Top 20 One Piece Fight Scenes

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most intense, jaw-dropping and fan-favorite battles to emerge from the “One Piece” anime series.

If it were any other opponent, Fire Fist Ace would have burnt them to cinders with a single swing, but alas his opponent was none other than Whitebeard’s old comrade Marshal D. Teach, and he’s got a Devil Fruit even more terrifying than his own. The clash between the sun and the shade is so fearsome that it levels an entire town, while also serving as the trigger that leads to Ace’s imprisonment. We were sure that we hadn’t seen the end of Blackbeard’s cruelty, but this was the moment we knew we were watching One Piece’s ultimate villain start to emerge.

We had to give our boy Sanji a chance to shine somehow, and shine he does when he unleashes some fiery footwork in the form of the Diable Jambe. This turns out to be just the thing he needs for him to take out CP9 member Jabra, who in addition to a mastery of hard-hitting martial arts, can transform himself into a wolf. However, no amount of cunning can stop him from getting on the receiving end of Sanji’s blazing heel as he sends him crashing through Enies Lobby.

While this gigantic zombie does indeed put the crew through their paces, when going up against the Straw Hats, you had best be prepared for the fight of your life. Oars certainly manages to lay on the damage thanks to stealing Luffy’s powers for himself, but doesn’t stand a chance when said captain returns to the fray, this time imbued with a hundred of Thriller Bark’s vengeful shadows. With their strength added to his own, Luffy is able to take out his undead double piloted by Gecko Moria with quite the brutal display of force.

Who would have guessed that the swordsman of the Straw Hat pirates taking on a giant giraffe would have made for one of the arc’s most epic confrontations? Given that Luffy and Lucci were beating each other bloody next door, that’s saying a lot. Despite his rather ridiculous new form, CP9’s second deadliest assassin manages to push Zoro to the edge. At least until he talks crap about Robin, then the gloves come off. Busting out the NINE swords style, Zoro manages to cut his way through all of Kaku’s attacks and end the battle in a brutal swing.

Why just have Zoro gain a new sword when he could earn it by defeating an undead samurai? One of the highlights of the crew’s misadventures in Thriller Bark, Zoro finds himself battling for control of Brook’s soul against the zombie known as Ryuma. Despite his decrepit appearance, the old boy still has some strength left in those rotten bones, putting the Straw Hat’s swordsman through his paces. Still, he’s no match for Zoro, who gives his foe a proper warrior’s send off.

Even before obtaining his Gear forms, Luffy still has plenty of badass moments and his clash against Arlong is at the top of the list. As the final major antagonist of the East Blue Arc, Luffy's battle with Arlong is chock-full of memorable moments. Although this fight includes occasional comedic moments, it’s Luffy’s serious moments where he clashes with Arlong morally and physically that steal the show. As he fights to liberate Nami and her village, we see Luffy unleash his rage like never before, taking down Arlong, and proving what it means to have true strength. The fact that Arlong’s defeat would eventually impact Fishman Island years later with the rise of the New Fish-Man pirates also demonstrates how impactful this battle truly was.

This battle between two former bounty hunters proved an important trial for Zoro to overcome to reach even greater heights. While it is clear that both fighters are incredibly skilled, Zoro’s inability to overcome Mr. 1’s steel body proves quite the hindrance as his opponent slowly overpowers him. Being forced on the defensive, Zoro’s luck eventually runs out when Mr. 1 bombards him with one ferocious attack after another. Despite getting his body slashed to hell and narrowly avoiding getting crushed by fallen debris, Zoro’s near-death experience allows him to uncover the secret to cutting steel, ending this fierce battle with a single strike and a savage comeback.

Although Nico Robin rarely has the opportunity to fight strong foes, when she does cut loose, she becomes her enemy's worst nightmare. During the Wano Arc, Robin finally gets to show what she’s made of when she confronts Black Maria, one of Kaido’s top enforcers. Despite Maria’s attempts to mess with her head, Robin easily breaks through Maria’s web of deceit. Even when she gets caught in Maria’s literal webs and endures a brutal beatdown, she breaks free thanks to some brand-spanking new techniques. Of course, that pales in comparison to Robin’s final trump card. After Maria mistakenly pushes Robin too far, she fully embraces her inner demon, revealing a terrifying new form and using it to teach Maria a painful lesson she won’t soon forget.

Talk about emotional! After clashing over the fate of their ship, the Going Merry, Usopp challenges Luffy to a fight, the winner taking claim to the vessel. Now you would think that this would be a walk in the park on Luffy’s part, but surprisingly Usopp manages to hold his own, outwitting and wounding his captain in a visceral display of defiance. Of course, he can only hold out for so long before Luffy lands the finishing blow, leading to the two parting ways as the crew is splintered from within. Enemies come and go, but seeing two steadfast friends fight like this is just heartbreaking.

After waiting 20 years for a chance to avenge their fallen lord, running away was the last thing on the minds of these loyal samurai. Not even, when their foe was the World’s Strongest Creature. While attacking Kaido head-on would normally be a fool's errand, the remnants of Oden’s spirit ignite the Scabbards' fighting spirits granting them the power to damage Kaido’s nigh indestructible body. They even pay tribute to Oden by using his signature sword style to inflict major damage on Kaido. Even though they inevitably fail to stop Kaido, this does little to diminish the efforts of the Red Scabbards, as well as the intensity of their fight scenes.

One of the finest villains the series has ever produced, the shadowy leader of Baroque Works nearly brought the country of Alabasta to his knees through deception and his own overwhelming power. After failing to defeat him two previous times, Luffy finally figured out how to finally damage Crocodile without any major setbacks. Using his very own blood, Luffy was able to lay the smack down on the sand user, smashing him through the roof of the mausoleum for all to see.

It’s a given that no sane person would dare challenge Big Mom. Unfortunately for her, pirate captains Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law are the farthest thing from normal. After separating Big Mom from Kaido, Law and Kid face the full brunt of Big Mom’s rage, forcing the two rivals to work together to survive. In a battle that pits strategy and raw power against an overwhelming force of nature, Law and Kid pull out all the stops, including their awakened Devil Fruit abilities, to inflict massive damage on Big Mom, forcing her to take drastic measures. In the end, despite enhancing her power, Law and Kid’s determination breaks through Big Mom’s defenses, bringing her reign as Emperor to a brutal end.

It’s a testament to Oda’s genius how he keeps managing to make each of his villains so wholly hateable within such a short frame of time. A former noble turned Warlord, Doflamingo is one nasty piece of work. His anger and psychosis lead him to take control of the Kingdom of Dressrosa through rather bloody means. His actions send him on a collision course with Luffy, ending in a brawl for Dressrosa’s future. While they’re evenly matched when it comes to the use of Haki, Luffy has a trump card that not even the puppet master can stand against; Gear Fourth.

By combining the power of science with his Jurassic might, "Queen the Plague" has more than earned his bounty of over a billion. Unfortunately for him, he made the mistake of pissing off the wrong cook. Bad enough Queen has a little regard for people’s lives, but when he starts throwing Sanji’s family name into the mix, he proceeds to BBQ Queen’s insides with extreme prejudice. When Queen then starts using the abilities of Germa 66 against Sanji, the latter embraces his recently awakened enhancements to turn up the heat on his attacks and burn his fury into Queen’s body. This battle also includes top-quality animation, which was the perfect spice to enhance this spectacular moment to even more epic proportions.

What better way for the series to celebrate its 1100th episode than with the long-awaited rematch between Luffy and Cipher Pol’s Rob Lucci? Even though the stakes are not quite as high as their first confrontation, Lucci’s rematch against Luffy is nonetheless a memorable experience filled with stunning animation, literal jaw-dropping fight sequences, as well as callbacks to their original brawl. Both fighters have also mastered new abilities with Lucci’s awakened Zoan Form and Luffy's powerful, yet entertaining Gear 5 transformation. As their battle tears through the island of Egghead, Lucci puts up one hell of a fight, but in the end, his bloodlust and killer instincts are no match against Luffy’s limitless imagination.

The vice-captains of both Luffy and Kaido have proven themselves incredibly powerful, but at the end of the day, only one was worthy of being called a true king. Initially, Zoro struggles against the combination of King’s unorthodox fighting style and the quirks of his Lunarian biology. However, after discovering the secret of his new blade Enma, Zoro unleashes his conqueror’s potential and uses his newfound strength to slash through the Lunarian warrior’s defenses. After recognizing Zoro’s strength, King increases the intensity of his attacks, bombarding Zoro with the power and fury of a volcanic eruption. With awe-inspiring visuals and top-notch animation, Zoro’s clash with King is a work of art and is considered one of the series' highest-rated moments.

There were many casualties during the war at Marineford, but none hit closer to home than when this wicked Admiral ended Ace’s life. While nothing will ever fill the void left by his departure, we were given a consolation prize as we watched Whitebeard dwarf the magma user before lashing out with righteous fury. Despite being shot, stabbed and having his body blown apart by molten rock, Whitebeard’s anger over losing his precious son keeps pushing him forward, resulting in Akainu getting absolutely wrecked.

With the ability to see into the future and do everything Luffy can but better, Luffy’s showdown against Charlotte Katakuri was one of his toughest and most compelling fights. With power and experience far exceeding his own, Luffy was at a major disadvantage against Big Mom’s strongest child. And yet even after being put through the ringer, Luffy endured Katakuri’s relentless onslaught through luck and sheer force of will before finally turning the tables after mastering his own foresight and revealing a new Fourth Gear transformation. As the battle reached its climax, both fighters pushed well beyond their limits, unleashing all-or-nothing blows with devastating impact. As Luffy ultimately leaves the victor, he shows Katakuri the appreciation and respect he rightfully deserves.

In order to save the life of crewmate Robin, Luffy had only one obstacle to overcome, the CP9’s ultimate assassin; Rob Lucci. With his slew of powerful techniques and transformation into a leopard hybrid, Lucci was pretty much the perfect killing machine, one easily capable of standing up to Luffy’s Gear Second and Third. It even looked like he had won the day when he blasted Luffy’s insides to pieces. Unfortunately for this kitty, Luffy isn’t one to let something like internal hemorrhaging stop him, which he goes onto display by letting loose a barrage of punches so strong it pretty much takes out eight of Lucci’s nine lives.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Luffy vs. Enel
Luffy Takes Down a False God to Save All of Skypiea

Zoro vs. Mihawk
The World’s Strongest Swordsman Humbles the East Blue’s Feared Pirate Hunter

Zoro vs. Killer
The Right-Hand Men of Two Worst Generation Captains Go All Out

Nami vs. Kalifa
The Straw Hat’s Navigator Proves She Can Hold Her Own

The Worst Generation vs. Kaido & Big Mom
The Strongest Pirates of the Current Generation Take on the Rulers of the Former Era

With its amazing fight scenes and movie-quality animation, Luffy’s battle against Kaido stands at the pinnacle of Wano arc fights. Despite suffering multiple setbacks against Kaido, Luffy constantly bounces back to fight him, growing more determined each time. Likewise, Kaido responds by unleashing all of his power, which has barely diminished even after battling dozens of fighters across nearly 50 episodes. The situation further escalates as Luffy’s Devil Fruit awakens and unlocks Fifth Gear, allowing him to counter Kaido’s destructive attacks in various creative ways using the power of toon force. As the battle draws to a close, fans won’t soon forget the image of Luffy slamming an island-sized haymaker into Kaido’s face and bringing the greatest clash in “One Piece” so far to a satisfying conclusion.

Did your favorite One Piece Clash make this List? If not, let us know in the comments below.