The following article contains spoilers for the One Piece Egghead arc.
I don’t know about you, but there are several topics in One Piece that really get my adrenaline pumping. One of them is knowing that Conqueror’s Haki exists and that some of my favorite characters were born with this undeniably rad power.
So, let’s backtrack a little here. Conqueror’s Haki is an ability possessed only by a select few characters from birth. This implies that, in order to wield Conqueror’s Haki, characters must possess the qualities of a king and are therefore known as “Supreme Rulers.” Only one in a million people is born with this ability, and it cannot be learned or awakened like the other two Haki types, making it all the more unique and, well, badass.
Understanding this, we’re also aware that only a few characters have demonstrated their Conqueror’s Haki in the series, and even fewer have been depicted knocking out entire crews just by their mere presence. Coincidentally, every entry on this list can use all three types of Haki as well, so, let’s list them all for you.
Shanks
At this point in the story, we’ve already established that Shanks is one of — if not the — most powerful Conqueror’s Haki users in One Piece. Not only was he the first character to use it in the series, but every single time the Emperor appears, his Haki is enough to completely obliterate crews from miles away. Considering he’s one of the strongest characters without a Devil Fruit, we don’t doubt his Haki for one second.
Silvers Rayleigh
You’ll likely notice a pattern on this list: if a powerful captain has Conqueror’s Haki, chances are their right hand will too. Rayleigh was the right hand of Gol D. Roger, the First Mate of the Roger Pirates, and he was known as the ‘Dark King.’ Naturally, he had to live up to his title. He was one of the first characters we see using Conqueror’s Haki at the auction in the Sabaody Archipelago arc, and then again when he saved Boa Hancock from Blackbeard’s clutches. He also taught Luffy how to properly master all three types of Haki. To be able to teach, he must truly excel at it.
Former Emperors – Kaido and Big Mom
All three of the former Emperors of the Sea — namely Kaido and Big Mom — are Conqueror’s Haki users. Throughout the series, we’ve seen each of them using Conqueror’s Haki at vastly different times. Kaido split the skies during his fight with Luffy, showcasing his advanced and extremely powerful Conqueror’s Haki. Granted, we’re not yet sure if they’re still alive, but we’re going on a whim and assuming that the Former Emperors are still around somehow.
Charlotte Katakuri
The right-hand saga continues this time with Big Mom’s first Commander, Katakuri. After watching Whole Cake Island, we’re naturally more accustomed to seeing Katakuri’s advanced Observation Haki — after all, he essentially taught Luffy how to glimpse into the future. Although subservient to Big Mom, as her right hand, Katakuri naturally also possesses the power to use Conqueror’s Haki and all the traits needed to be a leader. Alongside Luffy, Katakuri released a large burst of Conqueror’s Haki to knock out his sister Flampe after she interrupted their fight.
Boa Hancock
Apart from Big Mom, I can confidently say that Boa Hancock is one of the most powerful female characters in One Piece — especially considering she is one of the rare few proficient in all three types of Haki. While she often appeared in Amazon Lily as a gag character, anyone bold enough to deem her weak might as well be considered a dead man. Although she has not been shown using Conqueror’s Haki, we know she is highly skilled in all forms of combat, primarily relying on her Devil Fruit as her main source of fighting prowess.
Monkey D. Luffy
Our protagonist, Luffy, captain of the Straw Hats Grand Fleet and one of the four Emperors of the Sea, has also awakened his Conqueror’s Haki quite early on in the series — and oh, what Haki it is. Of course, it was only a matter of time before we saw Luffy’s Conqueror’s — he was born to be a fearless leader, after all — but we were not expecting it to be such a monumental event every time he used it. Luffy’s first time using Conqueror’s was during his battle with Iron Mask Duval, as he stopped the raging bull, Motobar. However, over time, we’ve seen Luffy using it time and time again, including Advanced Conqueror’s Haki which is capable of splitting the skies. That’s our captain.
Roronoa Zoro
No one truly expected to see Zoro as a Conqueror’s Haki user, but truthfully, we should have seen this coming. As Luffy becomes stronger with each passing arc, his crew must follow suit. However, the first time Zoro used Conqueror’s Haki was in Dressrosa during his fight with Fodder — but it was entirely unconscious. Only when he was properly challenged by Kaido did Zoro consciously use Conqueror’s Haki, becoming capable of infusing objects and items with it almost instantly.
Monkey D. Garp
Of course, Luffy had to come from a completely overpowered lineage of Conqueror’s users — it’s in his DNA. Well, technically, we’re not yet positive that Monkey D. Dragon can use it, but who are we kidding? Regardless, we know that Garp likely long awakened his Conqueror’s Haki, although his first instance of using it was in the Egghead arc. During his fight on Pirate Island against the Blackbeard Pirates, Garp infused his fist with Conqueror’s and Armament Haki, delivering a demonically powerful punch called ‘Galaxy Impact.’ It truly showed us why he is seen as the Hero of the Marines.
Yamato
Much like his father, Yamato is also one of the few living characters in One Piece capable of using Conqueror’s Haki — in fact, he is expertly skilled in utilizing all three types of Haki. Throughout Wano, we’ve witnessed him using Haki time and time again. He first awakened this ability as a child when he knocked out several of Kaido’s subordinates. Later, during his confrontation with his own father (where he held his own), he imbued his weapon with Haki, managing to injure Kaido. In fact, he even inflicted damage upon Admiral Ryokugyu using his Conqueror’s Haki alone.
Donquixote Doflamingo
Not all of the Warlords of the Sea were born with Conqueror’s Haki — but it only makes sense that Doflamingo was one of the few able to use it. Born a Celestial Dragon, forced to give up his title, and harboring enough hatred and ambition to fuel an entire planet, of course, Doflamingo had to live up to his bloodline. We see his powerful Conqueror’s Haki during his foot clash with Luffy, where both captains use their Conqueror’s to push each other’s foot — only, Luffy was trying to save Law, whereas Doflamingo was trying to kill him. Well, not everyone who has Conqueror’s needs to be a good person.
Chinjao
Due to his brief appearance in the series, we may easily overlook Chinjao. However, the former captain and leader of the Chinjao Family is one of the few living users of Conqueror’s Haki in One Piece. Although we only encountered him at the Corrida Colosseum in Dressrosa, his bounty of 542,000,000 is sufficient evidence of his threat level, comparable to other powerful Conqueror’s Haki users. It’s fortunate that he’s part of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
Sengoku
Sengoku is the type of character that is often forgotten, yet he consistently makes the cut when it comes to lists containing some of the most powerful stances and powers in the entire One Piece series. Despite his old age, the former Fleet Admiral of the Marines remains a user of Conqueror’s Haki — and supposedly, an expert at it. Although it is confirmed that he is proficient in all three types of Haki, we have yet to witness him in action in the series, but we don’t doubt his expertise for one bit.
The Five Elders
The most recent addition to the list of Conqueror’s Haki users is, actually, the Five Elders. Truthfully, it’s not at all surprising to see them on this list — they are a council of the five highest-ranking Celestial Dragons, and we know that in order to be one of the Three Great Powers, they had to prove their worth and strength. At this point in the story, we’ve only witnessed Marcus Mars’ intimidating Conqueror’s Haki, but we’re sure all the other elders will reveal their own Haki in their own time.