This list will contain spoilers up to the Wano arc of One Piece!
Summary
Alongside the vibrant art style and compelling long-running story, another reasonOne Piecehas become so beloved and popular is due to its characters. Despite there being literally hundreds of named characters who have appeared throughout the series, Oda has somehow managed to make the majority of them feel unique in their personalities and abilities, which is why it’s always an absolute blast being introduced to a batch of new pirates or marines in a new story arc.
Of course, the number of characters who will actually show up on a new island varies between arcs, since there are still several portions of the story that are a lot more self-contained, focusing on only a handful of individuals. On the other hand, there are still a good number ofOne Piecestory arcs which introduce fans to an entire cast of new faces to get to know, with these arcs listed below being the biggest examples of this.
8Zou
Luffy And The Gang Meet The Lovable Mink Tribe During Their Pit Stop
Before setting sail for Wano in their mission to take down Kaido, the Straw Hats first arrive on a mysterious island known as Zou, which is located on the back of a giant elephant. While this was only meant to be a very quick pit stop, which allowed the Straw Hats to be introduced to theMink tribe, they ended up staying on the island for quite a while, learning about not only the wonderful culture of the Minks, but also a Poneglyph which is located on the island.
With standout characters like Carrot, Pedro, and Nekomamushi all being introduced in Zou, it’s a story arc that feels like a nice breath of fresh air by providing fans with a whole new race of characters to follow over the course of the story. Zou may be one of the shortest arcs in the series, but it’s still a memorable one thanks to the inclusion of the fun and lovable Mink tribe.
7Alabasta
The Straw Hats Find Themselves In The Middle Of A Chaotic Civil War
Many fans ofOne Piececonsider Alabasta to be the first major story arc in the series, not only because of its length, but also due to the arc having major effects on the world at large. After being plunged into a chaotic civil war inspired by the merciless Warlord known as Crocodile, the Straw Hats run into a bunch of fascinating individuals while venturing through the sandy dunes of the island. WhileCrocodileis clearly the star of the show, each of the Straw Hats also encounters the dangerous members of Crocodile’s Baroque Works, alongside multiple soldiers working for the resistance, such as the courageous Koza, who is prepared to put his life on the line to liberate his country.
Oda did an excellent job of making Alabasta feel as believable as possible by introducing a multitude of characters who reside on the island, all hailing from different backgrounds. From peasants to soldiers, all the way to the Royal Family, there are a ton of important individuals who make an appearance in the Alabasta arc.
6Sabaody
The Worst Generation Makes Their Formal Introductions To The Story
While fairly short in length, the Sabaody arc still contains some extremely important reveals alongside plenty of plot twists and reveals. Most fans remember this arc as marking the introduction of the Worst Generation of pirates, with the likes of Law, Bonney, Capone, and many others appearing in the story for the very first time, who would all become much more important after the time skip. Considering Sabaody is a very popular island among travelers, these aren’t the only people that Luffy and the others get to meet.
Both Hachi and Camie make their presence known in this arc by guiding the Straw Hats around the island, and of course, who could forget about the epic introduction of thelegendary pirate, Silvers Rayleigh? Unfortunately, the Straw Hats' time on Sabaody was cut short by Kuma, but they still managed to stay long enough to meet a bunch of exciting characters who would become relevant later on.
5Fishman Island
Fishmen And Mermaids As Far As The Eye Can See
Luffy and his allies run into a fewFishmenpretty early on in the story, but it was only after the time skip that they would pay a visit to the Fishman’s homeland. Considering the animosity shared between Fishmen and humans, it’s a pretty big deal that the Straw Hats are even able to enter the island in the first place, granting them the opportunity to meet a frankly massive cast of new characters, some already being introduced early on in the story, while most had never actually been seen before.
By far the most important newcomer is Shirahoshi, the princess of the island, who is also revealed to be the weapon Poseidon. Surrounding her at all times is a royal family which includes her three brothers and her father, King Neptune. Then there’s the Fishmen and Mermaids whom Luffy, Zoro, and especially Sanji hang out with during their downtime, and of course, the maniacal Hody Jones. Being able to experience the Fishmen’s culture while being introduced to a plethora of new characters in the process makes Fishman Island a fun arc to return to.
4Dressrosa
Doflamingo’s Own Personal Paradise Has Been Turned Into Hell On Earth For The Residents
By the time the Straw Hats arrive at Dressrosa, the once beautiful island is a shadow of its former self. With Doflamingo making himself the leader of the country by force, theWarlord of the Seaturned Dressrosa into his own personal paradise, allowing his entire makeshift to control the residents in any way they please. This inevitably means the Straw Hats are forced to go up against a ton of formidable foes, with notable examples being the mountain-sized Pica and the heavily armed Baby 5.
That’s not even mentioning the locals of Dressrosa, who all have their own stories to tell about how the country ended up this way. Rebecca, for example, is one of many residents who reveal the suffering she and her father have endured under the rule of a vicious Doflamingo, but there are plenty of other characters who express a similar sentiment. Despite the circumstances, Dressrosa is an island packed full of vibrancy and life, hence why so many people have decided to live there, only for their lives to be ruined by a Warlord of the Sea.
3Whole Cake Island
Big Mom’s Crew Features A Lot More Members Than The Usual Band Of Pirates
Part of being a pirate is assembling a crew of loyal members who can help out in battle, but Big Mom takes this concept to a whole new level. The mightyYonko’s crewis made up of her own children, who all reside on Whole Cake Island, but those aren’t the only people who live there. Big Mom’s Devil Fruit allows her to extract people’s souls, which she uses to then infuse these souls into objects, which remain adamantly loyal to their master.
In their attempt to rescue Sanji, the Straw Hats face off against what feels like an entire army of pirates, alongside the Germa family; a group of superhumans who are directly related Sanji. Needless to say, there’s certainly no shortage of fun characters that Oda introduces to the story in Whole Cake, but of course, each and every one of them answers to the true leader of the island, that being Big Mom.
2Marineford
An Epic Clash Featuring Gigantic Armies Of Marines And Pirates
It’s not hard to understand why so many fans consider Marineford to be one of, if not their favorite story arc in the series. With Ace captured and the Marines unwilling to let him off the hook, what results is an epic war between an entire army of Marines and swarms of dangerous pirates. This is the first time fans would get to see Whitebeard and his crew in action, and it’s fair to say that the Yonko makes quite the first impression, creating entire earthquakes with just a single punch. Powerful pirates such as Vista, Jozu, and Marco would all also join in, but this is just the tip of the iceberg in regard to the war’s participants.
When Luffy jumped into the fray, he also brought the prisoners of Impel Down with him, which included the likes of Crocodile, Ivankov, and Buggy. Of course, there’s also the Marines, who all put up a valiant fight, especially the Admirals, who are all more than willing to crush any pirates who oppose the World Government. Even Shanks and Blackbeard would eventually join in, as if the battle wasn’t already chaotic enough. To put it simply, Marineford features a star-studded cast, which is just one reason why it is so beloved.
1Wano
Pirates, Samurai, And Mink All Band Together To Take Down The Beast Pirates
It’s honestly shocking that Oda managed to pack so many characters into a single story arc, and yet, while it may have slowed down the piecing a little bit, Wano still stands as an incredibly exciting arc full of epic moments and shocking reveals. On the one hand, there’s the Pirate, Mink, and Samurai alliance, which is already made up of thousands of willing participants, but there are also many of Oden’s Red Scabbards, whom Luffy and the gang discover as they travel throughthe land of Wano.
Then there’s Kaido’s Beast Pirates, including the dangerous group known as the Tobiroppo, the giant Numbers, and even Big Mom herself, who decides to get involved in the carnage. This isn’t even mentioning the plethora of Worst Generation pirates who also show up, such as Law, Hawkins, Apoo, and X Drake. A special mention also needs to go to both Kaido and Orochi, who played the role of main antagonists for the epic climax of the Yonko saga.
One Piece
Cast
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
