One Piece Arcs With The Most Character Development

The members of the Straw Hat crew in One Piece have all come a very long way since they first appeared in the series. During their many adventures with Luffy, all of them, including the captain himself, have grown and matured during their epic adventure towards the One Piece treasure, but there have definitely been some story arcs that facilitated this development more than others.

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Sometimes, author Eiichiro Oda simply wants to focus on the worldbuilding and story, which is why some arcs are a lot less character-driven. On other occasions, though, Oda has placed more emphasis on the morality and opinions of the characters, allowing them to see the world and their friends in a different light once the arc is finally over. This kind of character development can even apply to side characters too, including the Marines, who tend to be more complex than they initially appear.

8

Whole Cake Island Arc

Sanji, Along With The Entire Vinsmoke Family, Receive Tons Of Development In The Whole Cake Island Arc

While there are several characters who receive development throughout Whole Cake Island, Sanji is undoubtedly the star of the show here. The reveal of Sanji’s tragic backstory granted fans a glimpse into why he turned out to harbor such an intense hatred towards his family, along with his reasoning for becoming a chef in the first place. His attempts to scare Luffy and the crew away from the ship also showed how much Sanji was willing to sacrifice just to help out his friends, considering he was more than willing to be stuck with his family once again just so Luffy could reach his dream.

Speaking of Luffy, his epic bout with Katakuri pushed the plucky protagonist to new heights, as he reveals his Snake Man form for the first time, and starts to generate ideas about what his Devil Fruit Awakening could look like. Big Mom also goes from a one-note tyrant to becoming a much more complex, albeit still terrifying, antagonist thanks to how prominent she is in this part of the story.

7

Water 7

Luffy Is Forced To Learn The Harsh Responsibilities Of Being A Captain

Water 7 is a pretty intense portion of the story for the Straw Hats. With Robin seemingly abandoning the group early on, things only get worse when Usopp threatens to leave after Luffy begins suggesting the crew find a new ship after the Merry becomes damaged. Luffy’s heartbreaking confrontation with Usopp teaches the former that being a captain isn’t all fun and games; it’s an incredibly demanding role that can only be held by someone willing to make the tough decisions.

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At the same time, this also highlights Usopp’s own insecurities as he begins to question whether Luffy will continue throwing away the ‘weak’ members of the crew one by one, which pushes him to hone his own skills. Zoro also gets some time to shine in this arc when he tells Luffy he is more than willing to walk away if he doesn’t start taking the position of captain seriously. This was a very heated arc that saw many of the Straw Hats mature as they learned about the harsh realities of being a pirate.

6

Alabasta

The Alabasta Arc Showcased The Bravery Of Vivi, The Strength Of Luffy, And The Inner Conflict Of Robin

Though the story was already well underway by the time Luffy and the others reach the sandy kingdom known as Alabasta, this is largely seen as the first major arc in the entire series. As a result, it’s a true test of strength for not only Luffy but all the Straw Hats, who show just how determined and passionate they all really are about helping those in need. Luffy, for example, is defeated numerous times by Crocodile, yet manages to get up each and every time, proving to himself he’s much more than the selfish and no-good pirate that many people see him as.

Vivi also comes a very long way in this arc; starting off pessimistic about the idea of saving her own kingdom, before showing true bravery when she assists the Straw Hats in taking down Crocodile for good. This arc would also mark the introduction of Nico Robin, who is forced to reassess her affiliation with Crocodile, which eventually leads to her joining the Straw Hats.

5

Wano Kuni

The Raid On Onigashima Would Have A Huge Impact On Everyone Involved

The Wano arc would feature such a staggering number of characters that it can be difficult to know where to even start when focusing on development. Whether it’s Robin unleashing her ‘demon’ side for the first time, Kidd coming to learn the limits of his power and the value of his crew, or even just Zoro receiving the legendary Enma blade, the majority of individuals within this arc grow in their own unique and personal ways.

Kaido, the main villain of the arc who is usually shown to be unbothered and fairly lazy due to his immense strength, finally finds a worthy challenge in Luffy, who shows him he is far from invisible. Luffy would also obtain his Gear 5 form at the end of this arc, developing his character by connecting him to Joy Boy and the Sun God Nika.

4

Arlong Park

The Arc That Established The Straw Hats As A Family

It may be hard to believe nowadays, but early on in the series, the Straw Hats felt like little more than a random group of strangers, rather than a big family or crew. However, this all changes with Arlong Park, where Nami decides to steal the crew’s treasure in an attempt to pay back the malicious Fishman known as Arlong so he can give up control of her village.

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Despite Nami betraying the crew, Luffy and the gang still decide to go searching for her and even risk their lives fighting a swarm of Arlong’s lackeys, and Arlong himself, just to save their nakama. For Nami, this convinced her to not be so mysterious and isolated and to instead embrace her newfound friends, while for the other Straw Hats, it assured them they would always have one another’s backs, no matter what.

3

Marineford War

The Casualties Of War Force The Survivors Of Marineford To Move On From The Pain

The climax of the pre-timeskip portion of the story saw characters from all different factions and groups coming together to partake in an epic battle known as the Marineford War. Considering how violent this fight was, it means that many pirates ended up losing their lives, including Ace, which broke Luffy down and forced him to push himself to move on with his life after the war was over.

Marco, the loyal member of Whitebeard’s crew, is another survivor who learns to grow and adapt after the loss of his ‘father’; the man whose heroic legacy he wishes to carry into the modern era. Then there’s Blackbeard, who not only shows off a brand-new crew but also obtains the earth-shattering Gura Gura no Mi fruit from Whitebeard. Marineford was ultimately the arc that helped many of the key characters develop into the individuals most fans would be most familiar with during the post-timeskip.

2

Enies Lobby

Robin Begins To Realize That Life Is Worth Living, While Usopp Makes Up For His Stubbornness

After being captured by CP-9 and willing to accept her untimely fate, Robin’s outlook on the world completely changes during this arc after Luffy and the others try desperately to rescue her from the clutches of the Marines. Though she had always been labeled as a ‘devil child’ who had been cursed from birth, upon seeing her friends all coming together to save her, she proudly proclaims that she does, in fact, want to live, and is no longer burdened by the labels that people give her.

Another character who grows a lot in this arc is Usopp, or rather, the Sogeking. After essentially leaving the crew in Water 7, Usopp shows the gang just how dependable he can really be when he returns under the Sogeking persona, even going as far as to burn down the World Government flag, showing how desperately he wants to still be a part of the crew.

1

Dressrosa

An Arc Full Of Villain Development, Along With The Straws Hats Receiving A Few New Power-Ups

Dressrosa is one of the longest arcs in the entire series, but during its lengthy runtime, it does manage to develop not only a few heroes but even some of the antagonists too. This not only applies to Doflamingo, who realizes his shortcomings after being bested by Luffy, but also Fujitora and Akainu; two Marines who express their different ideals at the very end of the arc when deciding how to deal with Luffy and the other pirates still left on the island.

This would also be the arc that saw Sabo re-continuing his journey after he was seemingly killed all those years ago, kicking off the epic journey he would embark on as a member of the Revolutionary Army. In contrast, Law got the opportunity to end his personal story by finally defeating Doflamingo after so many years. Another huge piece of development is Luffy using Gear 4 for the first time, along with Zoro cutting down Pica, who was the size of a mountain; which was by far the swordsman’s biggest feat by that point.