With over 1000 manga chapters and 1000 anime episodes, it’s safe to say that One Piece is one of the biggest battle shōnen series in the world, and, as a result, author Eiichiro Oda has created a deeply fascinating world that is inhabited by a large panoply of different characters. To no one’s surprise, however, it’s only inevitable that he forgot about many of them.
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With over 1500 named characters in total, Oda can't really be blamed for forgetting about a few minor ones, but, weirdly enough, the same also applies for some that had superb writing. That’s right, there are many well-written One Piece characters that completely disappeared from the story, and the following eight are the most notorious examples of this egregious phenomenon.
Kuro
The Mischievous Villain That Kickstared Usopp’s Story
- Debut: Chapter 23 (Manga) Episode 9 (Anime)
Kuro of a Hundred Plans, the captain of the Black Cat Pirates, is undoubtedly one of the most memorable antagonists of the East Blue Saga, not only because he proved to be a cold, calculating, and ruthless killer but also because he literally spent years acting as Kaya’s butler just to murder her and acquire her large fortune. Fortunately, he was eventually stopped by Usopp and the Straw Hat Pirates.
Most villains from the East Blue Saga eventually reappear at later points in the story, but Kuro is one of the few exceptions. Not counting an anime-original scene and a few non-canon manga covers, the captain of the Black Pirates has completely disappeared, which is a real shame, because he was a terrifying villain, and it would be fascinating to see him interact with Usopp (who is now much stronger and braver than he was during the Syrup Village Arc) once again.
Gin
A Blink-And-You-Miss-It Cameo Is Not Enough
- Debut: Chapter 44 (Manga) Episode 21 (Anime)
While the main antagonist of the Baratie Arc, Don Krieg, was dull and one-dimensional, his second-in-command, Gin, proved to be quite a fascinating character in comparison. He’s quite strong and surprisingly honorable, but he’s also weirdly loyal to his captain, which further cements how complex he truly was.
Despite being one of the East Blue Saga’s most compelling figures, Gin was completely absent from the story for over twenty-six years, and he made a minimal cameo in the Egghead Arc a few years ago, in which he and Don Krieg could be seen walking around Hachinosu. However, that was not enough to keep fans satisfied, and they couldn’t help but ask many questions about his sudden reappearance: How did Gin and Don Krieg make it into the New World? Are they associated with Blackbeard now? What do they think of Luffy’s new status as an Emperor?
Arlong
Where Is The Evil Pirate That Ruined Nami’s Life?
- Debut: Chapter 69 (Manga) Episode 31 (Anime)
Most One Piece fans can agree that the Arlong Park Arc is one of the absolute best in the entire series and the one that made most people fall in love with this story. Needless to say, this arc’s reputation can be attributed to its main antagonist, Arlong, the evil Fish-Man pirate who invaded Cocoyasi Village, murdered Bell-mere, and practically took Nami hostage for most of her youth.
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Arlong’s ruthless personality and extreme anti-human views were a byproduct of his radicalization, caused by the rampant discrimination he and his fellow Fish-Men had suffered. However, in a flashback sequence during the Fish-Man Island Arc, Oda cleverly confirmed that he was an exception and that some of his peers, like Jinbe or Hachi, did not approve of his violent ways. Unfortunately, despite his connection to two different members of the Straw Hat Pirates, Arlong has completely disappeared from the story, and it seems like he wasn’t even imprisoned in Impel Down like other iconic villains were.
Smoker
He Used To Be One Of The Most Interesting Marines In The Series
- Debut: Chapter 97 (Manga) Episode 48 (Anime)
Smoker’s debut during the Loguetown Arc was nothing short of exciting, as it proved that not all Marines were corrupt or selfish (since he clearly had an immovable moral compass), not to mention that he was the very first Logia Devil Fruit user introduced in the series. Throughout the following story arcs, he and the Straw Hats formed a fascinating but endearing rivalry based on differing ideals and mutual respect.
Unfortunately, Smoker’s relevance slowly petered out after the timeskip, and he only had a prominent role in one story arc, the Punk Hazard Arc, in which he came off as significantly weaker than all of his opponents. He hasn’t done a lot after the conclusion of said arc, and, while he did have a small cameo during the recent Egghead Arc, it was not enough to make up for the fact that this once-important Marine has been irrelevant for over twelve real-world years.
Yorki
The Captain Of The Rumbar Pirates Didn’t Perish Alongside His Crew
- Debut: Chapter 103 (Manga) Episode 63 (Anime)
Everyone can agree that Brook has one of the most tragic and heartbreaking backstories in the series, as he was forced to slowly die alongside his friends and crewmates from the Rumbar Pirates before he was revived by the powers of his Devil Fruit. However, most fans seem to forget that his former captain, Yorki, did not die with them, as he had already left the crew by that point.
Yorki was a kind, selfless, and compassionate man who was beloved by all his subordinates and even formed a very close and endearing friendship with Brook. At some point, he contracted a lethal disease, and it was heavily implied that he would pass away, but the Rumbar Pirates moved on and had to leave him behind before his fate was revealed. As a result, many fans believe that Yorki did not actually die and are wondering if he’s ever going to be reintroduced in the present (it’s important to mention that he would be very old if he were alive). Fortunately, it seems like the Elbaph Arc is seemingly going to re-explore Brook’s past in the near future, so it’s possible that Yorki will appear once again very soon.
Bentham (Bon Clay)
Most Fans Are Not Even Aware That He’s Still Alive
- Debut: Chapter 129 (Manga) Episode 78 (Anime)
Bon Clay is undoubtedly one of the best and most lovable characters in all of One Piece, as he was originally introduced as a member of Baroque Works, but he ended up forging a bizarre friendship with the Straw Hats and helped them out on more than one occasion. He eventually became a highlight of the Impel Down Arc, where he saved Luffy’s life and even sacrificed himself, so the young pirate could escape and save his brother.
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Weirdly enough, anime-only fans were led to believe that Bon Clay was killed by Magellan at the end of the Impel Down Arc, but one of the manga’s cover stories revealed that he’s still alive, and he became the new Queen of Newkama Land after Ivankov escaped. Nevertheless, that was his last appearance in the story, and it’s quite unfortunate that such a unique, charming, and beloved character has been stuck in that prison for so long. Hopefully, Oda will find an excuse to break him out in the near future.
Enel
This Powerful Villain Is Still Stuck On The Moon
- Debut: Chapter 254 (Manga) Episode 167 (Anime)
Out of all the antagonists in One Piece, Enel is definitely one of the most memorable and terrifying ones so far. His massive ego and his mastery over his powerful Devil Fruit made him believe that he was a god, and he would have most likely succeeded with his plans of destroying Skypiea if he didn’t have the misfortune of facing Luffy, the only person with Devil Fruit powers that make him immune to Enel’s electric-based powers.
However, manga readers know that Enel’s story didn’t end there, as he eventually starred in his own cover page serial that showed him traveling to the moon, defeating a bunch of space pirates, and recruiting his own army of little androids. However, Enel's Great Space Operations was published over eighteen years ago, and Enel has been nowhere to be seen ever since. Despite being introduced so early in the story, he’s still one of the most powerful characters in the series, and he would definitely be able to go toe-to-toe against some of the more recent arcs' strongest combatants.
Urouge
The Only Supernova That Hasn’t Done Anything Since His Introduction
- Debut: Chapter 498 (Manga) Episode 392 (Anime)
The Supernovas are a bunch of skilled, new-generation pirates who were introduced during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc, and almost every one of them would go on to have a prominent role in the story during the post-timeskip era: Law, Kid, and Killer forged an alliance with Luffy, Bege tried to assassinate Big Mom, Apoo and Hawkins joined the Beasts Pirates in Wano, X-Drake was revealed to be a member of SWORD, and Bonney ended up being Bartholomew Kuma’s adoptive daughter. Needless to say, the only person in this group that hasn’t done anything since his debut is “Mad Monk” Urouge.
Of course, he was not a particularly deep character, but his minimal appearance during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc revealed that Urouge is strong, resilient, and brave, not to mention that he wields the power of an unnamed Devil Fruit that allows him to absorb damage and turn it into physical strength, which is brimming with potential. Not counting his small cameo during Kaido’s introductory scene, Urouge has yet to have a significant role in the story, and many fans are worried that he may never have one, especially when considering that One Piece has just entered its final saga.
One Piece
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
