Highlights
- Characters in One Piece, like Carrot, can receive mixed reception from fans due to unexpected character arcs and conclusions.
- Gecko Moria lost his powerful reputation due to laziness and annoying personality, leading to his downfall in the series.
- Sanji’s cool demeanor and strength are overshadowed by his perverted side.
Over the nearly three decades he has spent writing One Piece, Eiichiro Oda has built up a massive roster of characters that are incredibly varied in their designs, personalities, and roles they have in the overarching narrative. Generally, these characters have been received quite well by the series’ fan base and the public, having gone on to become icons in the anime and manga industries.
Alternatively, the portrayal of some One Piececharacters has also invited criticism due to a host of different reasons — some justified and others borderline ridiculous. In between these two extremes are a few cast members whose reception has been so varied that the series’ fan base has expressed equal measures of love and hatred toward them.
1 Carrot
Given A Confusing Character Arc With An Unsatisfactory Conclusion
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Manga Debut |
One Piece Chapter #804 “Adventure in the Land Atop the Elephant’s Back” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece Episode #753 “A Deadly Elephant Climb – A Great Adventure on the Back of the Giant Elephant!” |
When introduced, Carrot was a naive young rabbit mink of the Mokomo Dukedom, who had been trained by Pedro as a member of the Kingsbirds and Inuarashi Musketeer Squad. She quickly became a friend to the Straw Hat Pirates during their time in Zou and was even expected to join the crew at one point, although this did not come to pass.
Carrot did have some important moments in the Whole Cake Island Arc, especially concerning her relationship with Pedro. She also proved herself to be a reliable ally, particularly when she was able to unleash her powerful Sulong form. Unfortunately, the end of the Wano Country Arc concluded her character arc in a way that no one saw coming since she was appointed as the Mokomo Dukedom’s new ruler by Inuarashi and Nekomamushi — a choice that made little sense at the time.
2 Gecko Moria
Laziness And A Grating Personality Eclipsed His Powerful Devil Fruit
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Manga Debut |
One Piece Chapter #449 “The Mysterious Four of Thriller Bark” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece Episode #343 “His Name is Moria! Trap of the Great Shadow-Stealing Pirate” |
Armed with the powerful Kage Kage no Mi Devil Fruit, Gecko Moria was formerly one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, initially classed among the strongest pirates in the Grand Line. Sadly, Moria’s tendency to avoid confrontations and force others to do his bidding led him to lose his edge in combat, to the point where many regarded him as being too weak to possess the status of a Warlord.
Moreover, his borderline annoying personality and the many issues that plagued the Thriller Bark Arc where he was featured, have ruined his reputation, to the extent that he is now viewed as a figure to be pitied. After the time skip, Moria was only mentioned in passing until he briefly reappeared on Hachinosu, where he was captured by the Blackbeard Pirates. Presently, it remains to be seen if he will have a significant role to play in the Final Saga.
3 Tony Tony Chopper
Some Adore His Cuteness While Others Struggle To Appreciate It
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Manga Debut |
One Piece Chapter #134 “Dr. Kureha” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece Episode #81 “Are You Happy? The Doctor who is Called a Witch!” |
The Straw Hat Pirates’ doctor, Tony Tony Chopper is an anthropomorphic reindeer who possesses exceptional medical skills and has saved the lives of the crew too many times to even keep count. His designs during both the pre-time skip and post-time skip eras were meant to heavily accentuate his cuteness, which is also a huge reason behind the adoration he has received from the series’ fan base.
Chopper’s struggles to rein in his powerful Rumble Ball transformations added an interesting element to his character arc in the pre-time skip era, although this diminished considerably after his training before entering the New World. Currently, Chopper is often used as a gag character and his impact in major battles has somewhat reduced given how strong his other crewmates have become.
4 Vinsmoke Sanji
His Cool Demeanor And Strength Are Overshadowed By His Perverted Side
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Manga Debut |
One Piece Chapter #43 “Introducing Sanji” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece Episode #20 “The Famous Cook! Sanji of the Floating Restaurant” |
Having joined the Straw Hat Pirates during the East Blue Saga, Sanji has been with the crew for the vast majority of their journey, and he is among its strongest members alongside Luffy, Zoro, and Jinbe. The longstanding rivalry he shares with Zoro has inspired some of the most hotly contested debates in the series, and the pair have often clashed heads over their bounties and respective importance in the crew’s hierarchy.
Sanji always maintains a calm and composed attitude in most situations, with his persona having been likened to a secret agent due to his suave manner of speech and preference for wearing suits. He also has a strong sense of chivalry and does not think twice about rushing to the aid of a woman in danger. Regrettably, his intentions toward women are seldom noble, as he has an extremely perverted side which has routinely been singled out as his worst trait.
5 Foxy
A Gag Character Who Starred In One Piece’s Most Polarizing Story Arc
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Manga Debut |
One Piece Chapter #305 “Foxy the Silver Fox” |
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Anime Debut |
One Piece Episode #207 “Long Ring Long Land’s Big Adventure!” |
A character whose involvement in the series can be described as contentious, to say the least, Foxy the Silver Fox is the Captain of the Foxy Pirates and the main antagonist of the Long Ring Long Land Arc. His only real impact in the main story of One Piece came during the Davy Back Fight between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Foxy Pirates, which is a segment that most of the series’ fan base is unlikely to look back on in a favorable light.
Besides being a gag character who was at times amusing but largely frustrating, Foxy has reappeared from time to time, albeit with little influence on the narrative. While some may view him as a necessary source of comic relief between two long and hugely significant sagas in the pre-time skip era, others see him as an unnecessary inclusion that stalled the plot’s momentum, which is the main reason why he was such a polarizing cast member.
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