The Best Decks in the One Piece TCG Right Now - December 2025

Guys, gals and non-binary pals: welcome to the void format.

Void format? What do you mean, strange incorporeal voice on the internet? I mean a period of time we'll soon be hoping to see erased from the history books. As somebody who was awfully vocal about how much fun I had during the OP-12 format, this is a particularly dark day. 

That's not a universally applicable statement though — especially if you're the type of player who enjoys solved formats and targetable metagames. OP-13 is a format of extremes, with just three decks taking up over 90% of top tournament finishes. No other deck manages to scrape even two percent. If any of those decks fit your sensibilities, you're in for a good time. If they don't? It's an uphill slog, but at least you can know in no uncertain terms which Leaders you need to target. Should we consider that type of metagame healthy? A different discussion for another time, but it's where we find ourselves.

Thankfully, a new era is in sight. The Azure Sea's Seven (OP-14) is just over a month away and stands to shake up the format significantly. One Piece Heroines Edition (EB-03) arrives just after, sporting the exciting Nefeltari Vivi (EB03-001) and a handful of other snazzy tools. The cold winter cannot last forever, but these juggernauts of the current metagame will still need to be understood and respected. Even if you're enjoying a little off time during the holidays, it's a good story to study. 

So, which three Leaders are causing all this chaos? Let's break it down: 

Black Imu

It does feel somewhat apt that Imu (OP13-079) is the big bad of the format.

There was zero chance this Leader wasn't going to be overwhelmingly powerful given the aura and importance of the character in canon, but it was difficult to predict just how warping Imu would be. At one point, this deck held almost half of all top cut finishes since Carrying on His Will (OP-13), and it regularly holds over 40% today. 

Normally, price point prevents any one Leader from ever becoming this omnipresent, but the largely accepted optimal build for Imu (OP13-079) costs under $30 to build in the lowest rarity. Imu is the best One Piece deck in the format and one of the cheapest — and that's a lethal combination. 

Kevin Le's Black Imu - 1st Place at Regional Championship Edinburgh

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• Imu (OP13-079)
• 4 Shirahoshi (OP05-082)
• 4 Saint Shalria (OP13-086)
• 3 Saint Mjosgard (OP13-092)
• 2 Saint Charlos (OP13-087)
• 4 St. Jaygarcia Saturn (OP13-083)
• 4 St. Topman Warcury (OP13-089)
• 4 St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro (OP13-080)
• 4 St. Marcus Mars (OP13-091)
• 4 St. Shepherd Ju Peter (OP13-084)
• 4 Five Elders (OP13-082)
• 4 The Five Elders Are at Your Service!!! (OP13-096)
• 4 Never Existed... in the First Place... (OP13-098)
• 2 The World's Equilibrium Cannot Be Maintained Forever (OP13-097)
• 1 After All These Years I'm Losing My Edge!!! (OP11-097)
• 1 Mary Geoise (OP05-097)
• 1 The Empty Throne (OP13-099)

This card-for-card build is responsible for 15 top finishes in the last month, including Kevin Le's victory at the 1000 player regional in Edinburgh. The core game plan is flavorful and intuitive: utilize timely blockers and consistency pieces as speed bumps until you can flood the board with relentless waves of the Five Elders.

Five Elders (OP13-082) is the gigantic payoff for the deck. By utilizing Imu's Leader effect and searchers such as The Five Elders Are at Your Service!!! (OP13-096) and Saint Shalria (OP13-086), you'll fill your trash with copies of St. Jaygarcia Saturn (OP13-083), St. Topman Warcury (OP13-089), St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro (OP13-080), St. Marcus Mars (OP13-091) and St. Shepherd Ju Peter (OP13-084).

Once you've done so, you can use The Empty Throne (OP13-099) (which starts in play thanks to Imu) to drop Five Elders (OP13-082) and summon back all five in the same turn. There are not many decks in the format that can break through a removal-proof wall of giant advantage-generating blockers and rush Characters, but you can always fire the cannon again if they somehow manage to.

The rest of the deck is designed to either enable this finish as quickly as possible or provide you with the largest amount of breathing space to get there. Events like Never Existed... in the First Place... (OP13-098) and The World's Equilibrium Cannot Be Maintained Forever (OP13-097) double up as interactive effects and time-buying counters, with the former forcing pilots to switch to Mary Geoise (OP05-097) in the mirror match to avoid getting blown out. 

All in all, it's very obvious why Imu (OP13-079) is so powerful. The deck sports a game plan that's almost impossible to go over the top of, and thus invites the rest of the format to attempt to go under it. It restricts what's possible for other Leaders to achieve. If you enjoy playing the villain, or unquestionable inevitability, it's definitely the deck for you. 

Red Blue Portgas.D.Ace

The other kingpin of the format, Portgas.D.Ace (OP13-002) is a bit of an anomaly. A 6000-power base Leader is perfectly equipped to punish Imu early, but Ace also gets to rock an overwhelming late game thanks to I Am Whitebeard!! (ST22-015) and the advantage generated by his Leader ability. This gives the deck enough survivability and resilience to outlast most other Leaders despite starting the game with just three Life.

There's also some appeal in not needing to prioritize cards based on their counter value. Portgas.D.Ace (OP13-002) can use his Leader ability to convert any card in hand into a pseudo +2000 once each turn, allowing you to skimp on counters throughout deckbuilding. That means all gas all the time and more consistently powerful cards. 

Eugene Ngoi's Red Blue Portgas.D.Ace - 1st Place at TAK Games Online Treasure Cup

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• Portgas.D.Ace (OP13-002)
• 4 Izo (ST22-002)
• 4 Monkey.D.Garp (OP13-016)
• 4 Otama (OP13-043)
• 2 Thatch (ST15-004)
• 4 Marco (PRB02-008)
• 2 Charlotte Pudding (OP06-047)
• 2 Atmos (OP08-040)
• 1 Jozu (OP02-008)
• 4 Yamato (OP13-054)
• 4 Jozu (OP08-047)
• 4 Uta (ST23-001)
• 2 Edward.Newgate (OP02-004)
• 4 Edward.Newgate (OP13-042)
• 2 Gol.D.Roger (OP09-118)
• 1 Radical Beam!! (OP01-029)
• 2 Gum-Gum Red Roc (OP04-056)
• 4 I Am Whitebeard!! (ST22-015)

Ace shines against Imu not only because of the incidental pressure from his Leader, but because he doesn't need to be worried about getting aggroed down. Imu assumes that the overwhelming flood of Five Elders will be enough to lock up most endgames, so it doesn't need to worry about trivial things like removal. Ace abuses this by cheating out gigantic heavy hitters like Edward.Newgate (OP02-004) and Edward.Newgate (OP13-042) and removing St. Shepherd Ju Peter (OP13-084), then dominating the board with raw stats alone.

If your early pressure and eight-cost follow-ups manage to take several Life cards from Imu (OP13-079), Gol.D.Roger (OP09-118) can come storming in alongside Whitebeard to invalidate their defenses and slam the door shut. The mere existence of Roger forces Imu players to play defensively in the early game so as to not take Life, which simultaneously prevents them from getting aggressive against you. It's a win-win that feels incredible when Roger actually does the job.

Marco (PRB02-008) and Yamato (OP13-054) play important roles in the mid-to-late game bridge turns for Ace. Marco stymies opposing offense and restocks your hand with three cards when they finally bust through the blocker, while Yamato is one of the best proactive options on five DON!!, offering an additional 6000-power body, card advantage, and a bonus burst of damage. There's not a lot more you can ask for before the hammers begin to fall.

Against other decks, Ace gets to punish players by forcing them to overextend on resources just to get a hit in. You'll be churning through cards all game thanks to your Leader ability, Yamato, and even Otama (OP13-043) in a pinch. You can slow down aggressive opponents like Roronoa Zoro (OP12-020) with tech tools like Jozu (OP08-047) and Atmos (OP08-040) or soak up additional hits with cheap copies of Uta (ST23-001). You can even cheese your opponent with Charlotte Pudding (OP06-047) like every other blue deck. The flexibility is astounding.

In any other format, Portgas.D.Ace (OP13-002) would have players screaming for bans. As it stands, he's a premier-level strategy that punishes Imu heavily... at least when the die roll goes his way. Just try to dodge those tempo-oriented aggressive green decks and you'll do just fine! 

Green Zoro

You know, like this one?

Roronoa Zoro (OP12-020) is the sole survivor of yesteryear at the highest levels of the game. He was the main attraction from Legacy of the Master — a flexible Leader that can pivot between timely board control and all-out aggression. The latter tends to be the more popular avenue of attack in a world dominated by Ace and Imu, which just doubles down on how straightforward and easy to comprehend this Leader is.

Zoro is also just... you know... one of the wings of the Pirate King. He's one of the most popular characters across the entire franchise. It's not exactly a surprise that people want to play as him. 

Sanj1kuuun's Green Zoro - 1st Place at Treasure Cup Online Carta Magica

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• Roronoa Zoro (OP12-020)
• 4 Scratchmen Apoo (EB01-015)
• 4 Kouzuki Hiyori (OP12-028)
• 4 Perona (OP12-034)
• 4 Koushirou (OP12-027)
• 4 Tashigi (OP10-032)
• 2 Dracule Mihawk (ST12-003)
• 4 Kuina (OP12-026)
• 4 Roronoa Zoro (OP13-037)
• 2 Gyukimaru (OP12-024)
• 4 Tashigi (OP12-031)
• 4 Trafalgar Law (OP13-031)
• 2 Shanks (OP13-028)
• 2 Demon Aura Nine Sword Style Asura Blades Drawn Dead Man's Game (OP12-037)
• 4 Luffy Is the Man Who Will Become the King of Pirates!!! (OP12-039)
• 2 Electrical Luna (OP08-036)

The core play pattern for Zoro involves resting an opposing Character, slashing it to pieces with your Leader, then restanding him with his Leader ability to swing directly at the opponent. Tashigi (OP12-031), Gyukimaru (OP12-024), Kuina (OP12-026) and Demon Aura Nine Sword Style Asura Blades Drawn Dead Man's Game (OP12-037) can all play the role of resting a threat and putting this play pattern together.

However, Zoro also gained some impressive upgrades from Carrying on His Will (OP-13). Roronoa Zoro (OP13-037) is custom-card levels of absurd, both strategically pressuring the opponent and funding part of the bill for your Leader ability. Trafalgar Law (OP13-031) allows you to both reuse impactful On Play abilities as the game goes on and deliberately block late game aggression, while Shanks (OP13-028) gives the deck a difficult-to-remove, gigantic body against Imu (OP13-079) that doesn't deny aggression from your Leader in the same turn.

Above all else, I'm happy to see the infamous endgame explosion still front and center for this deck. Luffy Is the Man Who Will Become the King of Pirates!!! (OP12-039) threatens to restand your Leader a third time with no restrictions on what to attack. Once you've taken the opponent down below two Life, shove seven DON!! onto the world's strongest swordsman and send everything you've got at the opposing face. It's really hard to have enough counter value to not fold over like a lawn chair. 

Somehow, Zoro has gone from being a frustrating factor of the metagame to an appreciated underdog. The green machine is just about holding onto contention in the current format and reads powerful enough to have some longevity as future sets release. If you're looking for something that rewards repetitions, plays intuitively and gives a good kicking to Portgas.D.Ace, Zoro is probably the hero you're holding out for. 

Closing Thoughts

The format is in an...  interesting place right now. Imu and Ace are reshaping the metagame in their image to both positive and negative outcomes. If you're competing in an event anytime soon, you're going to need a plan to smoke either or both of these metagame goliaths. If you don't? Well, you might be better off joining them. 

Have further questions? Let me know over at @HowlingMines on X (formerly Twitter) or @howlingmines.com over on Bluesky! Alternatively, give my other work here on TCGplayer a peek if you'd like another slice of everything nice about your favorite game.

But until next time. I've been HowlingMines, you've been amazing!

Stay safe out there — and happy gaming!