It’s time to set sail for adventure once more, as we head out onto the seas – and check out the most valuable One Piece OP-01 cards!
One Piece has been hugely popular ever since its introduction as a manga in Japanese weekly anthology, Shonen Jump, back in 1997.
It’s also still managing to widen its fan base in various ways; the live action Netflix One Piece series has once more seen a big influx of new fans discovering the saga for the very first time, for example.
Despite being so popular, One Piece didn’t make a big impact on tabletop gaming until late 2022, when the One Piece Card Game was launched.
Thanks to phenomenal artwork and innovative game mechanics, the One Piece Card Game – which is a Trading Card Game in the same vein as Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh – has been hugely popular.
With the first set – Romance Dawn – having been released nearly a year ago, many of its cards are highly sought after and have been selling for remarkably high prices.
Which are the most expensive though?
Let’s find out, as we check out the most valuable One Piece OP-01 cards!
1. Shanks – OP01-120, V.3 ($700)
Chief of the Red Hair Pirates – as well as being one of the Four Emperors that rule the New World – Shanks, who’s also known as Red Hair Shanks (or just Red Hair), features on a card that makes it to the top spot of our list.
The card in question is a Character card, with original Manga artwork behind a colour image of Shanks himself, one of the very first characters to appear in the One Piece manga – and the first person to truly believe in Monkey D. Luffy’s potential.
Though the current average selling price of this full art, Manga variant of the Shanks Character card is around $700, listings are online that go well into the thousands of dollars – many of which aren’t even graded!
In gameplay terms, it’s definitely a card that’s great to have available.
With the Rush ability, Shanks can attack on the turn he’s played – no waiting around for him!
He also stops your opponent from activating a Blocker and redirecting your Attack (as long as their Blocker has less than 2000 Power).
Even in its cheapest form, the Shanks card will still cost at least $8.
Usually, standard variants of even the most highly sought after cards can be bought for pennies – check out numerous examples in our most valuable One Piece OP-04 cards list, for instance – which just goes to show how popular this Shanks card is!
2. Trafalgar Law – OP01-002, V.2 ($180)
Though often available at a much cheaper price even for this particular variant, Trafalgar Law’s Leader card from OP-01 is currently selling for an average price of $180.
So, Trafalgar Law – also known, though less commonly, by his full name, Trafalgar D. Water Law – is part of the ‘Worst Generation’; he’s also known to have allied with the Straw Hat Pirates.
His most valuable card is a Leader, with an ability that allows you to switch one Character in play with one in your hand, once per turn – as long as you have 5 Characters in play.
The other version of this card is one that’s not valuable at all, being available for pennies – so if it’s this card’s ability you’re after, you don’t have to spend a few hundred dollars to get it!
3. Roronoa Zoro – OP01-001, V.2 ($138)
The first person to join the Straw Hat crew (after Monkey D. Luffy, of course!), Roronoa Zoro is an expert swordsman, former bounty hunter and Luffy’s right hand man.
Given that OP-01 is the Romance Dawn set, it’s no surprise that Zoro joined Luffy’s crew in the Romance Dawn arc, right at the beginning of the long running and hugely popular One Piece saga!
Compared to the Shanks card, poor Zoro is much less valuable – though of course, an average value of $138 for a single card isn’t exactly cheap!
Much like Shanks, the Roronoa Zoro card can still sell for much more than its average value – some graded copies are listed for up to a few thousand dollars – though these asking prices are unlikely to be particularly realistic.
So, this full art, close up portrait variant of Roronoa Zoro might be pricey – but what about the other versions of the card?
Thankfully, if you want one of these to add to a deck, you can buy the V.1 card for pennies.
The card’s in-game ability does allow you to give all of your Characters +1000 Power on your turn, for the cost of 1 DON!! card, which is fantastic.
Even if you’re a collector after the most prized variant, it’s definitely not going to break the bank as much as trying to buy the most expensive Shanks card!
4. Nami – OP01-016, V.2 ($137)
Hitting a price point just under Roronoa Zoro, this Nami variant card features beautiful, full art that really showcases the strength of the One Piece Card Game’s manga and anime style aesthetic.
Joining the crew shortly after Zoro, Nami is another Straw Hat Pirate – and fills the vital Navigator role as one of the fleet’s Senior Officers.
Though $137 is the realistic current asking price for this Nami card, it is possible to sink much more money into it – especially if you’re after a graded copy.
In gameplay terms, Nami is pretty straightforward; upon entering play, this Character card allows you to look at 5 cards at the top of your deck and place any Straw Hat Crew Character in your hand!
Nami is another card whose variants can be had for much cheaper than this particular option – again, if it’s a playable, usable card you’re after rather than a collector’s piece, you only have to pay a few pennies for Nami’s cheapest version.
Nami also features on our most valuable One Piece OP-03 cards list, with an entirely different – and much more expensive – card; a Leader with a very special ability!
5. Monkey D. Luffy – OP01-003, V.2 ($72)
It’s perhaps surprising to get halfway through the most valuable One Piece OP-01 cards list before seeing the One Piece saga’s main character – but here we are!
Monkey D. Luffy should need no introduction, as the protagonist of One Piece and the leader of the Straw Hat Pirates.
His quest for the legendary, eponymous treasure known as the One Piece is what drives Luffy – and the saga’s story – ever forward.
Even though this card is listed on Card Market’s website for a current average price of $72, there’s plenty listed for at least $200; many of which aren’t even graded!
This particular card is a full art, close up image of Luffy; it’s the same style of portrait as the Shanks card we find at number one on this list.
6. Roronoa Zoro – OP01-025, V.2 ($71)
Wait – another Roronoa Zoro card?
That’s right, Luffy’s right hand man makes a second appearance on this list, with a card that – in my opinion – is much more spectacular aesthetically than the more expensive one!
However, perhaps its lesser in-game effectiveness has caused it to be worth less – instead of giving widespread bonuses, the only thing this card can do is use its Rush keyword, allowing it to Attack on the turn it comes into play.
At $71, its current average selling price is very similar to Monkey D. Luffy’s card, though of course it’s possible to pay hundreds of dollars for this card in various graded conditions!
7. Crocodile – OP01-062, V.2 ($67)
As the saying goes, strange times make for strange bedfellows – and this is definitely applicable to Crocodile, the former president of the ‘Baroque Works’ crime syndicate.
Despite having been an antagonist in the One Piece saga – in fact, the very first enemy of Luffy’s to completely defeat him – later on in the storyline, Luffy frees Crocodile from prison in order for his assistance in rescuing his brother, becoming an ally in the process.
This card represents Crocodile in the earlier period where he was the head of Baroque Works, however – being a Leader card that allows the player to draw an extra card after activating an Event.
Selling currently for $67, it’s a highly sought after card with another close up portrait of its character!
8. Yamato – OP01-121, V.2 ($53)
It’s a little odd to see Yamato in the very first set to be released for the One Piece Card Game – especially as the set is named after the very first chapter of the story.
That’s because Yamato didn’t make their first appearance until the thirty first story arc of the One Piece manga; realising little bits of trivia like that really hits home just how long running the One Piece series is!
Though assigned female at birth, Yamato idolised the great samurai Kouzuki Oden to such an extent that they identify as male – which is reflected in the card’s text.
Part of the card’s text allows it to be treated as a Kouzuki Oden character card as well as a Yamato!
Other keywords on the card are Double Attack and Banish; these allow Yamato to deal two points of damage instead of one and even trash a damaged target card, without it being able to activate its Trigger, respectively.
Not only do these abilities make Yamato a brilliantly aggressive card to use in play, but the art on this particular variant – which sells for around $53 – is absolutely stunning too!
9. Kaido – OP01-061, V.2 ($52)
Coming in at just under the value of Yamato is the Leader card for his father, Kaido (also known as Kaidou).
The main antagonist in several different arcs of the One Piece saga, it’s fair to say that Kaido is one of the story’s most formidable villains – especially as he’s known as the strongest creature in the world!
Once per turn on your turn, if you knock out an enemy Character, Kaido allows you to take a DON!! card from your deck and immediately set it as Active.
The fearsome leader of the Animal Kingdom Pirates looks particularly intimidating on this card, with a close up shot of his roaring face!
10. Boa Hancock – OP01-078, V.2 ($50)
Initially an enemy of the Straw Hat Pirates, Boa Hancock – formerly employed by the Seven Warlords of the Sea – has become one of Monkey D. Luffy’s closest allies.
This beautifully colourful Character card currently sells for $50, with even its cheapest version selling for around $1.
As part of the OP-04 set, this card has been reprinted with new art – and is also similarly valuable.
Gameplay-wise, this card is a Blocker, but also has an ability that allows you to draw a card when blocking or attacking.
So that brings us to the end of our most valuable One Piece OP-01 cards list!
If you’re interested in getting started with the One Piece Card Game, check out our best One Piece Card Game Starter Decks list – and for some insight on what you might find in booster packs, you can take a look at our explanation of One Piece Card Game Rarities.
Finally, head on over to our One Piece Card Game Sets article to see what story arcs the game covers – as well as which characters and settings are featured in each set!
