This article contains spoilers from One Piece's final saga.
In the world of One Piece, Haki and Devil Fruit are two powers that reign supreme. They form the main power systems of the world, with both being different from one another. Devil Fruits are more mystical in nature. These are fruits that take away one's ability to swim, but in exchange, grant them immense powers of various types that fall under the three different categories of Logia, Zoan, and Paramecia. Devil Fruits always make a character stronger, but there are certainly differences in what powers they grant.
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On the other hand, Haki is a spiritual energy that is present within everyone, and under certain circumstances, some people manage to awaken it. Haki allows the user to manifest their spirit and utilize it to either enhance their senses, boost their offensive and defensive powers, or, in a select few people, to overwhelm with kingly ambition. Haki vs Devil Fruit is a very old One Piece debate that continues to rage on to this day, but in the Final Saga of the series, it has already been made clear by Oda which of these powers is stronger, and which is more versatile.
Strong Haki Can Win Against All Devil Fruit Powers
- Haki Doesn't Yield To Devil Fruit Powers
- Haki Mass Can Counter All Devil Fruit Abilities
In a 1v1 battle between Haki and Devil Fruit, different things come into play. For one, two characters can have very different levels of power, and their individual strength matters a lot. For instance, Koby is a Haki user, but his Haki is most certainly not strong enough to compete with a top-tier Devil Fruit like the Magu Magu no Mi, or Luffy's Nika Fruit. As such, Koby would stand absolutely no chance, but when the highest level of Haki is compared to the strongest Devil Fruit, more often than not, the Haki would come out on top.
Listen, Luffy. Haki is a power that is dormant in everyone everywhere. The ability to sense spiritual energy and overwhelm enemies is something everyone has to some degree. But most people never discover it. To never doubt, that is true power. Now watch! Most Haki can be divided into two types or colors. — Silvers Rayleigh to Luffy in Ruskaina
One Piece's Elbaf arc clearly stated through Roger in the God Valley flashback that Armament Haki does not yield to Devil Fruit powers. In other words, coating oneself in Armament Haki would prevent anyone from using the powers of a Devil Fruit, as long as the Haki is strong enough. On top of that, Conqueror's Haki boosts offensive powers to a degree where one wouldn't even need to rely on Devil Fruits in the first place.
When the strongest of the two are compared head-to-head, likely, strong Haki will always come out on top.
Devil Fruits Offer Bigger Advantages In Battle
While Haki is almost always stronger than Devil Fruits when compared at their peaks, one must also remember that Devil Fruits are way more versatile and offer bigger advantages in battle. It must also be kept in mind that Devil Fruits can actually be stacked with Haki, which means eating a Devil Fruit is still a significant advantage in the world of One Piece.
For instance, Luffy's Devil Fruit allows him to turn his surroundings into rubber and use them in a plethora of ways. At the same time, Luffy becomes a Warrior of Liberation, and he can bring his imagination to life and do things that are seemingly impossible for others. Things like running in mid-air or creating things out of imagination cannot be done with Haki, and in this way, Luffy's Devil Fruit can actually potentially surpass Haki's powers.
One Piece: Oda Has Already Set Up The Fight That Will Settle The Haki Vs Devil Fruit Debate Forever
Haki and Devil fruits are both powerful. Oda has set up a battle that will decide once and for all which is strongest in One Piece.
Similarly, Imu's Devil Fruit can allow him to turn an army of enemies into his own minion slaves and thus overwhelm even the strongest of Haki users. This is why a battle of Haki vs Devil Fruit abilities is very situational and depends on how the Devil Fruit ability is often utilized.
If used correctly, a Devil Fruit can very well overwhelm Haki, however, not without the user being a powerful Haki user themselves.
Haki Is More Balanced, But Devil Fruits Can Offer More Firepower
The debate of Haki vs Devil Fruit can be summed up simply by stating that Haki is more balanced and, if refined to the maximum level, offers more security in combat. On the other hand, Devil Fruits are more of a gamble, but they can most certainly offer higher firepower.
This is the power to overwhelm, also called the Color of the Supreme King Haki. Most people who have made a name for themselves in the world possess this power. Though you can control the Color of the Supreme King, you can't train it to be stronger directly. It is the embodiment of the spirit of the user. It only grows stronger if the user itself grows stronger. — Silvers Rayleigh explaining Conqueror's Haki to Luffy
For instance, Luffy's Nika Fruit allows him to produce a fist so big that it can essentially destroy an entire island in a single shot. Whitebeard's Quake fruit allows him to destroy the entire world. With just Haki, these things cannot be possible as there is a limit to how much strength a user can put out.
But, in a battle of Haki vs Devil Fruit, it is highly likely that the highest form of Haki will come out on top 9 times out of 10, even if it doesn't give as much firepower as some Devil Fruits.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail the seas to lay claim to the grand treasure known as the One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1169 is December 21, 2025. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps. Doing so will ensure that fans always support the author.