One Piece is a series known for the amount of ridiculous characters, but some have endeared themselves to fans. Unfortunately, a lot of these characters also haven’t been seen in ages, whether they were just moved on from by the Straw Hats or met some other fate. These are characters the Straw Hats have met throughout their journey that should absolutely make a return for the final saga of One Piece.
A warning that this article contains spoilers for One Piece through the current chapter 1092. The manga is the fastest way to catch up, and is available online on Viz and MangaPlus. Catch up before reading!
8. Donquixote Doflamingo
Doflamingo may be one of the most sadistic and cruel villains in all of One Piece, but damn if he isn’t a compelling character. When last seen he was locked up in Impel Down, getting news of the outside world through the occasional News Coo that visits. He’s obviously even more insane than before when he was the ruler of Dressrosa, and it’s unknown if or when he’ll ever get out of the prison. It’s not likely he’ll be able to get out by himself, but a jailbreak from Impel Down has happened before.
The bigger question, if Doflamingo comes back for the final saga, is whose side he will be on. There’s no telling, and he probably harbors an ill will toward Luffy anyway after the Dressrosa incident. That said, he could also hate the Celestial Dragons even more for rejecting him, so there are quite a few possibilities. One thing that isn’t in question – he’ll probably leave a trail of blood and destruction behind him as he goes.
7. Hatchan
One of the most unexpected characters out of the East Blue saga to come back later in the story, Hatchan became a fan favorite. In Sabaody Archipelago he does a lot to redeem himself after the wrongs he committed back in Coco Village, and is even making an honest living as a Takoyaki chef around the islands. It’s an honest living for someone who was far too kind to be a pirate in the first place, and Hatchan proves it time and again after he reappears by helping the Straw Hats at his own risk.
Seriously, even if it’s just a brief flash of him coming to the surface with the other Fishmen at the end, please just give a glimpse of Hatchan. He deserves happiness after all this time, especially since he’s tried so hard to atone for the sins of his past and those he followed.
6. Karoo
Vivi is currently on the run and en route to the Straw Hats. Meanwhile poor Karoo is left behind in Alabasta. The poor duck is almost never apart from Vivi, friends since they were both babies, so where is he? Obviously, he’s back in the country during the Reverie. Vivi’s on her way to Luffy as the possible last member, so Karoo deserves to be there too, dammit!
5. Perona
One of the standout characters of the Thriller Bark arc, Perona made her mark on audiences. Mostly by being a sadistic little asshole to the Straw Hat Pirates. Her Hollow-Hollow Fruit allows her to create ghosts, which pass through foes and cause massive depression. One of the funniest and deadliest powers in One Piece, but even funnier when Usopp is totally unbothered by it. When Moria is defeated she’s popped over to the Muggy Kingdom, home of Dracule ‘Hawkeye’ Mihawk by Bartholomew Kuma.
She ends up staying with Mihawk for quite a while, even taking part in Zoro’s training during the time skip. She leaves Mihawk not long after finding out that Moria is actually alive, though why she would want to go back to that asshole is anyone’s guess. Still, she would be a great addition to the final saga, and could even give the Straw Hats a hand in their eventual war against the World Government.
4. Smoker
This is more of a plea than anything. Smoker hasn’t been seen in One Piece since the Punk Hazard incident. Even then he got his ass handed to him by Vergo, so it wasn’t really a win for ol’ Smokey. This is really a shame, too. He’s a fantastic character, and his role as the gray area in the spectrum of justice was great.
Hopefully, Smoker comes back with a massive upgrade, and gets some kind of new power. He had some use of Haki back in Punk Hazard, but if anyone deserves to show off a Logia Devil Fruit Awakening first, it’s Smoker. A stalwart frenemy of the Straw Hats from the beginning, his major doubts about the World Government and Navy’s mission will likely come up at some point in the near future of One Piece.
3. Enel
One of the best antagonists that One Piece has introduced to the series, and one of the most overpowered. Enel’s Devil Fruit, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, is a Logia type that allows him to become and control lightning. He rules over the island of Skypiea with an iron fist this way. Using deadly efficiency combining his powers with the incredible Observation Haki he wields. While Enel got knocked out of the Sky Islands thanks to Luffy, a cover story in the manga did pick up on what happens to him after their fight.
Long story short, Enel finally reaches the moon and finds a whole abandoned city of alien technology. So what does Enel do to this abandoned, mysterious city? Shocks the sh*t out of it and brings it all back online. After a few robots introduce themselves it leads off with some history hints. Nobody knows where he is now though since that was pre-time skip. It would be awesome to see the character come back, though it’s unsure of whose side he would be on should he return in the final saga.
2. Arlong
Yeah, this one is more of a long shot than all the others, but nobody knows what could happen, right? Arlong’s last appearance in the series was during flashbacks in the Fishman Island arc. Since Coco Village, he’s apparently somewhere in the East Blue, but that’s unknown as of this moment if he’s free. Arlong could come back as a changed character or even more enraged than he was the first time around.
If he does return, it would be a good matchup or even just a good character moment for Jimbei. He’s the one that initially let Arlong loose. This enables his rampage on the East Blue, so now that he’s sailing with Nami how will Arlong react? There’s some really good character-building that could come from something like this, but it’s doubtful Arlong has any more part to play in the story.
1. Bon Clay
If Bon Clay doesn’t come back during the final saga I will burn sh*t down. Bon is one of the best characters One Piece has given fans. He even has flexibility of being both a friend and foe from his first appearance. He brings Luffy through some of the worst pain in his life during the Impel Down arc. Even managing to save the Straw Hat captain despite the overwhelming odds against them. It’s a testament to his tenacity and devotion to his friends that he almost dies in the process, too.
Seriously, if Bon doesn’t finally get a chance to fight by Luffy’s side instead of giving himself up for Luffy’s sake yet again, it’s going to be a shame. The character is awesome every time he’s on the screen, with a fantastic attitude that contrasts well with Luffy’s goofiness. Luffy also considers Bon a great friend, and would likely let him join the Straw Hat Pirates if he wanted to.
There are plenty of other characters fans love that could return for the final saga, but it may take more time to get into the saga first. The Egghead Island arc is just the beginning of the saga, with the Straw Hats currently trying to head for Elbaph now. There’s a lot still to come, and there may be some even more surprising reunions for the Straw Hats in the future as characters return in the final saga!
