Like many Shonen anime before it, One Piece is an anime about power. Power levels, techniques, Haki, and more are all things that One Piece does in order to make the characters stronger. With heroes and villains pulling out more stops, some characters just get left behind. There are plenty of underrated characters in One Piece, and we should take a look at them.
Many of these characters have had epic moments and story beats that should be talked about. Because if there is one thing that Oda is very good at, it is giving these smaller-scale characters plenty of wiggle room to take on the bad guys.
7. Crocodile
This happens in most anime, to be fair, as the starter villain is seen to be weaker than others. Crocodile was the main antagonist at Alabasta and easily the hardest villain for the crew to beat. He would later return as an ally to Luffy during the Impel Down arc and at Marineford, showcasing his power. Still, many fans continue to underestimate him.
He was able to defeat Luffy in battle three times, and nearly killed him. Additionally, his powers came in great use at Impel Down. He even held his own against characters like Doflamingo, Mihawk, and Akainu. He’s a lot stronger than people give him credit for, and it is time his true abilities were recognized.
6. Trafalgar Law
While his popularity did rise whenever he defeated Big Mom alongside Eustass Kid, Law has been seen as weaker than he is. Despite being both one of the Worst Generation and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he’s much stronger than the fans give him credit for. He’s an equal to Luffy and Kid, and continues to train his abilities in order to take on the New World.
We’ve even seen him and his crew take on the Blackbeard pirates in the manga, so Law has got some power behind him. However, it will be made clear if his actions in the Final Saga can earn him the respect of the fandom.
5. Boa Hancock
As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Queen of Amazon Lily, and a former Shichibukai, Boa Hancock is not someone you want to mess with. She’s been a powerhouse since we’ve first seen her, and she continues to be a presence on screen every time. However, her obsessive and overshadowing love for Luffy puts a damper on all of that.
For a series that has repeatedly stayed out of romance, her lovestruck actions around Luffy just make her feel out of place. They weaken her already epic character, and they cause fans to think she is less powerful than she actually is. Hopefully she can still her racing heart every time she sees Luffy and get back to being the epic character we know her to be!
4. Madame Shyarly
Another underrated character, she’s got the ability to peek into the future. She was a massive help to the Straw Hats during the Fish-Man Island arc, where she predicted that someone in a straw hat would destroy the island. However, after that it seems like the characters had forgotten about her.
But with so many events and questions popping up in the Final Saga, her powers could be very useful. Plus, we don’t know where her powers come from, or if she is just a really good fortune teller. While having the characters take advantage of future knowledge might seem like a cop out to some, it would certainly help bring this madame back into the light.
3. Dr. Kureha
She was simply used as a doctor on Drum Island to heal Nami from an illness. But Dr. Kureha has a lot of interesting threads that fans keep forgetting to pull on. For example, she has lived over 100 years, trained Chopper after the death of his first mentor, and has a lot of intelligence to her.
Additionally, she is one of the few characters will knowledge of the ‘Will of D.’ This mystery will certainly be solved by the Final Saga, and it will be interesting if she gets to play a part in it. Dr. Kureha has enough backstory to be a very interesting character, and she should be able to show it off.
2. Kaya
One of the key figures in Usopp’s backstory, Kaya was the rich girl who gave the village boy a chance. She would await stories from the ‘town fool’ and humor him, and her servant even designed the “Going Merry”. With so much that has happened since that first appearance that she had, it would be interesting to see her brought back.
Kaya’s smarts and resourcefulness, as well as her desire to become a doctor, were interesting traits that weren’t seen again. She’s a character that is underrated, and it would be very interesting to see what happens when she returns. Especially if it parallels with character development for Usopp.
1. Emporio Ivankov
Sometimes you can’t judge a book by its cover. Emporio Ivankov takes up a whole library in terms of what he hides! Queen of the Kamabakka Kingdom and commander of the Revolutionary Army, he might look like comic relief. But he has had a lot of crucial moments in the story.
From fighting alongside Luffy at Marineford, training Sanji, and his healing powers, Ivankov has more going on under the surface. He is the type of character you underestimate at your own peril, because he is a strong ally for Luffy.
Enjoy The Time These Characters Get In The Spotlight
Each of these characters has still contributed to the story of One Piece in some way. Even if they are underestimated and underrated. They still have had their awesome moments of pushing the story forward, and they should be recognized for that.
Hopefully they will get more time to show us what they can really do in the final saga. Because it seems like Luffy will need all the help he can get!
