Highlights
- Oda’s focus on character-driven arcs pre-time skip led to phenomenal narrative segments in One Piece.
- Some major characters like Rayleigh, Garp, Mihawk, and Shanks need more dedicated arcs and exploration.
- Uncertainties about Zoro’s past as a bounty hunter and training post-time skip leave room for further character development.
Renowned for his clever use of flashbacks to flesh out the characters that constitute the massive cast of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda often focused entire arcs on certain individuals during the pre-time skip era of the manga. What this yielded was a succession of phenomenal character-driven narrative segments, as seen in stretches such as the Arlong Park Arc, the Enies Lobby Arc, and the Post-War Arc.
Since then, Oda has relied on this storytelling approach to a lesser extent, although there are some exceptions in the post-time skip One Piece arcs. Examples such as Trafalgar Law in the Dressrosa Arc, and Sanji in the Whole Cake Island Arc attest to how well Oda can now harness the benefits of this method without drawing too much focus away from other cast members. However, there are still some major One Piece characters who have not received dedicated arcs, and here are a few of the most prominent ones among them.
5 Silvers Rayleigh
Very Little Is Known About The Former Pirate King’s First Mate
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Manga Debut |
One Piece – Chapter #19: “Devil Fruit” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece – Episode #8: “Who Will Win? Showdown Between the True Powers of the Devil Fruit!” |
Having accompanied the late Gol D. Roger throughout his legendary voyage to conquer the Grand Line, Silvers Rayleigh is one of the few people in the world of One Piece that is privy to the true history of the Void Century. Furthermore, as the former second-in-command of the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh is an exceptionally strong combatant and a master of Haki in its various forms, who even mentored Luffy during the two-year time skip.
Some moments from his voyage with Roger are recounted during Kozuki Oden’s flashback in the Wano Country Arc, but there are still large parts of his life and dealings as a pirate that remain unknown. Given Rayleigh’s proximity to Roger as well as his standing among the pirates of the previous generation, his story is one that is worth devoting some time to. It is quite likely that more of Roger’s exploits and relationship with Rayleigh will be explored before the Final Saga concludes, and this could provide some much-needed screen time for the “Dark King” as well.
4 Monkey D. Garp
Not Much Has Been Shown About The Exploits Of The “Hero Of The Marines”
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Manga Debut |
One Piece – Chapter #92: “Happiness” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece – Episode #68: “Try Hard, Koby! Diary of Koby-Meppo’s Marine Struggles” |
It goes without saying that there are many theories floating around about Monkey D. Garp’s past, his relationship with Monkey D. Dragon and Gol D. Roger, as well as how he became one of the strongest Marines of his generation in One Piece. Garp’s personality is as earnest as it is chaotic, and he has never been one to mince words or waste pleasantries, much like his grandson Luffy.
It took more than 1,000 One Piece chapters and episodes for Garp’s formidable strength to actually be depicted on-screen in all its glory, which was an astounding moment. Unfortunately, with the first arc of the Final Saga close to wrapping up in the manga, there is a limit on how much time Garp’s flashback will be afforded, although his current predicament at the end of the Egghead Arc does offer a strong possibility that his past will be explored in more depth soon enough.
3 Dracule Mihawk
His Path To Becoming The World’s Strongest Swordsman Is Shrouded In Mystery
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Manga Debut |
One Piece – Chapter #49: “Storm” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece – Episode #23: “Protect Baratie! The Great Pirate: Zeff the Red Leg” |
The very first of the Seven Warlords of the Sea to debut in One Piece, Dracule Mihawk was set up as Zoro’s goal as far back as the Baratie Arc in the East Blue Saga. He has exerted a fair amount of impact on the story in the time since, ranging from his exploits in the Battle of Marineford to his role in training Zoro on Kuraigana Island during the time skip.
Mihawk’s strength is renowned the world over, but his journey towards mastering the sword has not yet been fleshed out in the manga or anime. There are a lot of details from Mihawk’s past that remain unclear, ranging from his training in swordsmanship, how he turned Yoru into a black blade, why he was bestowed the title of a Warlord, and the rivalry he shared with Shanks in his youth. All together, this would make for a phenomenal flashback arc in the build up to Zoro’s final battle against Mihawk, but whether this will actually come to pass is anyone’s guess.
2 Shanks
There Are Many Unanswered Questions About Shanks’ Heritage And Goals
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Manga Debut |
One Piece – Chapter #1: “Romance Dawn – The Dawn of the Adventure” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece – Episode #4: “Luffy’s Past! The Red-Haired Shanks Appears” |
While his screen time throughout the series has been limited, Shanks’ presence has been felt at every step of Luffy’s journey, since he was the one who first inspired him to become a pirate. For the most part, Shanks has acted as a mediator, quelling conflict where possible by using a mixture of diplomacy and deadly force when necessary. Although some moments from his journey with the Roger Pirates have been shown in the anime and manga, they only presented glimpses of the kind of person he really is.
Shanks’ heritage has been a source of intense questioning, given the respect shown to him by the Five Elders as well as the Marines. In addition, One Piece Film: Red also hinted at Shanks being the descendant of the World Nobles through the Figarland family, even if it was a non-canonical remark. Lastly, Shanks’ endeavors after leaving the Roger Pirates, his path to becoming an Emperor of the Sea, as well as his rivalry with Mihawk are all things that deserve some screen time in the Final Saga in order to complete his larger character arc.
1 Roronoa Zoro
Uncertainties About His Time Skip Training And Past As A Bounty Hunter Still Remain
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Manga Debut |
One Piece – Chapter #3: “Introducing Pirate Hunter Zoro” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece – Episode #1: “I’m Luffy! The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King!” |
Despite some revelations about his heritage coming to light during the Wano Country Arc, they felt more like rushed footnotes rather than the more intense character development received by other Straw Hats such as Sanji, Nami, and Robin. For a long time, it was believed that this arc would grant Zoro the development he sorely needed after the time skip, but it was not to be. On one hand, Zoro’s past was explored to a degree during the East Blue Saga, but there are still things about his character that are veiled in uncertainty.
For instance, there has not been a single bit of information provided about why Zoro has not opened his left eye since the time skip, and many One Piece fans have theorized that this could be used to give him a profound power-up in the story’s climax. Additionally, details about Zoro’s time as a bounty hunter prior to meeting Luffy, along with the time he spent training as a swordsman after Kuina’s death, are still unclear, which means that Oda might still gift him some time in the spotlight before One Piece concludes for good.
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