We have all witnessed fearsome pirate crews swashbuckling their way through the waters to achieve their goals and objectives. Legendary One Piece pirate crews like Rogers, Whitebeard, and Rocks are only a few examples. Straw Hat, Hearts, and Kids pirates are three popular crews among the new generation of pirates, who are all advancing to claim their own legendary status. Although the pirates have many eye-catching characteristics, their Jolly Roger (or pirate flag) is what everyone first notices. Therefore, based on what we have seen in the One Piece anime so far, we have created a ranked list of the top 15 Jolly Rogers. One Piece’s die-hard followers are familiar with the term “Jolly Roger,” but if you are new to the community, don’t worry as we have an explanation for you right below. So read on to find out where your favorite Jolly Roger appears in this ranked list.

Note: This article contains spoilers about the One Piece pirate crews. So make sure to watch the One Piece anime or read the manga before to avoid ruining your experience.

  • Types of Jolly RogersImportance of Jolly Roger

  • Straw Hat PiratesRed Hair PiratesRoger PiratesWhitebeard piratesBeast PiratesHeart PiratesArlong PiratesRocks PiratesSpade PiratesBlackbeard PiratesDonquixote PiratesKid PiratesKuja PiratesBuggy PiratesBig Mom Pirates

What Is a Jolly Roger in One Piece?

Jolly Roger is the traditional name for flags that are used to identify a pirate ship. To put it simply, it’s the symbol on the pirate flag. It’s the skull mark on the flag of a pirate crew, which makes them identifiable in the vast waters. That’s why it is also referred to as a Symbol or Skull Mark. Jolly Rogers are a big deal in the world of One Piece. The main purpose of a Jolly Roger is to differentiate one pirate crew from another.

The different types of Jolly Roger we have seen in the One Piece world are as follows:

Importance of Jolly Roger

A Jolly Roger is significant because it gives each pirate crew a distinctive brand-like appearance and helps distinguish their assets such as their ships and the areas they control. Every pirate crew has different goals, beliefs, and prejudice, and their Jolly Roger is based on these ideologies. Hence, they come in different shapes and designs.

As Dr. Hiriluk mentioned in the anime, the pirate flag rejects impossibilities, which means there are no limits to the Jolly Rogers and it can be symbolic of different ideals out there. There are various ways a jolly roger is perceived by people. Some of the things we have seen are:

Best One Piece Pirate Flags (Ranked)

Now that you have an idea about what are Jolly Rogers and how they work in the One Piece universe, let’s not keep you waiting and jump to the ranked list, shall we? Here’s our list of 15 popular Jolly Rogers from One Piece:

  • Japanese Name: Mugiwara no IchimiTotal Bounty: 8,816,001,000 BerriesCaptain: Monkey D. Luffy Ship: Going Merry (Previously), Thousand Sunny (Present)

Well, without a doubt, the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat pirates tops the charts in our article. The flag looks straightforward, yet it features the iconic Straw hat on top of the skull, which makes it more charging than others. The Straw Hat pirates are now rising up the ranks at a faster rate, and we hope Luffy will soon find the One Piece treasure. That way, with Luffy becoming the pirate king and conquering the seas, this Jolly Roger will attain a legendary status that will be untouchable by any other pirate crew.

  • Japanese Name: Akagami Kaizoku-danTotal Bounty: At least 4,142,900,000 BerriesCaptain: ShanksShip: Unnamed (Previously), Red Force (Present)

The renowned Red Hair pirates have a fabled flag resembling their leader Shanks. The skull is marked with scars, similar to what we see on Shank’s face. Also, it uses their favorite red color for the same. Moreover, instead of the regular crossbones in the back, this pirate flag includes a pair of swords, signifying Shanks’ swordsmanship in One Piece.

The swords and the scar make this Jolly Roger look much cooler. The Jolly Roger of the Red Hair pirates is just as iconic as the pirate crew themselves, and we can’t wait to witness more of our beloved Shanks soon.

  • Japanese Name: Rojā KaizokudanTotal Bounty: Over 5,564,800,000 BerriesCaptain: Gol D. Roger Ship: Oro Jackson

The Pirate King’s Jolly Roger is as legendary as himself and features his mighty mustache on the face of the skull mark. Merely a glimpse of this pirate flag was enough to send shivers down the opponent’s spine. That’s how great and fearful Roger was in his era.

  • Japanese Name: Shirohige KaizokudanTotal Bounty: Over 10,010,000,000 BerriesCaptain: Edward Newgate (Previously), Marco (Interim) Ship: Moby Dick

Whitebeard Pirates are one of the most legendary pirate crews of all time and the only rival equal to the mighty Roger pirates in One Piece. Captain Whitebeard, regarded as the strongest man in the entire world, has a jolly roger with a striking resemblance to him.

5. Beast Pirates

  • Japanese Name: Hyakujū KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 11,179,100,000 Berries Captain: KaidoShip: Unnamed ship

The beast pirates were one of the most hated pirate crews across the seas for their tyrannical rule. They were led by one of the strongest creatures on the planet, the fearsome Kaido. Just like the mammoth figure of Kaido, the beast pirates’ Jolly Roger features a big skull with Kaido’s horns and has bones surrounding the skull in a cool way. They have one of the most terrifying jolly rogers for their daunting crew in One Piece.

  • Japanese Name: Hāto no KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 3,000,000,500 Berries Captain: Trafalgar D. Water LawShip: Polar Tang

Trafalgar Law has got to be one of the coolest characters in the One Piece anime. Also, the Heart pirates Jolly Roger is undoubtedly one of the coolest in the series. Breaking the stereotypes, this Jolly Roger does not include skull and bones. Instead, the Heart Pirates use a whole new design with a smiley fitted on a ship’s helm.

  • Japanese Name: Āron IchimiTotal Bounty: At least 42,500,000 BerriesCaptain: ArlongShip: Shark Superb

Arlong Pirates was the first scary group of pirates we saw in the One Piece anime, and their jolly roger is nothing short of a unique one. This Fishman pirate crew was led by Arlong, one of the early antagonists in the series. The Jolly Roger of Arlong Pirates features a saw-nosed shark, representing Arlong himself, along with its tail curved. It misses out on the skull but has the regular crossbones at the back. And even then, it’s one of the coolest Jolly Roger for sure.

  • Japanese Name: Rokkusu KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 570,000,000 BerriesCaptain: Rocks D. XebecShip: Unknown

Rocks Pirates ruled the seas with terror, and we certainly know very little about them. And for such a terror-stricken pirate crew, they have an evil-esque design for their Jolly Roger. It includes a skull mark with the devil’s horn and is painted in dark red color to make it look more evil.

The Rocks pirates were led by Rocks and had three of the previous four emperors, including Big Mom, Kaido, and Whitebeard, as the crew members. Can you imagine these three working under a massive legendary character?

  • Japanese Name: Supēdo KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 100,000,000 BerriesCaptain: Portgas D. AceShip: Piece of Spadille

Before Ace joined the Whitebeard pirates and took a vow to make Whitebeard the next pirate king, he had his own pirate crew, the Spade pirates. Similar to the Straw Hat Pirates, Ace’s Jolly Roger in One Piece also has his iconic hat on top of the skull mark.

  • Japanese Name: Kurohige KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 4,194,200,000 BerriesCaptain: Marshall D. TeachShip: Saber of Xebec

Blackbeard Pirates is rising in power and is the main antagonist in One Piece right now. Their Jolly Roger boasts three skull marks with their eyes staring in different directions. There is a popular theory that Marshall D. Teach (popularly known as Blackbeard) does not have a normal body. This special body allowed him to eat two devil fruits at once. And now, Teach is eyeing another devil fruit in the future. So yeah, like his existence, their Jolly Roger is mysterious too.

  • Japanese Name: Donkihōte Kaizoku-danTotal Bounty: At least 813,000,000 BerriesCaptain: Donquixote DoflamingoShip: Numancia Flamingo

Led by Doflamingo, Donquixote Pirates were the kings of the underworld and one of the evilest crews in pirate history. Even before Heart pirates, they were the ones to introduce the smiley-based design for the Jolly Rogers. The Donquixote Pirates jolly roger boasts a crossed-out smiley face. Doflamingo considered his jolly roger to be important and went on to punish people if they tarnished its reputation.

12. Kid Pirates

  • Japanese Name: Kiddo KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 3,200,000,000 BerriesCaptain: Eustass Kid Ship: Victoria Punk

Eustass Kid leads the Kid pirates, and their jolly roger is based on their captain. Just like Captain Kid’s appearance, the skull mark features flame-like hair with coolers/ glasses on top of the skull. Further, the skull is surrounded by flames. This design is based on the punk rock style of the 80s. All of the new-generation One Piece pirates have such modern and cool designs for their Jolly Rogers, right?

  • Japanese Name: Kuja KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 1,739,000,000 BerriesCaptain: Boa HancockShip: Perfume Yuda

Kuja Pirates is led by the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock. Much like her beauty, their jolly roger also stands out. Kuja Pirates represent the nine-snakes pirates. As the name suggests, the skull mark here is extended to include nine snakes around them. It is such a great idea to replace the regular crossbones with snakes, especially on the red background. Since Princess Boa Hancock’s powers are similar to the greek Gorgon Medusa, it was a clever move to include the snakes here.

  • Japanese Name: Bagī KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 3,320,000,000 BerriesCaptain: BuggyShip: Big Top

Buggy Pirates is led by captain Buggy the clown, and just like several others, this Jolly Roger is based on their captain. Just as the captain’s name suggests, the skull on the Jolly Roger has clown makeup and a red nose. The skull is surrounded by regular crossbones. It’s one of the earliest Jolly Rogers fans were introduced to, and it’s cool and funny in its own way.

  • Japanese Name: Biggu Mamu KaizokudanTotal Bounty: At least 10,121,500,000BerriesCaptain: Charlotte LinlinShip: Queen Mama Chanter

Big Mom Pirates was led by Big Mom who was one of the four emperors of the sea. For an emperor, this Jolly Roger’s design looked like a kid’s drawing and was hilarious when it was first shown in the anime. Easily one of the worst designs for an ex-emperor who ruled the seas with terror.

Who is the most famous pirate?

It all depends on the personal preferences of people, for us without a doubt it is our beloved Straw Hat Pirates.