The characters in One Piece are a mixed bag, with some taking the series to incredible heights, while others actively ruin the story in ways that can easily frustrate even the most avid fans. The reason could be their unlikable personality, questionable actions and decisions, underwhelming role, or even their annoying laugh that drags the story arc down.
One Piece: 7 Arcs To Come After Elbaf
Elbaf is great, but even bigger arcs are coming after it in One Piece.
That said, while Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates best represent the likable characters of One Piece, others struggle to attract the same level of support and admiration from the fans. Instead of making One Piece more enjoyable to watch and read, these underwhelming characters ruin the connection and excitement fans have with the series.
Captain Kuro
For a former pirate with the moniker of “Kuro of a Hundred Plans,” his ultimate plan to steal Kaya’s fortune back in the Syrup Village and live a peaceful life away from the pirates and the Marines took too long to fully realize for such little reward. He spent 3 long years as Kaya’s butler after faking his death, only to get a major beating from Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Nami, and even the three little boys of the Usopp pirates.
All of Kuro’s preparations did not amount to anything, leaving him empty-handed without a single crew left behind. He was supposed to serve as a real danger to Luffy and his crew, but defeating him was as easy as knocking over a stack of dominoes. Though his Pussyfoot Maneuver was fascinating, it didn’t take long before Luffy countered it. If he had decided to stay as Kaya’s butler for good, his dream would have been within reach.
Pell
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No one beats Pell when it comes to characters who Eiichiro Oda should have killed in the Alabasta arc of One Piece. He was supposed to die as the mighty hero of Alubarna by saving the city from Crocodile’s bomb, but Oda pulled out a surprising last-minute decision to allow him to live. This decision easily ruined the impact of his heroic sacrifice, leaving fans underwhelmed instead of heartbroken by the falcon’s selfless act.
Had Oda not had a change of heart, Pell could have gone down in One Piece's history as an unforgettable hero. While Pell being alive is beneficial for Vivi and her kingdom, it robbed the Alabasta arc of a memorable sacrifice.
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Kin’emon
Kin’emon is one of the best-written characters in One Piece until he survives Kaido’s katana and kanabo attack while protecting Momonosuke. Just like Pell, he was supposed to go down in history as a selfless hero, but his survival at the hands of Kaido quickly diluted the tension in the Wano Arc for a long while.
Worse, Oda’s explanation for allowing Kin’emon to live felt like a weak justification rather than a meaningful reason. For many fans, Kin’emon’s survival made little sense after being crippled as badly as a hammered nail. There seemed to be no way out, but Kin’emon miraculously pulled through, leaving fans frustrated by yet another fake death in One Piece.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Ace
Ace is a fan-favorite character in One Piece, but that doesn’t mean he’s free from criticism or fan slander. His untimely death in the Marineford Arc continues to divide the fandom, with some praising it as a powerful moment, while others argue it was an avoidable loss. For them, had Ace continued running instead of giving in to Akainu’s obvious provocation, he could have escaped the tragedy that ended him.
Moreover, those who argue that Ace had an unnecessary death believe it ruined the entire Marineford arc. After all, it took a lot of effort from Luffy and the Whitebeard pirates to save Ace, only to have him die, alongside Whitebeard, in the end. While he ends up saving Luffy from Akainu’s magma fist, he was the one who put him in danger in the first place.
Spandam
Spandam is one of those characters in One Piece that Oda deliberately wrote for fans to hate. He has no redeeming qualities, and the Enies Lobby arc would have worked just as well, if not better, without him. Instead of adding meaningful conflict to the story arc as its main villain, he ends up becoming a source of irritation rather than suspense.
From Spandam’s grating voice, incompetence, and selfishness to being a nepo baby, there’s nothing to like about him in the eyes of the fans. Worse, what he did to Robin, Franky, and Tom is unforgivable, proving that he exists purely to frustrate and anger the audience.
Rosward Charlos
Nearly dying at the hands of Zoro and receiving a strong punch from Luffy should have knocked some sense into Rosward Charlos, yet he remains the same spoiled noble with no redeeming qualities. Almost everything about him is detestable, from his gaudy character design to his entitled attitude and whiny personality that made it difficult for some fans to watch One Piece while he was on-screen.
No wonder Rosward Charlos is one of the most hated characters in the series. All he does is annoy fans with his insufferable arrogance, so much so that he turns tense moments into frustratingly shallow scenes. Of all the reviled Celestial Dragons, Charlos is perhaps the one fans dislike the most.
Absalom
The Thriller Bark arc is infamous for having some of the most unlikable villains that fans have ever seen in One Piece, and Absalom of the Mysterious Four is no exception. He has committed grave crimes against women by using his Suke Suke no Mi to satisfy his lecherous obsession, making him the creepiest pervert of the arc.
In addition, Absalom also exploited Sanji’s perverted personality, forever tainting his usual cool, gentlemanly, heroic image. For many fans, the Thriller Bark arc already had enough comic relief, so Absalom’s antics felt excessive, so much so that he not only made Sanji look worse but also dragged down the entire story arc.
Dragon
As Monkey D. Luffy’s father, Dragon carries immense expectations from fans, putting constant pressure on Oda to give him a more prominent and active role whenever he appears in One Piece. However, fans often end up disappointed with him, as he does little more than stare into the distance and deliver a line or two, despite his legendary reputation as the World’s Worst Criminal.
On that note, one of the biggest complaints about Dragon is his lack of feats, even after a thousand chapters have already been released. His relationship with Luffy isn’t the best either. If only Oda had given Dragon more on-screen feats, instead of vague mentions and off-screen exploits, fans might have a better understanding of his legendary status.
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.
- 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
- Creator(s)
- Eiichiro Oda
- Seasons
- 21
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Number of Episodes
- 1122
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.72
