Usopp is one of the most well-known characters in Oda's One Piece franchise, and while he's an indispensable member of Luffy's Straw Hat crew, he's also—generally, at least—known as a coward and one of the weakest characters in the entire series. Still, Usopp has a range of interesting abilities that have come in handy on several occasions, but can he use Haki, one of the most important skills in the series? In this article, we'll answer that question and explain everything you need to know about Usopp's powers and abilities.

Since the Dressrosa Arc, Usopp has been able to use Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), which makes sense since he is the crew's marksman. His ability was confirmed when he was able to see the auras of Luffy, Law, and Sugar, who were in the royal palace, from the old king's plateau near the Corrida Coliseum, which was a good distance away. This is Kenbunshoku Haki's basic presence-sensing ability.

The rest of this article will tell you everything about Usopp's Haki abilities and also give you a general overview of his powers and abilities. Some spoilers may be present, but Usopp is a rather intriguing character and we want to give you as much information as possible; that's why we've warned you in case you're not fully aware of all the events of the series.

Can Usopp use Haki? How and when did he awaken it?

Haki is one of the most powerful and complex techniques in One Piece, and not every character can use it; the number of characters who can use all three types of Haki is even smaller because it is a very rare feat. Now, we know that only the most powerful One Piece characters use Haki, and we also know that Usopp isn't one of the most powerful characters in One Piece. So, can Usopp use Haki? He actually can!

During the Dressrosa Arc, fearing that Sugar's powers would permanently forget Luffy, he first manifested Observation Haki when he was able to see Luffy, Law, and Sugar's aura through a wall more than 3 kilometers away. This happened in episode 697, which adapted chapter 758 of the manga. So, what happened in this story?

Luffy leaves Diamante with Kyros while he and Law prepare to meet Doflamingo. Diamante says he won't let them pass, and Kyros replies that he is his opponent. While Kyros says this, Luffy talks to Rebecca and tells her he is happy for her because she has reunited with her father for the first time. Luffy prepares to leave when Rebecca asks him if he will really defeat Doflamingo.

Luffy replies that his real name is not Lucy (Rebecca previously knew him as Lucy) but Luffy and claims that he will be the new Pirate King. Diamante is then angry at Luffy and Law and extends his sword to attack, but Law uses Room and Shambles, blows a hole in the palace wall and enters, much to Diamante's horror.

Luffy discovers that Law's power has been useful to him, but Law states that using his power has consumed a large part of his body's energy, which was not in good condition due to Doflamingo hitting him with lead bullets. However, the Don Quixote family agent warns of Luffy and Law's arrival at Sugar's palace, who, desperate, wants revenge for the loss of her army of toy soldiers that she created ten years ago and which they wiped out in no time.

She plans to turn Luffy and Law into toys, thus erasing their existence. On the royal plateau, Usopp speaks to his team about the seriousness of Sugar's return. He remembers how he forgot about Robin when she was turned into a toy, and if she touches Luffy, he will forget her too. He is prepared to do anything to protect his captain from Sugar, but Kanjuro asks him how he will do this since the palace is far away and Luffy and Sugar are inside.

Usopp replies that he has no choice since they are not responding to the Den Den Mushi, he prepares his Kabuto, and is ready to fulfill his role as the Straw Hat Pirates' sniper by providing support from a distance. Kin'emon asks if he can help in any way, and Riku tells Hack and Lepanto to protect Usopp and himself from the crowd, which is closing in to buy Usopp enough time, but also asks them not to hurt people.

Usopp prepares his shot with the help of Viola's powers as the crowd reaches the top of the plateau. The crowd prepares to capture Riku, Viola, Kin'emon, and the god Usopp and take them to Doflamingo, Kin'emon offering his help against them. Sugar then approaches Luffy and Law, the elders wondering who she is.

As Riku tries in vain to stop the crowd, Viola guides Usopp to Luffy, Law, and Sugar's location. The Kabuto aims at the lower part of the palace window, Sugar closes in and gets closer to Luffy and Law, Usopp targeting her, determined not to lose his captain. Unwilling to let Sugar get in his way, Usopp prepares to fire his Great Black Kabuto, when he suddenly realizes with shock that he can see the auras of Luffy, Law, and Sugar.

As the crowd closes in on him, Usopp finally fires his Bug-worm. The crowd gets Usopp, but all they don't think about is the ball's trajectory. Knowing there's a slight tailwind, Usopp puts two powder boosters in to help his shot and allow it to go further, and made sure the outer casings would diminish so his shots definitely hit Sugar.

However, he knew he would have to guess, but his bullet was special as the shot was meant to cause trauma. This becomes evident when the punch turns out to be a replica of Usopp's expression when he first hit Sugar. It works, and Sugar falls back into fear of losing consciousness. This shocks the Donquixote family servants and confuses Luffy and Law as Usopp's projectile's face is absorbed into the wall and becomes a drawing, and it is revealed that the projectile was a drawing made by Kanjuro.

Back at the king's palace, Viola congratulates Usopp on his shot, and it is revealed that the crowd managed to tie up all their targets, but was shocked by Viola's arrival. Viola claims that Luffy and Law managed to reach Doflamingo. At that moment, Luffy and Law come face to face with Doflamingo and Trebol, with an unconscious Bellamy on the ground. The warlord asks them why they came, and both reply that they came to defeat him. Doflamingo appears to express his disappointment.

What Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) abilities can Usopp use?

Kenbunshoku Haki or Observation Haki, called Mantra in the Sky Islands, allows its users to predict their opponents' immediate movements and detect their presence at any time, even if they are hidden or too far away to be seen naturally. It is one of the most basic Haki in the series and is more practical than powerful, though it can be the best choice in certain situations. There are many techniques that an Observation Haki user can use, but Usopp, as far as is currently known, can only use one: basic presence detection.

Perhaps the most common use of this Haki is the user's ability to "feel" the presence of their surroundings (including the presence of people around them, the environment, etc.). Rayleigh teaches us that if one is adept at this type of Haki, one can "see" other individuals even if they are hidden or too far away to be seen naturally.

But we don't see them in detail (their physical characteristics are unknown, for example). Thus, Issho, who masters this Haki, cannot guess Luffy's features. Individuals are recognized by an "aura" that forms against a dark background, as when Usopp aims at Sugar, or how Issho's eyes see the world.