Luffy’s Gear 5 is his strongest form in One Piece, but fans doubt he can match Red-Haired Shanks, whose power surpasses even Luffy’s.
SUMMARY

Luffy’s Gear 5 is considered his strongest transformation, cementing his place as one of the most powerful characters in One Piece.
Despite Gear 5’s immense power, many fans still question if Luffy can truly match the legendary strength of Red-Haired Shanks.
While Gear 5 makes Luffy a formidable force, many still believe Shanks holds the upper hand, at least for now.

Over decades, One Piece has followed Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy with dreams of becoming the Pirate King, as he sets out to find the world’s ultimate treasure. Even with 1,100 episodes in, Luffy fans aren’t tired of following the adventures of this young and enthusiastic boy.

The protagonist of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy. [Credit: Toei Animation]

While One Piece asks for a lot of commitment from viewers, in return it leaves them enchanted by Oda-sensei’s narrative and Luffy’s journey to become the King of the Pirates. Luffy’s moral compass and the way he connects with others is truly unique. After the Wano Arc, Luffy has risen to become one of the most fearsome pirates on the seas, earning the title of Yonko (Emperor of the Sea) and unlocking Gear 5.

In addition to being the pinnacle of Luffy’s abilities, Gear 5 is among the greatest power-ups ever bestowed upon a main character in anime history. Even with Gear 5, many One Piece fans still question if Luffy can match the legendary Red-Haired Pirate.

One Piece Debate: Can Luffy’s Gear 5 really rival Shanks’ legendary Haki?

Enthralling fans for over 25 years, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece narrates an epic tale of friendship and adventure, captivating generations of viewers. Unquestionably, Monkey D. Luffy played an important part in One Piece‘s immense popularity.

Monkey D. Luffy in the Wano arc | Credits: Toei Animation

Eiichiro Oda has done a fantastic job of endearing this character to the community ever since the series debuted in 1997. The Wano Arc stands as one of Oda’s finest creations, delivering a story that resonated deeply with fans and became a standout in One Piece history.

After the famous Wano Arc, the Straw Hats and fans saw a ray of hope for Luffy getting one step closer to becoming the Pirate King. Luffy achieved the title of Emperor of the Sea by defeating the Strongest Creature in One Piece lore, Kaido.

Despite its shortcomings and arguably formulaic structure, the Wano Arc is a testament to One Piece‘s ability to continually outdo itself with every new story arc. Not to forget, the Wano arc featured Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation, instantly capturing the hearts of many fans.

Luffy in Gear 5 | Credit: Toei Animation

Despite Gear 5’s immense power propelling Luffy to the Yonko status, many fans still question if he’s the strongest and believe he’ll always fall short of one fan-favorite character. Red-Haired Shanks arguably holds the title of the fan-favorite character, second to Luffy.

Eiichiro Oda introduced Shanks as a character who influenced Luffy’s character and ambition to become the King of the Pirates.

Despite losing his left arm, Shanks is hailed as one of the most prominent figures who has earned the title of the Strongest Yonko (Emperor of the Sea) in the eyes of many fans.

Shanks’ distinct scar in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]

Not to forget, the Red-Haired Pirate took down the entire Kid Pirate Crew with a single strike, highlighting his immense strength and terror. With the revelation of Shanks’ first name attack, Divine Departure, fans are viewing him as the strongest character of the series.

While Luffy’s Gear 5 could pose a challenge to Red-Haired Shanks, it’s still uncertain, with many fans believing Shanks stands above Luffy—at least for now.

The Red-Haired Pirate has an evil twin brother

The surprising demise of one of the Five Elders, Saturn, at Imu’s hands has left several manga readers in disbelief. Later, Oda-sensei introduces Garling Figarland, replacing Saturn as the Five Great Elders and reviving Shanks’ twin theory.

Saint Garling’s facial hair is shaped like a moon, which could be Oda-sensei’s way of hinting at his yokai transformation into the Norse mystic beast, Fenrir.

In Greek mythology, the Fenrir has two sons. The first son named Skoll, always chased the sun; whereas the second son named Hati always chased the moon. Fenrir’s two sons are reviving Shanks’ twin theory.

Shanks saves Luffy from a Sea King and loses his arm in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]

Fans believe similar to Skoll, Shanks always chased the Sun God Nika devil fruit; whereas his brother grew up in a Celestial Dragon environment under Garling, whose facial hair resembles the moon.