Characters

There are many characters in One Piece. The manga first started over 10 years ago.
The Main Characters in One Piece are The Straw Hat Pirates. The leader and protagonist is Monkey D Luffy.

In addition to the Straw Hats there are 2 basic groups. Pirates and Marines. The Marines are the law and authority in the world of One Piece. The Marines use a group of sanctioned pirates known as the Shichibukai (Seven warlords of the Sea). The Shichibukai have been given permission to commit legal piracy in exchange for being one of the military forces the Marines can call upon.

The Following is a list of the most important and influential characters in One Piece.

Pirates

Straw Hat Pirates

Monkey D. Luffy:

Leader of the Straw Hats and the Main Character of One Piece
Goals: To claim the treasure One Piece and become King of the Pirates. $400 million Bounty.
Strengths: Luffy is a powerful fighter who has a child like innocence and view on the world. His goofy and carefree personality allows him to befriend almost anyone. Luffy also has a strong moral compass and is always willing to fight the good fight.
Weakness: Luffy like other Devil Fruit users can not swim and sink in sea water. Luffy also has no skills of a seaman or captain. Luffy's carefree personality also comes across as an idiot. He is very gullible.
Devil Fruit: Gomu-Gomu No Mi (Rubber Rubber Fruit) Gives his body the properties of rubber allowing him to stretch to great lengths

Roronoa Zoro

Member of the Straw Hats. Was the first crew mate and retains the right as First Mate. $120 Million Bounty.

Goals: To become the worlds strongest swordsman. 

Strengths: Very Powerful swordsman. Arguably the strongest Straw Hat after Luffy. Capable of moments of great insight. (rarely)

Weakness: Zoro has a one track mind and no sense of direction. Often criticized by Sanji for being the dumb muscle of the crew.

Devil Fruit: None

Nami

Former thief and navigator for the Straw Hats. Officially joined after Luffy saved her Island from the tyrant Arlong who killed her adopted mother. Implied that Luffy and Nami may have a feelings for each other. Nothing has happened as of yet. $16 Million Bounty

Goals: To make a map of the entire world. To help Luffy accomplish his dreams.

Strengths: Smart and beautiful. One of the best mapmakers and navigators in the world. Uses her knowledge of navigation and weather to attack foes using a weapon called the Perfect Clima Tact.

Weakness: Physically one of the weakest Straw Hats. Uses her brain rather than strength to win fights.

Devil Fruit: None

Sanji

Resident sea cook and member of the Straw Hats. Joined after Luffy helped to save the restaurant he worked at.  $77 Million Bounty

Goal: To find All Blue a place where all the fish of every Sea can be found. Swears loyalty to Luffy both as a cook and fighter.

Strength: Sanji is very skilled chief. Sanji fights using his legs and feet only claiming that a chief's hands should only be used for cooking. Considered the 3rd strongest member of the crew.

Weakness: Sanji has a weakness for women. He often falls victim the sight of beautiful women. 

Devil Fruit: None

Usopp

Usopp serves as the gunner for the Straw Hats. He was the second member of the crew to officially join. $30 Million Bounty (as Sogeking) Sogeking is an alternative ego that Usopp adopts to allow him to overcome being a cowered.

Goal: To become a "brave warrior of the sea" like his father who is apart of  Shank's pirate crew.

Strengths: Usopp has incredible accuracy with ranged weapons. In addition Usopp is a skilled inventor who uses weapons and gadgets to fight with. Usopp built Nami's Clima Tact weapon. Usopp is a skilled lair who uses this to deceive foes

Weakness: Usopp is a physically weak character compared to other powerhouses like Zoro and Sanji. For most of the show Usopp has struggled as a cowered in the face of extreme danger. It is only when he digs deep and  makes a stand that he is able to bravely stand with the other Straw Hats. 

Devil Fruit: None

Tony Tony Chopper

Chopper is actually a reindeer. He ate the Hito-Hito No Mi (Human Human Fruit). This gave him, a reindeer, the mind and body featuers of a Human. Chopper severves as the crew's doctor. $50 bounty (marines think Chopper is a pet)

Goal: To become the best doctor in the world.

Strength: Chopper's devil fruit allows him to transform into different anthropomorphic forms of human/reindeer hybrid. These forms known as Points allow him to increase his offensive and defensive capabilities. Chopper is capable of great strength. He is also an accomplished medic and doctor.

Weakness: Chopper is still a child by reindeer standards and his age sometimes shows. He is gullible like Luffy and has trouble going all out against opponents at first.

Devil Fruit: Hito-Hito No Mi (Human Human Fruit)

Nico Robin

Nico Robin was actually an advisary to the Straw Hats once they first met. It was only after Luffy beat Crocodile that Robin asked to join the crew. The other members rejected the idea initally but Luffy allowed it saying "She gave me meat. She can't be evil!" Robin is well liked by all of the members. Robin serves as the groups historian and scribe. $80 Million bounty.

Goal: To understand and document the "true" history of the world

Strength: Like Nami and Usopp Robin is physically weak. However her Devil Fruit the Hana Hana no Mi (Flower Flower Fruit) allows her to "sprout" arms out of her body and attack foes within line of sight. She also has a Genius level of intelligence. 

Weakness: Her biggest weakness was her own self confidence. Having been hunted by the World Government and Marines sense her childhood Robin found it hard to trust and believe in others. All the people before the Straw Hats all others have either betrayed Robin or died.

Devil Fruit: Hana Hana no Mi (Flower Flower Fruit)

Franky

Born Cutty Flem, Franky changed his name after an accident with the Sea Train. Franky is a Cyborg who has augmented his body with machines and upgrades. Franky serves as the Straw Hats's ship wright. Franky joined the crew after they needed a new ship. $44 Million bounty.

Goal: To build a ship for the Pirate King worthy of legend.

Strength: Franky's cyborg parts give him impressive offense and defense abilities. His weaponry ranges from solid steel fists to machine guns, cannons, and flamethrowers.

Weakness: Franky's cyborg implants are fueled by cola. So long as he has cola he can keep himself going. With out it Franky become vulnerable and weak.

Devil Fruit: None

Brook

Brook is the newest member of the Straw Hats. Technically Brook has died and is a skeleton. His Devil Fruit Yomi Yomi no Mi (Revive Revive Fruit) allowed him to be revived from the dead. However when his soul was looking for his body the body was on a derelict ship in a think fog. By the time he re-found his body it had decayed into a skeleton. Brook is a musician. Luffy, being captivated by his looks and always wanting a musician on his crew gladly accepted Brook. $33 Million bounty

Goal: To continue his life as a musician/pirate with Luffy. Also to see his pet whale Laboon again.

Strength: Brook is not a very strong fighter. Brook does use a sword cane but his swordsmanship isn't as good a Zoro's. Brook can however use his Devil Fruit to augment his songs and music to manipulate his foes and inspire his ally.

Weakness: Brook's biggest weakness is his strength. He can use his music in different ways but his body, like Nami, Robin and Usopp, is vulnerable.

Devil Fruit: Yomi Yomi no Mi (Revive Revive Fruit)

Other Notable Pirates

 Shanks

Shanks is one of the 4 most powerful pirates in the world known as the Pirate Emperors. Shanks is the man who gave Luffy his signature straw hat. In someways Shanks is Luffy's father figure. They made a vow to meet each other again as great pirates. Shanks lost his right arm saving Luffy from a sea monster. He does not have a Devil Fruit.

  Whitebeard

Born as Edward Newgate, Whitebeard stood as the worlds strongest pirate and most likely to claim Gol D Rodgers title of King of the Pirates before he died. Whitebeard died in the war to rescue Ace from execution. Whitebeard was also one of the 4 Pirate Emperors. His Devil Fruit was the Tremor Tremor Fruit which could conjure earthquakes. 

 

 Portugas D Ace

Ace is Luffy's brother. He left the island before Luffy to start his carrer of being a pirate. He is also the son of Gol D Rodger. However he and Luffy are not blood brother. Even still they consider each other blood family and are willing to die for each other. Ace's Devil Fruit granted him the power of fire the Mera Mera no Mi (Flame Flame Fruit). Ace was also one of Whitebeard's top commanders. He was captured by Blackbeard (former member of Whitebeard's crew) after trying to hunt him down for killing his own crew mates. Ace was set for execution and was freed by Luffy only to be killed by Admiral Akainu as they escaped. Ace died in Luffy's arms.

 

 

 

 Marshall D. Teach

Also known as Blackbeard, Teach was being hunted for committing the crime of murdering ones own shipmates. Blackbeard captured Ace and handed him over to the Marines. Teach's Devil Fruit is the Yami Yami no Mi (Darkness Darkness Fruit) it allows him to absorb and repulse any fruit attack. The downside being that he must receive all physical damage he takes. His fruit also allows him to absorb other Devil Fruits. He absorbed Whitebeards Tremor Fruit after he died.

 

THE MARINES

 Shichibukai

From Left to Right: Crocodile, Don Flamingo, Boa Hancock (in love with Luffy), Jimbei (Friend of the Strawhats) Gecko Moria, "Hawk eyes" Mihawk (Strongest swordsman in the world) and Bartholomew Kuma.

 The Shichibukai are used by the World Government and the Marines to combat other Pirate groups. To date only Crocodile and Gecko Moria have fallen to the Strawhats. Boa Hancock has taken a liking to Luffy and thinks they are to be married. Luffy met Jimbei in the prison Impel Down. There they teamed up to save Ace. Jimbei as since resigned from the Shichibukai and is a close friend (and potential 10th crew member) of the Strawhats. Mihawk is the Strongest swordsman in the world. Zoro has vowed to defeat him and claim the title.

The Marine Admirals

The Marines Admirals are the strongest people that the Marines have. The represent the strength and authority of the the World Government in One Piece. 

From Left to Right: Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji.

The 3 fleet Admirals are fiercely devoted to the Marines and the World Government. Kizaru's power is the power to shoot light beams. Akainu has the power to become magma/lava. He is also the one to kill Ace. Lastly Aokiji is the power of ice. Together they are almost unstoppable.


Grand Admiral Sengoku

Head of the Admirals and the most powerful of the four. He can transform into a giant Golden Buddha. A veteran of the campaign against Gol D Rodger and dear friend of Garp. Sengoku retires after the war against Whitebeard.






Vice Admiral Garp

Although he is technically a lower rank that the other Admirals Garp is actually one of the Marines biggest assets. His clam to fame is that he is the man to capture Gol D. Rodger. Garp is a very strong fighter event though he  does not have a Devil Fruit. He is also Luffy's grandfather.




The Pirate King

Gol D. Rodger

AKA Gold Rodger

Rodger was the undisputed Pirate King. He was the most powerful pirate to date. He also amassed an immense fortune known as One Piece. At his

execution he told the world that his treasure was up for grabs to whoever could claim it. His death was 20 years before the start of One Piece and it sparked what would become known as "The Great Pirate Age". He is also the father of Ace.