Mohsin Lag
One Piece is a popular anime and manga series known for its exciting plot, endearing characters, and immersive world-building. Written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since 1997.
The series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of pirates as they embark on a quest for the ultimate treasure, One Piece, and encounter a host of vibrant characters along the way. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some of the most memorable and iconic One Piece characters, from main characters like Luffy and Roronoa Zoro to supporting characters like Doflamingo and Nico Robin. We’ll also highlight some side characters from important arcs, such as the Dressrosa arc and the Marineford War.
So, if you’re a long-time fan or new to the series, our list of the greatest One Piece anime characters is sure to deepen your appreciation and understanding of the beloved characters that make One Piece such a captivating and enduring story.
32. Doctor Hiluluk
Kicking off our list with one of the top mentors in One Piece named Hiluluk. He is Chopper’s Sensei who took him in, and became his “father”. They used to have a close relationship but they always argued and Chopper wasn’t sure how to feel when he was told that Hiluluk was sick. It was really a father-son relationship that slowly formed, traveling around the island trying to help cure patients and generally resulting in them having to escape angry patients, or die trying. After spending time with the superior Doctor Kureha, Chopper still refers to Hiluluk as “the greatest doctor in the world.”
31. Usopp
One of the top main characters is Usopp, who serves as the Straw Hat Pirates’ sniper and was part of the crew for multiple arcs. He left his team at Water 7 but rejoined later. As Usopp is introduced, he’s a coward, and a crybaby, known to constantly lie and enjoys telling fake stories. He’s seen as the comic relief of the series and the weakest member of the Straw Hats. Despite this, he is loyal, and compassionate, and has a great desire to become a powerful pirate. He also has goals in life and works hard to help his fellow crew members do achieve their dreams.
30. Carrot
Much like Tony Tony Chopper, Carrot is one of the cutest One Piece characters, and of the major female characters of the said franchise. She’s part of the Warrior Beast island, Inuarashi Musketeer Squad, and she was a member of the Sanji Retrieval Team. She helped the Strawhats in their mission of saving Sanji on Whole Cake Island. The Rabbit mink Carrot is a white-furred, blonde-haired with brown eyes and a nose. The rest of her body is similar to that of a teenage girl. Carrot is extremely protective of the Mokomo Dukedom and will attack trespassers on sight. She is also caring with people she has strong relationships with, and can be sad and devastated when someone she cares about loses their life.
29. Franky
If you love the Iron Man saga, there is a high chance you will also enjoy Franky from the Straw Hat Pirates. He is the eighth member and was recruited as such, joining them at the end of the Enies Lobby Arc. After being enemies of the Straw Hats throughout the Water-7 Arc, Franky and his followers eventually became allies to help in the fight against CP9 and Enies Lobby. Franky’s dream of building the world’s best ship, that’s why he built Thousands Sunny and joined the Straw Hat Pirates to make his dream come true.
Cyborg Franky is a self-proclaimed pervert. He often disregards rules and norms while also being strong-willed, eccentric, and free-spirited. He is pretty much free to do whatever he wants, though he usually just wants to build powerful ships and protect those he cares about. He can sometimes appear eccentric in comparison to most of the crew because of his strange mannerisms and knowledge base.
28. Vivi
The blue-haired anime girl Nefertari Vivi is the princess of the Arabasta Kingdom. During the Whisky Peak Arc, she and her pet Karoo joined the Straw Hat Pirates for most of the Arabasta Saga after exposing herself to be a spy plotting against Baroque Works. Vivi is one of the most beautiful and also brave female One Piece characters. Although she is powerless, she is always willing to stand up for someone she just met. As seen when she jumped down from the mast of the ship and was worried about those around her who weren’t abroad. Vivi left the crew of Strawhats after defeating Baroque Works, and now she does he best to help her country and its citizens. She was also shown to have a major role in the Levely Arc. She apparently misses her time with the Strawhats, as she said she felt reminiscent of the breeze from the salty ocean.
27. Makino
Makino is one of the most iconic One Piece female characters. In the series, she serves as a bartender from Monkey D. Luffy’s hometown, Foosha Village. And she is the mother of an unknown child! Makino is a kind woman who is friends with Shanks, Garp, and Luffy. She appears to be a prominent figure in the Foosh Village. I wonder what will happen if someone means any harm to her! One of the many things that makes her likable is how doggedly she supports Luffy, and his dreams, and wherever he goes, she’ll be by his side. She’s content with whatever lifestyle Luffy chooses.
26. Tony Tony Chopper
Cotton Candy Lover Chopper is one of the most kawaii characters in The One Piece franchise. In the series, he is a doctor on the Straw Hat pirates. He’s the sixth member of their crew and joins the team at the end of Drum Island when they visit there. Chopper is naive and innocent when it comes to unfamiliar humans. This sometimes leads him to act like a child, often because he doesn’t know any better. He is easily impressed by strange things and reacts to them in a funny way. He is shown to be a coward at times, which can be attributed to their childishness, but also the lack of trust in his own fighting skills. Reindeer, Chopper, ate the devil fruit Hito Hito no Mi which allows them to transform into a human hybrid or many other powerful forms at will.
25. Charlotte Katakuri
Katakuri, the son and third child of Charlotte Lily, is a member of the Big Mom Pirates, one of their three Sweet Commanders. He also serves as Totto Land’s Minister of Flour. Katakuri is among the most powerful One Piece characters, because simply he is the strongest of the Three Sweet Commanders, the strongest of Big Mom’s children overall, and thus he is the second most powerful person after Big Mom herself. Charlotte Katakuri has a lot of potentials to appear later in the series, and Maybe when Big Mom out will be of the picture, it could be a doorway for him to take up leadership.
24. Donquixote Doflamingo
If you’re wondering which evil character from One Piece would make a great enemy, well look no further than Donquixote Doflamingo…he’s nicknamed “Heavenly Yaksha” and he’s the leader of the Donquixote Pirates. His exploits were notorious, as he was a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea with a petrified bounty and was known as an underworld trader with the alias “Joker.” Doffy is a really boastful guy with an overwhelming swagger. He often likes to say big words and dramatic statements and cracks a few ‘air-head pose’ muscles for added effect. He is one of the major antagonists in the Marineford arc, where he took part in the War of Marineford. He is also one of the primary antagonists in Dressrosa Arc as well.
23. Kozuki Oden
Kozuki was the leader of Kuri in Wano Country, married Kozuki Toki, and was the father of Momonosuke, and Hiyori. Additionally, he led a group of samurai known as the Nine Red Scabbards. Oden learned that a pirate ship was docked in his territory. Charging toward the Whitebeard Pirates, he managed to clash with their captain and recruit them into his crew. He went on a journey, unlike anything he’d seen before, meeting allies/foes and making friends along the way. He even met the pirate king! While it is clear that Oden is one of the best One Piece characters who is loved by many. For example, Kaido’s daughter goes by “Oden” now because of his motives in life. He’s one leader who would never stop fighting for justice no matter the cost until his finish line flashes before him.
22. Brook
“Soul King” Brook is one of the best and funniest characters in One Piece, he is the musician of Straw Hat Pirates and one of their two swordsmen. Soul King joined their crew at the end of the Thriller Bark Arc. Known for his funny laughs and jokes, Brook is also one of the strongest one-piece characters, he ate the devil fruit Yomi Yomi no Mi, which allowed him to return to life after death once as a skeleton. Due to being alive for a long time, Brook had come to such a high level of mastering the power of his Devil Fruit that he can control his own soul and the souls of others. He dreams of reuniting with his friend Laboon once again.
21. Nami
One Piece fans have long loved the endearing character Nami. She’s been a part of the story from the early days and has endeared herself to her fans with her wit, intelligence, and self-sacrifice for her friends. Nami is considered to be the “ordinary” person in the popular manga “One Piece”. She has no powers, or devil fruit ability, but still has plenty of courage, but among the Straw Hat crew, she is often considered to be the respected girl if that makes sense. As she’s slim and young with orange hair and; brown eyes, most people consider her gorgeous and one of the most beautiful girls in One Piece.
20. Rob Lucci
Rob Lucci is among the most popular One Piece figures. He’s been a major antagonist in the anime and manga series and serves as an antagonist in many arcs including Water 7 Saga, Levely, and Wano. He is among those powerful characters you don’t want to get on the wrong side of. Lucci comes across as emotionless, almost never ruffled, and doesn’t stand being insulted.
19. Koby
Koby is a Marine Captain who is also a part of the special forces team named SWORD. He trained together with Helmeppo under Vice-Admiral Garp’s supervision and currently is one of the most powerful figures in the marine. Koby was one of the first people to meet Luffy on his journey. He lasted briefly with Luffy as a navigator after escaping from Alvida. He later joined the Marines but now these former friends are on opposite sides and will inevitably have to fight. However, Koby still considers Luffy a dear friend after he helped him muster up the courage to become a Marine.
18. Shirahoshi
Princess Shirahoshi is one of the prettiest One Piece female characters. She is a giant smelt-whiting mermaid and princess of the Ryugu Kingdom. And, she’s King Neptune’s youngest child! Shirahoshi is a giant mermaid, but she has a pretty sensitive personality. She’s easily frightened, and she breaks into crying fits when she gets upset like when she is alone, or when Luffy startled her during their first meeting. Her family has always taken care of and been spoiling her, and when she said that nobody had ever yelled at her before, she was shocked when Luffy yelled at her.
17. Smoker
He is a marine officer who goes by the name Smoker and is heading up a marine base after the betrayal of his superior. For his first storyline, he was a captain of a marine squad and made it his mission to find and execute Luffy. He was later promoted to the rank of commodore for the events in Arabasta Smoker isn’t as “Lawful” as he should have been, as he has his own idea on how to follow his own path; mostly expressed through Tashigi, to whom he taught his personal laws. Smoker is flexible in who he sees as an ally or not, depending on the situation and what he witnesses during them.
16. Marco The Phoenix
Marco, the former 1st division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, is one of the most powerful pirates alive. He started out as an apprentice on the crew and progressed to being the most trusted member of Whitebeard. With his captain dying during the Payback War, Marco was made leader of the Whitebeard Pirates until they disbanded following the losing war. After the war during the two-year time skip, Marco works as a doctor in Whitebeard’s home village, Sphinx. He’s a pivotal character in One Piece as he serves as a major ally to the Strawhat Pirates during the Marineford and Wano Arcs.
15. Boa Hancock
Boa Hancock is the captain of Kuja Pirates and was the only female Warlord of the Sea before their disbandment. She’s one of the best and prettiest female characters in One Piece. She is the female head of the Kuja island, known as “The Snake Princess”. She rules over Amazon Lily, with her two younger Gorgon sisters. Hancock’s role in One Piece is often comedic, due to her falling in love with Luffy. However, that doesn’t mean she can’t punch and knock out some bad guys. Her abilities are top-tier because of her Devil Fruit and the powers of Haki.
14. Dracule Mihawk
Dracule Mihawk known also as Hawk Eyes is one of the most popular pirates in One Piece. This badass character owns the title of “Strongest Swordsman in the World”, and was a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Having lost one rival in Shanks, Mihawk now shares a rivalry with Zoro and is prepared to wait as long as it takes for Zoro to become strong enough to beat him. To this end, Mihawk watches Zoro’s progression and is happy when Zoro gains his first bounty. Moreover, Zoro put aside his pride and begs Mihawk to train him in order to become stronger for his crew. During the Dressrosa Arc, it is revealed that Mihawk taught Zoro how to imbue his swords with Haki.
13. Nico Robin
Nico Robin is considered to be one of the most beautiful girls in One Piece, as well as a genius and powerful woman to rely on. She also happens to hold a rare ability that makes her able to read pony gifs. And because of all the smarts she has, she’s an encyclopedia of information. Well, when it comes to knowledge, no other pirates can compete with her.
12. Aokiji
Kuzan, a former Admiral is known for his laziness and was once a part of the World Government. He lost his position as Fleet Admiral in combat against Akainu. After Akainu became captain, Aokiji resigned from his position and joined the Blackbeard Pirates. So far he has not revealed his future plans in doing so. He’s one of the best antagonist characters in One Piece. Although Aokiji was an admiral in the navy, he is presented as one of the main antagonists of the series who has a strong belief in making “merciful justice” and wanted to use his powers for good rather than for power or dominance.
11. Edward Newgate
Edward Newgate, more commonly known as Whitebeard is undoubtedly one of the most badass One Piece characters ever. He was the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates and was known as “The Strongest Man in the World” after Gol D. Roger’s death. He was a member of the Four Emperors that ruled over the New World until his death during the epic Battle of saving Portgas D Ace at Marineford. “Whitebeard” was originally given the title of “strongest man in the world.” He was the only man alive that could match “Pirate King” Roger.
10. Trafalgar Law
Trafalgar D. Water Law is a pirate from North Blue, who commands the Heart Pirates and is considered one of the twelve worst pirates in history. He is powerful, smart, and badass as hell, which allowed him to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea during the time skip. But his position was revoked after allying with the Straw Hat Pirates, in order to take down his sworn enemy Doflamingo. Law is one of the most famous One Piece characters, and like many other pirates, he dreams of finding One Piece and also knowing what its purpose is.
9. Vinsmoke Sanji
Black Leg Sanji is the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates, who he joined at the end of the Baratie Arc. He is one of the top three fighters alongside Luffy and Zoro. He is a former prince from the Germa Kingdom, but he has disowned his family twice. All He wants is to find the legendary All Blue Ocean, which has all the fish in the world. He has two excellent skills that complement each other – he has superb fighting skills but also cooks really well, and that’s why he doesn’t use his hands to fight! Sanji is usually gruff around guys and impatient but he can get flirty when he’s around women.
8. Sabo
Sabo is one of the most beloved and overpowered One Piece characters, simply because he is the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, and he’s also recognized as “No.2” right after Dragon himself. Sabo is Luffy and Ace’s sworn brother, too! When he was a kid he tried to set sail, but his sailing ship was destroyed by the World Noble Saint Jalmack. He was saved by Dragon and agreed to dedicate his life to serving the Revolutionary army. Sabo regained his memories after hearing about Ace’s death. Two years later, he reunited with Luffy and consumed Ace’s Devil Fruit, the Mera Merry no Mi.
7. Monkey D Dragon
Monkey D. Dragon is a popular character in the famous series, One Piece. He is the father of protagonist Luffy, Garp’s son, and has been a significant mentor to Sabo throughout the series. Nobody knows much about him other than he’s the leader of the Revolution army and aims to take down the World Government. A lot of fans think that Dragon is the strongest character in the One Piece storyline. They chose this title because of how much trouble he does to the world government and their fear of him.
6. Monkey D Garp
Monkey D. Garp is a Marine vice admiral. He is the father of Monkey D. Dragon and the paternal grandfather of Monkey D. Luffy. Also, he is the mentor/instructor of Coby and Helmeppo; he keeps them out of trouble and ensures that they are not slacking off. Hence, If they do get out of hand, he knocks them around to ensure they know their place. As a result, Coby admires Garp, even though he maintains a highly brutal clutch on him because he is the reason why Coby has become a strong marine.
5. Silver Rayleigh
Rayleigh is one of the most popular One Piece memorable characters. He is also known as the “Dark King”, and is an extremely powerful and famous retired pirate who formerly served as the first mate of the legendary Pirate King Gold D Roger. Silvers Rayleigh taught Luffy how to control all three types of Haki. While Shakuyaku vouches for his strength pointing out that he is “100 times stronger” than all of the Eleven Supernovas. This makes him one of the strongest characters introduced in One Piece.
4. Shanks Akagami
Red-Haired Shanks is the one who inspired Luffy to become a pirate in the first place. He is commonly known as just “Red Hair”, is the boss of the Red Hair Pirates and one of the Four Emperors that rule over the New World, and is feared and respected by Marines, Warlords, and Pirates. Shanks is one of the most popular One Piece characters among fans, as he was a member of the Roger Pirates, the only ones who conquered the Grand Line and became legendary. He started off his pirate career with them as an apprentice, alongside Buggy. After their leader’s death, he formed his own crew The Red Hair Pirates.
3. Portgas D Ace
Ace is actually the sworn older brother of Luffy and Sabo, and the biological son of the late Pirate King, Gold D Roger, and Portgas D Rouge. Ace was adopted by Monkey D. Garp, as had been requested from a previous agreement with his father at that time – The king of pirates himself! Ace was famous for being the 2nd division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and one-time captain of the Spade Pirates. Despite that, Fire Fist Ace was hunted by the World Government for his lineage. Eventually, he’d be captured and sentenced to death which resulted in the big War of Marineford. It was a big confrontation, with Whitebeard Pirates trying to defeat the Marines, Admirals, and Warlords. They had some success in freeing him but unfortunately, Ace got killed by Akainu while trying to save his brother Luffy.
2. Roronoa Zoro
One of the most iconic One Piece characters is Roronoa Zoro, who is the first member to join Luffy’s pirate crew. Zoro is described as a very skilled swordsman who has been in training since childhood. He was anointed the “Pirate Hunter”. Zoro is a master of Three Sword Style and is the second most powerful fighter on the Straw Hat pirates at present. His dream is to become the greatest swordsman in the world, so he can honor a promise he made to his childhood friend when she passed away.
1. Monkey D. Luffy
One Piece’s protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, is not only the best One Piece character but also one of the top anime characters of all time who has a huge fanbase. Luffy is an energetic and passionate pirate who loves meat and fighting. He was raised in a poor village but after working hard he pursued his dream of becoming the Pirate King. Succumbing to his desires, Luffy became a pirate at 10 years old and has since set sail on the high seas to take down notorious criminals – despite his lack of training or experience!
