Buggy vs. Mihawk: Who Would Win in a Fight?

One Piece is an anime that certainly has its fair share of strong and powerful characters. And while its protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, has most often been featured in our One Piece-related comparisons, this one is not going to focus on Luffy at all. Namely, the protagonists of this comparison are going to be Buggy the Clown, the guy who became a legend despite all odds and no one knowing how and why, and Dracule Mihawk, the best swordsman in the world of One Piece. In this article, we are going to analyze the two, as we are going to pit Buggy against Mihawk to finally determine who the stronger of the two is.

Dracule Mihawk wins against Buggy anywhere and under any conditions. The difference in strength and skill between them is so big that Buggy’s relatively practical Devil Fruit powers would be completely useless against Mihawk, as they would not help him win. He might hold out for a while, but Mihawk is so much more skilled that Buggy could not even hurt him and would ultimately be defeated.

The rest of this article will further elaborate on the above-given answer as we will compare Buggy and Mihawk in more detail. Through several categories, you will see who the stronger of the two is and why our answer is like it is, i.e., why Mihawk would ultimately be able to defeat Buggy.

Physical powers

Although not as powerful as other former Roger Pirates, Buggy is a very capable fighter; he is strong enough to survive all the battles against Whitebeard’s crew and the extreme dangers of the Grand Line. While he was a major opponent at the beginning of the series, he became less of a threat when more powerful enemies appeared.

Finally, in the Impel Down Saga, several prisoners, such as Baroque Works agents or Jinbe, commented on his incredible weakness. However, he can still survive ordeals that even the most powerful people cannot (albeit with help). Buggy has very high stamina, as he survived the blast from a Muggy Ball redirected at him. He also possesses great physical strength, as he was able to pick up and choke one of his subordinates with one hand.

Mihawk’s enormous superhuman physical strength, which he complements with his mastery of swordsmanship, contributes to his talents as the most formidable master swordsman in the world.

Mihawk can quickly produce extremely potent compressed air slashes or streams of energy with enormous range, which are powerful enough to effortlessly rip apart battleships and a mountain of ice. A tough swordsman with great strength, Zoro, was likewise stopped by him using only the dagger he clutched in one hand. Mihawk possesses exceptional agility and can jump and leap great distances and heights. He moves quickly enough to offset Luffy’s Gear Second’s increased speed. He also has exceptional reflexes.

Despite Buggy being bulked up at one point, Mihawk simply overpowers him with ease. Buggy is more or less useless against any strong opponent, and Mihawk is simply levels above him in every aspect.

Points: Buggy 0, Mihawk 1

Devil Fruit

Buggy ate the Paramecia-type Bara Bara no Mi, allowing him to take his body apart and put it back together like a jigsaw puzzle. Furthermore, his body automatically splits if he is hit by a bladed weapon, to which he is completely immune. Buggy can split both horizontally and vertically. Once detached from the body, the pieces can float in the air at will so as not to provide a clear target for the enemy. However, the feet are unable to levitate, and once Buggy splits into parts, they can only fly a limited distance from the feet.

Like Zoro, Shanks, and some other powerful characters, Dracule Mihawk has not consumed any Devil Fruit in his life and owes his powers and abilities to his natural skills and his training. Dracule Mihawk is a formidable fighter, and the fact that he has achieved all of that without any help, simply thanks to his training, makes it even more impressive. There is a reason why Mihawk is considered to be the best swordsman in the world of One Piece, and we can only confirm that from this position.

This category is fairly easy, as Mihawk does not have a Devil Fruit, unlike Buggy, who does. In light of that fact, Buggy definitely wins this point, and there is no dilemma about it, but we have to note that it wouldn’t be of much use to him, really.

Points: Buggy 1, Mihawk 1

Haki

There are three types of Haki in the world of One Piece. Only the most powerful pirates can use all three; stronger pirates usually use two of them, while other characters – in most cases – use at least one. How many can Buggy use? None. The guy is so silly and incompetent that he is the only known Yonko who cannot use any type of Haki, which is a feat in itself. How he became such a notorious pirate with such an obvious lack of skills (save for his luck) is beyond us, but he is here and well… yeah.

Mihawk can use at least two of the three types of Haki. Mihawk possesses great mastery with Observation Haki, being able to keep up with Luffy while he used Gear Second with great ease. Like Luffy and Otohime, Mihawk can also detect people’s emotions. It has been confirmed that he can use Armament Haki, as in Zoro’s fight against Pica.

It is shown in a flashback as Mihawk tells him about the power of his black sword and tells him that he should be able to turn his katanas into swords just like him. He even makes it a condition for Zoro that he can’t drink alcohol again as long as he doesn’t make it. There is also a possibility that he can use Conquerors Haki, but that has not been confirmed yet.

Yeah, as far as Buggy is concerned – the guy is so useless that he cannot use even one type of Haki, which speaks for itself. Mihawk clearly wins this point, and that is about it.

Points: Buggy 1, Mihawk 2

Weapons

Buggy seems to prefer bladed weapons, most favored by the use of knives. He tends to keep a single knife at a time or three between his fingers and can apparently perform small feats, cutting or stabbing his enemies.

Buggy seems to carry an impressive number of such weapons on his person at all times, some of which he prefers to keep hidden under his gloves or in his shoes (where he also has blades and attacks directly with his feet). He was also seen with a sword in a (failed) attempt to cut off Luffy’s head in Loguetown. Inside Impel Down, he initially wielded a tomahawk and used a pistol used by one of the jailers.

Mihawk wears a pendant cross knife around his neck. He is shown using it as a tool for eating, but when combined with his swordsmanship abilities, it can also be a devastating weapon that can take out any swordsman with less or average competence, including Zoro, who used three swords in their combat.

It was the smallest blade he owned, said Mihawk. Yoru, a black sword, is Mihawk’s primary weapon. The Yoru is a single-edged, human-sized sword with a cross-shaped tip at the tip. He only draws this sword when someone challenges him for his title and has the courage to do so or the strength to do so; otherwise, his Kogatana suffices.

Mihawk is known as the series’ best swordsman, whereas Buggy is… useless. He can hold a sword and maybe defeat a kid with it, but Mihawk could – as he did – slice him up easily like a piece of salami.

Points: Buggy 1, Mihawk 3

Mihawk easily defeats Buggy under any conditions

And now for our article’s most important and interesting section – the analysis. Here, we will use what we have learned about these two characters and analyze how all these facts would (or would not) help them in a fight against each other. Let us continue.

And while we really like to write up our analyses and explain – in more or less detail – why a certain character is or is not stronger than the other, Buggy made this quite easy. Buggy was formidable in the beginning when we first met him. Later, he became a weak and useless wannabe pirate who used his luck, and god knows what to become a Warlord of the Sea and later even a Yonko.

The guy pulled it off – he became a Yonko, in the same category as Shanks, Whitebeard, Blackbeard, Luffy, Kaidou, and Big Mom – without even knowing any Haki… how… well, it’s a mystery, but a mystery whose implication on this duel is such that we can easily conclude that Buggy would stand no chance against Mihawk in a fight.