There are very few mystical beings cooler than dragons, hence why they show up in just about every fantasy franchise one can imagine. These mythical creatures are frequently portrayed as the strongest of the strong, with many heroes harnessing their powers in order to fight against the forces of evil. Unfortunately, the powers of dragons aren’t exclusively for the good side.
In both One Piece and Fairy Tail, dragons’ powers are in the hands of some of the most evil characters in their respective universes. Even in the latter series, where multiple heroes use dragon-based magic, the villains’ power is shown to consistently outmatch theirs — especially Acnologia. Both he and One Piece‘s Kaido make for incredible villains and powerful foes, but which dragon reigns supreme when they’re pitted against each other?
One Piece‘s Dragon Kaido Is “The World’s Strongest 70zlozm” title=”creature”>Creature”
As his epithet implies, Kaido’s power is second to none in One Piece. Few characters have ever been brave enough to face the Yonko in combat, and almost all who do regret it. Even Whitebeard, who was known as the “World’s Strongest Man,” hesitated to fight Kaido, knowing a clash between them would result in a devastating number of casualties.
Part of what makes Kaido so powerful is that his body is practically impenetrable, even in his regular form. Only the strongest attacks are able to pierce his skin, let alone hurt him. This becomes even more of a challenge in his dragon and hybrid forms, as he gets the added defensive boost of dragon scales. He is a massive creature at over 20 feet tall, and in his dragon form he becomes the size of at least half a town.
Kaido’s raw power is also in a league of its own, with only the strongest One Piece characters able to match him in both armed and unarmed combat. Combining this with his Haki can amplify his strength exponentially. His dragon powers that come from his Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit also grant him many abilities beyond just boosted physical stats. Kaido has access to Blast Breath, a technique that can obliterate and incinerate entire mountains, summon lightning, wind blades and even tornadoes, and can help him fly and lift entire islands into the sky through the use of flame clouds. He can also coat his entire body in flames, making it even stronger and deadlier than before.
Fairy Tail‘s Acnologia Is the Dragon King
No character in the original Fairy Tail series was ever able to match up against Acnologia. Even Igneel, king of the fire dragons, and Zeref were afraid to face him in combat — and the former ultimately died trying. It took the combined effort of seven Dragon Slayers — as well as a hefty boost of plot armor and the always-triumphant “power of friendship” — to finally slay the Dragon King.
As strong as Acnologia is, Fairy Tail left his true power somewhat steeped in mystery. As the Arcane Dragon, he is apparently immune to all known forms of magic, making it practically impossible to hurt him. His only known weakness is being vulnerable to motion sickness, like all Dragon Slayers. That said, it is possible to wound Acnologia, as shown when Igneel managed to sever his arm in their fight. Only beings with a power roughly equal to his own are able to deal him any real damage.
Along with that incredible durability, Acnologia has devastating power at his disposal. His magic power is unrivaled, with Zeref needing the Fairy Heart to even stand a chance against him. His Dragon Roar could destroy entire islands, leaving giant craters in the ocean itself. He could summon thousands of magic missiles with incredible destructive power that rained down on foes. Acnologia’s speed and strength were also nearly incalculable; he could move faster than even the strongest wizards could perceive and take them down with one strike, even after losing one of his arms.
One Piece‘s Kaido Would Defeat Fairy Tail‘s Acnologia
When it comes to raw strength and fighting ability, the winner is most likely One Piece‘s Kaido. Even without his Devil Fruit powers, his strength is in the highest tier. He also has access to all advanced forms of Haki, allowing him to bypass an enemy’s physical defenses and break them apart from the inside, see into the future to avoid attacks and dominate their will with his Conqueror’s Spirit. While Fairy Tail‘s Acnologia seems faster than Kaido in both his human and dragon forms, on a purely physical level he wouldn’t quite have what it takes to break through Kaido’s defenses or overpower him.
Though he doesn’t have as many options at his disposal as Kaido, Acnologia’s actual dragon powers seem to be significantly stronger. Kaido can destroy a mountain with his Blast Breath, but that’s relatively nothing compared to Acnologia’s Dragon Roar decimating all of Tenrou Island. It isn’t just the sheer power that makes Acnologia dangerous in this regard, but also the scale of his attacks. Even if Kaido can lift islands into the sky and use them as weapons, it won’t mean anything if Acnologia just blasts them away. To top it off, Acnologia’s immense magic doesn’t seem to have any noticeable limit or restriction, allowing him to use it indefinitely.
The clash really comes down to Kaido’s durability and raw physical power against Acnologia’s speed and magic. While Fairy Tail‘s Dragon King is hard to wound, Kaido could definitely meet that challenge — both in part due to his Haki-infused strikes and the fact that his attacks aren’t magic-based, thus bypassing Acnologia’s natural immunity. The latter has also been shown to be wounded by immense physical power, which One Piece‘s dragon has in spades. The big question is whether Acnologia could fire off his magic before Kaido can close the gap between them and strike.
Unfortunately for fans of Fairy Tail, it’s unlikely Kaido would lose in that case. Even if the attacks land, Kaido is only shown to be hurt by techniques that can bypass his impenetrable skin and scales, which Acnologia doesn’t have. It wouldn’t be an easy fight, but unless his defenses are totally breached it or his will is broken, Kaido will be the one left standing. Both dragons are among the strongest characters in anime, but the power of One Piece‘s World’s Strongest 70zlozm” title=”creature”>Creature outweighs Fairy Tail‘s Dragon King.