All 6 OP-17 Leaders Explained: Colours, Effects and Playstyles

Six Leaders, six colours and six different strategies

OP-17 — The World’s Strongest Warriors introduces six Leaders, with exactly one representing each current colour in the ONE PIECE Card Game. All six have 5 Life and 5000 power, but their effects push deck construction in very different directions.

The following analysis is based on the official English card texts. It explains how each Leader works and the main deck-building ideas suggested by its effect. It is not intended as a definitive competitive ranking: each Leader’s actual place in the metagame will depend on tournament results, refined deck lists and future restrictions.

Edward.Newgate OP17-001 — Red

The new Edward.Newgate Leader has the Four Emperors and Whitebeard Pirates types. Once per turn, during an opponent’s attack, its player may trash one card from their hand to give a Leader or Character +4000 power for that battle.

This effect turns one card in hand into immediate defence. A 4000-power boost is large enough to make an attack significantly more expensive, protect an essential Character or force the opponent to commit additional DON!!. The trade-off is that every activation reduces the player’s hand size. The deck therefore needs reliable card flow, and the effect should not be spent protecting a card with little strategic value.

Edward.Newgate appears suited to players who enjoy maintaining red pressure while keeping important pieces on the board. The effect is easy to understand, but using it efficiently requires careful judgement about which attacks are genuinely worth a discard.

Shanks OP17-020 — Green

Shanks is a green Leader with the Four Emperors and Red-Haired Pirates types. Once per turn during the Main Phase, its player may trash one card from their hand or rest one DON!! card to prevent an opponent’s rested Character from becoming active during their next Refresh Phase.

This is a classic green control effect. Shanks does not remove the opposing card directly, but extends the period during which it remains vulnerable. The targeted Character stays open to attacks for another turn and cannot contribute normally to the opponent’s next game plan.

The alternative cost makes the ability flexible. Resting one DON!! often protects the hand, while discarding a card can preserve the DON!! needed to play something else. The right choice depends on the turn, the player’s curve and the value of keeping the opposing Character locked down.

Rocks.D.Xebec OP17-039 — Blue

Rocks.D.Xebec is a blue Leader dedicated to the Rocks Pirates. When attacking, its player may trash one card from their hand and reveal the top card of their deck. If the revealed card has a type that includes Rocks Pirates, the player draws two cards.

When the effect succeeds, the player exchanges the discarded and revealed cards for two newly drawn cards. This refreshes the hand and improves access to key pieces, but its consistency depends directly on deck composition.

The Leader strongly encourages a type-focused build. Adding too many cards from outside the Rocks Pirates increases the chance of missing the effect. A list built tightly around the archetype can activate it more reliably and prepare powerful late-game turns, particularly with Rocks.D.Xebec OP17-118.

Kaido OP17-058 — Purple

Kaido is a purple Leader with the Four Emperors and Animal Kingdom Pirates types. Once per turn, either when attacking or during an opponent’s attack, its player may return one DON!! card to the DON!! deck to give an opposing Character −2000 power for the rest of the turn.

The duration of the power reduction is important. During the Kaido player’s own turn, it can weaken a target before attacking it or set up another effect that depends on power. During the opponent’s turn, it can reduce the strength of an attacker and make defending easier.

This flexibility comes at a cost: DON!! −1 slows the player’s available resources. A Kaido deck will therefore want cards capable of adding DON!! or recovering from the reduction. Several purple cards in OP-17 follow this exact pattern, giving the Leader a coherent support package.

Monkey.D.Luffy OP17-079 — Black

The OP-17 Luffy is a black Leader with the Elbaph, Four Emperors and Straw Hat Crew types. Its permanent effect gives Blocker to all of its player’s Characters with a cost of 12 or more.

Luffy does not immediately generate cards or power. Instead, it changes the role of an entire category of Characters. A major threat can attack, then become a defensive wall during the opponent’s turn if it remains available. The ability rewards Characters with naturally high costs as well as cards capable of increasing their own cost.

The Elbaph theme contains several cards designed around the 12-cost threshold. Loki OP17-119 gains an additional 12 cost through its own effect, while members of the Straw Hat Crew receive bonuses when a Character with a cost of 12 or more is present. The deck therefore appears to function as a connected synergy engine rather than simply a collection of expensive cards.

Charlotte Linlin OP17-099 — Yellow

Charlotte Linlin is a yellow Leader with the Four Emperors and Big Mom Pirates types. When attacking, its player may trash one card from their hand. The opponent then chooses between two outcomes: the Linlin player trashes another card and may add the top card of their deck to the top of their Life cards, or the opponent trashes one card from their own hand.

The effect forces an uncomfortable decision. Allowing Linlin to gain one Life increases her endurance, but at the cost of another card from the Linlin player’s hand. Refusing that option reduces the opponent’s own hand instead. Either result applies pressure to available resources.

The challenge is managing the initial cost and the potential second discard. A Linlin deck will need to monitor its hand carefully and choose the right moment to activate the ability. Yellow Trigger cards and Big Mom Pirates synergies can help the strategy gain value over a longer game.

Which OP-17 Leader should you choose?

The right choice mainly depends on the style you prefer:

• Edward.Newgate for efficient defence combined with red pressure;

• Shanks for board control and keeping opposing Characters rested;

• Rocks.D.Xebec for a highly focused blue deck built around hand renewal;

• Kaido for power manipulation and DON!! resource management;

• Monkey.D.Luffy for the new Elbaph synergies built around costs of 12 or more;

• Charlotte Linlin for Life manipulation and pressure on the opponent’s hand.

The card texts already give every strategy a clear identity, but early tournament results will be needed to identify the most consistent builds. Before purchasing a large number of cards, consider testing more than one deck concept and checking specific interactions in the official FAQ.

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Official source

• Official OP-17 card list