Mihawk, also known by his epithet of Hawk Eyes, is the strongest known swordsman in the One Piece world. He was introduced in the story during the Baratie arc, where he showed the fans a glimpse of what he was capable of in the anime.
Being the strongest swordsman in the series, Mihawk wields the all-powerful black blade called Yoru, which is one of the 12 Saijo o Wazamono grade swords. Only a few other swordsmen can match him in battle, and even fewer can hope to defeat him. Here are 10 characters who can challenge Hawk Eyes Mihawk to a proper fight.
10 Roronoa Zoro
The swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro is a powerful pirate with a bounty of 320 million berries. He practices the famous Three-Sword Style, and he currently wields Enma, Wado Ichimonji, and Sandai Kitetsu.
Zoro is extremely skilled in the way of the sword, and he can use Busoshoku Haki to quite a good effect. However, the exact level of his skill isn't known just yet. Zoro hasn't fought any strong opponents so far, making it hard to gauge his exact level of strength.
9 Trafalgar Law
The Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law, is one of the Worst Generation, and he has a bounty of 500 million Berries on his head. He's an incredibly powerful pirate, strong enough to fight the likes of Doflamingo. Since Dressrosa, Law has gotten further stronger, as evident from his portrayal of Luffy and Kid in Onigashima.
He has the power of the Ope Ope no Mi, which, when combined with his cursed sword Kikoku, makes him extremely difficult to take on in a fight.
8 Charlotte Cracker
With a bounty of 860 million berries, Charlotte Cracker ranks among the finest swordsmen in One Piece. He wields the peerless blade Pretzel, and combined with his Devil Fruit powers; Cracker is very difficult to take on in battle.
Cracker was strong enough to force even Gear Fourth Luffy on the defensive and what's even more impressive is the fact that his Busoshoku Haki allowed him to take the brunt of Luffy's attacks without struggling too much. While he can't beat Mihawk, he would certainly pose a great challenge to him.
7 Shiryu
Shiryu is the Captain of the Second Ship of the Blackbeard Pirates. Before joining the crew, he was the Head Jailer of Impel Down and was known to be a match for Magellan in terms of power.
He wields a seemingly cursed sword called Raiu, and along with that, he also has the power of the infamous Suke Suke no Mi, which grants him invisibility. All these powers combined make him a decent rival for Mihawk.
6 Vista
Also known as the Flower Blade, Vista is the former Fifth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and the man known to be the crew's strongest swordsman. He's capable of fighting the strongest people in One Piece without too much trouble, as seen during the Marineford arc.
Vista was able to fight and even match Mihawk in battle. The latter even paid him respect by saying only a fool wouldn't have heard of his name and be aware of what he's capable of.
5 Denjiro
Denjiro is one of the Nine Red Scabbards of Kozuki Oden and ranks among the finest swordsmen of Wano Country. As seen when he was able to hold back Zoro without even breaking a sweat at the Flower Capital, he's mighty.
Denjiro possesses tremendous control over Haki as he can injure even the mighty Kaido, something that is considered a nigh-impossible task. With such great powers, he can certainly take on Mihawk in battle.
4 Kin'emon
The leader of the Akazaya Nine, Kin'emon, is also a samurai from Wano who is currently fighting Kaido in a high-level battle at Onigashima. He is a user of the Two-Sword style and can cut through any fire without trouble.
Kin'emon was able to wound Kaido on more than one occasion, which is an incredibly impressive feat. His Haki is very refined, as is his swordplay.
3 Fujitora
Fujitora is an Admiral of the Navy, and that automatically makes him one of the strongest people in the world of One Piece. He wields an unnamed sword with an unnamed grade. However, it does seem to be his weapon of choice.
Fujitora also uses his Devil Fruit, known as Zushi Zushi, no Mi, in conjunction with his sword. His powers allow him to control gravity freely. He's a worthy challenger for anyone in the world, including Mihawk.
2 Rayleigh
The former right-hand man of the Pirate King, Rayleigh, is a legendary figure in the One Piece world who also ranks among the strongest. He is a user of all three Haki types, and his weapon of choice is a yet unnamed sword.
At Sabaody, he was strong enough to hold back Kizaru despite being old, and Garp mentioned his name in the same breath as Whitebeard himself. He could very well match Mihawk in a fight.
1 Shanks
Shanks is one of the Four Emperors of the One Piece world and ranks among the series's strongest characters. Long before he became a Yonko, Shanks was a rival to Mihawk. However, after losing his arm, the two stopped fighting.
Shanks' skill with a sword appears to be exceptional as it is his primary weapon at the moment. He is also a mighty Haki user, and he's certainly someone who could actually defeat Mihawk in a fight.