Highlights
- Some One Piece characters suffered due to early introduction, impacting their prominence and reputation.
- Notable villains like Crocodile, Enel, and Rob Lucci could have been more formidable if introduced later.
- Vergo of the Donquixote Pirates and Whitebeard’s crew members could have been more memorable with delayed debuts.
With over a thousand chapters, One Piece is one of the longest-running manga series. The author has mastered the art of storytelling and world-building. Given the number of chapters, it is hardly a surprise that there are so many characters in One Piece.
Most of these characters have been handled in a splendid manner. Everything, from their backstories to the designs, is almost immaculate. However, there have been certain situations where the reputation of some characters has been hurt by their early introduction. If Oda had delayed their debuts just a little, these individuals would have become far more memorable.
5 Crocodile
Lost To Luffy Despite Being A Grand Line Veteran
Crocodile was the main antagonist of the Alabasta arc. He nearly destroyed the entire country for the sake of finding information about the Ancient Weapons. Crocodile was not just a powerful character, but he was also extremely smart. His plan to overthrow Cobra was nearly perfect, and he would have gotten away with it easily if the Straw Hats had not interfered.
As the main villain of the arc, Crocodile was Luffy’s opponent. The Shichibukai wiped the floor with Luffy twice before eventually being beaten by the young pirate. At the time, fans knew that Crocodile was not an easy opponent, but they had no idea that he had fought against Whitebeard in the past. This was a massive shock to the readers, and it led them to question Crocodile’s reputation. A villain of Crocodile’s caliber would have made a perfect villain in any of the post-timeskip arcs.
4 Enel
Was Much More Powerful Than The Villains Who Came After Him
Enel was introduced in the Skypiea arc. He was a megalomaniac who had killed all the people in his homeland and then turned his attention to Skypiea. Enel ruled over the country with an iron fist. He combined the power of the Goro Goro no Mi with his Observation Haki to monitor the activities of every single individual on the island. When the Straw Hat Pirates made their way to Skypiea, they were surprised to see Enel’s power.
Their attacks couldn’t damage him, as he was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. Only Luffy’s strikes were able to damage Enel, and it was because of the rubbery nature of his body. After a lot of effort, Enel was beaten by Luffy, and Skypiea was finally free from his tyranny. Given Enel’s powers, he could have easily been a villain in one of the later arcs of One Piece. He was a much better fighter than Caesar, Hody Jones, and Gecko Moria. If he had been introduced later in the series, Enel’s reputation would have been much better.
3 Rob Lucci
Was A Haki User Yet He Still Lost
Rob Lucci was among the most talented assassins in One Piece. He worked for the World Government and would carry out orders almost without fail. Lucci had mastered Rokushiki and could use it to take down his enemies in next to no time. He also possessed the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Leopard, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit. It enhanced his physical abilities, making him stronger, faster, and more resilient.
Lucci fought Luffy twice before the timeskip, and he managed to win the first fight handsomely. In the subsequent battle, Luffy defeated the assassin. This victory was rather impressive, as Lucci had Haki at his disposal, while Luffy didn’t even know what Haki was. Keeping this in mind, Lucci should never have lost the fight, as his attacks would have bypassed Luffy’s Devil Fruit power. But Oda didn’t expand on the concept of Haki at the time, so it would have been better to introduce him later in the story.
2 Vergo
Did Not Receive Same Level Of Attention As His Fellow Crew Members
Vergo was one of the top officers of the Donquixote Pirates, but only a few people knew about his ties to the crew. Vergo joined the Marines in order to supply Doflamingo with secret information. Vergo was a powerful fighter, with great control over Haki. He was able to cover his entire body with it, hiding any weak points.
Vergo was introduced in the Punk Hazard arc, where he wreaked havoc. He started by killing G-5 members, then went after Tashigi, but she was rescued by Sanji. Ultimately, Vergo fought Trafalgar Law, and he had the upper hand for a while. But he couldn’t hold his ground for long and succumbed to Law’s might. Due to this fight, Vergo was quickly forgotten by fans. If he had been a part of the Dressrosa arc, he would have become a lot more memorable than the likes of Trebol, Diamante, and Pika.
1 Whitebeard Pirates
Came Off As Rather Weak
The Whitebeard Pirates were captained by Edward Newgate, who was known as the “Strongest Man in the World.” Naturally, the crew was considered dangerous by the Marines and other organizations. However, the Whitebeard Pirates didn’t manage to leave the same level of impact as the other Yonko crews. This was mainly because of their early introduction.
Except for Whitebeard, none of the other crew members came off as too impressive. Marco landed one hit on Kizaru, but the latter was unfazed. Jozu had a few moments, but he ended up losing his arm. They seemed to have weak Haki, as they couldn’t damage the big hitters among the Marines. If the crew had been introduced after the debut of Haki, there is a good chance things would have been different.
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