One Piece and Naruto are two iconic Shonen Jump series, but who would have the advantage in a fight between Luffy and Naruto?

As two of the most recognizable protagonists in anime history, Naruto Uzumaki and Monkey D. Luffy have carved a place for themselves as leaders and heroes of their respective worlds.

Naruto’s journey sees him go from an underachieving orphan to the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, while Luffy’s quest to become the next Pirate King has transformed him from a loudmouthed child to one of the Emperors of the Sea.

Because of the popularity of Naruto and One Piece, many fans have wondered who would win in a fight between each show’s main character. If a Naruto vs Luffy fight were to happen and each shonen hero gave it their all, then fans would love to know which of them would emerge the victor.

Fans can start by reviewing both Naruto’s and Luffy’s powers and techniques, and review what gives each of them an edge over the other before determining the ultimate winner.

Updated on March 20th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This list about a hypothetical Naruto vs Luffy fight has been updated to adhere to CBR’s current publication standards.

From Gaara vs. Rock Lee to Naruto vs. Pain, the Naruto franchise has produced some of the most iconic battles in anime history.

Why Luffy Beats Naruto

Luffy Received Better Childhood Training

While Naruto was born and then implanted with his powers thanks to Kurama, the Nine-Tails Fox Demon, he didn’t begin training effectively until he was 12. Luffy, on the other hand, started training shortly after he ate the Gum-Gum Fruit when he was about seven years old. Not wanting him to be a pirate, Luffy’s grandfather, Monkey D. Garp, sent him to live with bandits.

Garp’s decision forced Luffy into many bad situations that, for better or worse, strengthened him. The most crucial instance of this early maturation process was when Luffy was captured by Porchemy and tortured to get information. While the torture didn’t work, Luffy got stronger as a character, furthering his durability.

Luffy Eats More Than Any Of His Competitors

1:41

As the hero of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy was unsurprisingly the star of many of the hit anime’s most hype moments and fights.

A comparison between Luffy and Naruto wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging they both eat a ton of food, seeing how they both embody the “big eater” trope. Naruto is known for his love of ramen — specifically from Ichiraku — challenging anyone who shows up to eat more than him. Luffy, on the other hand, has an elastic stomach enhanced by the capabilities of the Gum-Gum Fruit.

Since Luffy can stretch himself at will, he would have no problem defeating Naruto in a battle of appetites. For reference, Naruto isn’t even the best eater in the village — that honor is claimed by Hinata, his wife.

Luffy Doesn’t Need His Hands To Fight

Without their hands, a ninja in Naruto would have a hard time performing anything other than taijutsu. Naruto alone needs his hands to do his main ninjutsu of Shadow Clones and Rasengan. If Luffy were to take out Naruto’s hands, he’d be more likely to win. The reverse isn’t true.

Luffy doesn’t need his hands to fight. During the Alabasta saga, the Straw Hat Pirates’ captain had his hands locked up in a wax binding, but since his powers don’t require him to do special movements as most jutsu do, he was able to fight well. Naruto needs his hands to perform the majority of his attacks, especially his special jutsu.

Luffy’s Defensive Abilities Are Second To None

Naruto possesses massive offensive prowess, but his best defense has been to take hits and then use his chakra to heal from them. Defensively, he doesn’t have much going for him. Monkey D. Luffy, on the other hand, has plenty of defensive tools at his disposal. Since his body is rubberized thanks to his Gum-Gum Fruit, he can take powerful hits as long as they are bludgeoning-based.

In addition to this, Luffy’s Armament Haki allows him to withstand almost any attack, while his Observation Haki gives him the ability to predict virtually any incoming threats. With Naruto’s main specialty move being Rasengan and Kurama Fists, his attacks play directly into the Straw Hat’s hand.

Luffy’s Speed Is Unmatched

One Piece’s Monkey D Luffy shows audiences that some lessons are best learned by losing.

Naruto is extremely fast — able to move faster than even the most powerful Sharingan can track — but that doesn’t make him the fastest in the anime universe.

In fact, Monkey D. Luffy clearly seems to have surpassed this level of speed, requiring the use of Future Sight, one of the rarest abilities in One Piece, to track his movements.

He learned to use Color of Observation Haki during his fight with his true equal, Charlotte Katakuri, allowing him to react to incoming attacks with astonishing swiftness.

When he gets Fourth Gear Snakeman, Luffy’s speed level is virtually unmatched. With his Gear Five form, the gap between Naruto and Luffy grows even larger, though of course, Gear 5 doesn’t rely entirely on sheer speed to win a fight.

Why Naruto Beats Luffy

Naruto Can Use Talk Jutsu

There is no denying that Monkey D. Luffy is a charismatic guy. Everywhere he goes, he seems to make friends, even making a crew out of a bunch of prisoners, some of whom hated him. Naruto, on the other hand, has shifted the views of an entire continent in his favor.

Early on, Naruto’s tomfoolery and his dark secret caused the Hidden Laef Village to look down on him, but despite the village’s harsh treatment of him, Naruto quickly grew into the role of savior. During the battle with Pain, the village began to support Naruto, and after the Fourth Great Ninja War, he commanded the respect of all nations. Before Pain/Nagato’s death, the villain even experienced a change of heart, reviving those killed by his attacks as a sign of respect for Naruto.

Naruto Struck Down A God

Luffy may have struck down an Emperor of the Sea, but on multiple occasions, Naruto has gone toe-to-toe with the godlike Otsutsuki Clan. While Luffy is great in a fight against regular humans/creatures, he has never taken on anyone nearly as powerful as Kaguya and her brethren.

Naruto’s fights against Pain, Sasuke, and Kaguya all ended with Naruto coming out as the winner. The major thrust of Boruto revolves around the Otsutsuki Clan’s ongoing battle with the inhabitants of the Land of Fire, so Naruto may have the opportunity to demonstrate his deity-level strength several more times.

Naruto Possesses Massive Amounts of Firepower

RELATED

10 Darkest Naruto Uzumaki Moments

Naruto’s difficult journey is filled with painful moments that change the tone of the series.

In his base form, Naruto Uzumaki is immensely strong. However, when he combines his Six Paths Sage Mode and his Kurama Mode, he is stronger than anything Luffy will ever face. Even if Luffy were to get 10 more Gears, he still wouldn’t be strong enough to stand up to Naruto in this mode.

With so much chakra running through him, Naruto can cause massive destruction with a flick of his wrist. In his final battle with Sasuke, he even destroyed the area around them for miles with one attack. Luffy might be capable of wreaking havoc, but his raw firepower still pales in comparison to Naruto’s greatest abilities.

Naruto Fights Well From A Distance

Since Luffy fights with his actual body, his ability to fight at range is a bit lacking. On the other hand, Naruto can use various techniques and weapons that can be applied from a distance. His signature Wind Release: Rasenshuriken is a weapon made of slicing wind chakra.

Since it is throwable, Naruto can use it without getting into combat range with Luffy. Additionally, Naruto has gotten used to having not only himself in battle, but his Shadow Clones as well. The real Naruto can stand back as his many clones fight Luffy head-on, creating the perfect range combo.

Naruto Can Easily Defend Himself In Water

As someone who ate a Devil Fruit, Monkey D. Luffy is held back by one particular weakness, especially after considering the fact that he is a pirate. He cannot survive in water. This makes Naruto a poor matchup for him, since shinobi are immediately taught how to walk on water by masterfully controlling their chakra.

All Naruto would need to do is get Luffy near a body of water and toss him in. Naruto is also fairly adept at learning new techniques, and there are several that focus on water specifically. With a bit of study and the power of Kurama behind him, Naruto could easily use this advantage to dispatch Luffy.