I was expecting Old Gen legends like Gol D. Roger or Whitebeard to take the crown, but the community went straight for the ultimate mystery sitting on the Empty Throne. As of July 23, 2026, based on 6 rankers, Imu claims the top spot as the strongest character in the series.
Imu sitting at number one feels like a mix of raw hype and narrative weight. We have barely seen Imu fight in a traditional battle, but erasing an entire kingdom from the map with a gesture gives them an aura nobody else quite matches. Right behind Imu, Shanks edges out true historical monsters like Rocks D. Xebec and Gol D. Roger. I love Shanks as much as the next fan, but placing him ahead of the literal Pirate King feels like a stretch. Divine Departure was impressive, but Roger was doing that decades ago against prime rivals.
Speaking of those legends, Rocks D. Xebec narrowly beats Gol D. Roger on this list. I actually buy that take. It took a team-up between Roger and Garp just to take Rocks down at God Valley, so placing Rocks slightly higher makes a lot of sense. Joy Boy lands right behind Roger, though it is worth noting his position is inflated because almost every ranker who included him put him near the very top of their list.
You can check out how close these gaps really are on the live [Strongest One Piece Characters list](https://ranklist.io/list/strongest-one-piece-characters).
Further down, Monkey D. Luffy settles comfortably ahead of Edward Newgate (Whitebeard). Seeing Gear 5 Luffy placed above Whitebeard feels a bit premature to me. Luffy has the ridiculous god-tier powers now, sure, but his stamina limits are still a massive liability compared to prime Whitebeard, who could quake the seas all day long.
Towards the bottom of the top ten, Dracule Mihawk and Monkey D. Garp sit dead even, with Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard) trailing just behind them. Blackbeard settling at the bottom of this top ten feels completely right for where the story is today. He always looks sloppy in battle, takes unnecessary damage, and relies on cheap tricks. We all know he is destined to jump up this ladder once his final plan unfolds, but for now, the community is keeping him humble.
Think Blackbeard is being slept on, or is Shanks way too high? [Disagree with the consensus? Rank it yourself](https://ranklist.io/list/strongest-one-piece-characters) and shift the standings.