Highlights
- Meito are categorized as Fine Grade, Great Grade, and Supreme Grade Blades, wielded by the strongest characters in One Piece.
- Only 5 of the 21 Great Grade Blades have been shown so far, known for their excellent quality and unrivaled strength.
- Weapons like Wado Ichimonji, Shushui, Nidai Kitetsu, Enma, and Ame no Habakiri have unique abilities and are revered for their power.
The strongest weapons in all of One Piece are broken down into categories called the Meito. This essentially means any blade or weapon that has been given a name and has seen its fair share of battles. While there are regular named weapons, the best ones are broken down into the Fine Grade, Great Grade, and Supreme Grade Blades and are often wielded by the strongest characters in the series.
While there are confirmed to be a total of 21 Great Grade Blades in One Piece, only 5 have been shown so far. However, the wielders of these weapons are some of the most legendary swordsmen in the world, and the weapons they’ve used are revered blades that have made a name for themselves due to their excellent quality and unparalleled strength. So, let’s break down the Great Grade Blades that have been shown so far and see why they’re so strong!
Wado Ichimonji
Notable Users: Roronoa Zoro, Kuina, Koushirou
|
First Appearance |
One Piece, Episode 2, “The Great Swordsman Appears! The Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro” |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
November 17, 1999 |
|
Story Arc |
Romance Dawn |
Not only was the Wado Ichimonji the first Great Grade Blade ever shown, but it was also one of the first Meito ever seen in the series. The sword was forged by the legendary Shimotsuki Kozaburo and was made to be a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation, eventually falling into the hands of Zoro’s childhood friend, Kuina. After her untimely passing, the Wado Ichimonji was given to Zoro by Kuina’s father to help in his quest to become the greatest swordsman in the world, so he could fulfill the promise he made to his friend.
Wherever I go, the Wado Ichimonji goes.
Made in Wano Country by a legendary blacksmith, this weapon was quickly classified as one of the 21 Great Grade Blades. This weapon is incredible in terms of offensive output as well as durability, as it was shown to withstand a strike from Mihawk’s Yoru, which is a Supreme Grade Sword. Zoro typically prefers to keep the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth when using his 3 Sword Style, though he has also used it in other ways. When imbued with Haki, this sword becomes even more deadly, as it was shown to wound powerful beings like Kaido.
Shushui
Notable Users: Roronoa Zoro, Shimotsuki Ryuma
|
First Appearance |
One Piece, Episode 342, “Mystery of the Zombies! Hogback’s Nightmarish Research Laboratory” |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
February 10, 2008 |
|
Story Arc |
Thriller Bark |
Another one of the revered 21 Great Grade Blades, this legendary black blade was once wielded by Shimotsuki Ryuma, who is widely regarded as the most powerful swordsman in the history of One Piece. Famed in Wano Country for his masterful swordsmanship, Ryuma was known as the ‘God of the Blade’, which also goes to show how powerful his blade of choice, Shusui, truly was. This sword is known as the national treasure of Wano Country due to its legendary power and association with Ryuma.
You have a good eye. This is one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. It is the Meito Shusui. It is a sword not seen by many eyes.
Just like all other Great Grade Blades, Shusui has unparalleled quality in terms of its durability and strength. It has the unique trait of being fairly heavy for a blade of its type, as was noted by Zoro when he first wielded it, which also adds to the blade’s other unique property of amplifying the user’s destructive power. In fact, it was noted to be yet another ‘problem child’ sword like the Kitetsu blades, because of how difficult it is to manage as it can cause an uncontrollable amount of destruction in the hands of someone who isn’t as adept at wielding it.
Nidai Kitetsu
Notable Users: Kozuki Sukiyaki, Kotetsu, Luffy (Briefly)
|
First Appearance |
One Piece, Episode 897, “Save O-Tama – Straw Hat, Bounding through the Wasteland!” |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
August 11, 2019 |
|
Story Arc |
Wano Country |
The Nidai Kitetsu comes from the most revered line of weapons in all of One Piece, which is one of the biggest reasons why it is so deadly. The Kitetsu blades are famous across the world for all being cursed weapons that, one way or another, cause some sort of harm to befall their users. Only in the most capable hands can these blades be properly wielded, and the Nidai Kitetsu is the second most powerful weapon within this family.
Many famous swordsmen have met tragic deaths after taking up Kitetsu swords.
The strength of the Nidai Kitetsu is legendary, which is why it stands on equal footing with the rest of the blades in this category. It’s so powerful that even when wielded by someone with little to no skill as a swordsman, it far exceeds the strength of anything that blades of a lower caliber are capable of achieving, as was seen when Luffy used it briefly and was able to cleanly cut through multiple swords despite his lack of skill with a blade. Even so, the cursed nature of the weapon is believed to bring a horrifying death to whoever wields it.
Enma
Notable Users: Roronoa Zoro, Kozuki Oden, Kozuki Hyori
|
First Appearance |
One Piece, Episode 955, “A New Alliance?! Kaido’s Army Gathers” |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
December 20, 2020 |
|
Story Arc |
Wano Country |
Enma is one of the most iconic swords of the entire series and eventually came into the possession of Zoro during the Wano Country arc. After returning Shushui to the island on account of the sword being its national treasure, Zoro was eventually gifted the blade of the legendary Kozuki Oden, which was so powerful that Zoro accidentally cut part of the coastline when trying out the weapon for the first time. This was such an important weapon that the legendary blacksmith who crafted it, Shimotsuki Kozaburo, deemed it his greatest work.
Enma… So what this means is that once I’ve gotten used to this sword, I’ll be even stronger?!
In the hands of Oden, Enma went up against both Ace and Murakumogiri, the Supreme Grade weapons wielded by the legendary pirates Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard respectively. The sword also has an incredibly powerful innate ability to draw out the Haki of its user, further adding to its unmatched cutting power and durability. This was seen when the sword completely drained Zoro’s arm to strengthen itself with his Haki, which was later reclaimed by the swordsman due to his mastery over it. The powerful Haki of Enma produced a flame-like aura around it, which even Kaido knew to be wary of.
Ame no Habakiri
Notable Users: Kozuki Oden, Kozuki Momonosuke, Kozuki Sukiyaki
|
First Appearance |
One Piece, Episode 955, “A New Alliance?! Kaido’s Army Gathers” |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
December 20, 2020 |
|
Story Arc |
Wano Country |
Another one of Kozuki Oden’s legendary blades, the Ame no Habakiri was used alongside Enma and was seen as its mirror. This weapon is so revered that it and Enma are the only known weapons to have ever injured Kaido, until the events of the Wano arc. Just like Enma, this word is also the crowning achievement of Kozaburo; a blade of exceptional strength and durability that can only be wielded by the most powerful swordsmen in the world.
Lord Oden’s swords; Ame no Habakiri, that cuts down the Heavens, and Enma, that splits the Earth to the bottom of Hell!
Just like other weapons, this one is only made stronger when infused with Armament Haki, becoming powerful enough to decapitate beasts the size of mountains. Just like Enma, this weapon also withstood attacks from two Supreme Grade Blades without being reinforced by Armament Haki, which is made even more impressive because Roger’s sword, Ace, was also imbued with Conquerer’s Haki. The wound that the Ame no Habakiri left on Kaido was massive and it did so while he was in his nigh-indestructible dragon form!
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