Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is a sprawling epic that incorporates the lives and experiences of hundreds of named characters. The anime’s dense character lineup makes it feel profoundly complex, swarming with an infinite array of perspectives, ambitions, and dreams that continue to intersect and diverge across its ever-expanding world. This ensures that even long-forgotten characters are still vital pieces of a much larger story.
On the other hand, there have been a handful of One Piece characters whose arcs haven’t progressed in several years, even if they briefly appear in reaction panels or background cameos. A few of them may not really have a bigger role to play in the ongoing Final Saga, whereas others seem particularly important despite their disappearance from One Piece‘s overarching narrative.
Magellan’s Full Power Has Never Been Seen in One Piece
Luffy faces off against Impel Down’s warden, Magellan.Image by Toei Animation.
Luffy’s invasion of Impel Down in the titular arc made him an instant enemy of Magellan, the prison warden who furiously attempted to stop the Straw Hat’s rampage. Magellan was far stronger than Luffy at the time, and the Venom-Venom Fruit even brought the protagonist to near-death. Last seen in action when Luffy and many other prisoners escaped Impel Down, Magellan subdued Mr. 2 Bon Kurei and promptly disappeared from One Piece.
For the rest of the story, Magellan’s presence has been extremely minimal. Fans learned of his demotion to vice warden in the Fish-Man Island Saga, whereas the Egghead arc saw Magellan and Doflamingo share a conversation. Considering how dangerous and powerful Magellan happens to be, fans expect him to return at some point in One Piece‘s Final Saga. And those Imu-like devil wings on his back deserve some explanation.
Enel Is One Piece’s Most Important Missing Villain
Once self-titled as the God of Skypiea, Enel served as the arc’s overarching antagonist with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit at his disposal. Capable of transforming into lightning itself, Enel tyrannized the Sky Islands until the Straw Hats’ arrival. That said, it’s extremely likely that Luffy would have perished had it not been for his rubber body’s resistance to electricity. Enel was eventually vanquished, although he escaped the heroes’ clutches and commenced his airship journey to the moon.
While the main storyline never showed Enel again, one of One Piece‘s cover stories, titled Enel’s Great Space Operations, chronicled the villain’s interesting experiences on the moon. By the cover story’s conclusion, Enel had created a lunar kingdom for himself. This led One Piece fans to suspect that he still has a role to play before the anime comes to a close, a likely theory given the recently revealed importance of the moon.
Sengoku Still Has One Piece Stories Left to Tell
Serving as the Fleet Admiral of the Marines during the Marineford arc, Sengoku was known as the Buddha due to his unique Devil Fruit. One of only four Human-Human Fruit users in One Piece, Sengoku’s Mythical Zoan allows him to transform into a massive golden Buddha. He might even be on Garp’s level in terms of raw strength, although viewers didn’t get to see much of his power displays.
Sengoku had small roles in the Dressrosa arc, the Reverie arc, and the Wano Country arc, but his resignation from the Marines made him even more of a side character than before. Some fans believe that Sengoku (and Tsuru) will involve themselves in rescuing Garp from the Blackbeard Pirates, a thematically fitting return to the screen for a genuinely mysterious One Piece character.
CBR Exclusive · One Piece Quiz WHICH ONE PIECE LEGEND ARE YOU? Set sail — Quiz sequence initiated ⚓ The Grand Line stretches endlessly before you. Across its treacherous waters, legends are born — forged in Devil Fruit power, unbreakable will, and the fierce loyalty of a crew that would sail into any storm. Twenty questions. One legendary result. Your adventure begins now. 🌊
🍖Luffy
⚔️Zoro
🗺️Nami
📖Robin
🍳Sanji
01
The Going Merry is ready to leave port. What’s your first move? 🚢 How you set sail says everything about who you are at sea.
02
A Marine warship is blocking your route. You: 🏴☠️ Crisis response reveals your true pirate nature.
03
You find a Devil Fruit on the table. What do you hope it is? 🍈 The fruit you crave is the power you were always meant to have.
04
What is your one, unshakeable dream? 🌟 Every great pirate sails for something deeper than treasure.
05
The Thousand Sunny docks at a new island. First stop? 🏝️ What you do first in port reveals your deepest priorities.
06
Your greatest weapon aboard the ship? ✨ Every Straw Hat has one thing that makes them irreplaceable.
07
What’s your natural role when things get tense? 🪝 The pressure moment is where your true function reveals itself.
08
Honest confession — what is actually your biggest flaw? 😬 Even the greatest pirates have one thing they’re still working on.
09
A crewmate is in serious danger. You: 💪 How you protect the people you sail with is who you truly are.
10
Halfway across the Grand Line. What keeps you going? 🌟 Not the crew’s reason. Yours. The private one.
11
You lost the fight. The crew is watching. Now what? 😳 How you rise after falling is what separates legends from passengers.
12
Your bounty poster just went up. What’s on it? 💰 The World Government describes you the way your enemies see you.
13
Free day on a peaceful island. What actually happens? 🌴 How you rest is a window into what drives you when no one’s watching.
14
What does your crew actually say about you behind your back? 📋 The people who sail with you see the version you can’t.
15
Which Haki do you feel most aligned with? 🔮 The Haki you master reflects the deepest truth of who you are.
16
What does it truly mean to you to be a pirate? 🌊 Not Garp’s definition. Not the Marines’. Yours.
17
In a hundred years, what will they say about you? 🎬 The Void Century has room for one more name. What does yours mean?
18
A Warlord of the Sea is blocking the path forward. You: 👀 Warlords don’t intimidate legends. They reveal them.
19
The crew celebrates a big victory. Your contribution? 🎉 How you celebrate says as much as how you fight.
20
You reach Laugh Tale. The One Piece is real. What do you do? 🔥 Twenty questions. One truth. No turning back now.
⚓ The Grand Line has made its judgement ⚓ YOUR ONE PIECE LEGEND
Your scores are revealed below! The character with the highest number is your One Piece counterpart. Read their profile to discover your true pirate destiny. 🌊
🍖 Luffy
⚔️ Zoro
🗺️ Nami
📖 Robin
🍳 Sanji
You don’t understand the word impossible — not because you’re naive, but because you genuinely never accepted that it applied to you. You charge into every situation with the full force of your personality, your body, and your heart, and somehow the universe rearranges itself to accommodate you. You don’t lead through command; you lead through being so completely, recklessly yourself that everyone around you becomes a better version of who they were. You eat too much, feel too loudly, and care too deeply. The world calls it recklessness. Your crew calls it home. 🍖
You have made exactly one promise and you have organised your entire existence around keeping it. Stoic to a fault, terrifying in combat, and somehow always facing the wrong direction — you are the immovable foundation that the whole crew leans against when everything else shakes. You don’t ask for recognition. You don’t need it. The work is its own reward. The sword is the path and the path is the sword. You will lose a thousand times before you reach the top, and you will get back up every single time. That is not stubbornness. That is who you are. ⚔️
You are sharper than anyone in the room and you know it — but you also know exactly when not to show it. Pragmatic, resourceful, and carrying more than you ever show on your face, you are the reason the ship reaches anywhere at all. Every route was planned by you. Every impossible weather reading, every near-catastrophe avoided — that was you. The world tried to take everything from you once, and you built something extraordinary out of the wreckage. You love the people you’ve chosen fiercely, quietly, and without much ceremony. The map isn’t finished. You’ll get there. 🗺️
You spent so long being hunted for what you know that you forgot — briefly, painfully — that you were also worth loving for who you are. You carry the weight of erased history in your memory and the quiet certainty of someone who has survived what should have been unsurvivable. Calm where others panic, perceptive where others miss everything, and in possession of a dark humour that still catches people off guard. You don’t trust easily, and when you do, it is the most complete and devastating loyalty imaginable. You want to know the truth. You deserve to live to read it. 📖
You have principles carved so deep they function like a skeleton — invisible, structural, and the thing holding everything else upright. You cook for people because food is love expressed at its most honest. You fight for the crew because protecting them is the most natural thing in the world. You are elegant, occasionally absurd, capable of extraordinary tenderness and absolutely terrifying combat in the same five-minute span. You came from darkness and chose light so deliberately and so completely that it became your defining act. The sea called and you answered. All Blue is out there. You’ll find it. 🍳
Dr. Kureha Knows a Lot More Than She Lets on
Dr. Kureha smiles in her laboratory during the Drum Island Arc in One Piece.Image via Toei Animation
Tony-Tony Chopper’s adoptive mother and the oldest living human in One Piece, Dr. Kureha, might hold secrets relevant to the series’ endgame. She raised Chopper and helped him transition to the Straw Hats’ crew, and that was pretty much the limit of her narrative reach. That said, Kureha’s influence on her ward ensured that Chopper was well on his way to becoming the greatest doctor in the world.
Kureha infrequently returned across the story, from the Post-Enies Lobby arc to the Egghead arc, with her reaction to Vegapunk’s broadcast ending her appearance. The infamous Doctorine most certainly has some secrets up her sleeve, and fans can’t wait to see how she changes the game for Chopper.
Smoker Needs a Bigger Role in One Piece’s Endgame
Vice-Admiral Smoker entered One Piece‘s story as a lowly captain, and he still succeeded in capturing Luffy. It was only Dragon’s timely intervention that saved the Straw Hat, who went on to have an adventure that Smoker followed across the Grand Line. Along with his equally notable subordinate, Captain Tashigi, he has remained a staunch adversary for decades.
He’s important in Arabasta, Marineford, and Punk Hazard, but Smoker slowly vanishes after his short cameo in the Dressrosa arc. Oda appears to be planning something with Smoker, who was last seen at an unknown location in the New World. This adversary has been leveling up along with the Straw Hats, and Smoker might end up being relevant, either as an enemy or a newfound friend, down the line.
Silvers Rayleigh Returns When Luffy Needs Him the Most
Rayleigh is pensive in One Piece Log Fish-Man Island SagaImage via Toei Animation
Even at his relatively advanced age, the Dark King Silvers Rayleigh remains one of the strongest characters in One Piece. From effortlessly keeping Admiral Kizaru at bay to teaching Luffy for the next two years, Rayleigh’s importance cannot be understated. In fact, Luffy has spent more time with this man than any of the Straw Hats, even if the bulk of that took place offscreen.
As revealed in recent manga flashbacks, the Right Hand of the Pirate Kind technically became the hero of the God Valley Incident by saving Shakuyaku, earning him even more admiration from the fandom. Unfortunately, the current timeline’s Rayleigh hasn’t had more than a few scattered appearances. Meanwhile, the Left Hand of the Pirate King Scopper Gaban has been extremely pertinent in the Elbaph arc.
Charlotte Katakuri Remains the Most Honorable One Piece Villain
Katakuri towers over Luffy in One Piece.Image via Toei Animation
Charlotte Katakuri is one of the very few One Piece villains respected by fans. His battle with Luffy was as explosive and impactful as it was cathartic and strangely heartwarming, immediately making Katakuri a beloved character. As a testament to his power and perseverance, Luffy evolved significantly in this battle.
Katakuri’s ferocity was surpassed only by his honor, which allowed Luffy to win the battle more easily than the situation demanded. Katakuri returned in One Piece Film: Red, where he allied with the Straw Hats and the Red Hair Pirates. Aside from a mention in the God Valley Incident, however, he hasn’t really been involved in any noteworthy events. Still, Luffy needs to fulfill the promise he made to Katakuri and defeat Big Mom.
Shirahoshi Is Too Important to Stay in One Piece’s Background
One Piece Shirahoshi looking concerned in One PieceImage via Toei Animation
Princess Shirahoshi has been revealed as Poseidon, one of the three Ancient Weapons capable of swaying the outcomes of the upcoming world war. She has also matured considerably, thanks to her experiences with the Straw Hats during the Fish-Man Island Arc. Shirahoshi was later pinpointed as a problem by Imu, the only character who truly knows what Poseidon is capable of.
The Mermaid Princess was nearly enslaved by the obnoxious Charloss in the Levely arc, only for her to be saved by a repenting Celestial Dragon. When Charloss tried the same tactic again, Shirahoshi was saved by Sai and Leo — it would have been a travesty for an Ancient Weapon to float around helplessly in an aquarium. Like countless other characters, Shirahoshi was last seen absorbing the impact of Vegapunk’s broadcast.
Mr. 2 Bon Kurei Deserves a Magnificent One Piece Comeback
Mr. 2, aka Bentham, aka Bon Clay, is one of the most loved One Piece characters, partly due to his campy cuteness but mostly because of his undying friendship with Monkey D. Luffy. Not only did Bon Kurei help Luffy recover from Magellan’s venom in Impel Down, but he also tricked the warden and sacrificed himself for his friend. Some thought that Bon Kurei had perished in the ensuing fight with Magellan, but he’s alive and heartier than ever.
The cover story for Chapter 666 revealed Bon Kurei as the Queen of Impel Down’s Newkama Land, nestled between Levels 5 and 6. The timeline places it around the Fish-Man Island Saga, which means Bon Kurei hasn’t been around for a shockingly long time. He’s far too lovable to disappear completely, though.
Laboon’s Story Is One Piece’s Most Emotional Promise
Laboon, who has the Straw Hat Jolly Roger, is watching the Straw Hat Pirates sail away in One Piece.Image via Toei Animation
Laboon is one of the largest creatures in One Piece, an Island Whale known for its innate pleasantness. Although Laboon continues to pine after the long-gone Rumbar Pirates, he quickly befriended the Straw Hats. The Roger Pirates’ doctor, Crocus, has been taking care of the gentle giant for a long time, implying a more central role for Laboon when the time comes.
Luffy also promised Laboon that they would reunite, which fits into a lot of endgame theories surrounding the destruction of the Red Line. Laboon has been banging his head against it for half a century, and some fans believe that it’s not just because he misses the Rumbar Pirates. Appearing in occasional bursts since his introduction, Laboon has been missing from One Piece action since 2001.
