Summary
- Many characters in One Piece are forgotten or underutilized, offering little impact on the storyline.
- Characters like Alvida, Mohji, and Tsuru had potential but ended up being insignificant figures.
- Despite unique abilities or positions, characters like Hina, Smoothie, and Foxy fall short of expectations and lack substantial contributions.
The major edge that One Piece has over most anime, which fans love to gloat over, is its epic world-building and character development. With a touch of Eiichiro Oda’s foreshadowing, the One Piece anime spins narratives with deep lore in the most captivating ways. However, not every character in Oda’s masterpiece is steering the plot forward.
One Piece: Who Will Luffy Fight? Shamrock Or Shanks?
Luffy's next big fight will be against one of the Figarland Twins.
These characters are barely ever remembered. And when they are, they are shoved under the “victim of the plot” or “untapped potential” umbrella. Whether they had the potential to affect the plot or not, they seem to be just there, swimming in whatever direction the current takes them.
1 Alvida
Plays An Insignificant Role That Even A Devil Fruit Could Not Save
- Debut: Chapter 2
- Occupation(s): Pirate Captain
With ties to several characters currently playing a major role in One Piece, Alvida’s contribution to the storyline is minute. She has appeared constantly since the Romance Dawn Arc and has had little to no character development or impact on the storyline.
Gaining Devil Fruit abilities at some point in the series did not change the status quo either. The major thing the Sube Sube no Mi changed was her appearance, making her lose her fat and freckles, the perfect example of a character that slipped through the cracks of the storyline.
2 Mohji
The Beast-Tamer Tamed By Irrelevance
- Debut: Chapter 9
- Occupation(s): Pirate; First Mate
As one of the original crewmates of Buggy the Clown, the pirate hitching a free ride on the wings of the plot, Mohji does not have enough screentime to be remembered as a character, and fans don’t seem interested.
One Piece: Alabasta’s Princess Vivi And Her Role in the Final Saga
Princess Vivi's comprehension of her kingdom's problems and alliances with the Straw Hat Pirates fuel the drama for One Piece's final saga.
He did have a short-lived moment of action where he sicced his pet lion on Luffy and ran with his tail between his legs after its defeat. Mohji often tagged along with Buggy after this, but he was more of a visual callback to the early days of the anime than a functional character.
3 Cabaji
With Mohji? Tweedledum And Tweedledee
- Debut: Chapter 9
- Occupation(s): Pirate, Chief of Staff, Acrobat, Swordsman
The best way to describe Cabaji? The twin brother Mohji never had. While the two were often at crossroads, their story follows almost the same trajectory. Despite being closer to Buggy than Mohji, his role fades just as quickly.
Though his character had a bit more flair, not many characters, in and out of One Piece, can pull off sword-fighting while on a unicycle. He fought Zoro with this unique acrobatic style and, expectedly, lost. On the bright side, fighting the future's greatest swordsman would at least look good on his resumé.
4 Hina
A Stylish Marine With Little Impact
- Debut: Chapter 171 (cover)
- Occupation(s): Rear Admiral; Captain (former)
Based on her appearance and debut, Vice Admiral Hina seemed to be a character who would influence the storyline, but she rarely ever did. For some funny reason, she tends to be a victim of Bon Clay’s shapeshifting trickery, always falling for his decoys.
One Piece: Has Smoker Been Completely Forgotten?
Throughout the story, characters like Smoker have been completely forgotten in the modern era.
Her Devil Fruit ability also seems extremely useful for a marine, as it allows her to bind her targets with iron, but she has never taken center stage in any arc. Her abilities, appearance, and rank might have made an impression, but her significance pales in comparison.
5 Charlotte Smoothie
A Commander In Name, A Background Character In Action
- Debut: Chapter 846
- Occupation(s): Sweet Commander; Minister of Juice
Fans seemed to be constantly displeased at how little of a contribution Smoothie has made despite being one of the Three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates. While Katakuri and Cracker were busy holding up the Straw Hats or engaging in more center-stage activities, Smoothie is shown either giving orders or chasing the Sunny.
At this point, she is more of a filler to complete the Sweet Commanders. Despite being present in the right moments, she barely engages in meaningful fights and has no mainstream fight of her own. She had all the makings of a great character, but the plot was not her ally.
6 Tsuru
From Legendary Marine To Meeting Attendee
- Debut: Chapter 234
- Occupation(s): Vice Admiral
Known to be a dangerous Marine with a unique Devil Fruit, Tsuru’s underutilization needs to be studied. Earning respect from Doflamingo, the most influential underground broker, is no small feat, yet the plot restricts her to the role of an advisor.
Since her debut in the series, she has appeared in more Marine meetings than Zoro has been on the right path without aid. All she does is attend meetings or sit with Doflamingo in prison, even in non-canonical events. Reducing such a legendary character to a figurehead stakeholder in the Marines is criminal.
7 Tashigi
Stuck In Her Own Potential
- Debut: Chapter 96
- Occupation(s): Captain; Ensign (former); Master Chief Petty Officer (former)
Introduced in Loguetown as a Marine swordswoman with a striking resemblance to Kuina, Tashigi seemed poised for long-term importance. Not only could she be potentially linked to Zoro's yet-to-be-fully-disclosed background story, but she is also one of the few marines with their heart in the right place.
Sadly, her actions do not speak as loudly. Tashigi barely contributes to the series and is often in need of rescuing. Some say she had more to offer when Smoker inhabited her body, although that might be the hormones speaking. Regardless, she never truly gets the growth or involvement that fans expect.
8 Shakuyaku
Always In The Know, Never In The Fight
- Debut: Chapter 498
- Occupation(s): Bartender; Pirate; Pirate Captain (former); Empress of Amazon Lily (former)
Popularly known as Shakky, the wife of Silvers Rayleigh, it is not entirely surprising that she does not do much at all. She is more of a plot agent, a convenient excuse for Oda to lead the Straw Hats or Rayleigh in the right direction, never in on the action herself.
One Piece: How Strong Is Silvers Rayleigh?
"Dark King" Rayleigh was't the Pirate King's right-hand for nothing.
She has her moments, like providing valuable information to the Straw Hats and aptly advising Rayleigh on the next course of action, but she does not do much else. While fans may want to see her in action, her current job is to sit pretty, and she is doing good at that.
9 Foxy
Overstayed His Welcome As A Villain
- Debut: Chapter 305
- Occupation(s): Pirate Captain
The undefeated champion of Davy Back Fights (until he encountered Luffy), Foxy’s significance does not seem to extend beyond this. In fact, he seems to be worse off as the series progresses. A character designed to be comic relief, Foxy has appeared several times, including the recent Egghead arc, but never poses any threat or evolves.
His crew seems to have reduced as well, as he was last seen with just two members and on a much smaller boat. Foxy is ever-present but narrative-wise, disposable—a gag villain who overstayed his welcome.
10 Sanjuan Wolf
The Titanic Commander Who Makes No Waves
- Debut: Chapter 575
- Occupation(s): Pirate; Titanic Captain (Captain of the Seventh Ship); Prisoner of the Great Prison (former)
Sanjuan Wolf’s contribution to the plot is the complete opposite of his size, almost negligible. It completely betrays his title as one of Blackbeard’s Titanic Commanders. All he does is tag along with his commodore, playing victim to their opponent’s attacks and waiting to be saved.
His shyness is also a betrayal of his colossal size, as he often hides to avoid recognition and fights. He barely even speaks. For someone highly positioned in the crew of a menacing character in the current era of piracy, Wolf remains an unexplored and inactive mystery.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
- Writers
- Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
- Franchise(s)
- One Piece
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Number of Episodes
- 1122
