One Piece: 9 Characters Stronger Than The Holy Knights

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This article contains spoilers for the One Piece manga

The Holy Knights are a powerful force working for the World Government, and are believed to follow Imu’s direct orders. They are incredibly difficult to defeat because they are immortal. While extremely strong with exceptional Haki and bodies that won’t die, a few individuals – like Shanks or Roger – possess the immense power needed to overcome them.

Shanks

The Red Haired Yonko

Defeating a Holy Knight requires incredibly strong Conqueror’s Haki. And when discussing Haki, Shanks is the most prominent user of this era. He’s become one of the Four Emperors – the Yonko – without relying on a Devil Fruit, a feat no one else has achieved. Shanks’ Haki is considered the strongest currently, even rivaling that of Joy Boy, who was powerful enough to repel the Gorosei. This makes him more than capable of easily defeating Holy Knights.

Rocks D. Xebec

The Legendary Captain of the Rocks Pirates

Rocks D. Xebec was a famous pirate whose legacy continues to be felt throughout the world of One Piece. While details about his life are only now being revealed, it’s clear he was an incredibly powerful figure who sailed the Grand Line.

Whether Rocks D. Xebec possessed a Devil Fruit is unknown, but he’s demonstrated impressive mastery of Haki. We’ll likely see the full extent of his power at God Valley.

Scopper Gaban

The Left Wing of the Pirate King

In the world of *One Piece*, only one character has definitively defeated a Holy Knight: Scopper Gaban, a key member of the Pirate King’s crew. Gaban demonstrated incredible mastery of Haki, effortlessly defeating Saint Sommers in a single, swift attack. He was so powerful he likely could have defeated Gunko as well, if not for Colon being held hostage.

Silvers Rayleigh

The Right Wing of the Pirate King

Although we haven’t seen Rayleigh defeat an immortal Holy Knight yet, it’s established that he’s capable of it, as he’s on par with Gaban in strength. He could easily defeat most Holy Knights with a single blow. With the current flashback focusing on characters like Rocks D. Xebec, Harald, and Loki at God Valley, fans speculate we might soon see Rayleigh battle one of them.

Gol D. Roger

The Late Pirate King

Similar to Silvers Rayleigh, we’ve never actually *seen* Roger use Haki against the Holy Knights. However, considering Gaban was capable of it, it’s reasonable to assume Roger could have too. Roger was known for having the strongest Haki of his time, and almost certainly possessed a powerful form of Conqueror’s Haki that could overcome even immortality.

Monkey D. Garp

The Hero of the Marines

Since Garp and Roger were enemies, it’s reasonable to think Garp could potentially defeat someone with immortality. This is because Garp is known as one of the most powerful users of Haki ever.

Even as an older man, Garp remains incredibly powerful, having single-handedly defeated most of Blackbeard’s crew on Pirate Island. A typical Holy Knight wouldn’t pose much of a challenge for him.

Whitebeard

The World’s Strongest Man

Whitebeard truly earned the title of World’s Strongest Man. He possessed incredible power, capable of immense destruction thanks to his Devil Fruit, the Gura Gura no Mi. Beyond that, Whitebeard was also a master of Haki, making him more than capable of defeating any Holy Knight who dared challenge him.

Gorosei

The Strongest Force of the World Government

The Holy Knights are strong, but the Gorosei appear to be even more powerful – potentially the true leaders of the World Government. Like the Holy Knights, the Five Elders are immortal, but they also possess unique Yokai abilities that seem to surpass the power of Devil Fruits. With the recent addition of Garling, who is stronger than most Holy Knights individually, the Gorosei’s strength has increased further.

Imu

The Secret Sovereign of The World

Without a doubt, Saint Imu Nerona is the only one powerful enough to defeat all the Holy Knights. Imu gave them immortality and, as demonstrated by the instant destruction of Saturn after his failure on Egghead, can take that immortality away at any time.

I’m looking forward to the next One Piece chapter, 1161, which comes out next week! It typically releases on Sundays, but because of the time difference, it’s usually Monday at 12 AM Japan Standard Time. For most of us around the world, though, we’ll be able to read it on September 28, 2025. And the best part is, it’s free to read on Manga Plus!

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2025-09-22 03:34