As of July 9, 2026, the community of 6 rankers behind our [Strongest One Piece Characters](https://ranklist.io/list/strongest-one-piece-characters) list has made some incredibly bold choices, starting right at the top. Imu sitting at the number one spot is a massive statement. We still know next to nothing about Imu's actual combat abilities, but the community is clearly betting on the ultimate endgame villain hype. It makes sense if you think about the narrative structure, because whoever sits on the Empty Throne has to be the final hurdle for Luffy.
What really caught me off guard, though, was Shanks landing at the number two spot. Shanks comfortably ahead of Rocks D. Xebec and Gol D. Roger is a hot take I did not see coming. My theory here is pure recency bias mixed with the absolute jaw-dropping power displays we have seen from Shanks in the manga lately. Roger is the gold standard of the pirate world, but because we only see him in brief flashbacks, the community seems more impressed by Shanks deleting Kid in a single panel.
Rocks D. Xebec and Gol D. Roger settle into the third and fourth spots, which feels like a safe compromise. Right behind them is Joy Boy at number five. Joy Boy is another character who suffers from the mystery tax. He is the original symbol of liberation, but without concrete combat feats, he narrowly misses out on the top four.
The middle of the pack is where things get really contentious. Monkey D. Luffy lands at number six, which means the community believes our main character has officially surpassed the old guard. Luffy actually ranks higher than Edward Newgate (Whitebeard), who sits at number seven. I have to push back a bit on this one. Gear 5 is incredibly powerful, but Prime Whitebeard was a literal force of nature who could destroy the world. Luffy still has stamina issues with his peak form, so putting him ahead of the strongest man in the world feels a bit premature.
Rounding out the bottom of the top ten, we have Monkey D. Garp and Dracule Mihawk locked in a tight battle, with Garp just barely edging out the world's strongest swordsman. Right behind them is Marshall D. Teach, better known as Blackbeard, sitting at number ten. Blackbeard landing at the bottom of this group feels like a temporary placement. He is the ultimate opportunist, and we know he is hiding some major power-ups for the final war. Once he shows his full hand, he is easily going to climb past Garp and Mihawk.
The current order shows a fascinating split between appreciating the legends of the past and hyping up the active players of the final saga. If you think the community got this completely wrong and Gol D. Roger deserves his crown back, head over to the [Strongest One Piece Characters](https://ranklist.io/list/strongest-one-piece-characters) list and rank it yourself.