Strongest to weakest
- Sakazuki
- Borsalino
- Kuzan
- Aramaki
- Issho
The og trio not being the best but having decent enough swordsmanship. We already know kizaru and aokiji can create swords just using their element and imo Akainu might be able to do the same
Him either being able to make a magma blade or even diamond blade with enough concentrated heat
The next soon to be trio being generally way more proficient at using blades than the og trio. Them being better swordsman + combing it with their devil fruit powers
- Fujitora channelling his paramecia fruit abilities through his blade combining them
- Ryokugyu potentially fighting a bit like cracker where he can make wood clone swords but there’s only 1 real him with the real sword
- Imo Aramaki’s blade blade might be do to a woman he cared for in the past killing themselves with the blade
- While Issho doesn’t have a black blade I think giving up his eyes with his sword potentially made him stronger as well
To celebrate ryokugyu’s blade here’s a theory on how he might’ve got it
Crazy and out my ass but what if black blades are forged through a sacrifice. Like something crazy like killing a loved one or suicide. It being similar to zoan awakenings requiring death but still unique
We know Aramaki’s tattoo hints at suicide and death of a loved one. So maybe the sword originally belonged to a girl he really loved whether familial or romantic. Her death being what made the blade black with Aramaki deciding to hold it as a part of her. He can probably use it too but only when pushed to
Mihawk back in his youth definitely went through some big loss with it being tied to the betrayal he felt. Maybe after that lost he learned how black blades are permanently made and decided to try and achieve it. If he wasn’t strong enough he’d just kill himself but if he was he’d be able to overcome death and become one with yoru. If he didn’t try to kill himself what if the person that betrayed him used his own sword and literally stabbed him in the back leaving him to die. With the same effect either way. That maybe explaining his double ringed eyes because he and yoru are 1
There are a lot of ties between death and swords. Plus again the zoan comparison
This could also imply kuina is secretly alive sabo style since wado isn’t black. Which I wouldn’t mind tbh with her coming back as a man would be interesting imo
Ryuma potentially killing himself to make shusui black
It’d be mad funny if shusui did the same with zoro but he just didn’t realize because the blade is already black. Like if the scar on his eye is him deadass accidentally stabbing himself in the face lol. Him dying but surviving and growing stronger in the process. The blade wanting to be a part of zoro like it was ryuma. So it’d be like even tho he gave the sword up to wano it’s still with him in a way
Crazy and out my ass but what if black blades are forged through a sacrifice. Like something crazy like killing a loved one or suicide. It being similar to zoan awakenings requiring death but still unique
We know Aramaki’s tattoo hints at suicide and death of a loved one. So maybe the sword originally belonged to a girl he really loved whether familial or romantic. Her death being what made the blade black with Aramaki deciding to hold it as a part of her. He can probably use it too but only when pushed to
Mihawk back in his youth definitely went through some big loss with it being tied to the betrayal he felt. Maybe after that lost he learned how black blades are permanently made and decided to try and achieve it. If he wasn’t strong enough he’d just kill himself but if he was he’d be able to overcome death and become one with yoru. If he didn’t try to kill himself what if the person that betrayed him used his own sword and literally stabbed him in the back leaving him to die. With the same effect either way. That maybe explaining his double ringed eyes because he and yoru are 1
There are a lot of ties between death and swords. Plus again the zoan comparison
This could also imply kuina is secretly alive sabo style since wado isn’t black. Which I wouldn’t mind tbh with her coming back as a man would be interesting imo
Ryuma potentially killing himself to make shusui black
It’d be mad funny if shusui did the same with zoro but he just didn’t realize because the blade is already black. Like if the scar on his eye is him deadass accidentally stabbing himself in the face lol. Him dying but surviving and growing stronger in the process. The blade wanting to be a part of zoro like it was ryuma. So it’d be like even tho he gave the sword up to wano it’s still with him in a way
I believe death and sacrifice play a main role in how black blades
- Mihawk’s life being taken by his blade with him managing to overcome death. Him becoming part of the blade (permanently black) and the blade becoming a sword a part of him (double ringed eyes)
- A significant woman in Aramaki’s life being taken by the blade he carries with her fully dying. Her life being what made the blade permanently black
- Issho while obviously not having a black blade might’ve also made a sacrifice of some sort aka his eyes. By doing so possibly being strengthened by his blade
- Imo that might also be the case with shusui and zoro’s eye but with zoro not realizing. Same way he didn’t realize he had conquerors
- A significant women is ryokugyu’s life sacrificed her life making ryokugyu’s blade stronger but not himself. Her being a part of the blade
- Fujitora sacrificing his eyes made himself stronger but not his blade stronger. The blade being a part of him
- Mihawk sacrificing his life made himself and his blade stronger. Both he and his blade being a part of each other