Ace vs. Gol D. Roger: Who Is Stronger & Who Would Win in a Fight?

While we do have a lot of material to compare our characters here on Fiction Horizon, especially when it comes to One Piece characters, we rarely have an opportunity to compare family members or, in this case, father and son, but One Piece has given us that opportunity as well. In this article, you will discover who would win and who was stronger between Portgas D. Ace and his father, the legendary Gol D. Roger.

There was absolutely no doubt that Gol D. Roger was stronger than Portgas D. Ace. This is mainly because Ace died very young, before even getting the chance to reach his zenith, so it cannot be known just how powerful he would have gotten. On the other hand, we know that Gol D. Roger was an amazing fighter and, undoubtedly, one of the strongest characters in the series, so this comparison is really not that fait either, as we are comparing a character who was known as the King of the Pirates with a character who died prematurely and was never even close to reaching his full potential. But, regardless of that, Roger’s victory is indisputable.

What follows, of course, is a detailed analysis of the answer we have given you above. We will portray Portgas D. Ace and Gol D. Roger in more detail, giving you a thorough 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 the stronger of the two is and why our answer is like it is, i.e., why we’re absolutely certain that Gol D. Roger would be able to defeat his son in a fair, one-on-one fight in One Piece.

Physical powers

Ace had abilities from eating a Devil Fruit but was also incredibly physically strong. His tremendous physical potential was demonstrated by his ability to fight some neighborhood bullies who thought his father “deserved to die” as a boy and his ability to sit on a large animal (perhaps a bull) that he killed with his stick when he first encountered Luffy. Later footage showed him gliding down a huge tree.

Ace confronted Blackbeard, and that was the battle that showed his true strength. Blackbeard struck Ace repeatedly, twice, nearly breaking his nose and causing him to bleed. Ace then took offense and, although he ultimately lost, proved his worth. Even without his Devil Fruit abilities, Ace was a powerful warrior, according to Van Augur.

Due to his unmatched battle strength, Roger earned the title “King of the Pirates” before he passed away. Only Vice-Admiral Garp, who repeatedly cornered Roger before giving himself in, and Edward Newgate, who had the Gura Gura no Mi and was crowned the “World’s Strongest Man” after Roger’s death, were able to compete with Roger’s strength in a fight.

To defeat Rocks D. Xebec, who was considered to be Roger’s rival, Monkey D. Garp and Roger had to work together. Another example of his power is his capacity to rival Shiki. Although being seriously ill, he had no trouble defeating Kozuki Oden, one of the series’ most skilled warriors.

This is really a no-brainer, just like all the categories in this article, as Ace cannot be properly compared to Roger – they were not even near the same level, as Ace died young and never had the time to achieve his potential. This is why it is obvious that this first point goes to Roger.

Points: Ace 0, Roger 1

Devil Fruit

By ingesting the Mera Mera no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit, Ace developed pyrogenic abilities. Ace displayed his amazing might by swiftly destroying many Baroque Works ships. The previous night’s snowfall on Drum Island was also stopped by him using this power. Ace expertly tends to his Devil Fruit and is skilled in its use.

The fact that he was made of fire could not protect him from Akainu’s attack, though, because the Admiral’s strength was enough to kill him while his Logia powers were still active. Ace’s Devil Fruit’s vulnerability to Akainu’s strength is the cause of this. Ace’s “Burning Fists” ability was said to be so powerful that he could use it to burn down entire villages, which was revealed after his death.

As for Roger, it is known that he never consumed a Devil Fruit and that all of his powers and abilities are, more or less, innate, and all his achievements result from his exceptional skills and training. This is why he was so notorious – he did not need any supernatural help.

This is the one category that has to go in Ace’s way, as Roger never ate a Devil Fruit. Still(!), it has to be said that Roger probably would have been able to counter Ace’s Devil Fruit powers with his skills, but since this is a very specific category per se, we have to be fair and award a point to Ace.

Points: Ace 1, Roger 1

Haki

Even while it isn’t stated in the actual story, a flashback that takes place ten years before the current timeline reveals that Ace has the inherent ability to use Conqueror’s Haki, which he probably inherited from his father; he subconsciously utilized it against Bluejam; which when it was shown that he could use it. Ace can also use Armament Haki, according to One Piece Magazine. It’s unclear how skilled he is with this particular Haki, though. In the light novel adaptation of the manga, Ace trained with Thatch to master Kenbunshoku Haki.

Naturally, as a king, Gol D. Roger was skilled with all three varieties of Haki. Roger could use Kenbunshoku Haki, even though we don’t know how proficient he was with it. With Busoshoku Haki’s help, Roger could sharpen his sword and strike Whitebeard’s Murakumogiri. Because of his grasp of the technique, he could even use the more complicated version of it.

He was also one of a very small number of individuals who could use Conqueror’s Haki. When he and Whitebeard clashed 26 years ago, lightning flashed, and wind blew that could only have been caused by two persons utilizing this Haki colliding. Roger also demonstrated that he could imbue his blade with Haki.

Sure, as father and son, it makes sense that both of them could use the same types of Haki (all three), but Roger’s mastery of these three types of Haki was such that there is absolutely no doubt that his Haki skills far surpass Ace’s, and that is why Roger wins this one.

Points: Ace 1, Roger 2

Weapons

Ace possesses a knife, but we have never seen him actually use it. But in the flashback sequences where he attempts to kill Whitebeard, Ace exhibits his proficiency with various weapons, including an axe, a knife, etc. In his flashbacks, Luffy was shown wielding a pipe as a weapon.

Roger was a master with the sword, as evidenced by his single-attack victory over the legendary warrior Kozuki Oden. In addition, he matched Whitebeard’s Murakumogiri’s strength, which triggered a powerful shock wave that shook the entire island and Moby Dick. He has shown that he is capable of contending against the most formidable and skilled weapon users of his time and was, as far as is known, one of the series’ most talented swordsmen.

Ultimately, we know that Ace wasn’t the best weapons expert in the series, while Roger was one of the best swordsmen in history. Because of that sole fact, there is absolutely no doubt about the final point, which has to go to Roger.

Points: Ace 1, Roger 3

Roger is the clear winner here, as Ace never really got the chance to even try to surpass his father’s powers and his legacy

There is absolutely no doubt that Gol D. Roger is more powerful than Ace, and although we could’ve imagined Ace surpassing Roger at a later point in the story, Ace’s premature death actually eliminated all possibilities of the son surpassing the father, which would’ve been a natural way to go and something that Roger himself would certainly have wanted.

At his peak, Ace was nowhere near Roger’s powers and abilities in any category; we’re certain that Roger would’ve been able to counter Ace’s Devil Fruit powers, although that was the only category in which Ace won a point against his father.

As stated, Roger was a powerhouse – one of the series’ most powerful characters, and in light of that fact, there is absolutely no doubt that he is the undisputable winner in this match-up.