One Piece Sword Grades: Everything You Need to Know

Although the Devil Fruits are the best-known objects in the lore of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece series, there are numerous relevant objects that make up the lore. Most of them are either treasures or weapons and in this article, we are going to talk about the latter group, as we are, once again, going to talk about the swords of One Piece. Now, we have already talked about the strongest swords and the strongest swordsmen of One Piece and in this article, we are going to focus on the Meito or, to be more precise, on the Grade Blades, as we are going to explain the sword grades in One Piece.

What are the Meito in One Piece?

In the world of One Piece, a Meito is a sort of status for a sword. The sabers with this status are 83 renowned sabers that are scattered all over 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 her Meito, the Wado Ichimonji, which she believes is in the hands of a malicious person. As of now, she has yet to defeat Zoro in her quest, and while she has taken up the Kashu Sword, she has not been seen picking up another Meito during her journey of Justice, while Zoro also acquired Shuusui. Meito’s grade is assigned through the blades and not the shape of the weapons, implying that some weapons like Murakumogiri are not swords.

At the moment, there are four known grades of Meito, which are:

• Supreme Grade, of which there are 12
• Great Grade, of which there are 21
• Skillful Grade of which there are 50
• Grade, of which there is a currently unknown number.

Some Meito are ungraded but are nevertheless renowned around the world.

Sword grades in One Piece

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

Supreme Grade (12)

These are the 12 “first rank” (supreme grade) Blades, also known as the Saijō Ō Wazamono. They are the class of sabers with the best quality. So far, four have been revealed:

1. Ace: Ace is a saber worn by Pirate King Gol D. Roger, who used it as his primary weapon in combat. It is one of the 12 best quality Meito, the Saijo Ô Wazamono. Ace is a full-sized saber, with a slightly curved blade, with an ornate saw pattern on both sides. The sword has a yellow/orange hilt, with a diamond-shaped pattern, a golden hilt, as well as a thin hand guard, covering from the top of the hilt to the sheath, black. As one of the 12 highest quality Meito, the Saijo Ô Wazamono, Ace is a superior blade, one of the strongest and toughest ever forged, only equaled 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, through his multiple fights against Edward Newgate, who also possessed one of the 12 First Rank Blades, Murakumogiri.
2. Yoru: The Yoru, often called Kokuto Yoru, is a sword that is among the most powerful Sabers in the world. It belongs to the category of 12 Saijo Ô Wazamono and is the property of Mihawk, a former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. It’s a black blade. In the anime, it is described by Tashigi as being one of the best swordsmen in the world. Combined with the very great physical strength of its user, Kokuto Yoru seems to be able to slice through anything the latter 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 his blade. He can notably attack from a distance by creating sharp air blades or whirling air blades.
3. Murakumogiri: Murakumogiri is the name of Edward Newgate’s Naginata and one of the 12 best quality Meito, the Saijo Ô Wazamono. With Whitebeard’s massive powers and fighting skills, the Bisento is a formidable weapon and quite powerful. As proof, this one allows him to measure himself against Shanks’ saber which caused an atmospheric-type tear in the sky when the two blades crossed. Whitebeard can wield it just as well with one hand as with both hands. The naginata can be empowered with its user’s Armament Haki, or with its Devil Fruit to increase its destructive power. Being one of the 12 Saijo Ô Wazamono, the 12 highest grade blades among the Meito, Murakumogiri’s blade is among the strongest in the world.
4. Shodai Kitetsu: The Shodai Kitetsu is one of the 12 Saijo Ô Wazamono. It is part of the cursed swords created by Kitetsu along with the Nidai Kitetsu and the Sandai Kitetsu. It hasn’t made an appearance yet. Shodai literally means “First Generation” because the Shodai Kitetsu is the first sword in the Kitetsu series. She is unknown, but she must have an appearance quite similar to that of the Sandai Kitetsu. Nothing is known about her but as she is one of the 12 Saijo Ô Wazamono (like Mihawk’s Kokuto Yoru), she must have significant powers. Since this saber is among the 12 most powerful swords, it must be very strong. Part of the “Kitetsu”, it is a cursed sword that brings death to its owners.

Great Grade (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:

1. Enma: The masterpiece of legendary swordsmith Shimotsuki Kozaburo and one of the 21 O Wazamono, Enma is one of the best 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 “slice into the depths of the underworld” (alongside Ame no Habakiri being able to “slice the sky itself”).
2. 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. The masterpiece of swordsmith Tenguyama Hitetsu and one of the 21 O Wazamono, Ame no Habakiri is one of the best swords in the world.
3. Shusui: As O Wazamono, Shusui is among the thirty-two best katanas in the world. It is considered the national treasure of Wano Country and is the sword that enabled the legendary samurai Ryuma’s exploits. After many battles by his side, the sword became a black blade. Before acquiring Enma, Zoro was convinced that Shusui was going to be decisive in the battle against Kaido’s Hundred Beasts Crew.
4. Wado Ichimonji: Being one of the thirty-two best katanas in the world (eleven Saijo Ô Wazamono and twenty-one Ô Wazamono), the Wadô Ichimonji is an extremely powerful blade, in the hands of a competent swordsman. He is extremely tough, and has a durable blade, as indicated by Mihawk, when he destroyed both Zoro’s swords and only Zoro resisted.
5. Nidai Kitetsu: Nidai Kitetsu is a sword that is one of the 21 swords in the Ô Wazamono category. It is part 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 saber must also be powerful and resistant since it is part of the 21 O Wazamono.

Skillful Grade (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:

1. Yubashiri: Yubashiri was an extremely light sword, but strong as Zoro mentioned that it was a “good katana” after seeing how easy it was to use. Its light weight allowed for quick actions and reflexes, while maintaining its sharpness for cutting power. Yubashiri was one of the three swords used by Zoro in the 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.
2. Kashu: Kashu is a sword that belonged to Baroque Works agent Mr. 11. After losing it in a duel against Tashigi, the latter retrieved 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 part of the 50 Ryo Wazamono.
3. Yamaoroshi: Yamaoroshi is one of the 50 Ryo Wazamono. It’s a saber owned by Billy, a pirate who arrived in Loguetown. Its owner clashed with Tashigi, was beaten quite easily, and stopped by Smoker. It was picked up by Tashigi. He has yet to make an official appearance. Abilities We don’t know anything about the abilities of this sword, but Billy boasted of having been able to cut an orc with it.

Grade (??)

There is an unknown number of Grade swords, which are also called Wazamono. They are weapons of the lowest grade of named swords that are ranked. Two have been revealed so far:

1. Sandai Kitetsu: Like all swords made under Kitetsu’s name, this one is said to be cursed, and is supposed to bring 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, his previous owner tried to warn him that he would cut off his arm.
2. Shigure: The Shigure is a katana belonging to the Meito category. It is currently owned by Tashigi. The Shigure is a katana with a green hilt and a hilt made up of four petals, or square sides. The blade itself is normal. The sheath is elaborate, the upper half being green and bumpy; the lower half is white and smooth. There are circular designs embedded all over the sheath.

Unknown and unnamed grade (??)

There are a number of swords and blades in the series that, while confirmed Meito, have unknown grades, as the latter hasn’t been confirmed. There are also those whose names haven’t been revealed yet. These are:

1. Gryphon (Shanks)
2. Cat Claws (Kuro)
3. Nakiri Swords (Yosaku and Johnny)
4. Daisenso (Krieg)
5. Kiribachi (Arlong)
6. Terry Sword (Dorry)
7. Bruiser Axe (Brogy)
8. Nonosama Bo (Enel)
9. Bamboo (T Bone)
10. Funkfreed (Spandam)
11. Punishers (Killer)
12. Warabide Sword (Basil Hawkins)
13. Kessui (Hannyabal)
14. Raiu (Shiryu)
15. Oto and Kogarashi (Shiki)
16. Franken (General Franky)
17. Soul Solid (Brook)
18. Kirisame (Hody Jones)
19. Durandal (Cavendish)[7]
20. Same-kiri Bocho (Bastille)
21. Shirauo (Charlotte Amande)
22. Pretzel (Charlotte Cracker)[8]
23. Napoleon (Charlotte Linlin)
24. Mogura (Charlotte Katakuri)
25. Soto Muso (Kawamatsu)
26. Konpira (Gion)
27. Takeru (Yamato)
28. Silvers Rayleigh’s sword
29. Vista’s swords
30. Issho’s sword
31. Kozuki Sukiyaki’s sword

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