Shanks and Mihawk have always been compared in One Piece, but Eiichiro Oda has hinted through Zoro that Mihawk might have an advantage.

One of the most entertaining aspects of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is the different rivalries introduced within the narrative. One such rivalry that has grabbed the fans attention for the longest time is Red-Haired Shanks and Dracule Mihawk. While Mihawk holds the title of the Strongest Swordsman in the World, Shanks is one of the four Emperors of the Sea.

Dracule Mihawk in One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

Ideally they should be on the same level of strength, but fans have always favored their favorite character. Although there is no confirmed way to find out which of the two characters is stronger, there is one aspect of Mihawk’s character that makes him more dangerous than Shanks.

This aspect is his ability to analytically understand his battles and fight them accordingly. This unique ability of Mihawk was actually hinted at by Eiichiro Oda when Zoro fought Mihawk’s cloned Seraphim, S-Hawk. This gives Mihawk an edge against his opponents and, in a way, makes him slightly better than Shanks in One Piece.

Strength Comparison Between Mihawk And Shanks

The duel between Shanks and Mihawk is some of the most famous lore in the One Piece universe. Characters like Whitebeard used to praise them for their display of strength while fighting each other. However, when Shanks lost his arm while saving Luffy, Mihawk decided to stop fighting him because he believed that Shanks had lost half of his strength.

While both of them are swordsmen, Shanks’ strengths lie in different aspects. He is majorly known for his Haki abilities that are second to none in One Piece. In fact, there are very few characters in the entire series who can even come close to the level of Haki that Shanks possesses. He has all three kinds of Haki, and he can even use the advanced version of all three of them.

Shanks and Mihawk | Credit: Toei Animation

In the case of Mihawk, his swordsman skills are the major factor in his strength. While he possesses Armament and Observation Haki, he majorly relies on his swordsmanship to take down his enemies. And his title as the Strongest Swordsman in the One Piece world speaks for his skills.

Mihawk Might Have An Advantage Over Shanks

Although the two One Piece characters might be pretty equal in terms of strength, Mihawk has one ability that might put him above Shanks. This ability was hinted when Zoro fought S-Hawk during the Egghead Island arc in One Piece episode 1105. As S-Hawk was a clone of Mihawk and Zoro had fought Mihawk in the past, he compared the two to find out who was stronger.

Zoro vs S-Hawk in One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

Thus, when he attacked S-Hawk, he pointed out that S-Hawk was more “human” than Mihawk, which had a deeper meaning.

According to Zoro’s statement and Mihawk’s past battle, it can be confirmed that he is more calculative than any other One Piece character. This makes him understand his battles better than others and use it according to his advantage.

He does not let passion guide him and has never expressed any embarrassment from getting out of a fight. This in a way makes him one of the most skilled fighters in One Piece and also gives him a slight advantage over his Yonko rival.