's adaptation of the Wano arc has been a visual feast for fans. Episode 1062 contained King's face reveal and the epic conclusion to his and Zoro's battle. While King is regarded as Kaido's right-hand man, Zoro had to take on the formidable enemy after fighting against Big Mom and Kaido. While fighting two Pirate Emperors, Zoro deflected their combined Ocean Sovereignty attack, arguably the most powerful single attack the One Piece series has seen. The attack broke many of Zoro's bones and nearly killed him, but he wasn't done yet.

With help from Chopper and the Mink Tribes' medicines, Zoro was back on his feet and able to battle Kaido's 2nd in command. King's nearly extinct Lunarian race is capable of intense speed, durability, and producing flames from their bodies. King unleashes everything he has by igniting the skies with fire, forming a fearsome multi-headed dragon. However, Zoro launches himself through it and wins the battle with an epic and decisive slash. Impact frames hidden throughout the episode added an extra narrative layer to this critical fight that will go down as one of anime's best-looking battles.

4 Luffy Versus Usopp Fractured The Straw Hat Crew

One Piece Episode #236

After losing the crew's money meant to repair their ship, the Going Merry, and getting horribly beaten after trying to recover it, Usopp was heartbroken, shattered, and questioning his place on the Straw Hat crew. In a way, Usopp related the Going Merry's deteriorating usefulness to his own insecurities about his place on Luffy's team. When Luffy had to make the decision to get a new ship or risk the safety of his crew in the increasingly treacherous seas, Usopp refused to throw the crew's first ship away and challenged Luffy to a duel for the fate of the Merry.

Luffy and Usopp's battle was more than a betrayal of power scaler's expectations. It was an emotional and incredibly effective moment in story-telling. Battered and still injured from his beating by the Franky Family, Usopp overwhelmed Luffy's senses, anticipated his attacks, and even landed many explosive blows on the Straw Hat Captain.

While the battle seems like a fight for the Going Merry on its surface, it's Usopp proving his worth to his captain, the crew, and himself. After taking a lot of damage, Luffy lands decisive blows against his former friend, causing the Straw Hat Sniper to collapse. It would be some time before the two would see each other's faces again after that fight.

3 Katakuri Was Better Than Luffy In Every Way Except One

One Piece Episode #851 - #871

One Piece is a series that isn't afraid to let its main hero lose a fight. However, Luffy versus Katakuri took this idea to the next level by having Luffy significantly outclassed in almost every aspect. To give his crew time to escape Whole Cake Island, Luffy was able to trap himself in Brulee's Mirror-World dimension with Big Mom's second son, Charlotte Katakuri.

Big Mom's strongest son can use advanced Observation Haki, which allows him to perceive seconds into the future. This was a devastating combo with his special paramecia Mochi-Mochi Devil Fruit powers. By combining the two powers, Katakuri could avoid almost every attack and even shape-shift his body into any shape for offense and defensive strategies.

Related One Piece's Most Mysterious Power Explained: What Is Haki? One Piece's Haki is one of the best power systems in anime, but there's a lot unknown about it.

Luffy and Katakuri battled each other for over twelve hours while the Straw Hats dealt with a rampaging Big Mom and secured their escape. Luffy's Armament Haki and rubber powers were outclassed by Katakuri's advanced Armament and shapeshifting mochi powers. Still, Big Mom's son was not able to keep Luffy down.

Despite the Straw Hat Captain being on the back foot for most of the fight, Luffy used the desperate situation and powerful opponent to train his own haki abilities. By the time the battle ended with Luffy's Snakeman form and Katakuri's final exchange of ultimate blows, both fighters gained sincere respect for one another, with Katakuri even wishing Luffy luck in one day defeating Big Mom.

2 Luffy Vs. Kaido Transformed The Straw Hat Captain and One Piece Forever

One Piece Episodes #1015 - #1077

Not all anime battles earn enough attention to be talked about online, but Luffy's versus Kaido was a fight that consistently trended on many social media platforms. Like a few of the other best One Piece fights on the list, the battle consisted of several stages, each with many highlights, but Luffy's awakening of Gear 5 made the biggest impact on fans and anime streaming site servers. Many of the anime industry's best talents helped make the series' biggest battle yet as stunning as possible, and its presentation will be tough for the series to top.

1 Luffy Versus Lucci Was Everything That Makes A Great One Piece Fight

One Piece Anime Episodes #294 - #309

The number one spot goes to the One Piece fight that had it all. With wild powerups, heart-breaking drama, and Luffy giving every last bit of strength for a win, Luffy versus Lucci is the One Piece anime's best fight. Ever since Robin was introduced in Alabasta, her mysterious past captivated viewers. Her lifelong trama all came to a head with her tears-inducing "I Want To Live" moment that was met with Luffy and the Straw Hat's definitively declaring war against the World Government.

That context, added to Luffy's recent embarrassing defeat by the hands of both Kuzan and Lucci, gave more than enough of an occasion for the Straw Hat Captain to rise to. Luffy did just that in his climactic battle against CP9's agents, including their bloodthirsty leader and top World Government assassin, Rob Lucci.

Related Luffy's 5 Most Likely Final Bosses in One Piece, Ranked One Piece's final saga is leading to many massive battles, but five characters can give Luffy the perfect final fight before the story ends.

Rob Lucci's mastery of the Rokushiki martial arts, hybrid leopard form, and ultimate Six King Gun attack delivered a beating on Luffy that would have likely killed any other fighter. The terrifying assassin was one of the most cold-hearted villains the series had yet introduced. Flashbacks highlighted the government agent's blood-soaked history, which made his threats to the lives of the rest of Luffy's crew seem like no bluff.

Lucci had landed several fatal blows to Luffy's durable body and had almost succeeded in taking the Straw Hat Captain down until Usopp shed his Sogeking disguise to encourage Luffy to his feet. The emotional plea provided one last boost that saw Luffy and his voice actress, Mayumi Tanaka, deliver the most satisfying defeat against the formidable antagonist of the Enies Lobby arc and the One Piece series as a whole.

Sources: Crunchyroll (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)