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Within One Piece’s world of piracy, some of the swashbucklers seen or heard of in the story end up reaching household name status. One Piece even introduces Kaido with the fact that there’s a saying in the world that goes “in a one on one, always bet on Kaido.”
Many other One Piece pirates have achieved comparable levels of notoriety and praise, with Gol D. Roger presumably being the first to spring to mind for fans. While the King of the Pirates certainly did have that status, some lesser-titled One Piece pirates are at the receiving end of such fame as well.
Here are the 10 most infamous pirates in the One Piece universe, ranked from least to most infamous.
Yonko-level pirates dominate list of One Piece’s most infamous
10) Captain John
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Beginning the list with the tenth and lowest slot is the mythical Captain John, who seems to be incredibly well known amongst pirates from Roger’s era. He was once a member of the infamous Rocks Pirates, before setting sail with his own crew and discovering one of the most significant treasures in the world.
Buggy was seen nearly foaming at the mouth over the idea of finding John’s cave, emphasizing just how infamous and notorious he was. He may not be a household name, but among pirates, he’s undoubtedly one of the series’ most infamous and well-known sailors.
9) Donquixote Doflamingo
The Heavenly Demon Donquixote Doflamingo is undoubtedly one of the most infamous pirates in the series’ world. His rule over Dressrosa established him as a king, and his falsified resignation from the Shichibukai only made him more popular globally.
Additionally, his former role as a Shichibukai also kept him in the public eye, since the group is aligned with the World Government. Combined with his cruelty and vast pirate network known as the Donquixote Family, there’s little doubt of his infamy.
8) Shiki the Golden Lion
Shiki the Golden Lion is most infamous for being the first person in the series to break out of the underwater prison, Impel Down. A large portion of his notoriety stems from this event, as well as being considered one of Roger’s greatest rivals and commanding the largest fleet on the seas during his era.
As if this wasn’t enough, his first act upon escaping Impel Down was to wreak havoc on Marine headquarters, undoubtedly gaining him some ill-repute. All these actions and titles combine to make an incredibly infamous pirate.
7) Blackbeard
The first current Yonko to be included on the list, Blackbeard’s popularity skyrocketed in the wake of his Impel Down breakout and killing Whitebeard at Marineford. These two actions alone would’ve cemented him as one of the world’s most infamous pirates, but he didn’t stop there.
After killing Whitebeard, he proceeded to steal the fellow Yonko’s Devil Fruit, becoming the first man to wield two Fruits at once. This alone catapulted him into the ranks of the world's most infamous pirates, and it was amplified by the preceding deeds and events.
6) Shanks
Shanks’ entire life has been that of an infamous pirate, considering his first presence on a ship was as an apprentice to the Roger Pirates. Adulthood has only heightened his notoriety, with him earning the title of Yonko and appearing at Marineford.
Despite being somewhat ambiguous in his goals and motivations, Shanks undoubtedly ranks as one of the One Piece world’s most infamous pirates. If anything, the public's conjecture about his intentions simply serves to increase his notoriety.
5) Rocks D. Xebec
Captain of the previously mentioned Rocks Pirates, Rocks D. Xebec and his crew were regarded as some of the most infamous pirates of their time. Even nearly 40 years later, his name is still discussed in the context of being the captain of one of the most terrifying crews of all time.
His crew members included Big Mom, Kaido, and Whitebeard, all of whom would go on to become Yonko in the Great Pirate Era. He was also regarded to be extremely powerful, to the point where Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to work together to defeat him in God Valley.
Despite his antiquity, there’s little doubt he remains one of the most infamous pirates in the series’ world.
4) Big Mom
One of the strongest current Yonko of the New World, Big Mom is easily one of the series’ most globally infamous pirates. Totto Land, Big Mom's territory, is known far and wide as being a great place to live with a heavy price to pay in the form of one’s soul. She is also known for being extremely strong and quick to anger, which is a lethal combination.
Her territories also stretch all over the Grand Line, making her just as well-known and feared in Paradise as she is in the New World. Combined with the top-to-bottom power and capabilities of her crew, she’s undoubtedly known, and feared, in every sea within the series.
3) Kaido
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, Kaido is so well-known that there’s even a saying in the series’ world which is modeled after him. To be so strong that a saying apropos fighting is born out of your legacy is already more than enough to prove one's infamy and notoriety.
On top of this, the Beast Pirates are one of the most feared groups in the New World. Their upper rank members are called the Calamities for leaving natural disaster-like destruction in their wake. The entire crew is given the opportunity to become either a Zoan Devil Fruit or Zoan SMILE Fruit wielder. Kaido’s infamy is undeniable with all of the power he has at his disposal.
2) Whitebeard
Even with all that power, however, there is one pirate who was said to be even stronger than him, in addition to being much kinder. Former fellow Yonko Whitebeard was the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the most vast and expansive fleets in the series. The Whitebeard flag was known far and wide, being associated with benevolence instead of malice.
Despite being known for their benevolence, however, the Whitebeard Pirates were widely feared for how powerful their crew was, especially amongst other pirates. Their members were some of the strongest fighters in the series, with some even still holding such titles today. There are very few pirates whose names were more well-known than Whitebeard’s.
1) Gol D. Roger
One of those few aforementioned title belongs to the former King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, captain of the Roger Pirates. Whereas others on this list achieved renown via acts of kindness or depravity, Roger and his crew gained notoriety through their travels and journeys.
He and his pirates were the first to completely sail the Grand Line, reaching the secret last island known as Raftel. Being the first to do so brought his name to the attention of the entire world, and those who didn’t learn of it upon his execution day, when his final words ensued the contemporary Great Pirate Era.
