The One Piece series is one of the biggest shonen stories ever written; a series that started in 1997 and is still ongoing as of 2026. Throughout the decades of Eiichiro Oda’s intriguing and masterful storytelling, more than a few characters have emerged who clearly drove the narrative further and made One Piece the best shonen anime of all time.

With the agenda sorted, let’s jump right into the list and ranking. In our opinion and expertise, here are some of the most iconic One Piece characters who drove the story forward, ranked by the impact they made.

TITLEOne PieceCREATORSEiichiro OdaRELEASE DATEOctober 20, 1999IMDb RATINGS (as of July 12, 2026)9/10WHERE TO WATCHCrunchyroll

10. Silvers Rayleigh: The Mentor Who Prepared Luffy for What Came Next

Silvers Rayleigh from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Rayleigh doesn’t chase plot twists; he explains them, filling in decades of history as Roger’s old first mate while training Luffy on Rusukaina Island. His two years with Luffy are what make the New World arcs believable instead of a sudden power jump out of nowhere.

He’s less a mystery to solve and more a bridge connecting the old era of piracy to the new one, quietly making sure the timeskip actually holds together. He rounds out the list at tenth since his role is vital but mostly supports other characters’ arcs.

9. Portgas D. Ace: The Brother Whose Death Pushed Luffy Toward Growth

Portgas D. Ace from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Portgas D. Ace‘s death at Marineford is the emotional hinge the entire series turns on, marking the exact point where the story stops feeling like a simple adventure and starts carrying real weight. His war record and his connection to Roger’s bloodline also drag the World Government’s darkest secrets into daylight.

Losing him is what finally pushes Luffy to train under Rayleigh and grow past his limits, reshaping the pacing of everything that follows for years afterward. Ninth place works because his death is a turning point, even though his own arc wraps up early.

8. Marshall D. Teach: The Traitor Whose Betrayal Reshaped All the Power

Blackbeard from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Blackbeard betraying his own crew and stealing a second Devil Fruit off Whitebeard’s body broke a rule the story had treated as untouchable, and the fallout from that one act keeps rippling outward years later. His rise from nobody to Emperor forces the entire pirate world to recalculate its power rankings, and his fingerprints show up in wars, prison breaks, and secret alliances alike.

He’s proof that a single ambitious act of betrayal can bend an entire story’s direction toward somewhere new. He sits eighth because his betrayal keeps generating consequences without him needing to do much else.

7. Bartholomew Kuma: The Warlord Whose Sacrifice Scattered the Crew

Bartholomew Kuma from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Bartholomew Kuma‘s choice to send the Straw Hats flying off to separate corners of the world at Sabaody Archipelago single-handedly reshaped the second half of the series, forcing every crew member into their own two-year training arc before the war at Marineford even happened.

His ties to the Revolutionary Army and his later transformation into a weapon for Vegapunk’s research connect two major storylines that otherwise wouldn’t touch. He barely speaks, but almost everything he does ends up mattering later. Seventh place suits him since his one decision restructured the pacing of the entire series.

6. Monkey D. Dragon: The Revolutionary Whose Rebellion Shadows His Son

Monkey D. Dragon from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Monkey D. Dragon doesn’t show up often, but his presence as the head of the Revolutionary Army adds a whole second front to the story running parallel to Luffy’s pirate journey. Being Luffy’s father gives extra weight to nearly every scene involving the government’s paranoia about the Straw Hats.

His war against the World Government is quieter than Luffy’s, but it’s been shaping events from the shadows since before the series even started, tying family and rebellion into the same thread. He lands sixth because his rebellion runs underneath the main plot without ever fully stepping into it.

5. Imu: The Hidden Ruler Whose Existence Reshapes the Whole Government

Imu from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Imu barely speaks and barely appears, yet just confirming this figure exists changed how readers see the entire World Government structure. Sitting on the Empty Throne above even the Five Elders, Imu turns what looked like a straightforward corrupt government into something far older and stranger.

The mystery around this character is now tied to the Ancient Kingdom, the Void Century, and whatever actually happened a thousand years ago. Barely any screen time, enormous amount of plot gravity. Fifth place is fair since so little is known yet so much of the endgame depends on it.

4. Vegapunk: The Scientist Whose Discoveries Keep Rewriting the Story

Dr. Vegapunk from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Dr. Vegapunk doesn’t fight, doesn’t chase bounties, and barely leaves his lab, yet his reveals on Egghead Island did more heavy lifting for the plot than most arcs combined. He’s the one who finally explains Ancient Weapons, ancient history, ancient everything, in a way that reshapes how earlier arcs get read.

When a single character’s dialogue can retroactively change your understanding of a story spanning over a thousand chapters, that’s a serious amount of narrative weight to be carrying around. Fourth place fits since his info dumps reshape the entire series rather than just one saga.

3. Nico Robin: The Archaeologist Whose Past Unlocks Buried History

Nico Robin from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Nico Robin survived the destruction of Ohara because she was the one person capable of reading the Poneglyphs, and that single skill makes her a walking key to the series’ biggest mystery. Her backstory isn’t just one of the saddest Straw Hat Pirate backstories – it explains why the World Government fears history so much in the first place.

Every time the crew needs the true story behind the Void Century, it runs basically through her. She’s less a passenger on this journey and more the reason it has direction. Ranked third because her ability is tied directly to the central mystery driving the entire series.

2. Gol D. Roger: The Dead Pirate King Whose Final Words Started an Era

Gol D. Roger from One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

The entire series only exists because of what Gol D. Roger did before it began. His execution and his final words about the treasure are the spark that kicked off the Great Pirate Era in the first place.

Every single character chasing treasure, chasing freedom, or chasing answers about the Void Century is reacting to a man who was already gone before chapter one. That’s a strange kind of power to hold over a story. He earns second place since the whole plot is essentially the aftershock of his death.

1. Monkey D. Luffy: The Captain Whose Dream Keeps the Story Moving

Luffy from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Monkey D. Luffy‘s whole reason for setting sail is what holds this entire series together. His hunt for the One Piece is the excuse for every arc, every alliance, and every fight that actually matters. Even when the story wanders off into someone else’s backstory for a while, it always circles back to him and his crew, inching closer to Laugh Tale.

Take away his stubborn refusal to quit, and there’s no plot left, just a bunch of separate character studies floating around the Grand Line. He tops this list because he isn’t a character who pushes the story along; he basically is the story.

What are your thoughts on our list of One Piece characters who drove the story forward? We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments below.

The One Piece anime series is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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