For a series that’s been running for twenty-six years now, One Piece never seems to run out of funny, fresh side characters. Some are more on the dramatic side, offering a unique backstory of tragedy while also having some goofy things about them. That makes them endearing though, and the best Side Characters in One Piece all have some of these qualities that make them loved by fans.
For clarification, side character pertains to anyone outside of the designated Straw Hat or Antagonist camps. Basically, anyone who isn’t a Straw Hat or main villain can end up here, but mostly those who haven’t stuck around for much of the story.
Warning that this article contains spoilers for One Piece through chapter 1092 of the manga. The manga is available to read online from Viz or MangaPlus, so catch up before reading on!
11. Crocus and Laboon
These two come as a pair at this point since Crocus the lighthouse keeper has been watching after Laboon for years now. He’s originally the lighthouse keeper when the Rumbar Pirates leave the whale there, promising to return in three years after they navigate the Grand Line. Unfortunately, they don’t come back and later the Straw Hats find out why when they meet Brook. Poor Laboon is heartbroken that they haven’t come back, believing that they abandoned him and fled the Grand Line. He constantly butts his head against the Red Line, desperately trying to break through so he can try to find them.
Thankfully there’s hope for him yet, as Luffy initially made a promise to come back before he found Brook. Now they can fulfill their promise together, reuniting with a song. Crocus meanwhile has some new development with backstory about his time as the doctor on Gold Roger’s crew. He’s still a grumpy old man, but he keeps an eye on Roger’s mystery illness as they sail the Grand Line.
10. Dorry and Broggy
The co-captains of the Giant Pirates were something to be feared years ago when they roamed the Grand Line. Unfortunately, a disagreement over the size of their prey after a hunt led to a century-long fight that was still raging when Luffy found them. They’ve been going at it on Little Garden this entire time, and at this point don’t even remember what their initial fight was about. The giants inspire Usopp though, who pledges to become a brave warrior of the sea just like them, and reunite at Elbaph.
This seems to be much closer to happening now that the Straw Hats have their sights set on Elbaph, the land of giants! Dorry and Broggy are there when last seen, along with Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates who make their base there. They actually help Shanks to take out the Kid Pirates, and were alongside him when he declared it was time to go for the One Piece.
9. Dr. Kureha
Chopper’s second mentor and a witch of a woman, Kureha is also the head doctor in the current Sakura Kingdom (formerly Drum Kingdom). She’s as much of a fiend as Nami when it comes to money, but genuinely does care about helping people. Even after her seeming tough love for Chopper, she was still a fantastic adoptive parent who taught him everything he needed to know about medicine. Chopper didn’t learn much from Hiriluk that was useful, but through Kureha’s close monitoring, he’s on his way to master doctor status.
She even gets a moment to shine in the Drum Island arc as one of the leaders of the Sakura Kingdom. She asks some of the others who have experiences with the Straw Hats how Chopper is doing as soon as she sees them. The pride she feels is pretty evident, and she’s a fantastic side character who sets up Chopper for amazing things in the future.
8. Bartolomeo
The number one leader of the Straw Hat Fan Club, Barto is a fanboy through and through when it comes to Luffy. He’s head over heels in reverence, and when he finally does meet Luffy he’s in absolute overwhelmed shock over it. It’s a hilarious bit that gets played up in the Dressrosa arc and even after in Wano when he replaces a Red Hair Flag with a Straw Hat one. It gets a good laugh out of Shanks at least, who finds it funny Luffy is an Emperor alongside him.
Barto is also a good character for his fighting ability though, and will be a great part of the final fight as part of the Straw Hat Fleet. His Barto Club is full of hooligans who look for a good fight, and Barto himself has the Barrier-Barrier Fruit that will be a huge help to Luffy. No doubt he’ll be pushing to make himself look as good as possible in front of his idol, especially since Bartolomeo saw Luffy’s near execution in person at Loguetown.
7. Silvers Rayleigh
Rayleigh is a recurring character in the post-time-skip world of One Piece, and every time he appears he’s just more awesome. The first mate and best friend of Gold Roger, Silvers Rayleigh is also called the ‘Dark King’ by the Navy, which is one hell of a name. More impressive is his insanely powerful Haki, which he displays in the Sabaody Auction House on his first debut. His Conqueror Haki is strong enough to knock out those of his choice within a massive range, and he uses it to free himself and the other potential slaves.
After the Marineford War, he takes Luffy to a remote island to train. He also has the Thousand Sunny coated during this time, that way it’s all ready when the Straw Hats make it to Fishman Island. Recently he’s seen in Amazon Lily along with former Emperess of Kuja, Shakky, keeping the Navy away after the Warlord system is dissolved. Silvers Rayleigh is really just a badass in general, but he knows when and where to fight and when to not. It’s a trait he handed down to Shanks when training the young pirate under Gold Roger.
6. Kyros
One Piece and Terrible Fathers are something that goes hand in hand, but the trend started to change around the time Kyros was introduced. He’s first a toy soldier outside the Dressrosa Colosseum that ropes the Straw Hats into his rebellion plans, but it’s soon revealed he’s the champion of the Colosseum, Kyros. The warrior is turned into a toy by Doflamingo’s Pirates, but even that doesn’t stop him from protecting Rebecca, his daughter. He fights even as a one-legged toy soldier, and trains her to fight in turn so she can survive.
Even after Rebecca is captured by Doflamingo’s army, she keeps fighting in the Colosseum to earn her freedom, without landing a single blow. All thanks to Kyros’ teaching, and when he’s finally free of Sugar’s curse to fight against his oppressors, the realization of all he did hits Rebecca hard. It’s an amazing example of a father actually caring for his children instead of how they had been up to this point in One Piece. Which is to say, absent.
5. Kawamatsu
Most of Oden’s vassals are fantastic side characters (except Kanjuro, hell with that guy) but Kawamatsu does so much in the background. When Oden is first defeated and everyone has to scatter, Kawamatsu grabs Hiyori and takes her to safety. There’s a lot of stuff that goes on between, but Kawamatsu keeps her safe and fed until one day he’s arrested by Orochi’s guards while finding food. Thankfully Denjiro is in disguise as one of the Pleasure Hall bosses, and raised up as the Daimyo in disguise.
Kawamatsu has been fed poisoned fish every day while he’s held in Udon Prison, and repeatedly eats it while shooting the bones at guards. He never succumbs to any of the poison, and eventually, Luffy frees him. Now, he’s able to finally see that Hiyori is safe after all these years, and Kawamatsu can finish out his mission of avenging Kozuki Oden.
4. Lola
A true friend through and through for Nami, Lola is one of the MVPs of Thriller Bark. She appears first as the massive werehog monster that desperately wants to marry Absalom, but soon turns into Nami’s friend. The warthog version doesn’t stick around very long, but the real Lola is revealed as she’s been hiding out in the forests of Thriller Bark. It’s her thinking that creates Nightmare Luffy, and helps the Straw Hats in their last desperate bid against Gecko Moria. At the end of the arc, she gives Nami a piece of Big Mom’s Vivre Card, telling her to show it to her mom if she ever needs help.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t go as planned for Lola, since Big Mom is completely pissed at her for running away from an arranged marriage. Still, it does help Nami out, and keeps the Homies away from the Straw Hats while they make their desperate escape from Whole Cake Island. Lola has reappeared at some points in the cover stories of One Piece, and recently got married.
3. Kin’emon
He might as well buy a Straw Hat for as long as he travels with the pirates. Initially, he joins them at Punk Hazard, though in fractions at a time, and sails with them until they hit Zou. He’s a great part of the entire Dressrosa arc, and helps out with his Foxfire Style to develop Zoro’s King of Hell style. Kin’emon also appears as a loving father to Momonosuke, even though he isn’t the child’s real father, as it turns out.
He puts up an admirable fight along with his fellow vassals up against the Beast King Kaido, but to no avail. He falls in battle, but is saved at the last second by Chopper who is able to keep his wounds in check. Kin’emon now gets to reunite with his wife and stand as one of Momonosuke’s advisors as Wano recovers. He’ll probably come back in some part by the end of the final saga, so don’t count him out just yet.
2. Carrot
There was a time when Carrot was thought to be the tenth member of the Straw Hat Pirates. Her introduction in the Zou arc sets her up as an ally, one of the Mink Musketeers, and inherits a higher title from Pedro. Upon his death, he gives her his position as captain of the Musketeers, before making his sacrifice to kill Perospero, or attempt to at least. Carrot takes it seriously though, and puts up a massive show to take down the Big Mom Pirates in her Sulong form. She’s set up as incredibly strong, and would make an awesome tenth Straw Hat thanks to her similarity in personality with Chopper.
When Wano comes around she eventually gains revenge for Pedro’s death against Perospero. At the end of the arc though, she chooses to return to Zou instead of go with the Straw Hats, although she never truly gets an invite to come with them. Still, for a character that stayed with the Straw Hats for so long it seems she was just written out with no fanfare despite her chemistry with the other characters.
1. Hatchan
Out of every character that could have come back in One Piece to make a mark as a fan-favorite ally, Hatchan was the one. He deserves it too, because he’s a fantastically layered character that’s never truly a bad guy in the Straw Hats’ eyes. While he was a part of the Arlong Pirates, Hatchan was more of a good guy caught up with a bad group. He changes his ways around after Arlong is imprisoned, instead going back to Fishman Island for a time to hide from the Navy.
He comes back to Sabaody Archipelago, running his own Takoyaki stand around the islands. Hatchan is a completely reformed person, done with being a pirate and the violence it entails. He happily feeds the Straw Hats for free, and takes care of them around Sabaody, which they return by punching Saint Charlos for shooting him. He comes back later in the Fishman Island arc too, and he’s just as good of a person while trying to dissuade Hody Jones from his bloodlust.
One Piece is of course always bringing in newer side characters, the most recent being the multiple Vegapunks. There are even a few who have come back recently, and some that could be huge bits of help to the Straw Hat Pirates in the future. More side characters may appear throughout the final saga, but until then these rank as the best of the series.
