Luffy's Gears in One Piece, ranked by overall strength

Ever since One Piece’s Enies Lobby arc, central protagonist Monkey D. Luffy’s primary transformations have been his Gears. It is important to note that Gear Second, Third, Fourth, and the recently debuted Gear Fifth are all incredibly powerful in their own unique ways.

Some prioritize speed and impact strength, while others are mighty in size and grandeur for larger enemies and obstacles. One of the gears even combines the two, while another is so unique that it is unlike any other.

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While no Gears are truly weak in One Piece, a hierarchy exists

Here are all of Luffy’s Gears in One Piece, ranked by overall strength in combat from weakest to strongest.

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4) Gear Third

Luffy preparing to use Gear Third (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite being the largest in size with the maximum area of effect, Gear Third is most likely One Piece’s weakest gear when it comes to strength in combat. The giant moves are incredibly predictable, and can be dodged even by those without honed Observation Haki, if they’re quick enough.

While Gear Third is incredibly useful for larger opponents, it is Luffy’s least-used Gear in the New World. Despite being incredibly versatile and powerful in pre-time-skip One Piece, it seems to have fallen to the wayside against New World enemies.

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3) Gear Second

Gear Second as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Gear Second is Luffy’s way of enhancing his speed by using his rubber body to quickly pump blood throughout himself. The technique allows him to become one of One Piece’s fastest characters, which subsequently strengthens the force and impact of each of his blows.

Although incredibly dangerous to the point of shortening his lifespan, Gear Second is one of the more powerful forms in combat. It is generally Luffy’s go-to form in the early stages of a fight. The series showed it to be effective against some of One Piece’s major villains. Despite not being the strongest in combat, Gear Second is certainly far from the weakest.

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2) Gear Fourth

Gear Fourth and its various forms combine the best features of Gear Third and Gear Second. Luffy can move nearly as fast as Gear Second, while being able to launch attacks of the same size as Gear Third. The form’s use of Armament Haki further solidifies it as stronger than its two predecessors.

One Piece has shown three main Gear Fourth types, namely Snakeman, Bounceman, and Tankman. While the first two are more serious and powerful, the use of the last is circumstantial.

Snakeman closely resembles Gear Second in its speed, while Bounceman resembles Gear Third in its strength and power. Tankman is essentially an engorged Luffy who is able to take tons of hits and still be in a condition to fight. With three different useful forms, Gear Fourth is one of the strongest Gears overall in the series.

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1) Gear Fifth

It hasn't been long since this Gear made its debut on the series, but it’s already clear that Gear Fifth is the most powerful tool in Luffy’s arsenal in One Piece. The form has allowed him to defy reality, quite literally, with the Gorosei describing the Awakened power as being limited only by the user’s imagination.

In addition to providing incredible endurance and seemingly letting Luffy rejuvenate his stamina at will, the form is incredibly versatile. He can essentially rewrite the laws of physics and reality as he pleases with Gear Fifth, as shown prominently in the most recent chapters.

There’s essentially no argument to be made against this form being Luffy’s current strongest transformation. It’s making short work of Kaido, who is hailed as the strongest character in the entire series, and will likely be integral in his securing victory over the Yonko. Without a doubt, Gear Fifth is the strongest of Luffy's current Gears.

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Note: The article reflects the author's views.