‘One Piece’ vs. the Marvel Universe: Which Characters Would Win (Comparison)?
We know that there are a lot of different fictional universes with powerful characters and entities. Comic book fans have been reading about how their superheroes accomplished incredible things for decades now. On the other hand, manga fans are the same way, and over the years, we have seen shōnen manga and anime produce mostly power and battle-driven content where very powerful beings are involved. Using these two facts, we have decided to have a bit of fun and compare two fictional universes in total. In this special article, we are actually going to pit two famous universes against one another to decide which fictional universe is stronger – One Piece or the Marvel Universe.
Although it is a close call, One Piece characters would probably be able to triumph over most of Marvel’s characters, save for the cosmic entities that are omnipotent, but that wouldn’t be a fair fight really. If we’re balancing it out with characters of the same type (as One Piece doesn’t have such omnipotent characters), One Piece definitely triumphs over Marvel.
The Marvel universe indeed has a lot of different incredibly strong characters, but we could also say the same about the characters of the One Piece universe, which has plenty of characters that can easily destroy planets with their powers. But we’re going to get into this discussion in greater detail. The article is, as usual, going to be divided into several individual categories, as we are going to compare the two universes from the perspective of each of these individual categories and then give you a conclusion based on the points we have assigned to one universe or the other.
Strength and physical capabilities
One Piece
Well, in terms of physical power and strengths, fans of One Piece will know that there are a lot of powerhouse characters in the series, but also characters who would be completely useless in a fight. This is because One Piece is an adventure series, and while there is a lot of shonen-style fighting, the focus has always been on the adventure part and the exploration of a new world. But, in the end, it is the balance that matters.
Namely, when you actually consider the weakest and strongest characters in the series, you’ll realize that the polar opposites are quite far from each other, but when you look at the middle, you’ll see that there is a perfect balance as all characters could, in one way or another, fit into a common drawer, which means that there are no major differences between most characters; what makes a difference is a minor detail, usual, which is good in that aspect.
The weakest One Piece characters are completely useless, and they wouldn’t really be useful in a fight against anyone. They’re physically weak, they have no powers whatsoever, and they can be taken down with a single punch.
On the other hand, One Piece has a lot of powerhouses, both among the pirates and among the other characters. Just think of Shanks, Whitebeard, Kaido, Garp, or the Giants; you can even add Zoro to this equation, as his physical power is exceptional. These characters are so powerful that they could measure up to anyone, and due to the fact that anime is usually more ridiculous in terms of powers and abilities than other genres, they’re probably even more dangerous than you’d think.
Marvel
The Hulk, Thor, and Hercules are just a few of the physically dominant characters in the Marvel Universe. Given that Hercules is claimed to possess limitless power, all of these figures are capable of lifting vast quantities of weight. Additionally, there are characters that are skilled at traveling at breakneck speeds and can swiftly switch between planets without the need for any special apparatus.
Sentry, in particular, is one of the most powerful superheroes in Marvel history since he is able to perform some feats that other superheroes can, but at a level that is far higher. He has the ability to travel at the speed of light and lift enormous amounts of weight. Men with the strength of Sentry, Hulk, and Gladiator can move and obliterate planets by themselves.
Then there are cosmic beings with immense physical prowess, such as Galactus, Knull, and the Cosmic Pantheon, who can wipe out planets and rule over entire universes. These aliens allegedly possess physical talents that are unimaginable.
In order to compensate for their lack of superpowers, some Marvel characters are also skilled hand-to-hand combatants. These include characters like Black Widow and the Punisher. And these characters can defeat opponents that possess superpowers but lack the fighting prowess of these characters.
Conclusion
Looking back at these commentaries, it is difficult to give a straightforward answer. Namely, the Marvel Universe definitely has a more diverse set of characters, but aside from some cosmic beings, the others are either on the same level or, in most cases, weaker than One Piece characters. As we’ve said, balance is important, so we have to split the points in our first category, as we cannot determine a winner between these two fictional universes.
Points: One Piece 1, Marvel Universe 1
Special powers and abilities
One Piece
One Piece, interestingly enough, doesn’t have superheroes. It has characters that have superhuman powers and abilities, but it doesn’t really have superheroes or supervillains like other universes. Oda’s universe is magical in that aspect, but all the powers and abilities we’ve seen are normal for that universe, and while not all characters have supernatural abilities, they are nothing that would make them look like gods to most other characters.
The main source of supernatural powers in One Piece are the Devil Fruits. The Devil Fruits are exceptionally powerful fruits that grant the consumer incredible powers. They also vary from useless to practical to ridiculously overpowered in every way imaginable. Whitebeard’s Devil Fruit allowed him to create earthquakes, Luffy’s turned him into the Sun God Nika, Blackbeard’s allowed him to control darkness, Crocodile’s turned him into sand and made him invulnerable, and so on. These powers are actually quite impressive, and with it, One Piece Characters can compete with any other universe.
The second major power is the Haki, whose three forms – Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s Haki – give each character a big power boost. Many characters can use one or two types of Haki, but only the strongest ones can actually use all three, and these characters are the creme de la creme of the One Piece universe – Shanks, Silvers, Whitebeard, Luffy, Ace, Boa Hancock, Katakuri, Big Mom, Kaidou, Sengoku, Donquixote Doflamingo, Chinjao, Zoro, Eustass Kid, Yamato, Garp, Oden, and Gol D. Roger. These characters are almost invincible with these powers and if they have an additional Devil Fruit.
There are also numerous other powers in the series, especially when weapons are concerned, as well as technology. The World Government possesses some extremely powerful weapons. The Pacifista and the Seraphim are exceptionally powerful; you also have the Vinsmoke family’s science, as well as powerful swordsmen, such as Mihawk and Zoro.
Marvel
The Marvel Universe has a special quality in that each character is distinct in their own right due to their individual differences in capabilities and prowess. For instance, Tony Stark is a typical human with the intelligence and wealth necessary to build armored suits powerful enough to repel godlike creatures. Of course, godlike creatures like Thor can control thunder. And there’s also Loki. Enough said.
There are also characters with cosmic abilities, like Captain Marvel. She can shoot energy beams through her body and even improve her physical talents thanks to her amazing abilities.
Of course, there are also others who possess magical talents, such as Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange. The mystic arts can be used by Strange thanks to his mystical skills. In contrast, Scarlet Witch has darker abilities that give her the capacity to control reality itself.
The mutants are also immensely powerful individuals with a range of unique skills and talents. Professor X has the power to “fry” his opponent’s brain by entering their minds with his telepathic talents. Some are more physical in nature, like Wolverine, who can instantly heal from any wound or injury because of a healing factor.
The Cosmic Pantheon, the Living Tribunal, the Beyonder, and the One Above All are examples of extremely potent cosmic beings who are nearly omnipotent. Due to their strength, these characters have abilities that let them accomplish everything.
Conclusion
This is a very tricky category as well. Namely, if you disregard the cosmic deities, One Piece certainly triumphs because both the Haki and the Devil Fruits and the weapons seen in the series that can destroy whole islands surpass even the magic in Marvel. But, the cosmic beings cause a bit of a problem, as One Piece seemingly doesn’t have such omnipotent characters. Again, for the sake of balance, we’ll have to split the points, as Marvel’s only trump card are its cosmic beings, whereas One Piece characters would trash the others without too many problems.
Points: One Piece 2, Marvel Universe 2
Prominent characters
One Piece
One Piece has some real powerhouses if we’re just focusing on the prominent characters. The focus is, of course, on Luffy’s crew, and while we can remove Chopper, Nami, and Usopp from the equation when fighting is concerned (at least serious fighting, it’s not like they’re helpless), we’re still left with Nico Robin, Jinbei, Franky, Brooks, Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy, which is amazing.
After unlocking the true potential of his Devil Fruit and activating Gear 5, Luffy himself has become a ridiculously overpowered entity.
A lot of supporting characters are also exceptionally strong. There’s Shanks, who is a powerhouse in his own right; there’s Monkey D. Garp, one of the physically strongest characters in the series; the late Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger, as well as the latter’s late son, Portgas D. Ace. Sabo cannot be ignored either, and Monkey D. Dragon is probably a powerhouse as well. And this is to only name a few.
The series also has some amazingly powerful antagonists, including many of the Marine admirals, the newly-introduced God’s Knights, and some powerful pirates, like Blackbeard, Kaidou, and Big Mom. All of these guys, as well as many others, are exceptionally powerful and deserve respect.
Now, One Piece does not have omnipotent cosmic entities, but the character of Imu could be close to that, although we’ll still have to see what his exact role in the story is going to be.
Marvel
The original Avengers, which include individuals like Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, and Thor, among others, are the most well-known Marvel characters. The two sturdiest members of the original Avengers are Hulk and Thor. But the Avengers have also widened their ranks to include super-strong figures like Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch, who can both take on just about anyone in Marvel.
Sentry is frequently referred to as the most powerful Earth-based superhero in comic books because of his ability to change molecules and his virtually indestructible nature. Even while Molecule Man may not be as well known, he is nonetheless a powerful character.
In contrast, there are a ton of strong characters in Marvel that serve as the antagonists. Reality can be changed by Thanos and his Infinity Stones. Galactus has the power to consume entire worlds. And Knull was a creature that predated time itself.
Of certainly, there are cosmic beings with powers that allow them to rule over the entire cosmos. The Living Tribunal is frequently recognized as the second-most powerful deity in the Marvel universe, after the supreme god. The Beyonder, an “invader” from the Marvel reality, is powerful enough to destroy the Living Tribunal in the meanwhile. Of course, the almighty deity of the Marvel universe is the One Above All.
Conclusion
Regarding the final category, we have to say that the most prominent Marvel characters would lose to the most prominent One Piece characters. If it came down to such a fight, Luffy and the rest would win. Namely, Marvel’s cosmic entities are secondary characters, while the universe’s most prominent characters, the original Avengers, aren’t as powerful as the likes of Luffy, Zoro, Shanks, or Whitebeard. This is why One Piece ultimately wins the final point.
Points: One Piece 3, Marvel Universe 2
One Piece probably triumphs over Marvel, but the cosmic beings are a problem that we cannot solve in this article
The points suggest that the characters from the One Piece universe are a tad stronger than the ones from Marvel’s universe, and we can only agree, but there is a catch. Namely, we have to exclude Marvel’s omnipotent cosmic characters, as One Piece doesn’t have such characters, so it wouldn’t be a fair fight. If we’re only using characters of the same type, especially the most prominent ones, Luffy, Shanks, Whitebeard, Garp, Roger, Zoro, Ace, and the others, we could easily beat Marvel’s Avengers and the most prominent villains of that universe.
