Who can you attack in One Piece?
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In One Piece Card Game, a normal attack can target the opponent's Leader or one of their resting Characters. You cannot normally attack an opponent's active Character simply because it is the most threatening presence on the board. To begin a battle, you must have an active attacker (either your Leader or an active Character in your area), be in your main phase, and comply with the first-turn restrictions and rules for newly played Characters. After declaring an attack, a legal Blocker can change the target, and specific card abilities may introduce exceptions. The most reliable way to avoid mistakes is to separately verify who can attack, who they can attack, and what happens after a target is chosen.
Who Can Declare an Attack
Attack your active Leader or one of your active Characters in your area. Declaring an attack means resting that card. A newly played Character cannot attack on the same turn unless a special ability like [Rush] or another effect allows it; additionally, neither player can fight during their first turn of the game according to the full rules. Having a powerful attacker does not eliminate these conditions. If a Character is resting, you must activate it through a legal instruction before attempting to declare it; if it just entered the battlefield, it will require proper permission to attack.
The main phase allows alternating legal actions: playing a Character, giving DON!!, activating effects, and fighting—without a "all attacks at the end" block imposed by the general rule. This matters because you can change the state of the board before choosing your next target. An effect might rest an opponent's Character, a previous attack might have KO'd another, or the opponent might have spent a Blocker. Check targets based on the board's current state, not the snapshot you had at the start of the turn.
The Opponent's Leader Is Always a Normal Target
The opponent's Leader can be chosen as a normal attack target, even if it is active. Unlike Characters, you do not need to wait for it to be resting. If the battle ends against the Leader and the attacker's power equals or exceeds the Leader's power after responses, the Leader takes damage. With one or more Life cards, the defender typically takes the top card or uses their [Trigger] if applicable. With zero Life, taking damage satisfies a defeat condition. Some card texts may modify these rules, but the Leader's status is not an ordinary barrier to targeting.
Attacking the Leader does not guarantee damage to Life. The defender can activate a legal Blocker and substitute the target, or use Counters to increase their power so that the attacker loses the power comparison. This distinction helps in choosing the order of attacks. Perhaps you prefer to pressure the opponent's hand with a small attack first; perhaps you aim to remove a Blocker before investing DON!! in a decisive strike. The legality of the target is determined at the time of declaration, while damage is decided later, after the response steps.
An Opponent's Character Must Be Resting
The standard rule allows attacking an opponent's resting Character. If it remains active, it is not a valid target for that attack, even if it has no Blocker or less power than your attacker. Characters can rest by having attacked, paying a cost, or through a card effect; what matters for this check is their state when you declare the attack. It doesn't matter if they entered one turn ago or five turns ago. If there are multiple resting Characters, you choose one of them as a target, subject to other card restrictions.
Suppose your opponent has an active, dangerous Character and another resting, low-cost Character. Your active Leader can attack the second one or the opponent's Leader, but cannot attack the active Character due to the standard rule. If an effect allows attacking active Characters, read its conditions and duration: an exceptional authorization may apply only to a specific attacker, only during one turn, or only to a certain type of target. Do not convert that exception into a permanent rule for all your attacks. If no card changes the situation, you will have to wait for the target Character to rest or use another legal method to remove it.
The Active or Resting State of the Attacker Also Matters
At times, the board contains an opponent's resting Character, but your most powerful Character is already resting. That Character cannot declare another normal attack from that position simply because a target is available. The permission to attack and the existence of a target are separate conditions. An effect that reactivates your Character might allow another attack if no other restriction exists; the outcome depends on the specific text. Similarly, giving DON!! to a resting card may increase its power, but it does not automatically activate the card nor declare an attack on it.
In physical games, clearly rotate attacker and defender when appropriate. Orientation is decisive public information: it indicates who can attack and which opponent's Characters are normal targets. Do not ambiguously support cards on DON!!-linked cards or stack multiple cards covering their position. If an effect changes a card's active or resting state during the main phase, announce the change before the next attack. A clear presentation of the board prevents both illegal attacks and defensive decisions made with incorrect visual information.
The Correct Order When Declaring a Target
The rules first describe declaring the attack by resting the attacking Leader or Character, followed by the selection of the target: opponent's Leader or a resting opponent's Character. Then, [When Attacking] effects are applied, and the battle proceeds according to its steps. In practice, clearly announce both actions together: "I attack this Character at your Leader" or "I attack my Leader at this resting Character." If you fail to identify the target, the opponent may misinterpret which cards or Counters they need. If you discover a restriction before proceeding, halt the action and correct it according to the game or event rules.
You cannot freely change the target after seeing what Counter the defender will use. Once a legal attack is declared, the process follows its sequence; target changes result from effects like Blockers or specific instructions, not from a second strategic choice by the attacker upon learning the response. If a [When Attacking] effect changes the board state, resolve it in its window and verify applicable rules before moving to the next step. The legality of the declaration and the resolution of combat must follow the order specified in the rules.
What Changes When a Blocker Appears
[Blocker] activates during its corresponding step and, upon resting the blocking Character, replaces the card that was originally targeted. Thus, an attack declared against the Leader may end in a battle against a Character. The existence of a Blocker does not make the initial declaration against the Leader illegal—the change occurs during the defensive response. The Blocker must meet its own conditions; a Character with [Blocker] that is already resting cannot activate it normally because activation requires resting it. The opponent may also choose not to block if the ability allows it.
After a block, review effects that depend on dealing damage to Life. If the battle ends against the Blocker, a skill like Double Attack or Banish does not automatically trigger on the opponent's Leader's Life cards. The attack still exists, but the effective target is now different. The blocking Character may be KO'd if it loses the power comparison. A subsequent Counter could change the outcome of that battle. Separating "declared target" from "target that actually receives the battle" explains why blocking can neutralize an attack that would otherwise remove several Life cards.
Rush and Its Two Ranges When Choosing a Target
[Rush] allows a newly played Character to attack during the turn of entry. Once that permission is fulfilled, it can choose normal targets allowed by its text and other rules. [Rush: Character] is more limited: a newly played Character can attack opponent Characters, not the Leader, during the entry turn. Additionally, an opponent's active Character remains an invalid normal target simply because the attacking card has [Rush: Character]. You need a resting opponent Character or another effect that changes the target selection.
Example: You play a Character with [Rush: Character] while the opponent only controls their Leader and an active Character. Although you have a keyword allowing early attacks, at that moment there is no opponent Character available under normal rules. Do not declare an attack on the Leader using that version of Rush. If the opponent has a resting Character in addition, that one can be a candidate. This interpretation prevents confusing a card designed to eliminate Characters with one that immediately pressures the opponent's Life.
Common Mistakes About Active Characters
The first is thinking that any opponent Character can be attacked as long as your attacker has more power. Power determines the battle outcome after a legal target exists; it does not make an active target legal. The second is believing that resting a DON!! attached to the attacker makes any opponent Character attackable. DON!! can modify power or other effects, but does not itself change the target rules. The third is forgetting that a Character that just attacked is now resting, and in the opponent's turn, may become a legal target if it remains resting.
It's also easy to confuse "cannot be attacked" with "cannot be KO'd." Some cards limit attack targets, while others protect against the result of being KO'd or against effects. These are different protections. If a card text prevents attacking a certain Character, check that restriction before declaring. If it only prevents being KO'd, the declaration may still be legal, but the result could be modified. Do not assume universal immunity for all protected cards. In tournament play, consult the current text and, if necessary, a judge before rotating the attacker.
How to Plan Attacks Without Losing Options
Quickly list your possible active attackers and current legal targets: opponent's Leader and resting opponent Characters. Then consider active Blockers and the approximate number of Counters the opponent might have; you don't know their hand, but you know if they just played cards. Choose the attack order based on what you want to achieve: remove a Character, force a Blocker, reduce Life, or leave the opponent with no response options. An attack on a resting Character can protect your future turns by removing a threat; an attack on the Leader pressures the victory condition. The choice is not always reduced to "attack the weakest target."
If you have a skill that rests opponent Characters, evaluate whether using it before attacking opens a new target. If you can give DON!! to an attacker, compare its power to the target you plan to attack and reserve resources for cards you intend to play later. The main phase allows reordering many of these actions, but each attack changes the board and may reveal opponent responses. Recheck the legality of each target just before declaring it. A previously imagined sequence becomes invalid if a Trigger, a Blocker, or an effect removes the piece it depended on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I attack an opponent's active Character?
No, not under the standard rule. You can attack the opponent's Leader or a resting opponent Character. A specific card effect might grant another permission; check its conditions.
Can I attack the opponent's Leader if it is active?
Yes. The restriction of being resting applies only to Characters chosen as targets, not to the opponent's Leader.
What happens if the opponent blocks an attack on the Leader?
A legal Blocker replaces the target during its battle step. The comparison continues against the Character that blocks; do not automatically apply damage to Life because the Leader was initially targeted.