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Introduction to Devil Fruits

In the fantastical world of One Piece, Devil Fruits are mysterious, fruit-shaped powers that give the eater new abilities (and often strange appearances). There are three known types – Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia. But the rarest and most powerful of these fruits are the Mythical Zoans. Only 12 have been revealed so far in the story’s 25 year serialization.

Mythical Zoans allow the user to transform into an awe-inspiring mythical creature from legends and folklore. They possess both incredible offensive abilities and high defensive resilience. Unlike Logias they cannot turn their entire body into an element, but the might of their Zoan transformations cannot be understated!

Today we will analyze and rank all 12 officially named Mythical Zoans. This will be based on the overall power and uniqueness of the fruit’s abilities. There’s some fierce competition here – from phoenixes granting regeneration, to eight-headed serpents with endless lives, to oriental dragons wielding the forces of nature. Time to unleash these beasts!

12. Dog Dog Fruit, Model: Hellhound Cerberus

The first Mythical Zoan on our list belongs to Blackbeard crewmember Avalo Pizarro. His fruit allows him to become a hellhound named Cerberus, the mythical multi-headed dog that guarded the entrance to the Greek underworld.

While fearsome in appearance, this fruit’s combat potential seems low compared to others. Its only known ability is emitting flames, either as fiery breath or covered claws. Still the visual of a giant flaming three-headed hound is terrifying. And the Cerberus myth represented concepts like guardianship and danger – fitting for a pirate.

11. Snake Snake Fruit, Model: Yamata no Orochi

This eight-headed serpent fruit is consumed by Wano Country’s shogun Kurozumi Orochi. In Japanese folk tales the Yamata no Orochi beast was slain by the god Susanoo.

The fruit grants Orochi abrasive dragon scales, firebreathing, snake-like reflexes, and most notably the ability to survive decapitation. Each severed head becomes an entirely new snake that the main body can control. After his original seven heads were sliced off, Orochi regenerated an eighth.

This extra life capacity makes Orochi very difficult to kill. And the hydra-like power compensates for the fruit’s lack of any real offensive strength. But it doesn’t seem useful in direct confrontations against top fighters like the other Zoans here.

10. Bird Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix

The power of the Phoenix is considered legendary even within Mythical Zoans. It was eaten by Whitebeard 1st Division Commander Marco the Phoenix. True to his name and title, Marco can transform into an azure phoenix made of mystical blue flames. He can also envelope parts of his body to heal any wounds, making him extremely durable.

Marco showcases tremendous speed too, evaporating ambush bullets from behind mid-flight. His hybrid form blazes wings to launch ranged phoenix-shaped projectiles. And via talon claw strikes his “Daienkai: Hibashira” move ignites opponents internally.

The Phoenix’s rapid healing and aerial mobility serve strong evasive and support roles. But Marco lacks any screen-shaking area-of-effect attacks that define top-tier Zoans. Still this fruit rightfully symbolizes rare mystic might within Whitebeard’s crew.

9. Human Human Fruit, Model: Daibutsu

Fleet Admiral Sengoku ate the Mythical Daibutsu fruit to become an enormous golden Buddha statue. This grants superhuman strength and durability while retaining agility in his larger size. Sengoku commonly stays in hybrid form as an imposing partial Buddha.

His palm-thrust shockwaves level surrounding structures with massive non-elemental damage. And that raw power clashes against Whitebeard’s quakes during the Paramount War. But we sadly do not see Sengoku‘s fruit in a dedicated 1-on-1 fight.

Visually it channels divine authority befitting the World Government’s chief military leader. The Buddha form also complements Sengoku’s religious Buddhist motif. But logistically it does not provide the same mobility or widespread destruction as most top-tier fruits here.

8. Bird Bird Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon

Now we enter territory of ancient Chinese myth figures. Kaido’s right-hand commander King the Wildfire ate the Azure Dragon fruit to become this legendary flying serpent. His hybrid form combines intense durable dragon skin with speedy winged flight.

The Azure Dragon represents the wood elements and spring season in Four Symbols folklore – hence why King also has masterful fire control abilities. His dragonfire packs explosive concussive blasts that ignited staggering mileage of land. And his speed keeps up with fellow airborne 1st Commander Zoan user Marco.

King has proven extremely adaptable too – wielding meito swords, piloting stealth bombers, etc. But his sole long-range options are straightforward dragon fire breath attacks. And the Azure Dragon lacks any environmental manipulation prowess compared to its 3 Symbol siblings…

7. Fish Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon

…For example Queen the Plague’s ice-manifesting coastal dragon form! The Azure Dragon here focuses on fluidity and flexibility befitting an aquatic swimmer. This matches Queen’s flamboyant personality shifting between his Germa exosuit, dinosaur retainer persona, and real form.

The regional folklore names his fruit as controller of the eastern seas. And we see Queen freely generate freezing winds, chunky ice fixtures, and frozen tsunami waves – all with tremendous scale. He plays up the “plague” title too by weaponizing viral pathogens and diseases inside allies and enemies alike.

Queen has honed tremendous endurance as well, standing up after a direct hit from Big Mom’s lightning and several clashes against fellow All-Star King. His travel between sea and air while freezing landscapes solid unquestionably equates massive power. But direct offense means maneuvering the resulting ice, not projectiles from his actual dragon.

6. Fish Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon

Kaido of the Beasts backs up his title by consuming Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu – the Mythical fish to become an Eastern Dragon! This pipes him into a deep reservoir of Japanese iconography about rising against adversity. And few adversities seem to actually affect the nigh-invincible Kaido…

Befitting the ephemeral oriental dragons, Kaido’s transformations tap into intimidating weather and environmental destruction. His pyrokinetic dragon breaths ignite swirling storms of clouds and flames at unbelievable scale. He also wields lightning strikes from the horns and whiskers. And aerial dynamics let him batter landbound foes while dodging most attacks.

Kaido has incredible striking power too – mountain-cratering dragon kanabo swings and wind scythe eruptions shatter whole regions. Even without named moves, his basic dragon talon tail whips and fire bullets deal insane damage. Devil Fruit Awakening then takes this to the next level…

5. Human Human Fruit, Model: Nika

What happens when Joyboy’s mystical Zoan fruit reawakens after centuries of dormancy? We get the Sun God Nika’s reality-warping powers! Luffy’s Awakening granted him unprecedented transformative freedom to steel/rubber properties. And boundless creative application soon follows.

Gear 5th now wields wacky physics to Inception-rotate the environment like rubber or pummel foes with hydraulic stomp impacts. Luffy also gained tremendous physical augmentation – holding back Kaido’s club swings or wind scythes that previously one-shot him. His body inflates to titanic proportions for stronger attacks with no proportional speed loss.

This fruit defined the very structure of One Piece’s world. And its reawakening caps off Luffy’s journey to match willpowers with the all-powerful. The Sun God fruit has no conventional offensive abilities, but unlimited freedom means infinite potential. Its wielder is still growing into these divine powers too!

4. Bird Bird Fruit, Model: Chinese Phoenix

Marco’s healing flames pale before those commanded by the mightiest doctor himself – Whitebeard 1st Division Commander Edward Weevil! His self-proclaimed Mythical Zoan (unconfirmed in story) channels the majesty of the Chinese Phoenix or Fenghuang.

True to the phoenix’s symbolism this fruit grants tremendous fire manipulation potential both offensively and for perceived healing purposes. Weevil claims to burn off disease and injuries from allies with benevolent flames. But make no mistake – those same fires promise unparalleled destruction as well!

Chinese lore depicts the Fenghuang as a divine solar bird representing renewal and peace. Weevil seems anything but peaceful though as he crushed numerous New World island self-proclaimed allies of Whitebeard. He seeks to cement his status as Whitebeard’s son.

And Weevil’s arrogance may be justified! Few entities still breathing in One Piece can combat phoenix firebending of such scale and heat. Marco’s regeneration gets outclassed in both rage and recovery factor here. But little is known about Weevil’s fighting abilities otherwise.

3. Fish Fish Fruit, Model: Chinese Dragon

Legendary ex-Admiral Zephyr “Z” ate the Mythical Kirin fruit to transform into the most divine oriental dragon symbol. The Kirin links to imperial blessing and fortune in Eastern mythology. Zephyr’s mastery over this fruit proves why he matched Navy greats in his prime.

In China the Kirin serpentine dragon represents the element of fire. Zephyr correspondingly releases explosive widespread curtain-shaped torrents of flames rivaling the craters of magma fruits. He also generates sizzling electrical discharges down his horns that rival the Navy’s literal lightning Logia user.

This isn’t even including projected cutting shock waves that slice both water and fire in “Hiken: Onibi” style. Zephyr merges both the intense effects control of phoenix models with sheer linkage to destructive mythology itself. If not for his weakened post-injury state, young pre-Admiral Kuzan and Borsalino would not have survived his onslaught.

2. Human Human Fruit, Model: Buddha

Controlling shock waves of this power predicts the fearsome capabilities of Sengoku’s successor. After the prior Fleet Admiral’s resignation, protegee Issho “Fujitora” consumed the power of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu. This grants him mythical transformation into – and manipulation gravity itself as – the awe-inspiring Buddha.

Powerful fighters in One Piece frequently incorporate gravitational forces into their fighting styles. But only Fujitora holds primacy over attraction/repulsion itself thanks to his fruit. With perfect mastery Fujitora can precisely control descent and movement of anything within his sphere of influence without touching them.

And the Admiral projects this gravity control outwards with shocking range! He dragged down literal meteors from orbit, crushed Navy battleships into seabed craters, and restrained revolutionary commanders without even facing them. Fujitora even disabled all his senses to avoid ever relying on anything but his Mythical Zoan.

This fruit has both overwhelming destructive scale and extremely versatile neutralization capacity thanks to gravitation effects. Fujitora has set the standard for what top Navy elite fighting forces are capable of in the new era.

1. Human Human Fruit, Model: Nika

After much consideration between Buddha gravity obliteration versus Sun God freedom…this writer gives the edge to Nika for the #1 spot! What better parallel to the vast endless creative potential of One Piece itself?

Where Fujitora’s gravitic powers are extremely lethal and containment-focused, Luffy’s reality-warping fruit reveals new battle solutions on the fly every arc since his first fight. Gear 5th continues introducing new environmental-combo attacks even within single battles against Kaido.

And the sheer scale increase thanks to body-blowing lets Luffy physically restrain strikes from the world’s physically strongest creature. Even when drained of Haki his new durability withstands attacks that one-shot Gear 4th only hours earlier. Devil Fruit Awakening finally unlocked power worthy of the future Pirate King himself!

No other Mythical Zoan has come close to overpowering definitive governors of the One Piece world like Kaido. But Nika manages through sheer freedom and fighting spirit – perfectly matching Luffy’s journey to match Roger’s throne. Of all powers revealed in 25 years, none have broken reality itself like the reawakened Sun God fruit.

The ranking metric balances both destructive capacity and unique versatility within each fruit. More points go to Zoans with greater physical power, widespread area-of-effect attacks, environmental influence, future potential, and sheer awe factor. However, rarer abstract abilities also factored in for fruits that brought new dynamics to the table.

In particular, combative prowess weighed heavily here due to One Piece’s themes on piracy and freedom revolving around incredible fights. But great importance also lay in how legendary and mythical an ability felt relative to legend itself. The wider world and lasting influence matter just as much as 1-on-1 matchup strengths in ranking the might of these Zoans.

Mythical Zoans house some of the most devastatingly powerful Devil Fruits revealed so far in One Piece’s extensive world. Ranging from healing phoenixes to reality-bending human models to apocalyptic serpents of land, sea, and air – no environment sits beyond reach of their nigh-divine abilities.

And even hundreds of chapters into the current storyline, more mythical-level fruits remain undiscovered. Each one stands to redefine battle dynamics and flipping awe-inspiring abilities onto their heads! Their mystique and rarity likewise enhance the journey to uncover just what limits may or may not exist.

Of course singular Devil Fruits hardly make might alone. Haki, environmental factors, compatible fighting styles and the wielders themselves matter just as much in executing the full potential of a fruit. But Mythical Zoans time and time again demonstrate exactly how they earned their title as powers matched by none but the gods. We can’t wait to see the future paths their otherworldly transformations steer towards!