One Piece boasts a truly huge cast of colorful, memorable characters of all kinds, from scheming warlords and sneaky assassins to noble town mayors, passionate chefs, and far more. Emotions tend to run high in most of One Piece's best stories, adding personal stakes that make the Straw Hat Crew's fights that much more compelling.

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An early example is the entire East Blue saga, taking place in the East Blue sea where Luffy's quest began. In those early stories, the stakes were more limited in scope, so One Piece's narrative compensated with some heart-wrenchingly emotional stakes and some truly passionate characters. These heroes and villains will laugh, cry, and shout with gusto.

10 Usopp Fought Hard To Cheer Up & Defend Kaya

Usopp in One Piece.

The sharpshooter Usopp made his debut as a living Pinoccio, a long-nosed young man who entertained himself by making up outrageous lies to tease the villagers or entertain his lovely friend, Kaya. Usopp also led a squad of boys who considered themselves a pirate crew.

Usopp is an emotional fellow, being quick to burst into tears or shout indignantly when noxious villains like Captain Kuro try to ruin everyone's day. Usopp listened to his heart and fought bravely to defend Kaya from Kuro's greedy plan, though it fell to Luffy to actually finish the job.

9 Tashigi Nurses A Passion For Legendary Swords

Tashigi glaring with two marines in One Piece.

Tashigi is a Marine who nurses a passion for legendary swords of all kinds. She and the green-haired Roronoa Zoro crossed paths in Loguetown, and they had fun identifying and testing out legendary swords in a shop. Tashigi also prevented Zoro from getting horribly ripped off by the storeowner.

Tashigi is serious about her Marine career, and she might be moved to tears when the tsundere Captain Smoker praises her or shares encouraging words. She also believes in honor and justice, and will fiercely fight with or against anyone to make things right in the world.

8 Captain Morgan Is Unbelievably Vain & Arrogant

Captain Morgan staring someone down in One Piece.

One of Luffy's earliest and silliest antagonists was the ax-handed Captain Morgan. He was hugely conceited and brutal as a local Marine commander, exploiting his status so he could glorify himself despite accomplishing relatively little.

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Morgan may try to act dignified, but he's also a volatile man with a hot temper and absurd arrogance, which made him quite repulsive as a villain. He even collected tax money not to benefit the Marines, but to build a statue to his own glory, only for Luffy to topple and break it.

7 Higuma The Bear Had A Pretty Short Fuse

Higuma the bear in One Piece

Luffy's very first antagonist was neither a pirate nor a Marine. Higuma the Bear was a swordsman and mountain bandit, and he sometimes terrorized Luffy's hometown and other settlements with his men in tow. Higuma talked a good fight, but he actually underperformed and was beaten easily.

Higuma was still an emotional person, though, and that made him scarier in One Piece's first arc. Higuma had a short fuse, being quick to anger and hit people such as red-haired Shanks. He also spoke vehemently of his hatred for cowards and pirates, but oddly enough, he has a cowardly streak of his own.

6 Helmeppo Reacted Poorly To Insults & Mockery

Helmeppo with a pistol in One Piece.

Helmeppo was Captain Morgan's spoiled son. He had no real combat power or smarts in the East Blue saga, but he did have fierce pride, just like his thuggish father. Helmeppo often mocked and taunted other people, including laughing about his false promise to the captive Roronoa Zoro.

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Helmeppo was also quick to anger and took offense if anyone mocked him or threatened him. However, there was little Helmeppo could actually do about it unless he ran off to get his father's aid first, which played into his "spoiled son" theme. Even Morgan himself didn't like Helmeppo's attitude.

5 Mayor Boodle Cared Almost Too Much For Orange Town

Boodle the mayor standing in front of a clouded blue sky

Boodle is the mayor of Orange Town, and it became evident to Luffy and his friends just how fiercely passionate Boodle was about his town's safety. Boodle had already lost one town before founding Orange Town, so he vowed to fight hard and defend his new home from all threats.

Boodle couldn't do much against the clownish pirate Captain Buggy, but he gave it his best shot. Despite his age and limited skills, Boodle was prepared to die for Orange Town and its denizens, including the loyal dog Chouchou. That hound had once belonged to Boodle's friend Hocker, and that inspired Boodle to fight even harder.

4 Chef Zeff Would Do Anything For Sanji & His Restaurant Ship, Baratie

Zeff From One Piece In His Chef Uniform And Peg Leg

The expert chef Sanji Vinsmoke learned much from his tsundere mentor Zeff, an excellent and passionate cook. Zeff took great pride in his restaurant ship, the Baratie, and he expressed his love of it via his cooking and his intensely protective attitude toward it.

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Zeff has a white-hot temper, like many other emotional One Piece characters, and he sometimes kicks people around. He is not a bully, though, and he has constructive goals in mind. Zeff once dreamed of finding the All Blue, too, and now he has faith that his apprentice Sanji will find it instead.

3 Nami Risked It All For Her Town & Bell-Mere's Memory

Nami Angry in Episode 37 of One Piece

Luffy's tsundere navigator Nami appeared in the Orange Town arc, but she showed her true colors later in the Arlong Park story arc instead. Nami had a history with Arlong and Coco village, having sworn to collect 100 million berries and simply buy the town back from Arlong.

Nami isn't just a short-tempered tsundere girl. She passionately cherishes her memories of her foster mother Bell-Mere, and her heart broke when she failed to buy back Coco village to protect everyone in Bell-Mere's honor. Nami was understandably reduced to tears when she implored Luffy to help her defeat Arlong for good.

2 Yosaku Has Many Emotional Outbursts

Yosaku is dismayed in one piece

Yosaku and Johnny were good friends in the East Blue saga, and they were once Zoro's allies as well. They are a highly emotional pair, especially Yosaku. He might erupt in tears, laughter, or anger at the slightest provocation, and he is quick to show fear, too.

Yosaku did his best to fight alongside Luffy and Zoro in the East Blue, but there wasn't much this emotional fellow could do. He had to merely sit back as Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro defeated Don Krieg's crew and the Arlong pirates. Then Yosaku and Johnny bid Luffy farewell soon before the Grand Line adventure began.

1 For Luffy, Everything Is A Truly Heartfelt Adventure

Monkey D. Luffy falling in One Piece.

Protagonist Monkey D. Luffy is a highly emotional young man who always listens to his heart. Luffy is a caring person who will fly into a rage if innocent people like Kaya, Nami, Boodle, or princess Vivi suffer at the hands of villains like Sir Crocodile and Captain Kuro. He was quick to come to Nami's aid during the Arlong Park arc and didn't hesitate to rescue Zoro from the Marines.

Luffy is amusingly expressive and honest with his feelings. He will cheerfully laugh at anything remotely funny, and he will react with hilarious shock or horror when something scary or unexpected happens. Luffy is also quick to cheer people up with a dazzling smile and hearty chuckle to make them feel at ease.

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