Every moment counts for One Piece as it reaches its final saga, which means that just as pacing is important, so is the character development. There are some compelling characters in the series who stand in the background, and their potential is barely explored.
Related
One Piece: 10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths In The Series
From the tragedy of Ohara to the sacrifice of Ace, One Piece is no stranger to heartbreak, and it has some of the most devastating deaths in anime.
While there are certain major players whose exploration is inevitable, they have been on the sidelines for so long that their characters’ arc might be rushed in a bid to move to the final saga. This will significantly affect their potential and do a great disservice to fans’ expectations of these characters.
The series is mainly about the adventures of the Straw Hats, but they are not the only intriguing characters that the fans look up to. In this vein, these characters need more screen time as the series builds up towards the final saga.
8 Monkey D. Dragon
The Revolutionary’s Key Player
There is no excuse for One Piece nearing its climax in the final saga not to give Dragon the screen time he deserves. He is the leader of the Revolutionary Army, the most wanted man in the world, Luffy’s father, and a direct enemy of the World Government, yet he is still a mystery for over a thousand chapters and episodes.
He moves in the shadow, but we are yet to see what he is capable of or his devil’s fruit. While Dragon will be a huge part of the final saga, Dragon’s story deserves the depth and focus that befits a character of his magnitude.
Since the final saga is nigh, Dragon’s role must be fully realized and not sidelined for the sake of pacing. Otherwise, the series risks leaving its most important characters underdeveloped.
7 Dracule Mihawk
The Lone Warlord
In the earliest part of the Straw Hats’ journey in the East Blue, Mihawk steals the show with his butterbread knife fight against Zoro’s three swords. Now that Mihawk is part of the Cross Guild, he is closer to the center of events that can shape the series than ever before.
However, Mihawk’s rivalry with Shanks, the depths of his power, and his ambitions still remain unanswered. The current greatest swordsman is one of the fans’ favorites despite his little to no screen time, so Oda should utilize Mihawk in the story in a way that he is not just Zoro’s final obstacle.
Let’s be frank; there is a possibility that the two swordsmen will not fight in the final saga because of the levels of the villains. Perhaps an acknowledgment that Zoro has surpassed him will be conveyed in the end.
6 Aokiji (Kuzan)
The Rogue Admiral
Oda has portrayed Aokiji as a morally ambiguous character in the series. He quit the Marines after his defeat at the hands of Akainu, but it didn’t seem like he turned his back on the world when he prevented Doflaminmgo from killing Smoker.
Now he stands alongside Blackbeard, and we still don’t fully understand why; is he truly with Blackbeard, or is he playing a game? These are questions that cannot be left hanging.
Related
7 One Piece Arcs With Best Fights
From emotional duels to era-defining clashes, these 7 One Piece fights stand among the best.
Aokiji’s character arc must not be rushed just to reach the grand finale, nor must his reason for joining the most dangerous man alive be reduced to means of convenience because this will do a disservice to his perspective on justice.
5 Momonosuke
A Key To The Ancient Secrets
The shogun of Wano’s ability to hear the voice of all things places him in a rare category with Gol D. Roger and his father, Kozuki Oden. That alone is enough to depict that he should be involved in the final saga.
At Zou, he communicated with Zunesha, an ancient figure, during Jack of the Beast Pirates’ assault on the island. That moment raised more questions than answers: why can he hear the voices, and what greater purpose does he serve?
So, leaving Momonosuke’s connection to the Void Century hanging to explore the larger conflict of the final war would be a mistake. As it stands, his destiny is not just to rule Wano but to truly know who or what he is.
4 Pudding
An Unfinished Story
Charlotte Pudding holds one of the most critical abilities that will be important in the final saga. With her rare three eyes, she has the potential to awaken the power to read poneglyphs.
Also, her connection to Vinsmoke Sanji adds another layer of emotional weight to why her appearance will bring a bittersweet moment in the series. The brief yet impactful bond Sanji and Pudding share on Whole Cake Island shows a different side of both characters, and it leaves unresolved feelings.
Currently, Pudding is a hostage on Hachinosu, and she has mainly remained offscreen since the Whole Cake saga, but that needs to change.
3 Blackbeard And His Crew
A Growing Threat On The Grand Line
There is no doubt that Blackbeard will be one of the biggest players in the final saga of the series. However, his current presence in the story has been frustratingly sporadic, and his crew is even worse off.
Aside from Blackbeard’s clash with Law and Aokiji’s face off against Garp, most of his movements and the crew’s have been largely offscreen. Blackbeard and his crew are supposed to be the worst of the worst, yet most of them have been barely explored.
We all know the series will inevitably delve into the past of Blackbeard, but the stakes need to be appropriately set. This will make the grand all-out war in the final saga what it deserves to be.
2 Shanks
The Mysterious Emperor
Shanks is one of the series most mysterious figures and the man who sets the protagonist on his path. Yet, for over two decades since the series started, all we know about Shanks are whispers of his legends and power.
Related
How To Watch One Piece In Order
It’s difficult for new anime to figure out the watch order for One Piece. Well, here’s something to help!
While the mystery surrounding him worked in the past, with the final saga unfolding, the time for mystery should be over. His duel against Eustass Kid was an electrifying moment, but let’s be honest, it was more of a demonstration of Shanks as a character.
His connection to Elbaf adds intrigue, and while an aspect of Shanks’ life has been revealed in this arc, it is not enough. We need to see his motivations, his role in the power play, and, importantly, how he fits into the final battle, and this aspect must not be rushed in any way.
1 Koby
The Future Marine Leader
Koby’s journey from a timid boy to a rising star in the Marines is one of the series’ most inspiring transformations. However, for all his growth, he had spent too much time on the sidelines, and even when he became prominent in Hachinosu, Aokiji and Garp stole the show.
Oda has set him up as the future of the Marines and a potential successor to Garp’s ideals, and, therefore, he must live up to the level. Hence, the buildup to the final saga is the time to give Koby the focus he deserves.
Moreover, Oda must not rush his character arc or leave him overshadowed by the bigger players in the series. If the World Government is going to collapse and a new era will rise, Koby must be at the center of it.
One Piece
- 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
NEXT
6 Anime Episodes That Crashed Crunchyroll Servers
When anime reaches peak hype, even the internet can’t keep up. These episodes crashed Crunchyroll, proving their status as legendary moments in anime
