For over 20 years, the story of One Piece has been lauded as a fantastic blend of comedy and intrigue. And, through its time, it has amassed a massive following of fans who’ve fallen in love with its amazing world and well-developed and in-depth characters. However, there are still several secrets within the world that have not yet been explored. And several major characters remain as mysterious as the day they were introduced. With the series predicted to be reaching its climax, fans are anxious to find out more about these characters and what they’ve been hiding for so long.
Disclaimer: This article might contain spoilers about One Piece, You can read the manga on Viz or watch the anime on Crunchyroll to catch up!
15. Sengoku the Buddha
Sengoku is the former fleet admiral of the Marines, a position he resigned from after the Summit War in Marineford. In his prime, though, Sengoku was a major figure, right alongside Kong, Garp, Whitebeard, and even Roger himself. His achievements are widely known and have had a considerable impact on the One Piece world throughout the series. However, not much is actually known about Sengoku himself. Like, his background, the origin of his Devil Fruit, or why he’s so obsessed with goats. These gaps, and the impact their reveal might have on the series, are what make Sengoku so mysterious.
For example, most fans theorize that Sengoku might have connections with the Celestial Dragons. Pointing this as the reason why he ended the Summit War once Shanks and the Red-Haired Pirates arrived. Similarly, throughout the series, it has been implied that Sengoku has information about the will of D and its meaning. And the mystery has led fans to believe , probably rightly, that he holds the answers to some of the series’ burning questions.
14. Jewelry Bonney
As one of the twelve members of the Worst Generation, Jewelry Bonney holds a certain amount of interest among fans. So, it’s unfortunate that not much is known about her. What we do know is that she is the captain of the Bonney Pirates and the current user of a Paramecia-Type Devil Fruit. This Devil Fruit allows her to manipulate the aging process of anything, including herself, freely. It was recently revealed that Bonney is the daughter of Bartholomew Kuma, a former member of the Revolutionary Army and current Marine lapdog.
However, there are still several questions that remain unanswered about the Worst Generation member. For example, what is her connection to the World Government? Why did Fleet Admiral Akainu himself personally take action when the Blackbeard Pirates captured her? And what possible reason could she have for risking herself to infiltrate the Levely? It is heavily theorized that all these questions is Oda’s way of setting Bonney up for a major role in upcoming arcs. Which fans are eager to explore and which earns Bonney a place on this list.
13. “Mad Monk” Urouge
Urouge is another member of the Worst Generation and someone whose story is even more mysterious than Bonney’s. We know that he comes from one of the Sky Islands (as evidenced by the wings on his back). That he is strong enough to defeat one of Big Mom’s own commanders, and that he is always seen smiling. The latter of which only aids to increase the intrigue surrounding him. Apart from these, however, not much is known about Urouge, including his background, motivations, or even the name of his Devil Fruit, which is weird for one of the Worst Generation.
His Devil Fruit especially has been heavily theorized by fans, with several speculations cropping up. In the same way, his wings make fans suspect a possible connection to Enel. This is another point of mystery as Enel is one of the most anticipated characters in the series. Because of this, fans are curious to know more about the monk and the secrets that he might be holding.
12. Toki
Toki was the wife of Oden, mother of Momonosuke and Hiyori, and former user of the Toki Toki no Mi. Which granted her the ability to send herself and others forward in time. She used this ability several times and traveled a total of over 800 years in the future in order to avoid danger or otherwise escape from something. For obvious reasons, this has many fans curious about what exactly Toki was running away from.
Combined with the fact that she is presumed to have been from the Void Century, which is one of the greatest mysteries in the One Piece world, Toki’s intrigue just continues to rise. Unfortunately, Toki didn’t get a lot of chances to shine, and the secrets only she has answers to remain unexplored. This has left fans theorizing about possible answers and connections. All of which earn Toki her status as one of the most mysterious characters in One Piece.
11. Zunesha
Although Zunesha isn’t humanoid, he is still technically a character, and more than that earns him a spot on this list. Most fans would recognize Zunesha as the giant elephant or the moving island, Zou, upon which the Mokomo Dukedom is located. Most of the intrigue that surrounds Zunesha is tied to her connection with JoyBoy, another mysterious character in One Piece. It was revealed that Zunesha was punished for a crime and tasked to wander the sea, seemingly without an end.
However, the actual crime that he supposedly committed, or even who gave the punishment, remains unknown. Part of the mystery lies in Zunesha’s personality, as well as the fact that he is known to have lived for over a thousand years. Which implies that he was alive during the Void Century. Because of this, many fans believe that the elephant holds a missing key that might be important to unlocking the mystery of that timeline.
10. Blackbeard
Blackbeard is widely regarded amongst fans as one of the major antagonists of the One Piece world. And an eventual battle between him and the Straw Hat Pirates is heavily predicated and anticipated. So, it comes as a shock that the series so far has revealed surprisingly little about the former Whitebeard pirate. For example, although his background has been hinted at several times, including a connection to Shanks and his signature scars, not much is actually known about Blackbeard’s early life. In the same way, we know scarcely little about Blackbeard’s motives. For example, where he got his vast knowledge about Devil Fruits. And his strange body that allows him to access multiple Devil Fruits at the same time. Something we all previously thought to be impossible.
Further, the name of Blackbeard’s ship, Saber of Xebec implies a possible connection to Rocks D. Xebec. And, though nothing concrete is out yet, that tidbit has sparked several discussions around the subject as it is almost impossible that Oda would drop a potential bomb like that without reason. These mysteries have driven several theories amongst fans. And their reveal are anxiously anticipated events in both the Manga and the TV series.
9. Bartholomew Kuma
Kuma has been a puzzling figure ever since the events of Thriller Bark. Throughout the series, it has been revealed that the former Warlord of the Sea was once a part of the Revolutionary Army. However, for some undisclosed reason, he agreed to work with the World Government. An organization he once fought and tied himself so closely that he agreed to have experiments performed on him to create the Pacifistas. Kuma has been shown several times during the series, and though he has predominantly acted in the interests of the Straw Hats. There are also cases when he’s acted against them, like in Thriller Bark, where he almost killed them all.
Kuma is also widely known as a Tyrant and former pirate king. But, at the same time, he was beloved by his people and praised. The One Piece manga has recently begun to explore some of the former Warlord’s motivations, meaning, soon we might get the answers to our questions. But the inconsistencies in his personality make him one of the most mysterious characters in the series.
8. Gol D. Roger
The mystery of the One Piece is arguably the biggest and most anticipated secret of the entire franchise. With over two decades of run-time, fans still don’t know anything about the treasure that is the backbone of the series. This secrecy, quite understandably, lends a certain mystery to the treasure itself. As well as the one who is reputably responsible for it, the King of Pirates, Gol D. Roger.
Apart from One Piece, Roger is still a legendary character in his own right, with many achievements to his name. However, he is still largely shrouded in mystery. Fans know little about his background, abilities, or even whether or not he possessed any Devil Fruit power.
7. The Gorosei (The Five Elders)
The Five Elders are a group of mysterious individuals whose every action is shrouded in mystery. Despite the immense power and influence they hold as the highest authority amongst the World Government, not much is known about any of them or their background.
Throughout the series, it has been hinted that the Gorosei hold important information about some of One Piece’s greatest mysteries, like Joy Boy and the Void Century. However, the extent of this, as well as their general goals and motivations, remain largely unknown. And unraveling these secrets is sure to shed light on previously unexplored areas of the One Piece world.
6. Rocks D. Xebec
Rocks is the former captain of the Rocks Pirates, which were one of the most infamous pirates of their time. He was so infamous, in fact, that it took both the Roger Pirates as well as the Marines, including Garp and Sengoku, working together to defeat them. However, most of his legacy has been wiped from history.
Supposedly, before he was defeated, Rock’s plan was to rule the world, however, not much else is known about him. Not even his appearance, abilities, or even personality. But, the fact that 3 out of the 4 Emperors of the Sea started from his crew means that more will be revealed about the Rock’s Pirates sooner or later.
5. Shanks
Also known as the captain of the “Red Hair” Pirates, as well as Luffy’s own mentor, Shanks is arguably one of the most popular characters in the entire One Piece franchise. He has been a major character ever since he was introduced early in the series and has grown bigger every time he’s been shown since, and yet, fans know frightfully little about the man. One of the few things we do know about Shanks is his absurdly strong Conqueror’s Haki, and the fact that he’s the only Emperor of the Sea who rose to the status without a Devil Fruit.
But both of these facts just add to his mystery. The anime and the One Piece Film: Red have revealed some information about Shank’s early life, but precious little is known about his motivations and connections. For example, why has he not started the hunt for One Piece? What is his connection to the World Governement that he was able to stop the Summit War practically by himself? And why could he possibly want a meeting with the Five Elders?
4. Monkey D. Dragon
Partly because of his status as the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon has been regarded as one of the most dangerous men in the world. However, as with most names on this list, precious little has actually been confirmed about his character. Dragon’s backstory and motivations hold particular interest to fans, including the specific reason for his grudge against the World Governement and the details behind that.
However, it is the specifics of his Devil Fruit, or if he even has one, that have driven decades-long speculations amongst fans. More than the intrigue behind these secrets, though, as the father of the main protagonist, Dragon also holds an important key to Luffy’s backstory and early life. Fortunately, with the series reaching its climax, a meeting between the son and father seems inevitable, and all of our questions will finally be answered.
3. Vegapunk
Vegapunk is one of the most mysterious characters in the One Piece world. And they have been basically from the first mention of their name. From the Pacifistas to the artificial Devil Fruits, their technological achievements and groundbreaking inventions litter the One Piece world. Even most of Franky’s enhancements Post Time skip is a result of stumbling into one of Vegapunk’s abandoned labs.
But, to date, little is known about the scientist themselves, not even their gender. The manga has been exploring more of them, and fans are anxious to get to know some of the secrets of this great scientist because it is inevitable that the mysteries surrounding them and their research will have a great impact on the One Piece world.
2. Imu
The Gorosei is widely regarded as the highest power in the World Government. However, even they have to answer to someone above them, Im (or Imu, depending on the translation). So far, their identity has been shrouded literally in shadows, but it is a fact that they’ve been working behind the scenes, probably since the very beginning.
The power and influence at their disposal make Imu a major figure in the series. It is inevitable, then, that the questions about them are legion. Who are they? How long have they ruled the world? And what’s happening with the huge straw hat in their freezer? All these contribute to the fans’ speculations about their character and the impact they will have on the story by the end of the series. Fortunately, it’s only a matter of time before we find out.
1. JoyBoy
At the top of the list is Joy Boy. And, that is, the original Joy Boy and not his successor. Joy Boy is a legendary figure in the world of One Piece and arguably one of the most enigmatic characters. We know for a fact that Joy Boy was a figure that lived during the Void Century, and that he was the original owner of the One Piece, which he left and Roger later rediscovered. It was also revealed that he made some sort of promise with the Mermaid Princess of his time involving Noah’s Ark. However, that’s the extent of our knowledge.
It is heavily theorized that Joy Boy was a previous wielder of Luffy’s Devil Fruit, which was where he got his name. Still, his true name, appearance, personality, and his role in history is heavily shrouded in mystery. Fortunately, with how important he is to the overarching story, it is almost guaranteed that our questions will inevitably be answered.
