Luffy has only assembled four of his Straw Hat crew in Netflix's One Piece adaptation, but the quintet varies wildly in of power. Released in 2023, One Piece season 1 debuted Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp, and these beginner buccaneers found themselves battling a variety of wicked villains during the first phase of their voyage.

Early days it may be, but One Piece season 2. As things stand, however, a clear hierarchy is already emerging on the Going Merry.

5 Usopp

Usopp Is Your Guy... If You're Trying To Win A Toy At A Carnival

As the Straw Hat with the least battle experience and one third of the so-called "weakling trio" from the One Piece anime, Usopp was the weakest member of Luffy's crew in One Piece season 1. At this point in the story, Usopp is essentially just a smart guy who's reasonably good with a slingshot. His combat skills with other weapons - and, indeed, unarmed - are poor, and his courage remains well-hidden more often than not. Beating Chew of the Arlong pirates was certainly an achievement, but fortune played a huge role. If the fishman had not been holding a bottle of booze at the time, Usopp would have very likely lost.

Later in the One Piece story, Usopp will hone his sniping skills with a variety of ranged weapons, create more potent ammunition, and even develop haki. With those tricks not yet at his disposal, however, Usopp is comfortably the least powerful Straw Hat in One Piece season 1.

4 Nami

Nami Got An Upgrade In Live-Action One Piece

While Nami is also part of One Piece's "weakling trio," she can rightfully claim to be a better fighter than Usopp in Netflix's adaptation. In a small but significant deviation from the anime, Nami helped Luffy and Zoro battle marines at the base in Shells Town, giving a good of herself in the process. Nami's staff technique is far more advanced in live-action than at the corresponding point in the anime, and Emily Rudd exudes a more steely resolve in the face of danger, making live-action Nami more powerful than the original character during One Piece's early arcs.

Netflix's One Piece seems keen to avert gender stereotypes by portraying Nami as a more reliable fighter.

As a thief working under the thumb of Arlong, Nami has also seen more real-life trouble than Usopp, whose last sighting of an actual pirate would have been his father's back fading into the distance. Nami still pales in comparison to Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro, of course, but Netflix's One Piece seems keen to avert gender stereotypes by portraying her as a more reliable fighter from the very beginning.

3 Sanji

Sanji Kicks Fish Almost As Well As He Cooks Them

The jump in power from Nami to Sanji is huge, but deciding the stronger One Piece character out of Sanji and Zoro is a case of fine margins. Importantly, Sanji received less screen time - and, therefore, less time to show off his skills - compared to the Straw Hat swordsman, partially explaining why Zoro ranks higher. Trained by former pirate Red Leg Zeff, Sanji is already a master of footwork when Luffy meets him in Netflix's season 1. The chef takes down several low-level pirates bickering in Baratie, but more notable is his victory against Arlong's second-in-command, Kuroobi.

One Piece later reveals Sanji as a member of the powerful Vinsmoke family, meaning he comes from a line of fighters.

Competing with any fishman was enough to single Sanji out as a prodigious fighting talent and elevate him far above Usopp and Nami in the live-action One Piece pecking order. Besting a high-ranking fishman like Kuroobi, however, confirmed that Sanji really is good for more than cooking, no matter what Zoro says.

2 Roronoa Zoro

Zoro Lost Against Mihawk, But Won Our Hearts

Narrowly edging out Sanji is Mackenyu's Roronoa Zoro, and while it is a close call, the evidence weighs in Zoro's favor. Whereas Sanji is equally devoted to kicking and cooking, Zoro has dedicated his life wholly to combat, while working as a bounty hunter afforded him greater hands-on experience. Over the course of One Piece season 1, Zoro defeated Baroque Works' Mr. 7, made a big contribution toward beating Axe-Hand Morgan, and downed two officers of Kuro's Cat pirates. Despite losing badly against Dracule Mihawk, earning the Shichibukai's respect was a badge of honor in itself.

One could also argue that Zoro keeping up with Sanji during the Arlong Park battle after suffering life-threatening injuries against Mihawk is proof enough that the swordsman tops the chef. Zoro will not necessarily remain more powerful than Sanji as One Piece continues to unfold, but based on their respective feats and demonstrations in live-action thus far, Zoro currently has a narrow advantage over his Straw Hat rival.

1 Monkey D. Luffy

No Straw Hat Can Match Luffy's Power

The power gap between Zoro and Luffy may not be huge, but there is little doubt that the Straw Hats' captain is also their best asset in a fight. Whichever criteria Luffy is judged on, he comes out on top. Trained by his marine vice-iral grandfather, Luffy received a better fighting education than Zoro or Sanji. In of battles won, Luffy's big victories include wins against Kuro, Buggy, and, most impressive of all, Arlong. Zoro and Sanji, meanwhile, had to work together to beat Arlong's right-hand-fishman. All that before even mentioning Luffy's Devil Fruit ability, which cements his status as One Piece's strongest Straw Hat.

Truthfully, Luffy would not be the captain of his crew if he was not the strongest member. That will continue to be the case as One Piece continues and Luffy grows exponentially more monstrous arc after arc. The fact that live-action One Piece has barely scratched the surface of the Straw Hat captain's inner strength is another reason nobody in his crew, no matter how talented, can sur him for sheer battle power.