Who are the 4 Emperors of the Sea in One Piece? Explained

Modified Aug 31, 2024 13:13 GMT

Who are the 4 Emperors of the Sea in One Piece? Explained (Image via Shueisha)

One of the most engaging and unique aspects of the One Piece world is the delicate and fragile balance of power maintained between the World Government and pirates. While it may seem like the World Government would simply eliminate any and all pirates, they’ve instead made it clear that they see value in working together with some of them.

This led to the creation of the now-defunct Shichibukai, or Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the Yonko, or the 4 Emperors of the Sea, as being at the top of piracy in series. However, the recent shuffling of the latter group’s ranks has led many to ask exactly, “who are the 4 Emperors of the Sea in One Piece,” for which there is a long-winded but nevertheless simple answer.

The current 4 Emperors of the Sea in One Piece, explained

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As of this article’s writing, the current 4 Emperors of the Sea in One Piece are Monkey D. Luffy, Shanks, Blackbeard (Marshall D. Teech), and Buggy the Clown. Shanks is the longest-tenured Yonko among the current 4, having been one since the start of the series. It’s unknown exactly when he became a Yonko likewise, but it’s presumed he is one by the time fans first meet him and Luffy. His origins as a Roger Pirate likely played a major role here.

Blackbeard is the second longest-tenured in their ranks, having taken Whitebeard’s spot at some unknown point during the 2 year time-skip following the events of the Marineford arc. Blackbeard was able to take Whitebeard’s spot by first killing him, then ascending to a level of piracy, which made him eligible to claim the vacant Yonko spot.

Meanwhile, Luffy and Buggy the Clown are the 2 newest Yonko in the current lineup, with the former taking Kaido’s spot and the latter taking Big Mom’s spot. One Piece’s Wano arc saw Kaido defeated by Luffy and Big Mom defeated by Trafalgar D. Water Law and Eustass Kid. Buggy ended up taking Big Mom’s Yonko spot due to the power and influence his Cross Guild organization had grown to have in the outside world during the Wano arc’s events.

Previous 4 Emperors of the Sea

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As mentioned above, the 3 previous Yonko who’ve since been dethroned are Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom. Whitebeard was the first to lose the title upon his death during the Marineford War, for which Blackbeard and his crew were ultimately responsible. Although Whitebeard suffered significant damage in the buildup to Blackbeard’s arrival on the battlefield, Whitebeard’s former subordinate ultimately delivered the killing blows.

Kaido and Big Mom, meanwhile, were removed due to their aforementioned defeats at the hands of Luffy, Law, and Kid during the Wano arc. It’s worth emphasizing that their vacancies were created by their defeats specifically, not by their deaths. As of this article’s writing, Kaido and Big Mom’s deaths have yet to be confirmed or denied in the One Piece manga. This is key since it shows one can lose their title of Yonko simply by being defeated rather than dying.

The 4 Emperors of the Sea’s role in-series, explained

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While the above answers the question of “who are the 4 Emperors of the Sea” in the series, it doesn’t explain their role. As mentioned above, they are part of a balance of power with the World Government, which the Shichibukai were also once involved in. Essentially, the Yonko are the strongest and most allied pirates in the sea, specifically reigning over the New World and its various islands as their main territories.

The World Government likewise feared them and created the Shichibukai system to combat the Yonko if ever needed. This fear is emphasized by their concerns over the Yonko fighting each other or making alliances with each other. In turn, this also proves how strong a single Yonko’s crew and allies can be. Essentially, they serve as the “authority figures” of piracy, being on the level of the World Government’s forces and directly opposing them and their ideals.

In summation

The answer to the question “who are the 4 Emperors in One Piece?” is twofold. Its current members are Shanks, Luffy, Blackbeard, and Buggy, all of whom are incredibly powerful and influential in their own right. The second is the group’s purpose, which is essentially to serve as a balancing power on the side of piracy to help outweigh the World Government’s forces and stranglehold on the world.