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In the world ofOne Piece, rivalries between major characters hold much importance. These rivalries enthrall fans and make them excited for the series. One such major rivalry is between Mihawk and Shanks. While Shanks is one of the Emperors of the sea, Mihawk is the strongest swordsman in the entireOne Pieceworld.
As the plot developed, it became clear that Shanks and Mihawk had a past together, and their rivalry might be among the best in recorded history. The two characters were portrayed byOne Piececreator Eiichiro Oda as ideal opposites, which led to an intriguing relationship between them.
A great deal of information about their past has been missing, but Whitebeard claims that the fights between the two swordsmen rattled the Grandline. However, Mihawk chose to end the rivalry after Shanks lost his arm. Since it was revealed that Shanks and Mihawk used to duel evenly, fans have been curious as to which character would prevail in a fight. And this question might have been answered by Eiichiro Oda.
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The Rivalry Between Shanks And Mihawk
One of Shanks’ first roles inOne Piecewas apprentice on Gol D. Roger’s ship, where he learned a lot from people like Roger and Rayleigh. Regarding Mihawk, fans don’t know much about his background at this time, other than the fact that he trained incredibly hard to become the best swordsman and also defeated several formidable swordsmen to finally achieve the title of the Strongest Swordsman.
The fights between Shanks and Mihawk happened years ago, and Shanks wasn’t even a Yonko at the time, but still, their battle would shake the entire grand line and there is hardly anyone who doesn’t know about their rivalry.
Only a select few characters can match the strength of Mihawk and Shanks. The two are portrayed as being on par with one another and having a well-known rivalry. But Oda san might have hinted about Shanks being a stronger character than Mihawk despite losing one of his arms.
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Eiichiro Oda Hints At Shanks Being Stronger Than Mihawk
Following the termination of the Shichibukai system, enthusiasts witnessed the establishment of the Cross Guild.Eiichiro Odawas careful to highlight the unique abilities of all the members of the Cross Guild, and when it came to Mihawk, he made sure to emphasize that his swordplay was superior to everyone else’s inOne Pieceand explicitly stated that Mihawk’s sword skills even outclasses Shanks’.
Oda, though, only brought up Swordplay, which makes it abundantly evident that Shanks is still generally more powerful than Mihawk. Furthermore, Mihawk had a smaller bounty than Shanks at the time of the Cross Guild’s introduction. And to make it more clear, Shanks has not yet shown his full strength even though he has scared off an Admiral and defeated Kid with one strike.
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Consequently, it demonstrates that Shanks is the more capable fighter overall. That is not to say that Mihawk lacks strength in any manner, though. That merely indicates that Shanks is regarded somewhat more highly by Oda than Mihawk in terms of overall strength.
You can watch One Piece on Hulu and Crunchyroll.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
