Upon seeing ships like Thousand Sunny, Moby Dick, and Oro Jackson, One Piece fans can tell straight away who they belong to. Pirates in One Piece can be identified not just by their ships, but also by their Jolly Rogers. The iconic real-life Jolly Roger flag uses a simple skull and crossbones on a black background. But in a world full of larger-than-life characters, the flags have to match.
Without passing any creative opportunity, Oda made sure to add personality to every One Piece crew's symbolic flag. The franchise has introduced numerous pirate crews for fans to enjoy, and each one of them waves a different Jolly Roger. With over a thousand episodes, some flags in One Piece definitely stand out from the others.
This list contains spoilers for One Piece manga arcs that have yet to be adapted in the anime.
10 For A Secret Group, Baroque Works' Logo Is All Over Alabasta
While not necessarily a pirate crew, Baroque Works does have a Jolly Roger. Despite being a secret organization, they emblazoned this symbol on their ships and other paraphernalia. Some lower-ranked members can even be seen wearing it on their clothes or skin as tattoos.
The Baroque Works Jolly Roger design has the usual skull in the center, but instead of crossbones, it has rapiers and light purple wings. This symbolizes Crocodile's manipulative behavior to seem like a hero in the eyes of Alabasta. In fact, he abused his power as a warlord to usurp King Cobra.
9 It's Hard To Miss The Red Nose On The Buggy Pirates
Buggy has had a complicated role as a recurring antagonist and occasional ally to the Straw Hats since Episode Four of One Piece. His pirate crew resembles a circus gang, and Buggy's appearance as a clown becomes their Jolly Roger.
The former member of the Roger Pirates has come a long way, from a Warlord of the Sea heading the Cross Guild, to becoming an Emperor of the Sea. Some question his rise to power because of his strength in combat, but he is able to recruit subordinates who are more powerful than him. There's more to his red nose than meets the eye.
8 A Not-So-Jolly Symbol Is Perfect For A Fearsome Crew Like The Beast Pirates
Befitting their name, the Beast Pirates consists of over 20,000 infamous and powerful pirates, all of them with the ability to transform into beasts. For over 25 years, they have occupied Wano Country while producing the artificial Zoan Devil Fruits, SMILE Fruits.
Instead of the positive definition of the word "jolly," this crew takes inspiration from the original meaning of the French phrase, "no mercy." Their flag takes the shape of Kaido's head. After the interference of the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance, the crew disbanded. The anime has yet to reveal what the future holds for the Beasts Pirates.
7 The Kid Pirates Use The Most Famous Flag With Flame Patterns
Together with Whitebeard and Big Mom Pirates, only the Kid Pirates are known to have a second, simpler Jolly Roger. However, in terms of popularity, their main flag is most well-known for its flame pattern and resemblance to Captain Kid. Audiences first caught a glimpse of this Jolly Roger on the Kid Pirates' ship when it first appeared in Sabaody Archipelago.
As one of the Supernova pirates from The Worst Generation, Kid made a name for himself and the crew in the Wano Arc. While he doesn't make it as an emperor, he does reach the 3-billion-berry bounty just like Luffy.
6 The Big Mom Pirates Dolled-Up A Skull For The Emperor With A Sweet Tooth
Big Mom runs one of the most flamboyant crews and organizations in the series. Oda probably took inspiration from fairytales like Hansel and Gretel, where objects are made of food, especially desserts. There's no surprise that even their Jolly Roger manages to fit the theme by adding makeup and candy canes to the classic skull.
The Whole Cake Island, along with battleships of the Totto Land Grand Fleet, raises this flag on their masts. Even their secondary Jolly Roger can be easily identified as Big Mom's because of the iconic red lipstick. Either way, the Big Mom Pirates win the trophy for all things sweet and exuberant.
5 The Kuja Pirates Replace The Crossbones With Nine Gorgon Snakes
In contrast to Big Mom, the Kuja Pirates take a more sophisticated and fearsome approach to their aesthetic. The all-women tribe combines folklore from the Greeks and Amazons. They all inhabit Amazon Lily and their captain, Boa Hancock, belongs to the Boa family called the Gorgon sisters.
While the Kuja Pirates clearly take some influence from Greece, their ship resembles the architecture of ancient Chinese junks. Painted in traditional red, they use serpents on their Jolly Roger. They even literally have two Yuda, or sea serpents, to help them navigate the Calm Belt.
4 The Whitebeard Jolly Roger Literally Says It All
Oda placed the Whitebeard Pirates on a pedestal for having a number of powerful and plot-relevant pirates as members. This includes Marco, Oden, Ace, and Blackbeard. While they are known for having two Jolly Rogers, their trademark has to be the shape of their captain's mustache.
As the only man to ever match the former pirate king in strength, Whitebeard remains a superior name for both pirates and the World Government. Unfortunately, the crew was forced to disband following their defeat in the Payback War against their captain's killer.
3 The Sun Pirates Fish-Men Fought Against A Dark History
Fish-men are classified as humanoids and merfolk. The most popular group of their kind, apart from the Ryugu Kingdom who rule the seas, would be the Sun Pirates. The red sun on their Jolly Roger represents claiming their freedom.
The Sun Pirates' captain, Fisher Tiger, made a name for himself after freeing his fellow slaves in Mary Geoise, including the Gorgon sisters. His goal is to rebrand and overwrite the past of those with the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon mark, the branding for World Nobles' slaves.
2 Nobody Can Forget The Smile On The Heart Pirates' Yellow Submarine
Already famous for sailing on a yellow submarine, the Heart Pirates are second only to the Straw Hats in terms of their Jolly Roger. This logo is all over One Piece merchandise and was made famous thanks to Trafalgar Law. Apart from being a Supernova, he's also earned a 3-billion-berry bounty after defeating Kaido.
The Heart Pirates' Jolly Roger resembles a ship's helm with a smiley on it. It makes a nice juxtaposition with Rosinante's brother Doflamingo's Jolly Roger, which features a similar smiley face crossed out. The most popular displays are on the side of the Polar Tang and Law's yellow hoodie.
1 The Straw Hat Is An Icon And Symbol Of Greatness
There simply is no more iconic Jolly Roger in all of One Piece than that of the Straw Hat Pirates. Their Jolly Roger contains the simplest skull and crossbones with the iconic straw hat. While this hat used to belong to the former pirate king, who later gave it to Shanks, it became a part of Luffy's identity.
The name is part of his epithet, crew, and grand fleet, symbolizing strength and the path to greatness. Moreover, a different straw hat currently sits in a freezing room in Mary Geoise. Its relevance may be currently unknown, but it goes to show that there's still a lot to uncover in the One Piece storyline.