While other techniques have been introduced, One Piece‘s defining power system will always be Devil Fruit. Eiichiro Oda came up with a concept that allowed him to incorporate pretty much any ability; if he can imagine it, he can add it to his manga. Over the last 25 years, more than 150 Devil Fruits have been revealed, ranging from predictable elemental-based powers to reality-bending abilities. Even after all these years, One Piece still manages to create new Devil Fruits that are both original and exciting.
If a character is smart and creative enough, they can make good use of any Devil Fruit; however, let’s be honest, some of them just have way higher ceilings than others. In the right (or wrong) hands, an ability can be world-threatening or world-changing, and the most dangerous Devil Fruits turn their users into borderline gods who can instill fear in entire nations.
The focus is on the Devil Fruits, rather than the characters who use them.
Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika (Luffy)
A “Weak” Devil Fruit Awakens And Reveals Its True Overpowered Self
- English Name: Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika
- Previous Name: Gomu Gomu no Mi/Gum-Gum Fruit
- Type: Mythical Zoan
Initially, Luffy’s Gomu Gomu no Mi did not seem particularly strong. Turning the Straw Hat captain’s body into rubber, the Devil Fruit was versatile and more useful than it might have seemed at a glance, but it was elevated greatly by Luffy’s imagination and tenacity. Honestly, an argument could be made that this fairly unspectacular power was among One Piece‘s selling points, as the manga avoided having an OP protagonist.
However, as the story arcs advanced, Luffy gradually started to discover new facets of this Devil Fruit, introducing Gears that greatly enhanced his base strength and speed. This progression culminates in the reveal that Gomu Gomu no Mi is actually called the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit that is one of the most powerful in this universe, even terrifying the World Government. Before Luffy, the Devil Fruit belonged to Joy Boy.
Labeled “Gear 5,” Luffy can essentially bend reality to his will, to the point of altering the emotional states of his opponents and turning the surrounding environment into rubber. As long as he can imagine it, Luffy can potentially create it. Fueled by freedom, the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is purposefully ridiculous, transforming Luffy into a cartoon (yes, One Piece is an anime, but you get the point). Although it has some limitations and is quite exhausting, this Devil Fruit basically transforms Luffy into a deity, granting him incredible physical strength and durability.
Also, I generally try to avoid Meta arguments, but Luffy’s protagonist status also ensures that this Devil Fruit is not static. Even now, when the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is already OP, it might still receive further power boosts.
Gura Gura no Mi (Edward Newgate/Marshall D. Teach)
The Power To Destroy The World
- English Name: Tremor-Tremor Fruit
- Type: Paramecia
Before One Piece‘s time-skip, Whitebeard’s Gura Gura no Mi was presented as one of the absolute strongest Devil Fruit, if not downright the strongest. The World Government believes it has the potential to destroy the world, as it sends out shockwaves that can create earthquakes and tsunamis. In the hands of a powerful enough user, the Devil Fruit’s reach could be devastating, and Whitebeard could destroy islands if he really wanted to. After Newgate’s death, Blackbeard (forcefully) inherited the Gura Gura no Mi, making him the first person to have two Devil Fruits.
Frankly, the Gura Gura no Mi has fallen by the wayside in recent years, and it nowadays lags behind a few of the post-time-skip Devil Fruits. As far as has been revealed, it has not been awakened, and Blackbeard has a long way to go before he becomes as strong with it as Whitebeard. That said, Gura Gura no Mi is still, in theory, one of the most dangerous Devil Fruits in One Piece, even if it might never be used to its full destructive potential.
Yami Yami no Mi (Marshall D. Teach)
No Devil Fruit Powers For You
- English Name: Dark-Dark Fruit
- Type: Logia
Blackbeard does not need to master the Gura Gura no Mi Devil Fruit because he also has Yami Yami no Mi, which is arguably even more dangerous. Its “standard” ability allows Teach to create and control darkness, which can be used to consume objects, people, and attacks. Consequently, Blackbeard is very difficult to take down in a fight, as getting close to him will be a death sentence for most people.
If that was the extent of its capabilities, Yami Yami no Mi would already be among the scariest Devil Fruits in One Piece, but there is one extra feature that takes things up a few levels. It can cancel someone’s Devil Fruit powers through contact, effectively turning them into normal humans who have no way to fight back. Like, that is the type of ability given to OP MCs in light novels, and they usually cannot also create mini black holes.
Magu Magu no Mi (Sakazuki/Akainu)
One Of The Deadliest Devil Fruits
- English Name: Mag-Mag Fruit
- Type: Logia
Akainu controls magma. That pretty much summarizes the Magu Magu no Mi Devil Fruit, which might not make it seem as impressive as Yami Yami no Mi or Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. However, let’s really consider what that means. Akainu can transform his body into pure molten lava, making him immune to nearly every type of attack. He can shoot out magma rockets, rain down attacks from above, or just simply execute melee attacks, making him a HUGE threat in both close-quarters and ranged fights. If he manages to get a direct hit, Akainu will either kill his opponent or leave them scarred.
Magu Magu no Mi is one of the more straightforward OP Devil Fruits in One Piece, as it is just an element Logia type. However, it represents the peak of this category, surpassing Kuzan’s Hie Hie no Mi and arguably even Enel’s Goro Goro no Mi, due to not having an obvious counter like Luffy’s rubber body.
Nikyu Nikyu no Mi (Bartholomew Kuma)
Repel Everything & Anything
- English Name: Paw-Paw Fruit
- Type: Paramecia
“Dangerous” might not be the right word for Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, but it is certainly among the most powerful Devil Fruits in One Piece. Kuma has mostly tried to use it for good, but he has been imprisoned and manipulated by the nobles for most of his run in the show. There is also no guarantee that, after Kuma’s death, the Devil Fruit’s next user will be anywhere near as heroic. In the hands of somebody like Blackbeard or Doflamingo, Nikyu Nikyu no Mi would be terrifying.
Nikyu Nikyu no Mi allows its handler to repel basically anything. As long as Kuma manages to touch his target with the paws on his hands, he can send them flying at such a high speed that they basically vanish into thin air. He can send them to extremely distant places, making him a pretty great option for fast travel. Beyond this aspect, Nikyu Nikyu no Mi can also remove things like pain or memories, as it is not limited to just physical objects.
Hobi Hobi no Mi (Sugar)
In Evil Hands, This Is The Most Dangerous Devil Fruit In One Piece
- English Name: Hobby-Hobby Fruit
- Type: Paramecia
Doflamingo’s reign of terror would not have been possible without Sugar, a (seemingly) little girl who might just have the most powerful Devil Fruit in One Piece. Seriously, Hobi Hobi no Mi is absurd in more ways than one. Firstly, its core ability involves turning people into toys by touching them. That is already impressive, but Sugar can also force her targets into submission through a behavior-controlling contract implemented right after their transformation. Also, her victims are erased from people’s memories, wiping them from history (to an extent).
Surely, that is more than enough? Yet, Hobi Hobi no Mi has other aspects to it. Toys cannot use Devil Fruit powers, so she could realistically take out strong warriors with just a single touch. Conversely, this “benefit” means Sugar cannot create an army of Devil Fruit empowered toy soldiers. The Devil Fruit even freezes its user’s age, granting immortality (but not invulnerability or immunity). As shown by Doflamingo and his crew, Hobi Hobi no Mi is the perfect tool for a dictator, allowing him to manipulate an island’s entire history. If Sugar were able to use this Devil Fruit on Akainu or, heck, Imu, she would change the entire world.
Honorable Mentions
Doku Doku no Mi, Goro Goro no Mi, Ope Ope no Mi, Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu, Soru Soru no Mi, & More
One Piece has so many powerful Devil Fruits, we could not highlight all of them individually. Therefore, here is a quick rundown of some honorable mentions:
- Doku Doku no Mi (Magellan) – Creates different types of poison, which can be deadly enough to wipe out an army.
- Goro Goro no Mi (Enel) – Become and control lightning, which is genuinely god-like. Enel made pretty good use of it, but Luffy’s rubber body was the perfect counter.
- Ope Ope no Mi (Law) – Create a room where you can swap objects or remove body parts (among many other uses). Incredibly potent Devil Fruit that comes with a steep learning curve since it requires a master surgeon/doctor like Law to be used effectively.
- Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Kaido) – Like most Mythical Zoan, this Devil Fruit is extremely powerful. Kaido can transform into a massive dragon.
- Soru Soru no Mi (Big Mom) – Steals the target’s soul/lifespan.
- Hie Hie no Mi (Kuzan) – Transforms body/environment into ice, and the Devil Fruit has a long reach.
- Pika Pika no Mi (Kizaru) – Control light.
