One Piece is a long-running shonen action series whose combat system underwent a few phases of evolution. At first, typical pirate weapons like cannons, swords, and musket pistols were impressive, but then the Devil Fruits took over the combat system, especially in the Grand Line. Then, the Haki combat system joined the fray, mostly to help non-Fruit users stand a chance.

Haki is an energy system that can manifest as colors, including Color of Arms Haki, Color of the Supreme King, and Color of Observation. Learning and using Haki isn't easy, but a handful of One Piece characters had what it took to learn the strongest Haki colors and dominate any battle. Some characters combine Haki with their Devil Fruits, while others use Haki with conventional weapons or even their bare fists to fight.

Update on July 31st, 2023 by Louis Kemner: by now, the One Piece manga and anime alike have shown off even more instances of Haki in brutal combat, keeping this combat system as exciting and fresh as ever. As usual, Color of Arms Haki is still the best type, but Luffy and other Haki users still have ample use for all three types of Haki and will keep fighting this way until this lengthy series finally ends. Along the way, One Piece fans ought to meet even more characters who use Color of Armament Haki and see what they do with it.

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15 Charlotte Katakuri

charlotte katakuri is throwing a punch

In the Whole Cake Island saga, Luffy met his match when he fought his Big Mom Pirates counterpart, Charlotte Katakuri. Like Luffy, Katakuri was a big eater who could use soft, stretchy Devil Fruit powers combined with Haki, including Color of Arms Haki. This hardened Katakuri's mochi enough to overwhelm Luffy's own Haki.

Katakuri's greatest strength is actually his mastery of Color of Observation Haki, which allowed him to predict and avoid Luffy's attacks. That made for a brutally one-sided fight at first, until Luffy slowly learned to use that Haki power for himself to even the odds once again.

14 Jinbe

Jinbe the fish-man in one piece's anime

The friendly fish-man Jinbe was a guest star in the Marineford saga, such as when he was seen in Impel Down alongside Ace, but he didn't show his true potential until later. In the New World, Jinbe returned as a vital ally of Luffy's, complete with Color of Arms Haki to augment his fearsome fish-man karate.

Jinbe's Color of Arms Haki made him a fearsome fighter in the Wano arc, for example, when he fought Who's-Who, a user of a sabertooth tiger Devil Fruit. By crossing his arms with the Kairagi Haki technique, Jinbe can even withstand Big Mom's attacks with Cognac, though it isn't easy, even for him.

13 Donquixote Doflamingo

Doflamingo licking his teeth in One Piece.

Donquixote Doflamingo became a powerhouse Warlord of the Sea because he could combine his own String-String Fruit with Haki, most of all Color of Arms Haki. All this made Doflamingo a near-unbeatable villain in the New World, whose power almost rivaled that of the Four Emperors.

Doflamingo made expert use of Color of Arms Haki against both Luffy and Trafalgar Law in the Dressrosa saga. He can easily stand up to Luffy's own Haki with it, enduring Luffy's attacks before retaliating with a devastating Haki-infused blow. Doflamingo's Haki can even disrupt Law's Room technique if need be.

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12 Trafalgar D. Water Law

Trafalgar D. Water Law in Wano art style in One Piece.

Trafalgar D. Water Law first introduced himself as a doctor and a pirate crew captain, though he has many talents beyond that, too. Law became a major ally of Luffy's starting in Punk Hazard, demonstrating the use of his Op-Op Fruit, with Op being short for "operation." Law has a "warrior surgeon" theme, though he didn't neglect to practice Haki, either.

Trafalgar Law can use Color of Observation Haki to sense Luffy's status from afar, including Luffy's Devil Fruit awakening. In battle, Law can use Color of Arms Haki to block attacks from high-tier opponents like Doflamingo, which has saved his life more than once. After Big Mom and Kaido were defeated, Law's Haki prowess grew even more.

11 Dracule Mihawk

One Piece Dracule Mihawk staring towards the screen

Dracule Mihawk was a Warlord of the Sea while that title still existed, and he often proved why he was worthy of such a rank. He is an incredible swordsman who can defeat almost anyone with his giant sword Yoru, though he lacks a Devil Fruit. Instead, Mihawk uses Color of Arms Haki and Color of Observation Haki.

Mihawk's Color of Arms Haki technique is impressive, and he even taught some of his moves to Zoro. Most of all, Mihawk is famed for his hawk-like vision, using Color of Observation Haki to track fast-moving targets so he can either block their attacks or counter with a swing of his mighty sword.

10 Sabo

Sabo using the Mera Mera no Mi during One Piece.

Sabo is the right-hand man of the world's worst criminal, Monkey D. Dragon. Although his bounty is rather low at 602 million berries, he's among the strongest characters in the series, undoubtedly. Sabo made a welcome return in the Dressrosa story arc, which took Luffy by total surprise.

Sabo is a very powerful user of the Color of Arms Haki and he can also use it to destroy things from the inside out, which shows an advanced grasp over this power. He demonstrated these powers during the Dressrosa arc of One Piece, for example, making him a vital ally of Luffy's and Rebecca's during the struggle to overthrow Doflamingo's cruel reign.

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9 Monkey D. Luffy

Anime One Piece Luffy Fourth Gear Punch

Protagonist Monkey D. Luffy used Haki a few times in the pre-time skip era of One Piece, though he wasn't aware of it at the time. Eventually, Luffy underwent training with Silvers Rayleigh on a secluded island to properly learn about and master Haki, which greatly expanded Luffy's options in combat.

Starting in the Fish-Man Island saga, Luffy was a lean and mean Haki-using machine, including the use of Color of the Supreme King to knock out an entire enemy army. Then, in the Dressrosa saga, Luffy combined Color of Arms Haki with Gear Four to deliver the beating of a lifetime to his opponent, Doflamingo.

8 Akazaya Nine/Nine Red Scabbards

the akazaya nine in one piece's wano arc

Known to be the retainers of the late daimyo Kozuki Oden, the Akazaya Nine/ or the Nine Red Scabbards, are extremely powerful samurai from the land of Wano who were trained by Oden himself. During the night of the Fire Festival, they launched an assault on Kaido in an attempt to take his head.

The true power of the Akazaya Nine was revealed during this fight as they managed to inflict injuries on Kaido, despite his reputation of being indestructible. According to Kaido, they carry Ryou similar to that of Oden, though they could only get so far in their fight against the might Emperor Kaido.

7 The Three Admirals

Luffy vs Three Admirals Iconic Fights One Piece

Known to be some of the strongest characters in the One Piece world, it's no surprise that the Admirals are capable of using high-level Color of Armament Haki. While the level of control each Admiral has over it varies, they're all masters of it, and that helps them maintain their position as the Navy's best.

This was seen during the war of Marineford where the then Admirals, Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru, combined forces to stop a massive quake sent by Whitebeard towards them. These three admirals are also one of just a handful of One Piece characters who can combine Haki with Devil Fruit powers to be truly unstoppable in combat.

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6 Silvers Rayleigh

Dark king rayleigh One Piece

Rayleigh is the former First Mate of the Roger Pirates and was one of the world's strongest fighters during his heydey. Also known as the Dark King, Reyleigh ranks among the strongest in the One Piece world and is held in legendary regard by the likes of Garp himself.

Rayleigh has great command over all three Haki types, including Color of Arms Haki. He's one of the very few characters capable of using advanced Ryou in the story so far. All this made Silvers Rayleigh the perfect candidate to coach Luffy in the use of Haki during the timeskip, cementing his position as an outstanding shonen anime mentor.

5 Monkey D. Garp

A young Monkey D. Garp grinning during a One Piece flashback

Also known as Garp the Fist, Monkey D. Garp is said to be the strongest Navy man in the history of the organization. As someone who's fought against the likes of the Pirate King himself, Garp possesses tremendous strength and has an incredible reputation around the world.

Garp's control over the Color of Arms is such that he was able to crush eight mountains while warming up for his fight against Don Chinjao. However, Garp is rarely seen actually fighting anyone, and he's mentally preparing himself to pass the baton to the next generation of great Haki warriors, including his grandson Luffy.

4 The Four Emperors

the four emperors in one piece shanks kaido big mom blackbeard

The Four Emperors are the strongest pirates in the One Piece world who each rule huge swaths of territory in the deadly New World, where even the Navy struggles to face them. Currently, they include Kaido, Big Mom, Shanks, and Blackbeard. All of them possess great mastery over the Color of Arms Haki, as expected of people of their stature.

While their exact level of control over this power has not been revealed to One Piece fans, it is still evident that they possess an advanced mastery of this skill. One example of an Emperor's Haki was when Red-Haired Shanks crossed blades with Captain Whitebeard, with the force of their Haki clash disrupting the very weather around them.

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3 Kozuki Oden

Kozuki Oden looking annoyed in the one piece anime

Kozuki Oden was a legendary samurai from the land of Wano who sailed with the likes of Whitebeard and Roger. On Whitebeard's crew, he served as the Second Division Commander, while with Roger, he was the man who led the group to Laugh Tale.

When it comes to power, Oden was a master of the Color of Arms, or Ryou, as he called it. His mastery was such that he was capable of overpowering Kaido, although he ultimately died in vain. Now it's up to Oden's loyal followers, his fan Yamato, and Luffy to finish the job and free Wano from Kaido's grip with the power of Haki.

2 Captain Whitebeard/Edward Newgate

captain whitebeard standing in front of the mast

The famous pirate Edward Newgate, also known by the name of Whitebeard, was the strongest man in the One Piece world. He was a master of all the three Haki types, as expected of a legend such as himself.

Whitebeard possessed great control over the Color of Arms Haki. When used in his fight against Roger, it presented itself as a streak of lightning. During his old age, Whitebeard's Haki had expectedly weakened, so he relied more on his Tremor-Tremor Fruit's own power during the climactic battle for Marineford.

1 Gol D. Roger

Gol D. Roger as he appears just before his execution in One Piece.

The Pirate King Gol D. Roger, was an incredibly powerful user of Haki as well. In terms of strength, he was considered to be equal to Whitebeard, the strongest man in One Piece. Roger also possessed all the Haki types and his control over Color of Arms seemed to be extremely refined.

During the fight against Whitebeard shortly before he became Pirate King, Roger unleashed his full strength and his Haki manifested as a streak of lightning, just like Whitebeard's. To date, they're the only two characters to show off this grade of Color of Arms Haki.