One Piece: Which Yonko Has The Strongest Right-Hand Man?

Key Takeaways

Shiryu, Katakuri, and King are powerful right-hand men of the Yonko, showcasing exceptional strength and combat skills.
Katakuri’s Advanced Observation Haki and Devil Fruit mastery makes him a formidable villain in One Piece.
Zoro’s mastery of Haki and recent Conqueror’s Haki reveal rank him as one of the strongest characters in the series.

In my humble opinion as a long-time fan of One Piece, Benn Beckman and Dracule Mihawk are two of the most intriguing and formidable characters in the series. While their backstories remain shrouded in mystery, their strength is undeniably top-tier, even challenging the mighty Shanks.

In many stories, the Yonko pirates are renowned as the strongest and most notorious pirate gangs, with their strength and infamy often linked to their extraordinary abilities granted by Devil Fruits or Haki. However, it’s worth noting that they wouldn’t have reached such prominence without their robust crews. Each crew has a trusted lieutenant who wields nearly as much power as the captain themselves.

Due to their unique status, characters in this category are some of the most formidable figures in the entire One Piece saga. Their command over Devil Fruits or expert use of Haki has made them renowned warriors throughout the Grand Line. As the trusted lieutenants of the Yonko, their strength is legendary, so let’s evaluate and rank them all accordingly.

Shiryu of the Rain

Right-Hand Man of the Blackbeard Pirates

One Piece: Which Yonko Has The Strongest Right-Hand Man?

First Appearance	One Piece, Episode 440, “Believe in Miracles! Bon Clay Cheers From His Heart!”
Devil Fruit Power	Suke-Suke no Mi – The Invisibility Fruit

Regardless of his recent promotion, Shiryu swiftly established himself as a lethal combatant among Blackbeard’s Ten Titanic Captains. Initially serving as a co-warden in Impel Down prison, Shiryu was jailed on Level 6 with the most dangerous criminals from the world of One Piece due to his excessive and brutal treatment of the prisoners. Upon being set free to aid in the downfall of the Blackbeard Pirates, Shiryu opted to join their ranks instead.

His name was Shiryu of the Rain. He was as powerful as Warden Magellan! Considering Warden Magellan’s relative lack of experience, Shiryu may have been even more deadly!

Though Shiryu’s notorious status suggests strength, his actual abilities haven’t been extensively displayed because the Blackbeard Pirates appear infrequently in the series. However, it’s implied that he remains incredibly potent, as he’s demonstrated the ability to defeat numerous opponents single-handedly with his extraordinary swordsmanship and utilization of the Clear-Clear Devil Fruit, which grants him invisibility. Additionally, it’s speculated that he carries a Meito sword.

Charlotte Katakuri

First Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates

First Appearance	One Piece, Episode 835, “Liar – Luffy and Sanji”
Devil Fruit Power	Mochi-Mochi no Mi – The Mochi Fruit

Charlotte Katakuri is the 2nd son of Big Mom and also the most powerful member of her entire crew and fleet. During the Whole Cake Island arc, he fought against Luffy in one of the best fights in the entire One Piece series, where he forced the main character to use new and greater powers than ever before. Despite this, Katakuri continued to come out on top, prompting many fans to consider his eventual defeat at the hands of Luffy to be poor writing and plot convenience for the main character.

If you want to laugh at that fool, then laugh at me too!

In this storyline, Katakuri became the first character to utilize the advanced form of Observation Haki, which granted him the ability to foresee actions and predict opponents’ movements. Remarkably, his proficiency with the Mochi-Mochi Devil Fruit caused it to awaken, transforming it into a significantly more potent version compared to Luffy’s own Devil Fruit. Despite encountering characters stronger than him in the series, Katakuri will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most formidable villains.

King the Conflagration

Right-Hand Man of the Beast Pirates

First Appearance	One Piece, Episode 918, “It’s On! The Special Operation to Bring Down Kaido!”
Devil Fruit Power	Ryu-Ryu no Mi, Model: Pteranodon – The Pteranodon Fruit

Translated: King is the right-hand man of Kaido and the most powerful member of the Beast Pirates after his captain. King belongs to the extinct race known as the Lunarians, who once used to live on the top of the Red Line and are famous around the world for their durability and strength. After being saved from Punk Hazard by Kaido many years ago, King devoted his life to helping his captain become the King of the Pirates.

Kaido is the man who will be King of the Pirates!

In the Battle of Onigashima, King fought head-to-head against Zoro using every advantage he had against each other. During this battle, King displayed an extraordinary mastery over his Ancient Zoan Type Devil Fruit, which allowed him to fight equally against Zoro’s Great Grade Sword, Enma, and his newly awakened Conqueror’s Haki, despite not having the ability himself. King proved to be such a great adversary for Zoro that the Pirate Hunter almost killed himself in the effort to take down his opponent.

Marco the Phoenix

Former First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates

First Appearance	One Piece, Episode 151, “The 100,000,000 Man! The World’s Highest Authority and the Pirate Blackbeard!”
Devil Fruit Power	Tori-Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix – The Phoenix Fruit

In simplified terms, Marco was the commander of the surviving members of Blackbeard’s pirate crew, who failed to bring Whitebeard to justice. This position made him one of the most respected and beloved figures in all of history, having been instrumental in the pivotal Battle of the Atlantic and leading the remnants of Whitebeard’s pirates.

Are you gonna cry or are you gonna make them pay?

Marco consumed a legendary Devil Fruit called the Tori-Tori no Mi, Phoenix Model, which enables him to transform into a phoenix by enveloping himself in distinctive, azure flames. This is arguably the most powerful defensive fruit in the series since it grants Marco the ability to heal not only himself but others from any wound, rendering him virtually invincible against non-Haki assaults. Thanks to his proficiency with this fruit, Marco managed to engage both King and Queen simultaneously during the Siege of Onigashima.

Roronoa Zoro

Right-Hand Man of the Straw Hat Pirates

First Appearance	One Piece, Episode 1, “I’m Luffy! The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King!”
Devil Fruit Power	None

Initially, the founding member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro, has consistently been by Luffy’s side since the beginning of the series and frequently assumes a captain-like role even surpassing Luffy at times. Over the course of the series, Zoro has engaged in numerous battles with enemies and grown stronger as a result of these encounters. This growth is evident in his many fights against various powerful adversaries such as Mr. 1, Kaku, and Pica. Although he may not have always been recognized at this level, his recent performances against King in Wano and Lucci in Egghead have solidified this status for him.

Scars on the back are a swordsman’s shame!

Unlike many members of the Yonko’s crews who possess Devil Fruit abilities, Zoro stands out by relying solely on his swordsmanship and proficiency with Haki. After the timeskip, Zoro has largely relied on Armament Haki, demonstrating remarkable skill in its use. However, during the Wano arc, he unexpectedly discovered his own Conqueror’s Haki – a power that not even Marco can wield! Utilizing this ability, he was able to overcome King and establish himself as one of the most powerful characters within the series.

Benn Backman

Right-Hand Man of the Red Hair Pirates

First Appearance	One Piece, Episode 4, “Luffy’s Past! The Red-Haired Shanks Appears”
Devil Fruit Power	None

In paraphrasing Benn Gunn’s introduction from the first chapter of A Tale of Two Cities into plain English:

Don’t move, Kizaru.

Another thing to gauge his power by is his only appearance on a battlefield, though even here, he didn’t fight. As Kizaru was destroying everyone in his path and aiming for Shanks’ head during the Marineford War, Benn Beckman appeared behind him and pointed a gun at his head. This was enough for Kizaru to throw up his hands in compliance and call off his attack on Shanks, showing that Benn Beckman was strong enough to threaten a Marine Admiral, easily placing him on Yonko level.

Dracule Mihawk

One of the Executives of the Cross Guild

First Appearance	One Piece, Episode 23, “Protect Baratie! The Great Pirate: Zeff the Red Leg”
Devil Fruit Power	None

In a world where the most powerful swordsman in history, Mihawk Dunkirk, is known as the World’s Strongest Swordsman, and a force so powerful that he used to sail the Grand Line alone with no crewmates at his side. Practically nothing is known about this character but his strength is truly legendary, as he is known to be an equal of Shanks, though he refuses to fight his old rival after he lost his arm.

I’m not the kind of fool who hunts rabbits with a canon.

In the universe where the technology and society develop along parallel lines, it was Mihawk who shaped the future by his own hand. A man who could wield the power to unite the masses and bend the course of human history, who foresaw the potential for a unified world where a single Black Blade could beque such as a mind, was the greatest swordsman who ever lived.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

2024-09-03 20:34