One Piece Sword Ranks: Everything You Need to Know

Although Devil Fruits are the most well-known items in Eiichiro Oda's One Piece series, there are many other relevant items that make up the lore. Most of them are either treasures or weapons, and in this article, we'll be talking about the latter group, just as we'll be talking about One Piece's swords once again. Now, we've already talked about the most powerful swords and the most powerful swordsmen in One Piece, and in this article, we'll be focusing on the Meito, or more precisely, the Grade Blades, as we'll be explaining the sword grades in One Piece.

What are the Meito in One Piece?

In the world of One Piece, a Meito is a kind of status for a sword. Swords with this status are 83 renowned swords spread across the world. After the destruction of the Yubashiri, only 82 remain. Tashigi's dream is to free all Meito from the hands of criminals like pirates. She believes that swords cry because instead of being used for noble and honorable deeds, they are used for criminal purposes.

She wants to confront Zoro in order to take possession of his Meito, the Wado Ichimonji, which she believes to be in the hands of a malicious person. As of yet, she has not defeated Zoro in her quest, and although she has reclaimed the sword Kashu, she has not been seen picking up another Meito during her journey to Justice, while Zoro has also acquired Shuusui. Meito rank is assigned to blades and not to the weapon's shape, implying that some weapons like Murakumogiri are not swords.

Currently, there are four known grades of Meito, namely:

Supreme Grade, of which there are 12
Large note, of which there are 21
Skillful grade of which there are 50
Grade, of which there are a currently unknown number.

Some Meito are not classified but are nevertheless renowned worldwide.

Sword Ranks in One Piece

Now that we have explained what the Meito are, in this section we will go over each of the ranks and the swords that belong to them:

Supreme Grade (12)

These are the 12 "first-rank" (supreme grade) blades, also known as Saijō Ō Wazamono. They constitute the highest-quality class of swords. So far, four have been revealed:

Ace: Ace is a sword carried by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, who used it as his primary weapon in battle. It is one of the 12 highest-quality Meito, the Saijo Ô Wazamono. Ace is a full-sized sword with a slightly curved blade, with a saw pattern adorned on both sides. The sword has a yellow/orange hilt with a diamond-shaped pattern, a golden grip, and a thin handguard, covering from the top of the hilt to the black scabbard. As one of the 12 highest-quality Meito, the Saijo Ô Wazamono, Ace is a superior blade, one of the strongest and most durable ever forged, matched only by the other eleven Saijo Ô Wazamono. At the time, Ace was used by the former Pirate King for most of his life and during many of his exploits, from the God Valley Incident, to his multiple battles against Edward Newgate, who also possessed one of the 12 First Rank Blades, Murakumogiri.
Yoru: The Yoru, often called Kokuto Yoru, is a sword that is among the most powerful in the world. It belongs to the category of the 12 Saijo Ō Wazamono and is owned by Mihawk, a former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. It is a black blade. In the anime, Tashigi describes it as one of the best swordsmen in the world. Combined with its user's immense physical strength, Kokuto Yoru seems to be able to cut through anything the user desires, even gigantic things, such as Don Krieg's flagship or the tsunami frozen by Admiral Aokiji during the Battle of Marineford. Mihawk uses it subtly, however, easily deflecting bullets aimed at him with its blade. It can notably attack from a distance by creating slashing air blades or swirling air blades.
Murakumogiri: Murakumogiri is the name of Edward Newgate's Naginata and one of the 12 highest-quality Meito, the Saijo Ō Wazamono. With Whitebeard's massive powers and combat skills, the Bisento is a formidable and quite powerful weapon. As proof, it allows him to go toe-to-toe with Shanks's sword, which caused an atmospheric-type tear in the sky when the two blades crossed. Whitebeard can wield it with both one and two hands. The naginata can be enhanced by its user's Armament Haki or Devil Fruit to increase its destructive power. As one of the 12 Saijo Ō Wazamono, the 12 highest-quality blades among the Meito, the Murakumogiri blade is among the most powerful in the world.
Shodai Kitetsu: The Shodai Kitetsu is one of the 12 Saijo Ō Wazamono. It is one of the cursed swords created by Kitetsu, along with the Nidai Kitetsu and the Sandai Kitetsu. It has yet to appear. Shodai literally means "First Generation" because the Shodai Kitetsu is the first sword in the Kitetsu series. Its origin is unknown, but it must have a similar appearance to the Sandai Kitetsu. Nothing is known about it, but since it is one of the 12 Saijo Ō Wazamono (like Mihawk's Kokuto Yoru), it must have significant powers. Since this sword is one of the 12 most powerful swords, it must be very strong. As part of the "Kitetsu," it is a cursed sword that leads to the death of its owners.

Excellent rating (21)

These are the 21 "great" Blades, also called Ō Wazamono. They are inferior to the Saijō Ō Wazamono. So far, five have been revealed:

Enma: A masterpiece of legendary swordsmith Shimotsuki Kozaburo and one of the 21 O Wazamono, Enma is one of the finest swords in the world, with Kozuki Hiyori considering it a worthy replacement even for the legendary Shuusui. Tenguyama Hitetsu described Enma as being able to "cut into the depths of the underworld" (alongside Ame no Habakiri being able to "cut the sky itself").
Ame no Habakiri: Ame no Habakiri is a Meito that belonged to Kozuki Oden, who used it with another Meito, Enma. It is one of the 21 O Wazamono and was forged by Tenguyama Hitetsu, who considers it his masterpiece. A masterpiece of the swordsmith Tenguyama Hitetsu and one of the 21 O Wazamono, Ame no Habakiri is one of the finest swords in the world.
Shusui: Like O Wazamono, Shusui is one of the thirty-two best katanas in the world. It is considered the national treasure of Wano Country and is the sword that enabled the exploits of the legendary samurai Ryuma. After many battles at his side, the sword became a black blade. Before acquiring Enma, Zoro was convinced that Shusui would be decisive in the battle against Kaido's Beasts Pirates.
Wado Ichimonji: As one of the thirty-two best katanas in the world (eleven Saijo Ō Wazamono and twenty-one Ō Wazamono), the Wado Ichimonji is an extremely powerful blade in the hands of a skilled swordsman. It is extremely durable and possesses a long-lasting blade, as indicated by Mihawk, when he destroyed both of Zoro's swords and only Zoro survived.
Nidai Kitetsu: Nidai Kitetsu is a sword that is one of the 21 swords of the O Wazamono category. It is one of the cursed swords created by Kitetsu, along with the Shodai Kitetsu and the Sandai Kitetsu. It was forged by Kotetsu. Little is known about the Nidai Kitetsu and its abilities. However, this sword must also be powerful and durable since it is one of the 21 O Wazamono.

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Skill Rating (50)

These are the 50 "skillful" Blades, also called Ryō Wazamono. They are inferior to Saijō Ō Wazamono and Ō Wazamono. So far, only three have been revealed:

Yubashiri: Yubashiri was an extremely light, yet strong sword, as Zoro mentioned it was a "good katana" after seeing how easy it was to use. Its light weight allowed for quick actions and reflexes, while still retaining its sharpness for cutting power. Yubashiri was one of three swords used by Zoro in santoryu, and was normally used in conjunction with the Sandai Kitetsu in the two-sword style. When this sword was destroyed, Zoro replaced it with the Shusui.
Kashu: Kashu is a sword that belonged to Baroque Works agent Mr. 11. After losing it in a duel against Tashigi, the latter reclaimed the sword. He is part of the Ryo Wazamono class. It is unknown how powerful this sword is since it has never been seen used in combat, but it must be quite powerful since it is one of the 50 Ryo Wazamono.
Yamaoroshi: Yamaoroshi is one of the 50 Ryo Wazamono. This is a sword belonging to Billy, a pirate who arrived in Loguetown. Its owner clashed with Tashigi, was defeated quite easily, and arrested by Smoker. It was recovered by Tashigi. It has not yet made an official appearance. Abilities: We don't know anything about this sword's abilities, but Billy boasted that he was able to cut an orc with it.

Grade (??)

There are an unknown number of Grade Swords, also known as Wazamono. These are the lowest-grade weapons among the ranked Named Swords. Two have been revealed so far:

Sandai Kitetsu: Like all swords made under the Kitetsu name, this one is said to be cursed and is believed to bring a horrible death to all its owners. The Sandai Kitetsu has a sharp edge, making it easier to use for cutting. When Zoro used it to test his luck against the curse, its former owner tried to warn him that it would sever his arm.
Shigure: The Shigure is a Meito-class katana. It is currently owned by Tashigi. The Shigure is a katana with a green hilt and a grip composed of four petals, or square sides. The blade itself is normal. The sheath is elaborate, with the top half being green and bumpy; the bottom half is white and smooth. Circular patterns are incorporated throughout the sheath.

Unknown and unnamed rank (??)

There are several swords and blades in the series that, while confirmed by Meito, have unknown qualities, as the latter has not been confirmed. There are also those whose names have not yet been revealed. These are: