Every One Piece Villain Yet to Fight Luffy, Ranked by Survival Odds

The moment Luffy‘s heart began beating to the “Drums of Liberation” during his final clash with Kaido in Wano, One Piece changed forever. Chapter 1044 didn’t just reveal Gear 5. It unveiled the truth behind Luffy’s Devil Fruit as the mythical Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, transforming him into the legendary Sun God Nika, the warrior said to bring smiles and freedom to the oppressed. In fact, Gear 5 Luffy might soon become stronger than Joy Boy given how the series is progressing.

Since then, every major villain introduced has been judged by one impossible question: Can they actually survive fighting this guy? And that’s exactly why this ranking exists. This list weighs Devil Fruit matchups, Haki, stamina, intelligence, and most importantly, whether each villain has a realistic path to staying alive once the Sun God starts smiling.

9 Gear 5 Luffy Will Effortlessly Outlast Dream Manipulator Killingham

Let’s be honest, Killingham simply hasn’t shown enough to deserve a higher spot. His dream-manipulating powers are creepy and incredibly unique, but Gear 5 Luffy is probably the single worst opponent imaginable for illusion-based abilities. Luffy has always beaten enemies by thinking sideways instead of logically, and Gear 5 amplifies that chaos to absurd levels.

His Haki lets him sense intent, while his awakening literally bends reality around him. Unless Killingham reveals overwhelming Haki or hidden combat feats, his tricks eventually become just another joke Luffy laughs through. Against anyone else, he’d be terrifying. Against the Sun God? He’s surviving only until Luffy gets bored.

8 Gunko Lacks the God-Tier Hax Against an Awakened Emperor of the Sea

Gunko feels dangerous because she’s efficient, not unstoppable. Her Arrow-Arrow Fruit gives her excellent battlefield control, and she’s clearly one of the Holy Knights’ elite fighters. But fighting Gear 5 isn’t about controlling space. It’s about controlling chaos, and that’s impossible. Luffy turns the battlefield itself into a weapon, making rigid strategies fall apart instantly.

Unless Gunko possesses hidden Conqueror’s Haki or an awakened Devil Fruit, she simply doesn’t have the overwhelming hax needed to keep an Emperor down. She’d definitely make Luffy work harder than Killingham, but surviving an entire Gear 5 fight still feels incredibly unlikely, which is why she ranks eighth.

7 Commander-in-Chief Kong Poses Little Threat to Gear 5 Luffy

Kong is probably the hardest character to rank. Former Fleet Admiral and current Commander-in-Chief is a man who sits above Akainu in military authority. On paper, he should be an absolute beast. But paper doesn’t win fights. The truth is brutally simple: we have never actually seen Kong battle.

Reputation matters, but this late in One Piece, reputation alone isn’t enough to justify putting him above villains with actual on-panel feats, which is why he gets the seventh spot. Experience, Haki, and tactical brilliance could absolutely keep him alive longer than expected. Still, until Oda finally lets him throw a punch, betting against Gear 5 feels like wishful thinking.

6 Saint Shamrock Could Give a Fight But Never Overpower Gear 5 Luffy

Shamrock has all the ingredients of a future monster. He’s the commander of the Holy Knights, carries the Figarland name, and Oda clearly wants readers to take him seriously. His swordsmanship, leadership, and his sword with the Devil Fruit Cerberus already scream “endgame villain.”

But here’s the problem: we’re still judging potential more than proof. Narrative hype can only carry someone so far. Until Shamrock demonstrates Emperor-level Haki or durability capable of matching Gear 5’s ridiculous offense, it’s impossible to rank him alongside the monsters above him. He ranks sixth because he’ll absolutely have cool moments, but they’re just probably not enough to stop Luffy from eventually overwhelming him.

5 Lethal Magma Of Akainu Threatens Luffy in Final Revenge Battle

This is where the ranking stops being comfortable. Coming in fifth place, Akainu doesn’t need cartoon powers because every single hit he lands can end the fight. His Mag-Mag Fruit possesses one of the highest offensive outputs in the series, and we already know exactly what it can do because Ace died protecting Luffy from it. That trauma still defines Luffy today.

Unlike Kaido, Akainu won’t stand around admiring Gear 5. He’ll aim to kill immediately. That’s what makes this matchup terrifying. Luffy is probably stronger overall now, but one mistake against living magma could completely change the outcome. Survival becomes much more realistic when your attacks are designed to kill instead of overpower.

4 Elder Nusjuro Could Push Gear 5 Luffy to Extreme Limits

If there’s one Gorosei tailor-made to make Luffy miserable, it’s Nusjuro. Swords have always been one of Luffy’s biggest weaknesses, and Nusjuro combines terrifying swordsmanship with the Shodai Kitetsu with absurd regeneration. His Yokai transformation only makes him even more dangerous, allowing him to pressure opponents relentlessly without worrying about conventional injuries.

Gear 5 can eventually overcome almost anything, but beating someone who simply refuses to stay down is exhausting. Nusjuro doesn’t need to overpower Luffy. He only needs to survive long enough for Gear 5’s stamina limitations to become a factor. That’s exactly why he ranks this high and claims the fourth spot.

3 Saint Figarland Garling Would Be Tough Even For Gear 5 Luffy to Beat

Ranking third is the Garling, who has that unmistakable final-boss energy. Even before joining the Gorosei, he was feared as the legendary “Champion” of God Valley, a title that instantly carries enormous weight in One Piece lore, and was also the Commander of the God Knights before his son, Shamrock, took over after he went on to become a Gorosei. Now that he occupies one of the highest seats in the World Government, it’s hard not to believe his combat ability has reached another level entirely.

Experience matters. Ruthlessness matters. Haki matters. Garling has likely spent decades defeating the world’s strongest opponents while barely breaking a sweat. If he also shares the Gorosei’s regenerative abilities, Luffy would have to solve another nearly impossible puzzle before he could even think about winning.

2 Blackbeard’s Void Powers Could Neutralize Sun God Gear 5 Luffy

No villain scares me more in a straight matchup than Blackbeard. In fact, his ranking second is a no-brainer. Not because he’s physically stronger than Kaido. But because he breaks every rule that makes Gear 5 unfair. The Dark-Dark Fruit can nullify Devil Fruit powers through direct contact, meaning Luffy’s greatest advantage could disappear the moment Teach grabs him.

Add the Tremor-Tremor Fruit’s island-shattering power, unpredictable fighting style, and his habit of exploiting weaknesses instead of fighting honorably, and suddenly Gear 5 doesn’t look invincible anymore. Blackbeard isn’t cleaner than Luffy. He isn’t tougher. He isn’t faster. He’s simply the worst possible matchup. And sometimes, that’s even more dangerous.

1 Imu Pushes Sun God to the Very Brink of Absolute Extinction

Let’s stop pretending this won’t be the biggest fight Oda has ever written. Everything in One Piece points toward Luffy versus Imu as the story’s true climax. Sun God Nika versus the mysterious ruler who has manipulated the world from the shadows for centuries. Imu has already brutally overpowered Luffy once in Chapter 1189. We still don’t fully understand Imu’s abilities, but that’s exactly what makes him terrifying. Kingdoms disappear at his command. The Gorosei answer only to him. Even the Void Century revolves around his existence.

Narratively, nobody else belongs at number one. If Gear 5 was born to liberate humanity, then Imu exists to prove that even the Sun God can bleed. And if Luffy is ever pushed to the absolute brink of extinction, it won’t happen against anyone else. It will happen here, in the battle the entire series has been building toward for three decades.

Here is a ranked table:

RankVillain

1	Imu
2	Blackbeard
3	Garling
4	Elder Nusjuro
5	Akainu
6	Commander-in-Chief Kong
7	Saint Shamrock
8	Gunko
9	Killingham

Which villain do you think has the best chance of surviving against Gear 5 Luffy? Comment down.