Every great Shonen series needs a strong lead to help it stand out. Dragon Ball wouldn’t have had the same success it did had fans not resonated with Goku as much as they did. The same can be said for classic series like Naruto and Bleach, and even newer titles like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen. But even among these incredible leads, One Piece’s Luffy has managed to stick out.

As much as fans appreciate him as a character, Luffy’s tenacity and creativity as a fighter are what make him stand out among the sea of Shonen protagonists introduced over the years. With his incredibly versatile and powerful Gomu Gomu no Mi Devil Fruit, Luffy has been part of some of One Piece’s most well-known fights, often utilizing a wide variety of creative moves to defeat his foes. These stand out as the most iconic of the bunch.

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Gomu Gomu no Gatling

One of Luffy’s most well-known moves, the Gomu Gomu no Gatling was introduced pretty early on in One Piece and has been in his repertoire ever since. As the name suggests, Gomu Gomu no Gatling hits opponents with a flurry of quick strikes. The move gives off the illusion that Luffy is hitting his opponents with multiple arms, though certain opponents – like Enel and Rob Lucci – are quick enough to push through the attack.

Gomu Gomu no Bazooka

Packing a little more of a punch than most of his other techniques, the Gomu Gomu no Bazooka is often rolled out as a finisher against strong opponents. Relying more on pure strength than finesse and quickness, Luffy builds up momentum by stretching both his arms behind him, then strikes his opponents with his palms, often throwing them back in the process.

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Luffy first used this technique in his fight against Buggy, using it to send the shady pirate flying. Luffy uses a stronger variant of the move against bigger, heavier opponents such as Wapol.

Gomu Gomu no Storm

The Gomu Gomu no Storm technique really shows off Luffy’s creativity and resourcefulness in battle. While moves like Gatling and Bazooka are more straightforward attacks, Storm sees Luffy make incredibly clever use of his Devil Fruit ability.

Luffy first used the move against Crocodile, while the former was being put through the ringer in Arabasta. In order to successfully pull off Storm, Luffy first uses his Gomu Gomu no Fusen technique, which sees Luffy inflate his body until he’s ballooned in size. He then contorts his body, rapidly letting out air and using the momentum to unleash a devastating attack.

Gomu Gomu no Pistol

The very first move Luffy ever uses in the series, One Piece fans are very familiar with the Gomu Gomu no Pistol. Probably the most straightforward move in his arsenal, in order to pull off the Gomu Gomu no Pistol Luffy simply winds up and launches his stretched-out arm towards his opponent.

Luffy first used the move in the manga against the Lord of the Coast, the massive Sea King that took Shanks’ left arm and nearly ate Luffy 10 years prior to the start of the series. The once intimidating Lord of the Coast didn’t stand much of a chance against the future Pirate King’s signature move, showing everyone that Luffy was more than ready to face whatever challenges he’d come across along his journey.

Gomu Gomu no Ogon Rifle

Luffy’s Gomu Gomu no Ogon Rifle is pretty similar to the Gomu Gomu no Rifle, but with a little twist. Like with the Gomu Gomu no Rifle, Luffy initiates the attack by winding up his arm before striking his opponent point-blank. The only difference with the Gomu Gomu no Ogon Rifle is that Luffy does all of that with a gold ball attached to his arm.

Luffy used this technique in his iconic battle against Enel, surpassing all odds and turning the tide of the fight. Once again, it’s an example of how Luffy can think outside of the box when needed and how good he is at reading and adapting to opponents who seem stronger than he is.

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