The relationship between Shanks and Gol D. Roger was deep, as Roger was a father figure to young Shanks, whom Roger found in a chest they had taken from God Valley. Roger decided to take young Shanks with them and raised him to become a pirate. Shanks greatly appreciated and admired Roger, but how would the two of them have fared in a fight? In this article, we will compare Shanks and Roger to determine who is stronger and who would win in a fight.

Although Shanks' powers are relatively unknown at this point, it's still highly unlikely that he's surpassed Gol D. Roger in terms of powers and abilities. Of course, Shanks is arguably the strongest One Piece character at this point, but without his arm and knowing how powerful Roger was, it's unlikely that Shanks would have reached a level that could be described as being superior to Roger's. Roger was basically invincible and was arguably the most powerful pirate of his time and remains one of the strongest characters in the entire series. Because of this, he could likely defeat Shanks in a fight.

The following is, of course, a detailed analysis of the answer we gave you above. We will describe Shanks and Gol D. Roger from One Piece in more detail, giving you an in-depth analysis of the issue at hand and the balance of power between the two characters using our usual formula. Through several categories, you will see who is the stronger of the two and why our answer is as it is, that is, why we believe that Shanks still hasn't reached Roger's level at this point and that Roger would be able to defeat him in a direct one-on-one fight.

Physical powers

Shanks hasn't participated in any substantial combat, so his abilities are still ambiguous in the broadest sense. Since he's one of the Four Emperors, his physical strength is said to be immense, making him one of the four strongest characters in the universe. In fact, Shanks might be the current strongest emperor. Whitebeard made countless pirate leaders tremble at his mere mention, but Shanks was fearless and strong enough to take on the world's fiercest pirate, which speaks for itself.

Before his death, Roger was known as the "Pirate King" due to his unparalleled fighting prowess. Only Edward Newgate, who possessed the Gura Gura no Mi and was named "The World's Strongest Man" after Roger's disappearance, and Vice Admiral Garp, who cornered Roger several times before giving in, were able to match Roger's strength in a fight. Monkey D. Garp and Roger had to team up to fight Rocks D. Xebec, who was considered Roger's strongest enemy. His ability to match Shiki is another illustration of his power. Although critically ill, he easily defeated Kozuki Oden, one of the most skilled fighters in the series.

We ultimately have to give this point to Roger because Roger's physical power seems unmatched in the series' history, perhaps only by Xebec. Shanks could be very close to that level, though we're not sure, and in the meantime, Roger takes this one.

Points: Shanks 0, Roger 1

Devil Fruit

Devil Fruits are often a character's greatest power and represent a character's signature power. However, many powerful characters in the series have never eaten a Devil Fruit, and Shanks is the most notable example, especially since he was able to become a Sea Emperor without a Devil Fruit, being the only one among the Emperors without a Devil Fruit.

The same can be said for Gol D. Roger. It's a well-known fact that Gol D. Roger has never consumed a Devil Fruit in his entire life, and in this regard, all of his powers come from his training and innate abilities. This makes him even more formidable from a power perspective.

This is a classic case of two One Piece characters not consuming a Devil Fruit, and since we already know what to do in such cases, we will – once again – not award points to either of the characters in question.

Points: Shanks 0, Roger 1

RIGHT

Shanks is one of the few characters capable of using all three types of Haki. When Shanks and Whitebeard engaged in their brief battle, the "heavens" above them tore apart, demonstrating the immense power of the Armament Haki they had imbued into their weapons. He imbued Armament Haki onto his blade during the Battle of Marineford to repel Akainu's attack as the latter used his Devil Fruit powers.

Shanks has a very high level of Observation Haki as he notices a strange presence among the people of Wano County. He can also use Conqueror's Haki, as he did to scare the Sea King that attacked Luffy, but also to knock out the entire Whitebeard Pirates.

Naturally, as king, Gol D. Roger could use all three forms of Haki. We don't know how good Roger was at Kenbunshoku Haki, but he could use it. Roger could sharpen his sword and strike Whitebeard's Murakumogiri with the help of Busoshoku Haki. Lightning flashed and wind blew during their fight 26 years ago, which could only have been caused by two people using this Haki clash.

Roger also demonstrated the ability to transfer Haki onto his blade. Additionally, he was one of the few people with access to Conqueror's Haki.

We won't be unfair and take away Shanks' well-deserved point here, as both can use the same amount of Haki, meaning we have to share the points as usual. And that's exactly what we'll do in this penultimate category.

Points: Shanks 1, Roger 2

Weapons

Shanks is frequently depicted as a skilled swordsman. It can be assumed that Shanks is a very skilled swordsman, given that Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, was his former rival. While it is rumored that the redhead once used dual swords, which would explain Mihawk's lack of interest in fighting him after losing his arm and would match the redhead's Jolly Roger dual swords, it is assumed that the redhead preferred his left arm before losing it, as he is always shown holding his sword in his left hand during flashbacks. He was nevertheless able to parry Whitebeard with a weapon, even without a single arm.

As demonstrated by his one-attack victory over the legendary fighter Kozuki Oden, Roger was a master of swordsmanship. Furthermore, he was as strong as Whitebeard's Murakumogiri, which produced a powerful shockwave that shook Moby Dick and the entire island. As far as anyone knows, he was one of the best swordsmen in the series and was able to rival the most powerful and skilled sword wielders of his time.

Without his arm, Shanks certainly wouldn't stand a chance against Roger, but we're not sure Shanks could defeat the legendary Pirate King even with two arms, because Roger was simply an exceptional swordsman. And that's why he wins this last point.

Points: Shanks 1, Roger 3

Shanks is incredibly powerful, but against Roger in his prime? We don't think even Shanks would claim he could win.

Ultimately, the points confirm what we also guessed when we started our analysis – that Gol D. Roger would be able to defeat Shanks in a fight, and this is – we believe – something that even Shanks himself would confirm if asked directly.

The main problem here is that Roger is a character from the past, meaning we know very little about him, while Shanks is a character from the present, but Oda has revealed very little about his powers and abilities. Both are incredibly strong, which is undeniable, but we've never had a chance to truly assess their powers and abilities properly, and that's what made this analysis so complex.

Yet we believe Roger would triumph. Why? Well, he was stronger than Whitebeard, Garp, and even Oden, and with Garp, he was also able to defeat Xebec. Until Shanks does something similar, until his reputation becomes so strong, there's not much we can do but give Roger the victory here. Despite all the question marks, his reputation is certainly there.

And sure, you can argue that Shanks has a reputation too and that Blackbeard is afraid of him, and he didn't lose to Whitebeard or Mihawk, but Roger wasn't on par with his rivals - he was stronger than them, and he was the Pirate King and a king certainly deserves his crown.