Are the Three Admirals leaders in OP-16?

No. The Admirals are Character cards. The leader of the Marine deck is Sengoku (OP16-060), a Purple leader who ramps DON!! to deploy the Admirals ahead of curve. Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji are the powerful payoff Characters under Sengoku.

What deck do the Three Admirals go in?

Sengoku's Purple Marine deck. Sengoku ramps resources to deploy the Admirals as high-impact Characters. They are the deck's finishers and its most powerful individual cards, supported by Garp (OP16-075) and Smoker (OP16-028).

What rarities do the Three Admirals come in?

Standard prints (for play), Super Alt-Art (Sakazuki OP16-065, Kuzan OP16-063, Borsalino OP16-073), and the ultra-rare Manga Rare versions that are the set's top chase. Standard prints play identically to the chase versions, so you do not need the expensive ones to compete.

How much are the Three Admirals worth?

The Manga Rare versions are the set's most valuable cards: Sakazuki around 500,000 JPY at the high end and Kuzan past 400,000 JPY in early Japan trading. Standard and Super Alt-Art prints cost far less. Prices are volatile; verify a live market.

Do I need all three Admirals to play Sengoku?

You want the standard prints of the Admirals as your payoff Characters, but you do not need the Manga Rare or Super Alt-Art versions. Build the Purple Marine ramp shell with standard Admiral prints plus Garp and Smoker for a competitive deck at a reasonable cost.

OP-16 Three Admirals Guide: Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji

Q: Who are the Three Admirals in OP-16?

Sakazuki (Akainu), Borsalino (Kizaru), and Kuzan (Aokiji). They are Character cards, not leaders, that anchor Sengoku's (OP16-060) Purple Marine deck. All three also appear as the set's three Manga Rare chase cards and as Super Alt-Arts (Sakazuki OP16-065, Borsalino OP16-073, Kuzan OP16-063).

TL;DR: This OP-16 Three Admirals guide covers Sakazuki (Akainu), Borsalino (Kizaru), and Kuzan (Aokiji), Sakazuki (Akainu), Borsalino (Kizaru), and Kuzan (Aokiji), are Character cards (not leaders) that anchor Sengoku's Purple Marine ramp deck. They come in standard prints (for play), Super Alt-Art (OP16-065/073/063), and ultra-rare Manga Rares (the set's top chase: Sakazuki ~500k JPY). You need only the cheap standard prints to compete. Confirm exact card text after the June 12 EN launch.

Note: OP-16 released in Japan May 30, 2026; EN is June 12. Card roles below reflect verified data; exact ability text and EN prices confirm at launch. Market prices are early and volatile.

OP-16 Three Admirals guide: quick answer

The Three Admirals are the heart of OP-16's Marine theme. Crucially, they are Character cards, not leaders:

Sakazuki (Akainu) , the marquee Admiral, removal and pressure
Borsalino (Kizaru) , speed-themed Admiral utility
Kuzan (Aokiji) , board-control ice utility

They all play under Sengoku (OP16-060), the Purple Marine leader who ramps DON!! to deploy them ahead of curve. The Admirals are both the deck's competitive payoff and the set's headline collector chase.

GODEEPER: Want the deck the Admirals live in? The Sengoku guide covers the full Purple Marine ramp shell. OP-16 Sengoku Deck Guide

The Admirals Are Characters, Not Leaders

This is the single most common OP-16 confusion. Earlier community coverage (and our own pre-release content) sometimes treated Akainu as a leader. He is not. The Marine deck's leader is Sengoku; the Admirals are the Character payoffs you deploy.

Why it matters: you build the deck around Sengoku's color (Purple) and ramp plan, then slot the Admirals in as your high-impact Characters. Trying to build an "Akainu leader deck" is not a legal construction, Akainu is a card you play from your deck, not the leader you start with.

The Three Admirals as Cards

Exact ability text confirms on the EN card list at launch; roles below reflect their archetype and the verified rarity structure.

Sakazuki / Akainu is the marquee Admiral, the removal-and-pressure piece that headlines the deck. He is projected to be the most-played Admiral and is the set's top chase in Manga Rare form.

Borsalino / Kizaru brings speed-themed utility, fitting Kizaru's light-based, fast mechanical identity. A flexible Admiral that complements Sakazuki's heavier impact.

Kuzan / Aokiji brings board-control ice utility, consistent with his freezing abilities. The Admiral that helps stabilize and control the board state.

Together they form the "Three Admirals stand united" payoff: a Marine board of high-impact Characters that Sengoku ramps toward faster than a normal high-cost deck could.

OP-16 Three Admirals Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan as the payoff Characters in Sengoku's Marine deck The Three Admirals are Character payoffs, not leaders. Sengoku (Purple) ramps DON!! to deploy Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan ahead of curve.

How They Play in Sengoku's Deck

Sengoku is Purple, OPTCG's DON!! ramp color. The plan:

Ramp early with Purple acceleration and cheap Marines (Smoker OP16-028 for tempo).
Deploy an Admiral ahead of curve, Sakazuki first for impact, swinging the board.
Follow with the other Admirals plus Garp (OP16-075) for a Marine board the opponent cannot answer in time.

The Admirals reward a Marine-heavy board, so the deck runs a near-pure Marine shell. You do not splash off-color cards, since that breaks both the color rule and the Marine synergy. The supporting cast bridges the early turns until the Admirals take over.

Rarities and Value

Each Admiral exists in multiple versions:

Standard print , fully playable, inexpensive. This is what you buy for the deck.
Super Alt-Art , Sakazuki (OP16-065), Kuzan (OP16-063), Borsalino (OP16-073). Striking alternate art, mid-tier price, the attainable premium option.
Manga Rare , the ultra-rare chase. The set's three Manga Rares are all Admirals, which is unprecedented for the main line. Sakazuki reaches around 500,000 JPY at the high end and Kuzan past 400,000 JPY in early Japan trading.

Key point for players: all versions play identically. Build with standard prints; the Super Alt-Art and Manga Rare versions are purely cosmetic upgrades for collectors.

OP-16 Sakazuki Akainu as both the deck's marquee Admiral and the set's top Manga Rare chase card Sakazuki is both the deck's marquee Admiral (standard print) and the set's holy-grail Manga Rare chase. For play, buy the cheap standard version.

Building the Marine Shell Around Them

A practical note for players assembling the deck: the Admirals are the payoff, but the shell around them does the unglamorous work. You want Purple ramp enablers to reach the Admirals ahead of curve, cheap Marines like Smoker for early tempo, Garp as a second pressure threat, and a counter package to survive while you set up. Think of the deck in two halves, the engine that ramps and protects, and the Admiral payoffs that win once deployed. A common beginner mistake is buying the flashy Admiral singles first and neglecting the enablers, which leaves you holding powerful cards you cannot deploy on time. Build the ramp-and-survive half first; the Admirals are only as good as your ability to get them onto the board while they still swing the game.

Collector vs Player Split

The Admirals sit at the intersection of competitive and collector demand, which is exactly why they hold value, but the two needs call for different purchases:

Players: buy standard Admiral prints. A competitive Sengoku deck does not need anything pricier.
Collectors: the Super Alt-Arts are the attainable premium; the Manga Rares are the holy-grail chase. Wait for the EN market to settle, then buy the specific single you want rather than gambling on packs.

This dual demand is what makes a meta-relevant Admiral the most stable kind of card to own: two separate buyer pools support its price.

Why the Admirals Anchor the Set

The Three Admirals carry OP-16 in both halves of the hobby at once. Competitively, they are the payoff that makes Sengoku's Purple ramp plan worth building, the high-impact Marine Characters you accelerate toward. As collectibles, they are the entire value story: the only three Manga Rares in the set and the most expensive cards by a wide margin. That dual role is rare. Most sets separate the best competitive card from the best collector card, but here the same trio is both. For a player, that means the cards you want for the deck are also the cards everyone is chasing, so demand for even standard prints stays healthy. For a collector, it means the Admirals are unusually safe long-term holds, supported by two independent buyer pools rather than one. Whichever side of the hobby you are on, the Admirals are the reason OP-16 matters, and the reason its sealed product and singles are likely to hold demand well past the launch window compared with a typical set.

Key Takeaways

The Three Admirals (Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan) are Characters, not leaders
They anchor Sengoku's (OP16-060) Purple Marine ramp deck as the payoff
Sakazuki is the marquee Admiral and the set's top Manga Rare chase (~500k JPY)
They come in standard, Super Alt-Art (OP16-063/065/073), and Manga Rare versions
All versions play identically; build with cheap standard prints
Confirm exact card text on the EN card list at the June 12 launch

GODEEPER: The Admiral Manga Rares are the set's headline chase. The dedicated guide covers pull odds and prices. OP-16 Admiral Manga Rare Guide

OP-16 Sengoku Deck Guide: The Purple Marine deck the Admirals play in.
OP-16 Admiral Manga Rare Guide: The headline chase cards in depth.
OP-16 Most Expensive Cards: Where the Admirals rank in set value.
OP-16 All 6 Leaders Explained: Why the Admirals are Characters, not leaders.
OP-16 Best Cards to Pull: Chase and competitive ranking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who are the Three Admirals in OP-16? A: Sakazuki (Akainu), Borsalino (Kizaru), Kuzan (Aokiji). Character cards that anchor Sengoku's Purple Marine deck and are the set's three Manga Rares.

Q: Are they leaders? A: No. They are Characters. The leader is Sengoku (OP16-060), who ramps DON!! to deploy them.

Q: What deck do they go in? A: Sengoku's Purple Marine ramp deck, alongside Garp (OP16-075) and Smoker (OP16-028).

Q: What rarities? A: Standard (for play), Super Alt-Art (OP16-065/063/073), and the ultra-rare Manga Rare chase.

Q: How much are they worth? A: Manga Rares are the set's top value: Sakazuki ~500k JPY, Kuzan past 400k. Standard and Super Alt-Art cost far less. Volatile; verify live.

Q: Do I need all three to play Sengoku? A: You want the standard prints as payoffs, but not the Manga Rare or Super Alt-Art versions. Standard prints make a competitive deck affordably.

References

OP-16 The Time of Battle Official Page: Admiral card numbers and Super Alt-Arts
SNKRDUNK OP-16 Manga Rare guide: Admiral Manga Rare prices
One Piece Card Game Card List: official card text and colours
Limitless TCG OPTCG: card database
r/OnePieceCardGame: community analysis