Highlights
- One Piece characters have unique goals & personalities, which create engaging rivalries in the story.
- Rivalries like Luffy & Kid, Zoro & Sanji, Garp & Roger add layers to character development.
- Blackbeard & Shanks, Luffy & Blackbeard are set to clash in the Final Saga with high stakes.
One Piece has an extensive story, featuring some phenomenal characters. Most of them have different goals and personalities, which makes them appealing to the audience. To add another layer of depth, Eiichiro Oda often pits two characters against each other.
Sometimes it could be that the two characters share the same goals, or they have fought at some point in the past. The reasons could be endless. Either way, this leads to the development of a rivalry between the two characters. Usually, these rivalries reach a conclusion at one point or another, but there are exceptions.
The list also includes characters that never got the chance to finish their rivalries.
6 Luffy and Kid
Rivalry Started In Sabaody Archipelago
Eustass Kid was introduced in the Sabaody Archipelago arc along with the Supernovas. At the time, Kid had the highest bounty out of all of the Worst Generation, including Luffy. Obviously, one of the main reasons for his bounty being so high was his ruthlessness. When Luffy and Kid interacted with each other, there was some tension between them. The two also shared some personality traits, such as being zealous about their goals, getting competitive over little things, etc.
Luffy and Kid dreamed of becoming the Pirate King, and they would not let anyone make fun of it. It seemed that the two would remain in contention till the very end, but they never got the chance to fight each other, as Kid was beaten by Shanks outside Elbaf.
5 Zoro and Sanji
Rivalry Started When Sanji Joined The Crew
Zoro and Sanji have been labeled as the wings of the Pirate King, implying they have equal stature within the crew. However, the two Straw Hats can’t quite agree on anything. They have been at each other’s throats since the Baratie arc. They constantly make fun of each other and try to undermine each other’s accomplishments. Sometimes they even put in extra effort in an attempt to show that one is superior to the other.
There is very little separating the two in terms of strength, which pans the flames even further. The story is already in the Final Saga, but it seems unlikely that fans will get a chance to see how this rivalry ends.
Sanji and Zoro’s rivalry is not malicious like the other entries.
4 Garp and Roger
Rivalry Started Before The God Valley Incident
Monkey D. Garp and Gol D. Roger are two of the biggest names in the world of One Piece. The rivalry between the two began before Roger became the Pirate King, and it continued until his eventual death. According to the information disclosed so far, Roger and Garp came close to killing each other many times. Both of them were non-Devil Fruit users, which is why they relied on Haki to fight.
Roger and Garp had all three types of Haki, and it is safe to say that they had mastered them. Despite their rivalry, Roger told the Marine about the existence of his son. Roger trusted Garp like his own crew member, which showed that the Pirate King held him in high regard. Unfortunately, the rivalry between them didn’t reach a proper conclusion, as Roger willingly turned himself in.
3 Blackbeard and Shanks
Rivalry Started When Blackbeard Scarred Shanks
Blackbeard and Shanks make up one-half of the Yonko. They are renowned throughout the world for their incredible strength. Blackbeard’s rise to the status of Yonko was rapid, and it surprised all the big names in One Piece. The reason behind his ascension was his two Devil Fruits, both of which have enough power to decimate an island. On the other hand, Shanks has no Devil Fruit, but his Haki mastery is almost unparalleled.
Shanks and Blackbeard have been involved in a scuffle in the past, which resulted in the former receiving a scar above his eye. Since then, Shanks has been wary of Blackbeard, and he even tried to warn Whitebeard about him. There is bad blood between the two, but it doesn’t seem that this feud is going to end anytime soon.
2 Shanks and Mihawk
Rivalry Started Before Shanks Became A Yonko
Shanks and Mihawk are among the most popular characters in One Piece. Presently, they are on good terms, but things weren’t always gleeful. In the not-so-distant past, Shanks and Mihawk were engaged in bitter rivalry. They were constantly engaged in duels, which shook the entire Grand Line.
There was no clear winner in these fights, as their rivalry came to a screeching halt when Shanks lost his left arm in East Blue. The loss of an arm left Mihawk disappointed, causing the feud to be permanently stopped. Due to this, fans will never know who was the more dominant of the two.
1 Blackbeard and Luffy
Rivalry Started When Blackbeard Captured Ace
Blackbeard and Luffy are destined to fight in the Final Saga of One Piece. The two despise each other and will do anything in their power to stop each other from reaching their goal. Luffy and Blackbeard have clashed in the past, and all those meetings ended in the latter’s favor. The results were not shocking, as Blackbeard was the more experienced fighter, and he had access to Yami Yami no Mi, allowing him to nullify Luffy’s power.
But things will be different next time. The current version of Luffy has access to advanced forms of Haki, plus he has awakened his Devil Fruit. So, it is safe to say that Blackbeard will have a hard time fighting and beating Luffy.
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