10 strongest Yonko Commanders in One Piece, ranked

From left to right, Charlotte Katakuri, King, Benn Beckman, and Marco, the right-hand men of the four original Yonko (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
From left to right, Charlotte Katakuri, King, Benn Beckman, and Marco, the right-hand men of the four original Yonko (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

One interesting fact about the One Piece series is their ambitious youngsters, such as Worst Generation Supernovas, fighting against established top dogs to surpass and overthrow them. A typical example of top dogs in the One Piece world is represented by the Four Emperors and their strongest underlings, the Commanders.

The Yonko are the four most notorious pirate captains in the One Piece world. Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom and Shanks were the the original Four Emperors, but Blackbeard took Whitebeard's position. After their defeat, Big Mom, and Kaido lost their status and were replaced by Luffy and Buggy. This officially makes the Strawhats a Yonko crew now.

The Four Emperors exert massive influence over the One Piece world. They directly govern a noticeable amount of territories and islands, which was possible due to the individual strength of the captains. Still, thanks to the impressive might of the Commanders, the strongest underlings are now at their disposal.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to Chapter 1055 and reflects the writer's personal views.


From Jozu to Shiryu, the 10 strongest One Piece Yonko Commanders, ranked

10) Jozu

"Diamond" Jozu, third strongest member of the Whitebeard Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
"Diamond" Jozu, third strongest member of the Whitebeard Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

Jozu is the former Commander of the Third Division of the Whitebeard Pirates. Most fans consider him the third strongest member of the crew, below Newgate and Marco, and possibly above Ace and Vista. The Whitebeard Pirates were an all-powerful crew, but they ended up being defeated in the Paramount War in Marineford, where Newgate and Ace lost their lives on the battlefield.

During the Marineford battle, Jozu lost his right arm after being attacked by Marine Admiral, Aokiji. After the time skip, the remainder of the Whitebeard Pirates dissolved following their brutal defeat at the hands of the Blackbeard Pirates. To this day, Jozu's current whereabouts and his condition are still unknown.

Given his superhuman lifting feats, Jozu's physical strength is nothing less than incredible. He possesses one of the toughest bodies in the entire One Piece world. The powers of the Twinkle Twinkle Fruit allows him to transform his body into diamond. Because of this ability, he could block a slash from Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman.

During the Marineford Arc, Jozu proved his might as one of the most prominent members of the Whitebeard Pirates. He landed a devastating blow on Crocodile and was about to finish him if it weren't for Donquixote Doflamingo to stop him in his tracks. Jozu later tried to fight Admiral Aokiji, but got distracted when saw Marco getting hit. Aokiji took advantage of that and froze his entire body, defeating him in the process.


9) Sanji Vinsmoke

"Black Leg" Sanji Vinsmoke, third strongest member of the Strawhat Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
"Black Leg" Sanji Vinsmoke, third strongest member of the Strawhat Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

The cook of the Strawhat Pirates, Sanji Vinsmoke, is the third strongest fighter in the crew. Born in North Blue, he rejected his original family, the Vinsmokes. After leaving them, he was adopted by Zeff, the owner of the Baratie Restaurant, who taught him both to cook and to fight. Sanji's goal is to find the All Blue, a legendary place where it is said that all the seas join in a single one.

Sanji often acts like a smart and clever individual, but when in the presence of women, he loses all his usual coolness, to the point that his behavior becomes annoying. Sanji is chivalrous towards women, as he swore to himself that he would never injure a woman, even in a life-or-death situation.

Sanji is a strong fighter whose best traits are his Observation Haki and the speed and strength of his kicks. He is a martial artist who fights using only his legs. As a member of the Strawhat Pirates' Monster Trio, he usually challenges the third strongest combatant from the enemy's side.

After awakening his family's genetic enhancements, which increased his physical parameters, this allowed him to unlock the Ifrit Jambe, which is a further stage of his previous Diable Jambe. Using this power, Sanji became mighty enough to defeat Queen, a Yonko Commander who ranks as the third strongest warrior in the Beasts Pirates.


8) Lucky Roux

Lucky Loo, third strongest member of the Red Hair Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
Lucky Loo, third strongest member of the Red Hair Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

Lucky Roux is one of the most prominent members of the Red Hair Pirates. Not much is known about him, except that he is the third strongest man in the Red Hair Pirates, just below the likes of Shanks and Benn Beckman.

Lucky Roux is a relaxed man who enjoys hanging out and eating. Despite this easygoing attitude, he is one of the most cold-blooded characters in the One Piece series, always ready to kill anyone who threatens his captain's life. As his weapon of choice, he prefers a flintlock. Despite having a large round body, Lucky Roux is able to move with remarkable quickness.


7) Lafitte

Lafitte "The Demon Sheriff", third strongest member of the Blackbeard Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
Lafitte "The Demon Sheriff", third strongest member of the Blackbeard Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

Also known as "The Demon Sheriff," Lafitte is the captain of the Fifth Ship of the Blackbeard Pirates and the crew's navigator. Due to his position as the crew's chief of staff, most One Piece fans regard him as the third strongest member of the Blackbeard Pirates after Teach and Shiryu.

Despite his appearance as a polite and affable individual, Lafitte is a cruel and violent pirate. He is a stealth master who was able to infiltrate Marineford and Mary Geoise, two of the most highly guarded places in the One Piece world.

Lafitte is speedy and is also able to fly, an ability which is implied to be granted by the power of a Devil Fruit, though this information is yet to be confirmed. He possesses a great deal of resilience, being able to endure attacks from strong individuals such as Whitebeard and Sengoku.


6) Charlotte Katakuri

Charlotte Katakuri, second strongest member of the Big Mom Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
Charlotte Katakuri, second strongest member of the Big Mom Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

Charlotte Katakuri is one of the three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates. He is Big Mom's second eldest son and her strongest subordinate. Katakuri is well respected by his siblings, who admire both his carefulness towards them and the immense strength he displays in battle. He is a genius fighter who is said to have never lost a single battle in his entire life.

Katakuri was impressed by Luffy's bravery and developed a sincere respect for him, even acknowledging him as his equal. Katakuri is an honorable fighter who despised his sister's attempt to weaken Luffy with a cheap shot, apologizing to his enemy for what had happened and even injuring himself to make the fight fair.

Katakuri is a skilled and powerful hand-to-hand combatant with incredible speed and reflexes, further enhanced by his signature ability, the Future Sight. Indeed, Katakuri's Observation Haki reached such a high level that he can see slightly ahead in the future. Using this skill in conjunction with the powers of his Mochi Mochi Fruit, Katakuri can swiftly avoid almost any attack.


5) King

King "The Wildfire", second strongest member of the Beasts Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
King "The Wildfire", second strongest member of the Beasts Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

King is the leader of the All Stars, and a member of one of the most mysterious lost races in the One Piece world, the Lunarians. He is Kaido's right-hand man and his strongest and most loyal subordinate. During their escape from Punk Hazard, Kaido noticed his strength and recruited him as his second in command. He also assigned him the name "King", which substituted his real name, Alber.

Depending on the flame on his back, King can endure devastating strikes without receiving any kind of damage or trade some of his durability for a noticeable speed increase. King is known as "The Wildfire" because of his ability to create and manipulate fire to perform destructive attacks at every range. His fire is akin to magma, which is much stronger than normal fire.

King ate the Dragon-Dragon Model: Pteranodon, an Ancient Zoan which allows him to fly at extremely high speed and unleash attacks powerful enough to destroy large pieces of Onigashima. King's pteranodon wings are so tough that they can block attacks that previously hurt Kaido, even cutting through his tough dragon skin. King is also a highly skilled swordsman and Armament Haki user.

At the start of the Wano Arc, King repelled a ship with Big Mom and her crew aboard. He later fought against Marco with Queen to bring the latter to exhaustion. King then clashed against Zoro, even gaining the upper hand in the fight between the two right-hand men, but was outclassed and defeated when Zoro unlocked the advanced stage of Conqueror Haki.


4) Marco

Marco "The Phoenix", second strongest member of the Whitebeard Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
Marco "The Phoenix", second strongest member of the Whitebeard Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

Marco is the former Commander of the First Division of the Whitebeard Pirates and Edward Newgate's former right-hand man. After Newgate's death and the crew's tragic defeat in the Paramount War in Marineford, Marco assumed the leadership of the Whitebeard Pirates. Still, the crew ultimately disbanded after losing the Payback War against the Blackbeard Pirates.

Having been a member of the Whitebeard Pirates for more than 30 years, Marco is a highly experienced pirate, who can be calm and level-headed even in the face of adversity. However, he couldn't hold back his tears when he witnessed the deaths of Whitebeard and Portuguese D. Ace.

Marco was able to hold his own against Kizaru and Big Mom, two of the strongest characters in the One Piece world. He fought and held off King and Queen by himself. Despite using most of his energy, to the point of being temporarily exhausted, he wasn't able to hurt them significantly.

Marco's primary source of power is the Bird Bird Fruit Model: Phoenix, a Mythological Zoan which allows him to transform into a phoenix. This doesn't only significantly increase mobility and physical strength but also grants him exceptional healing powers. Marco can immediately self-regenerate any kind of damage he receives, that is until he has enough stamina.


3) Benn Beckman

Benn Beckman, second strongest member of the Red Hair Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
Benn Beckman, second strongest member of the Red Hair Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

Benn Beckmann is a powerful and influential pirate who fulfills the role of first mate and vice-captain of the Red Haired Pirates. Being Shanks' right-hand man, he is the latter's strongest and most trusted subordinate. The connection between the two resembles the one between the Sun and the Moon.

Benn is an incredibly experienced pirate. He is regarded as one of the smartest among all the One Piece characters. The amount of bounty placed on Benn Beckmann's head is unknown to this day. However, it is presumed to be very high, given his status as the second strongest member of the Red Hair Pirates and his abilities being directly compared with Shanks'.


2) Roronoa Zoro

"Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro, second strongest member of the Strawhat Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
"Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro, second strongest member of the Strawhat Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

Hailed as the "Pirate Hunter," Roronoa Zoro is the first mate of the Strawhat Pirates. To honor his promise to Kuina, his deceased friend, he aims to surpass Dracule Mihawk and become the World's Strongest Swordsman. Zoro is Luffy's right-hand man and is ready to put his own life on the line to protect him. Their connection strongly resembles the one shared between Rayleigh and Roger.

Luffy and Zoro are the only two Strawhats who are hailed as the Worst Generation Supernovas. He possesses the very rare Conqueror Haki, managing to upgrade that mighty skill at his most advanced stage, a feat that Kaido said that only the strongest fighters could ever achieve. These strength-related achievements are unique to just Zoro and Luffy in the entire crew.

As the One Piece author Eiichiro Oda recently confirmed, Zoro is the second strongest member of the Strawhat Pirates. He is an excellent fighter with outstanding endurance, speed, and physical strength. Using his three Graded Swords, Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and Enma, he enhanced his powerful Armament Haki and Conqueror Haki, Zoro can perform destructive sword attacks.

In the Wano Arc, Zoro fought valiantly against Kaido and Big Mom on Luffy's side. He proved his might by blocking the Emperor's combined attack and inflicting a wound on Kaido that left the Yonko with a scar. After achieving the advanced stage of Conqueror Haki, Zoro's skills increased to the point where he has become strong enough to outclass King, Kaido's right-hand man.


1) Shiryu

Shiryu "Of the Rain", second strongest member of the Blackbeard Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)
Shiryu "Of the Rain", second strongest member of the Blackbeard Pirates (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation, One Piece)

Shiryu "Of the Rain" is the former Head Jailer of the Impel Down prison. After meeting Marshall D. Teach, the pirate known as "Blackbeard," Shiryu reneged on Impel Down and joined the Blackbeard Pirates. He is a vicious and deceitful individual who enjoys killing, even slaughtering his former subordinates without mercy.

Shiryu is a formidable swordsman who owns a Graded Sword and can perform deadly attacks in the blink of an eye. Recently, the One Piece author released information that the character is currently the second strongest member of the Blackbeard Pirates, just below Blackbeard himself.

Before the time skip, Shiryu was said to be as strong as Magellan, the Head Jailer of Impel Down. After two years of time skip, he gained the power of Clear Clear Fruit, which enhanced his stealth abilities to make him one of the most lethal fighters in the One Piece world.


Yonko Commanders are definitely some of the strongest pirates in the One Piece world. A testament to the high level of their fighting abilities and the New World's competitive environment, some of them, such as Queen, Ace, Cracker, Vista and Jack, aren't strong enough to make it to this list of the top 10 Yonko Commanders. The best they can get is an honorable mention.

The list doesn't include Oden, who became the Commander of the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates. This happened when the system of the Four Emperors and their crew was not established yet, so for this reason, he can't be considered a proper Commander nor can he be ranked accordingly.

Whereas the commanders in the Beasts Pirates are known as "All Stars," they are referred to as "Ten Titanic Captains" in the Blackbeard Pirates. In the Big Mom Pirates, they get called "Sweet Commanders." Regardless, most fans recognize a definite hierarchy based on the remarkable difference in strength that separates the average Commanders from those who hold the rank of Right-Hand Men.

Even among Right-Hand Men, there seems to be a distinction. Some of them have a good position because of the strength of their captain. This has been the case of Marco with Whitebeard, King with Kaido, and Katakuri with Big Mom. Others are very close to their captain's strength. Such is the connection between Shanks and Benn Beckman and between Luffy and Zoro. Shiryu and Blackbeard's relationship is unclear.

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Edited by Priya Majumdar
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