Devil Fruits’ powers come in all shapes and forms. From bending the elements to reshaping nature to manipulating one’s own body, there are devil fruits for every occasion. But let’s focus on combat for a second. After all, this is the one area where we get to see Devil Fruit users shine the brightest. And when it comes to combat, nothing is as intense and exciting as melee fights. With that in mind, here are the 7 best Devil Fruits for close-range combat.
Before we move forward, however, there are a few caveats. This list will focus only on close-range offensive prowess. This means devil fruits that are inherently versatile, such as those that belong to the Logia family, won’t be in the list. Likewise, from Dalton the Bison to Kaidou the Azure Dragon, every single Zoan user is inherently a close-range combat specialist. We don’t want this list to be filled with nothing but Zoan users, so we decided to exclude them as well. What’s left is 90+ Paramecia-type Devil Fruits. Among them, these 7 Devil Fruits are the best at melee fights.
Ton-Ton Fruit
Crushing Weight Attacks
- Japanese Name: Ton Ton no Mi
- User: Machvise
- First Appearance: Episode 667
Ton-Ton Fruits allows its user, Machvise of the Donquixote Pirates, to shift his weight in the order of metric tons. He can freely change his body weight anywhere from a couple of kilograms to tens of thousands of tons in seconds. This devil fruit is, in essence, the upgraded version of a similar fruit called Kilo-Kilo Fruit that was eaten by a character named Ms. Valentine, who appeared back in the Alabasta arc.
Machvise’s favorite offensive move is a body slam. But unlike a regular ol’ body slam, the Ton-Ton Fruits enables the Donquixote powerhouse to build up immense momentum through a rapid shift in weight. The result is a body slam that can crack the earth open.
Spike-Spike Fruit
Conjuring Thorns and Spikes
- Japanese Name: Toge Toge no Mi
- User: Zala
- First Appearance: Episode 117
Spike-Spike Fruit allows its user, Zala (Miss Doublefinger) of the Baroque Works, to turn any part of her body into spikes. She can freely control the size, the sharpness, and the number of spikes. This power is not only perfect for offense, but it is great for defense as well. Since her spikes are not only sharp but also extremely durable, she can easily pierce through a solid stone wall with them.
Miss Doublefinger mainly uses her spikes for a piercing attack, just like a rapier. She will charge towards her opponents with an arm, or sometimes hair as well, full of spikes, and then extend those spikes to put holes all over her opponent’s body. This tactic works especially well for those who haven’t fought her before.
Heat-Heat Fruit
Blazing Brute Force
- Japanese Name: Netsu Netsu no Mi
- User: Charlotte Oven
- First Appearance: Episode 827
Heat-Heat Fruit allows its user, Charlotte Oven of the Big Mom Pirates, to increase his body temperature rapidly. The heat he generates is so intense, a single touch can melt solid iron. Oven can also transfer his heat into other objects, such as his custom-made Naginata, in order to make his attacks even deadlier than before.
Every attack from Oven carries an additional burning damage. His punches will break bones and sear the skin, while his Naginata will cut the flesh and scorch the wound. Similar to Miss Doublefinger, Oven’s Heat-Heat Fruit is great for both offense and defense. After all, anybody who dares to throw punches and kicks at his body will end up with a burned arm or leg. Even bullets and swords will instantly melt upon contact with his blazing skin.
Dice-Dice Fruit
Blades Born from Flesh
- Japanese Name: Supa Supa no Mi
- User: Daz Bonez
- First Appearance: Episode 103
Dice-Dice Fruit allows its user, Daz Bonez (Mr. 1) of the Baroque Works, to turn any part of his body into blades. From transforming his fingers into razor-sharp knives to reshaping his arms and legs into giant cleavers, everything in his body can be a dangerous weapon. Since these blades are basically Mr. 1’s body, they are extremely durable as well. In fact, its durability is easily on par with the famous Grade Swords.
While Mr. 1 never considers himself a swordsman, he is still well-versed in the arts of swordsmanship. But his ability to generate blades in any shape and size makes him way more versatile than a regular swordsman. When it comes to pure slicing prowess, he is easily the strongest on this list.
Bomb-Bomb Fruit
Instant Explosive Strikes
- Japanese Name: Bomu Bomu no Mi
- User: Gem
- First Appearance: Episode 65
Bomb-Bomb Fruit allows its user, Gem (Mr. 5) of the Baroque Works, to cause an explosion with any part of his body. From his punch to his spit, he can make anything from his body explode. The strength of his explosion is about the same as a regular hand grenade, but there’s no limit to how many explosions he can trigger. And while he can freely control the timing of the explosions, they mostly happen upon contact. This means he has no cooldown and no need for recharge.
Mr. 5 is one of the rare cases of strong devil fruits in the hands of a weak fighter. In the story, Zoro and Luffy defeated him fairly easily, but based on what we know about the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, he should’ve been way more lethal than that. Any melee attacks that made contact with his body would’ve triggered an instant explosion that would have blown the enemy away. His jabs, hooks, and kicks combo would’ve caused a chain of explosions that would send even the toughest enemy flying. But alas, a strong devil fruit can’t help a weak and unimaginative fighter. This devil fruit is absolutely wasted on Mr. 5.
Pop-Pop Fruit
The Detonation Specialist
- Japanese Name: Pamu Pamu no Mi
- User: Gladius
- First Appearance: Episode 653
Pop-Pop Fruit allows its user, Gladius of the Donquixote Pirates, to cause any part of his body or any inorganic objects that he touches to rupture and explode. Though both fruits dabble in explosions, the Pop-Pop Fruit can cause way more damage than the Bomb-Bomb Fruit. But unlike Mr. 5, who can trigger an explosion upon contact, Gladius needs to charge his rupture first. The longer he charges it, the bigger the explosions will be.
Gladius usually charges up his arms first before unleashing powerful explosions that can kill his enemies in a single attack. But he can also use his article of clothing, such as his hat or his coat, to launch deadly shrapnel at his surroundings. If he fights within a confined space, such as a room or hallway, he can also rupture the walls and floors, which trigger even bigger explosions that can take out multiple enemies at the same time.
Strong-Strong Fruit
Strength Beyond Limits
- Japanese Name: Riki Riki no Mi
- User: Jesus Burgess
- First Appearance: Episode 1093
Strong-Strong Fruit allows its user, Jesus Burgess of the Blackbeard Pirates, to enhance his physical strength exponentially. Thanks to this fruit, Burgess can do all sorts of mind-blowing things that no other person can do, such as lifting a mountain without breaking a sweat. Currently, there’s no limit to how strong he can be.
In terms of raw physical strength alone, Jesus Burgess is stronger than even the legendary race of ancient giants. Granted, he is all strength and no speed. Not only that, but his overreliance on physical strength also makes him neglect learning any sort of martial arts. However, all it takes is a single punch for him to take down his enemy.
No amount of speed, agility, martial arts skill, or strange powers will matter if Burgess lands his mountain-crushing hook on the enemy’s head. That’s why his opponent has to keep their distance. If they are forced to engage in melee combat, then they need to do their best to evade his attacks. And that is why the Strong-Strong Fruit reigns supreme in close-range combat.
