As two of the most recognizable protagonists in anime history, Naruto Uzumaki and Monkey D. Luffy have carved a place for themselves as leaders and heroes of their respective worlds. Naruto’s journey sees him go from an underachieving orphan to the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, while Luffy's quest to become the next Pirate King has transformed him from a loudmouthed child to one of the Emperors of the Sea.

Because of the popularity of Naruto and One Piece, many fans have wondered who would win in a fight between each show's main character. Although Naruto and Luffy are similar in several aspects, each possesses several skills that would likely cause the other problems.

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Why Luffy Beats Naruto

Luffy Received Better Childhood Training

Monkey D. Luffy exclaiming at something off-screen during One Piece's Wano arc

While Naruto was born and then implanted with his powers thanks to Kurama, the Nine-Tails Fox Demon, he didn't begin training effectively until he was 12. Luffy, on the other hand, started training shortly after he ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi when he was about 7. Not wanting him to be a pirate, Luffy’s grandfather, Garp, sent him to live with bandits.

Garp's decision forced Luffy into many bad situations that, for better or worse, strengthened him. The most crucial instance of this early maturation process was when Luffy was captured by Porchemy and tortured to get information. While the torture didn’t work, Luffy got stronger as a character, furthering his durability.

Luffy Eats More Than Any Of His Competitors

Monkey D Luffy eating his fill during One Piece

A comparison between Luffy and Naruto wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging they eat a ton of food. Naruto is known for his love of ramen — specifically from Ichiraku — challenging anyone who shows up to eat more than him. Luffy, on the other hand, has an elastic stomach enhanced by the capabilities of the Gomu Gomu no Mi.

Since Luffy can stretch himself at will, he would have no problem defeating Naruto in a battle of appetites. For reference, Naruto isn’t even the best eater in the village — that honor is claimed by Hinata, his wife.

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Luffy Doesn't Need His Hands To Fight

Monkey D Luffy attacking someone in One Piece's Wano arc

Without their hands, a ninja in Naruto would have a hard time performing anything other than Taijutsu. Naruto alone needs his hands to do his main ninjutsu of Shadow Clones and Rasengan. If Luffy were to take out Naruto’s hands, he’d be more likely to win. The reverse isn't true.

Luffy doesn’t need his hands to fight. During the Alabasta saga, the Straw Hat Pirates' captain had his hands locked up in a wax binding, but since his powers don’t require him to do special movements as most jutsu do, he was able to fight well.

Luffy's Defensive Abilities Are Second To None

Luffy squaring off with Rob Lucci in Enies Lobby

Naruto possesses massive offensive prowess, but his best defense has been to take hits and then use his chakra to heal from them. Defensively, he doesn’t have much going for him. Monkey D. Luffy, on the other hand, has plenty of defensive tools at his disposal. Since his body is rubberized thanks to his Gum-Gum Fruit, he can take powerful hits as long as they are bludgeoning-based.

In addition to this, Luffy's Armament Haki allows him to withstand almost any attack, while his Observation Haki gives him the ability to predict virtually any incoming threats. With Naruto’s main specialty move being Rasengan and Kurama Fists, his attacks play directly into the Straw Hat's hand.

Luffy's Speed Is Unmatched

Luffy powering up by using Snakeman in One Piece anime

Naruto is extremely fast — able to move faster than even the most powerful Sharingan can track — but that doesn’t make him the fastest in the anime universe. In fact, Monkey D. Luffy clearly seems to have surpassed this level of speed, requiring the use of Future Sight, one of the rarest abilities in One Piece, to track his movements. When he gets Fourth Gear Snakeman, Luffy's speed level is virtually unmatched. With his Gear Five form, the gap between Naruto and Luffy grows even larger.

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Why Naruto Beats Luffy

Naruto Can Use Talk No Jutsu

Kakashi, Itachi, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto all preparing for attack

There is no denying that Monkey D. Luffy is a charismatic guy. Everywhere he goes, he seems to make friends, even making a crew out of a bunch of prisoners, some of whom hated him. Naruto, on the other hand, has shifted the views of an entire continent in his favor.

Early on, Naruto's tomfoolery and his dark secret caused the village of Konoha to look down on him, but despite their harsh treatment, he quickly grew into the role of savior. During the battle with Pain, the village began to support Naruto, and after the Fourth Great Ninja War, he commanded the respect of all nations. Before Pain/Nagato's death, the villain even experienced a change of heart, reviving those killed by his attacks as a sign of respect for Naruto.

Naruto Struck Down A God

Naruto and his Shadow Clones in Kurama Link Mode fighting agaisnt Kaguya Otsutsuki

Luffy may have struck down an Emperor of the Sea, but on multiple occasions, Naruto has gone toe-to-toe with the godlike Otsutsuki Clan. While Luffy is great in a fight against regular humans/creatures, he has never taken on anyone nearly as powerful as Kaguya and her brethren.

Naruto's fights against Pain, Sasuke, and Kaguya all ended with Naruto coming out as the winner. The major thrust of Boruto revolves around the Otsutsuki Clan's ongoing battle with the inhabitants of the Land of Fire, so Naruto will no doubt have the opportunity to demonstrate his deity-level strength several more times.

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Naruto Possesses Massive Firepower

Naruto in Six Sage/Kurama Link Mode

In his base form, Naruto is immensely strong. However, when he combines his Six Paths Sage Mode and his Kurama Mode, he is stronger than anything Luffy will ever face. Even if Luffy were to get 10 more Gears, he still wouldn’t be strong enough to stand up to Naruto in this mode.

With so much chakra running through him, Naruto can cause massive destruction with a flick of his wrist. In his final battle with Sasuke, he even destroyed the area around them for miles with one attack. Luffy might be capable of wreaking havoc, but his raw firepower still pales in comparison to Naruto's greatest abilities.

Naruto Fights Well From A Distance

Naruto giving a thumbs-up in Naruto: Shippuden

Since Luffy fights with his actual body, his ability to fight at range is a bit lacking. On the other hand, Naruto can use various techniques and weapons that can be applied from a distance. His signature Wind Release: Rasenshuriken is a weapon made of slicing wind chakra.

Since it is throwable, Naruto can use it without getting into combat range with Luffy. Additionally, Naruto has gotten used to having not only himself in battle, but his Shadow Clones as well. The real Naruto can stand back as his many clones fight Luffy head-on, creating the perfect range combo.

Naruto Can Easily Defend Himself In Water

Naruto manifests his Demon Fox Cloak while standing on water

As someone who ate a Devil Fruit, Monkey D. Luffy is held back by one particular weakness, especially after considering the fact that he is a pirate. He cannot survive in water. This makes Naruto a poor matchup for him, since shinobi are immediately taught how to walk on water by masterfully controlling their chakra.

All Naruto would need to do is get Luffy near a body of water and toss him in. Naruto is also fairly adept at learning new techniques, and there are several that focus on water specifically. With a bit of study and the power of Kurama behind him, Naruto could easily use this advantage to dispatch Luffy.

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Naruto vs. Luffy: The Winner Is Naruto

naruto uzumaki with his hands folded behind his head

There are a lot of reasons that it boils down to Naruto in the end. First and foremost, Luffy may have begun training earlier than Naruto, but Naruto had much better teachers and mentors to guide him once he did begin to train. Comparing their skillsets, many of Luffy's abilities are considered gag or toon powers, meaning they're as silly as they are outrageous. While both characters tend to be a little goofy at times, Naruto's abilities are incredibly focused and serious, and though powerful, Luffy's are on the silly side.

The fact that Naruto's capable of producing shadow clones to fight alongside him and allow his main body to keep a pretty fair distance from ultra-stretchy Luffy gives him an advantage over the pirate that'd be difficult to overcome. Additionally, so long as Naruto still has Kurama and his massive chakra to back him up, he's an unstoppable force for just about any enemy he comes up against. In Baryon mode, Naruto would be quick enough to maneuver himself into a position of advantage while his shadow clones kept Luffy distracted.