TCG Card Spotlight: Monkey.D.Luffy One Piece OP16-022 Alternate Art
- Gregory Thornberry
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Want to know what’s coming next? Thornberry TCG Release HQ tracks upcoming trading card releases with live countdowns, official release information, collector updates, and our latest coverage, all in one place. Check it out here!
Monkey.D.Luffy OP16-022 Alternate Art from One Piece Card Game: The Time of Battle has a pretty good case for being exactly what an alternate-art Leader should be.
It features the face of the One Piece TCG, has a premium treatment collectors actually want, and represents a Leader that has proven itself in competitive play. Better yet, the regular version costs only a few cents, so players can use the deck without paying the alternate-art premium.
For collectors, though, this Luffy is a very different card.
One Piece TCG Monkey.D.Luffy OP16-022 at a Glance
As of August 14, 2026, the alternate-art version is selling around the low-$80 range, while the regular Leader costs only a few cents.
That price difference tells you almost everything you need to know about the collector appeal here. Players are not paying $80 because they need OP16-022 to build the deck. They are paying for the premium Luffy version.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page are TCGplayer affiliate links. If you buy through them, Thornberry Collectibles may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
There are plenty of expensive One Piece cards, but OP16-022 sits in a nice middle ground.
It is not Manga Rare money, yet it is valuable enough to feel like a legitimate centerpiece in a Luffy collection, alternate-art Leader collection, or OP-16 binder. The character certainly helps. Luffy cards have an obvious built-in audience, and alternate-art Leaders are already one of the more recognizable collector categories in the One Piece Card Game.
The current price is also considerably lower than it was around release. Early completed sales reached roughly $130 to $145 in June before prices settled closer to the $80 to $100 range during July.
That does not automatically make $83 a bargain. It simply shows that some of the early-release premium has already disappeared.
For collectors, I think the most interesting question is not whether OP16-022 will rise or fall in price. It is why someone will happily spend around $80 on a card they could play for less than a quarter.
The answer is pretty simple: the alternate art is the collectible.
If you collect Luffy, premium Leaders, or The Time of Battle, this version gives you something the regular card cannot.
Fortunately, OP16-022 has more going for it than good artwork.
Green/Blue Luffy became one of the notable competitive decks of the OP-16 format. The Leader has 5000 power and 4 life, with a once-per-turn ability that can set up to two DON!! as active when every Character on your field has the Impel Down type.
Those extra active DON!! give the deck flexibility after developing its board. Depending on the turn, those resources can support another play, strengthen an attack, or leave options available for later.
More importantly, the deck has produced actual results.
Green/Blue Luffy has recorded tournament wins and numerous high finishes, including Regional and Treasure Cup results. That gives the alternate-art Leader something collectors always like to see: real demand from the player side of the hobby, not just demand created by the character or artwork.
Of course, none of this means you need the alternate art to play the deck.
The regular OP16-022 has the exact same ability and costs almost nothing.
If your goal is simply to build Green/Blue Luffy, buy the cheap version and put the rest of that money into the deck.
If Green/Blue Luffy becomes your deck, though, upgrading the Leader is easier to understand. You only need one copy, it sits in front of you for every game, and premium Leaders are one of the simplest ways to personalize a One Piece deck.
Is Monkey.D.Luffy OP16-022 Alternate Art Worth Buying?
For someone who only wants to play Green/Blue Luffy, probably not. The inexpensive regular version does exactly the same job.
For a dedicated Luffy collector or a player who loves this particular deck, the alternate art makes considerably more sense. It combines an iconic character, desirable treatment, proven competitive Leader, and a price that has already cooled from its early-release highs.
I would still check recent completed sales before buying. On an $80 card, there is no reason to overpay by $10 or $15 just because one listing happens to be convenient.
That combination of collector appeal and actual playability is also what makes Monkey.D.Luffy OP16-022 Alternate Art a good fit for TCG Card Spotlight.
You do not need the expensive version.
You just might really want it.
Comments