One Piece Characters Who Could Carry Their Own Anime

While Monkey D. Luffy is the protagonist of the One Piece franchise, the story is very much an ensemble piece, as it follows the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates, who face many enemies and make countless friends on their journey. The massive cast of One Piece has some beloved characters who are bursting with personality, some of whom could front their own anime franchises if given the chance.

It takes more than one or two likable traits to be the star of a franchise, as they have to be interesting to watch regularly, while preferably lacking any personality traits that could alienate fans. One Piece fans love Zorro, but he works better as a straight man with a single goal rather than a leader. Meanwhile, Sanji has tons of fans, but he also creeps people out with his behavior. A true One Piece main character has to be the total package, rather than someone who needs Luffy and the gang to make them interesting.

Trafalgar D. Water Law Grabbed The Spotlight During His Debut

Image via Toei Animation

One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has gone on record about the creation of the Supernovas, saying he created them shortly before their debut, and had no idea they’d become as important as they would. It speaks to Oda’s genius that so many of the Supernovas feel as if they were planned from the start, especially Jewelry Bonney and Trafalgar D. Water Law, who became major figures in later arcs.

It was clear from the start that Law would become a huge deal, due to his meteoric rise in the official popularity polls, ranking just behind the Straw Hat Pirates in the fourth poll, then rising to the second most popular character in the franchise in the fifth, just after Monkey D. Luffy himself. Since then, he has consistently stayed in the top five, outranking countless other amazing characters.

So, what is it about Law that makes him so popular? The design certainly plays a huge part, as he oozes coolness in a way that’s not often seen in the goofy world of One Piece. This makes it all the funnier when the Straw Hats drag him into their shenanigans, and he’s forced to interact with the humor of the series while trying to maintain his ice-cold demeanor.

It helps that Law has an awesome Devil Fruit power, with his Ope Ope Fruit letting him control the position of everything within a short radius, allowing him to literally take people apart, and stop incoming bullets in their tracks. Once he awakened his Devil Fruit and could pass it onto objects to extend its range, it became even fiercer than before and served as an awesome progression in his power.

If One Piece had a more serious tone, Law could easily have been the main character and would have been ranked among the greatest anime protagonists of all time. As it stands, Law’s popularity means he’ll always be just behind Luffy, as fans dream of what his pirate adventures might look like.

Tony Tony Chopper Is The Ideal Straw Hat To Appeal To Kids

If Monkey D. Luffy didn’t exist, then which Straw Hat Pirate would be best suited for the role of main character? As previously mentioned, Zorro and Sanji work better as side characters, while Usopp’s cowardice would get grating if it were the focus of the series. Brook and Franky are too light-hearted and perverted; Jinbe is too straight-laced; and Nami and Robin are used more often for fanservice than for character development.

But what about the Straw Hat Pirate who fronted his own spin-off series? Tony Tony Chopper is the reindeer who ate the Human Human Fruit, transforming him into something between an animal and a person. Chopper might not have been with Luffy from the start, but as the Straw Hat Pirates’ doctor, he’s one of the most vital members of the crew, saving many lives on his adventures.

Part of Chopper’s appeal is his cute design and innocent nature, which make him instantly appealing. It’s pretty hard to dislike Chopper, considering how adorable he is. Chopper’s Devil Fruit lets him change shape, which is a cornerstone of battle manga, and gives him lots of cool forms to use in battle for when things get rough, letting him be a badass when the occasion calls for it.

Chopper’s naivety and lack of knowledge of the wider world are also great traits for a protagonist in a series with such a strange setting. One Piece has a bizarre world, but if a character like Chopper is the main character, it’ll feel natural for other people to explain strange concepts to him (and the reader), as he never left his home island before becoming a pirate.

Chopper already had a popular spin-off series called Chopper Man, in which he’s presented as a superhero. Chopper Man not only covered several manga, but it also received anime adaptations and even a stage show. If that’s not proof that Chopper can carry a series on his own, then what is?

Sabo Could Show The Struggles Of The Revolution

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The Revolutionary Army faction is the one that has received the least attention in One Piece so far. This is surprising, considering that their leader is Monkey D. Luffy’s father, that Robin stayed with them during the timeskip, and that some of their members are key allies of the Straw Hat Pirates, such as Ivankov.

Oda is hiding information about the Revolutionary Army for the time being, likely for when Luffy finally meets his father. This has left the reader only getting glimpses of their plans and activities, save for the later arcs of One Piece, where they’ve taken a more direct role in opposing the World Government, though most of it hasn’t been seen on-screen.

If there’s one character who can present the Revolutionary Army as the focal point of One Piece, it’s Sabo, the brother of Monkey D. Luffy. Sabo has it all: ranking highly in popularity polls, being one of the series’ purely heroic characters, possessing awesome powers, and being a leader in his own right.

In the One Piece world, Sabo is referred to as the Flame Emperor, ranking him as an equal to the Yonko in public perception, if not in actual combat prowess or military might. While Luffy is chasing the One Piece, Sabo is facing the true evils of the world, taking on the Celestial Dragons, and even facing Imu at a time when most other characters don’t even know they exist.

It bears mentioning that there is some fan backlash against Sabo, with some deriding him as a Mary Sue who was just a replacement for Ace (right down to consuming the same Devil Fruit and gaining his fire powers) and lacking any negative qualities. Some of these claims are justified, and it’s easy to see why people don’t like Sabo as much as they did Ace, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make an awesome protagonist of his own battle manga.

Buggy Is The Blundering Clown Prince Of Pirates

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One Piece is often hilarious, knowing when to be silly and fun, as its world is full of ridiculous people with bizarre powers. Monkey D. Luffy saw just how strange the competition could be with his first encounter with a Devil Fruit-using pirate, as Buggy the Clown could separate his body into pieces, which flew around under his control.

In any other manga, Buggy would have been an early opponent who was quickly forgotten about and never mentioned again, like Mizuki in Naruto or Boss Carrot in Dragon Ball. One Piece never forgets, however, and Buggy keeps returning, eventually rising to the top of the pirate world, becoming one of the four Yonko, and entering the race to find the One Piece.

Buggy could have been an amazing protagonist for a comedy manga about a pirate falling his way to success, using trickery and deception to keep his head in a world full of people much stronger than he is. Part of the fun of Buggy is the kayfabe about his strength, much like how One Punch Man fans love King, as maintaining the image is much more important than actually getting more powerful.

While Buggy constantly getting overpowered would become tiresome, his Devil Fruit does give him some advantages. Mihawk was unable to kill Buggy with his blade because Buggy kept separating whenever he was about to be hit. At the same time, Oda confirmed Buggy could have walked past Donflamingo’s Birdcage, potentially making him immune to his other string-based attacks. Buggy, using his wits and applying his Devil Fruit in different ways to win fights, could make for a unique shōnen protagonist.

Buggy is originally portrayed as a villain, but he’s just a pirate like Luffy, and as the audience learns more about him, his adventuring spirit comes through more clearly. He might not be as strong as Blackbeard, Shanks, or Luffy, but Buggy has the will to become the Pirate King, and that would have been an amazing story to see in full.

Koby’s Adventure Is The Other Side Of The Coin

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On the surface, the Marines of One Piece present themselves as the keepers of peace and enforcers of justice on the high seas. In reality, many of them have been culpable of terrible crimes, such as the Buster Calls that have destroyed islands, turning a blind eye to Arlong’s crimes, and helping to facilitate the Native Hunting Competition held by the World Nobles.

While some Marines take glee in the carnage and make the most of the corruption afforded by their position of authority, there are those within the organization who have expressed doubts about it, with Monkey D. Garp chief among them. These same beliefs have been instilled in Koby, his prize student and an accomplished captain in his own right.