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Top Pirate captains of One Piece series
Top Pirate captains of One Piece series (Image via GamesHorizon)

10 Popular One Piece Pirate Captains on MyAnimeList, Ranked

Stuart RayBy Updated:11 Mins Read Anime

Every pirate captain is important to their crew, and plays a crucial role in the group. Without a captain, a crew never can function efficiently, and a crew led by a poor captain cannot succeed. The duties that fall under the purview of a captain are numerous. Without the right captain, a crew will perish. In One Piece, there are many such pirate crews, and they have solidified their status as the greatest in the great race to the grand line.

These illustrious crews have some of the toughest commanders in the world. Some of these pirate captains have solidified their place in our hearts while others have faded away into insignificance. One Piece has enjoyed tremendous success throughout the years, but this is in no way accidental. It can only be said that a series has real depth when the millions of fans around the world continue to be devoted for many years with few to no complaints.

One Piece is a series that pays close attention to every little nuance. Only in One Piece do you see a minor antagonist with a past sad enough to win the viewer over. The worldbuilding is among the best on the anime platform, while the tale is innovative and entirely unique to One Piece. Moreover, the cast is full of various amazing characters, so through votes gathered from the popular website MyAnimeList, we rank them.

Monkey D Luffy and 9 other popular characters of One Piece

10. Buggy the Clown

Some pirate captains are memorable not because of their aptitude or power but how memeable their character is. True to his name, Buggy is a clown through and through. The co-leader of the Buggy and Alvida Alliance and a former apprentice of the Roger Pirates alongside Shanks, Buggy the Star Clown is the captain of the Buggy Pirates. He joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea shortly after the Summit War of Marineford and rose to become the captain of the pirate courier company “Buggy’s Delivery” shortly thereafter. When the system was eventually abolished, he lost his Warlord title, but once Kaidou and Big Mom were overthrown and the Cross Guild was founded, with him as its leader, he was then acknowledged as one of the Four Emperors.

He can be regarded as the secondary adversary of the Loguetown arc and the primary antagonist of the Orange Town arc. Since then, he has appeared in numerous episodes of the show. Additionally, Buggy serves as the protagonist of the Buggy’s Crew Adventure Chronicles Cover Page Serial. Despite their antagonism, he briefly turned into one of Luffy’s most important allies during the finishing Impel Down and Marineford arcs of the Summit War Saga.

9. Crocodile

Crocodile was the first pirate captain to push our protagonist beyond his limit, and as one of the seven warlords of the sea, his power is massive. He still remains relevant as a member and the mastermind behind Cross Guild. The “Desert King” Sir Crocodile, formerly known as “Mr. 0,” served as the organization’s mystery crime syndicate’s president. Nico Robin, who was formerly known as “Miss All Sunday,” served as the organization’s vice president and business partner. 

He plays a supporting role in the Impel Down and Marineford arcs and serves as the main antagonist of the fabulous Alabasta arc and consequently the whole Alabasta Saga. After an unsuccessful effort to seize control of Arabasta Kingdom, he soon lost his title and was given a level 6 prison cell in the fabled Impel Down facility. Crocodile was set free from Impel Down by Luffy in exchange for helping to save his brother, and he then travelled to Marineford to support Luffy and the powerful Whitebeard Pirates in the Summit War.

8. Boa Hancock

Boa Hancock is one of the strongest women among the One Piece characters, and one of the most notable pirate captains partly because of her running gag where she pursues the clueless Luffy as a love interest. In “Pirate Empress,” the leader of the Kuja Pirates and the sole female Warlord that occupies the title prior to the dissolution of the group is Boa Hancock. She currently reigns over the Kuja tribe alongside her two younger sisters, Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold, and is known as the “Snake Princess” of Amazon Lily.

She and her sisters were kidnapped by the nefarious World Nobles when they were young, and she spent years as a slave being force-fed the Mero Mero no Mi. She and her sisters managed to escape from Mary Geoise afterwards during a Fisher Tiger-instigated mass breakout. With the aid of Gloriosa, Silvers Rayleigh, and Shakuyaku, she was brought back to her home, where she would go on to become the empress of the island and one of the Seven Warlords.

7. Jinbe

Jinbe used to be the pirate captain in Fishman Island and a warlord too, before he left his position to join Luffy’s crew. This was borne of his immense trust in Luffy’s abilities and belief in his future as the king of the pirates. In “Knight of the Sea” The Straw Hat Pirates’ helmsman and one of the most Senior Officers (both by age and power) of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet is Jinbe. He is the crew’s tenth member and the ninth newcomer, having joirned during the Wano arc.

Jinbe is a great master of the power system of Fish-Man Karate and a whale shark fish-man. His ultimate goal is to accomplish Captain Fisher Tiger’s final desire, which was for humans and fishmen to live in peace and equality. He once was a member of the fabled Sun Pirates, and after Tiger, their first captain, passed away, he finally rose to the position of second captain. 

6. Donquixote Doflamingo

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As another warlord of the sea, Donquixote Doflamingo is a puppet master, a powerful fighter, a brilliant pirate captain and a former Celestial Dragon that has become one of the series’ most favourite antagonists. The captain of the Donquixote Pirates is Donquixote Doflamingo, also known as “Heavenly Yaksha”. He was the most powerful underworld broker known by the code name “Joker” and a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, with a frozen reward of Beli 340,000,000.

He was the older brother and ultimate betrayer of the late Rosinante and the first child of the late Donquixote Homing, both of whom he killed because he felt betrayed by them. Eight years before the commencement of the story, Doflamingo succeeded Riku Doldo III as ruler of Dressrosa. He controlled the nation in an oppressive manner until he was beaten by Luffy near the conclusion of the Dressrosa, at which point he lost his authority as king and warlord. 

5. Edward Newgate/Whitebeard

The moniker of the world’s strongest man duly goes to one of the greatest pirate captains in the One Piece verse. Whitebeard’s power rivalled Roger but his lack of a desire to pursue treasure marked him as less of a threat to the world government, although his pretty high bounty proved to signify his great power of Haki and Devil fruit. Newgate was an orphan from the once-deserted island of Sphinx before assembling his own crew. 

He was a well-known member of the fabled Rocks Pirates during his time as a sailor, and later in life, before dying in the Summit War of Marineford, he joined the Four Emperors who dominate the New World. He served as the “Man Closest to One Piece” following the passing of Gol D. Roger. Newgate was an orphan from the elusive island of Sphinx before assembling his own crew. He was a well-known member of the fabled Rocks Pirates during his time as a sailor, and later in life, before dying in the final Summit War of Marineford, he joined the Four Emperors who dominate the New World.

4. Shanks

Shanks is one of the most mysterious characters on the list. As a pirate captain of the Haki-wielding Red Haired Pirate crew, this enigmatic figure has been known for his influence on Luffy as well as the strangeness of his yet-to-be-revealed motivations. Since he was a young child, Shanks has been sailing with the Roger Pirates. He started his career of piracy on their ship as a little apprentice with Buggy before starting his own crew after Roger’s demise.

Shanks encouraged young Monkey D. Luffy to embark on his own pirate adventure twelve years ago while he was working in the East Blue, and is therefore to blame for the boy’s current status as a famed outlaw. Additionally, he unintentionally gave Luffy a Mythical Nika fruit to eat, and he even gave his left arm to keep the young man from being eaten back then by the Lord of the Coast at sea. In particular, he was the owner of the straw hat that had once actually belonged to fabled explorer and king of the pirates Gol D. Roger and was now a part of Luffy’s wardrobe.

3. Portgas D. Ace

Before joining Whitebeard’s crew, Portgas D Ace was a pirate captain. He only joined the latter’s family because of his emotional void, where he had needed a father figure all throughout. Portgas D. Ace, also known by the moniker “Fire Fist” Ace and born Gol D. Ace, was the sworn brother of Luffy and Sabo and the son of Gol D. Roger, and Portgas D. Rouge. As Roger had desired before his execution, Ace was then adopted by the Marine hero Monkey D. Garp. The Mera Mera no Mi, which he consumed, gave him the ability to change into and control flames.

Ace set off on a mission to find Blackbeard, a divisional member who had done the terrible crime of killing a crewmate and escaping. Ace eventually tracked down Blackbeard, but after a tense encounter, Ace lost, leading Blackbeard to then turn him in to the totalitarian World Government. Consequently this led to a massive war which led to his death and the disbandment of the Whitebeard Pirates, proving to be a shocking disbalance among the world powers.

2. Trafalgar D Water Law

Law quickly rose the ranks to become a powerful pirate captain and a  fan-favourite character soon after his introduction to the series. That is not surprising considering his plans are what led Luffy and his crew to shake up the power structures of the world post-timeskip. Trafalgar D. Water Law, sometimes known as Trafalgar Law or by his nickname “Surgeon of Death,” is a North Blue-born pirate who serves as the leader and medical professional of the Heart Pirates. The “Worst Generation” of pirates, which consists of twelve individuals, includes him. 

During the time-skip, he was one of the famous Seven Warlords of the Sea, but his position was taken away because of his alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates. At the very end of the Marineford, Law saves Luffy’s life after joining the Straw Hat Pirates right during the Sabaody Archipelago arc. Throughout the Dressrosa and Wano Sagas, he serves as a crucial ally. Eustass Kid’s assistance allowed him to bring down Yonko Big Mom as well. 

1. Monkey D Luffy

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We all knew that this was going to be at the top of the list. Straw Hat Luffy is undoubtedly the most popular pirate captain and fan-favourite character, who occupies his place as one of the most beloved anime protagonists because of his ambition, will power and imaginative drive to be the free-est man on the high seas. His cry of “I will be the King of the Pirates” and the confidence in the same, allows him to be the hope for many people under oppression.

Luffy is the youngest pirate who has been classified as a member of the Yonko, the only one ever to escape all three government facilities of Marineford, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby, and the bearer of the Hito Hito no Mi: Model Nika. The Sun God Nika was a namesake for this fruit, enabling Luffy to be the liberator of his world – the one who will bring about the dawn of the new age. With his indomitable will, imaginative ability to engage in combat and good nature – people within and beyond the screen cannot help but root for this plucky rubber boy. 

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Stuart loves anime, writing, and writing about anime. Someday, he hopes to illustrate his own manga from his novel!