Monkey D. Luffy is the main character of One PieceHe has progressed a lot through the years and he has become one of the most well known fictional characters in the world. One Piece is huge and it is actually astonishing that it has outsold several Western comics as well.

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Eiichiro Oda has created a masterpiece and once the series ends, it will go down as one of the best if not the best anime/manga series. Now coming back to Luffy, he is a very enthusiastic character and someone with whom you can relate. One Piece is rich in terms of characters and many times you'd think that a certain character can take over from Luffy as the main character. In this post, we will be discussing 5 characters that could replace Luffy as the protagonist and five who can't.

10 Can: Portgas D. Ace

Portags D. Ace on his execution stand in One Piece's Marineford arc

The first character that pops to mind when talking about replacements is Ace. Portgas D. Ace was the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. Ace hated Roger, due to the tough childhood that he had as a kid. Almost every person hated Roger and it was obvious that they'd hate Ace too. Ace's suffering came to an end when he met Luffy and Sabo.

The three of them grew very close and they even took the oath of brotherhood. When Ace finally did set sail, he met Whitebeard. Despite being the son of Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard accepted him as his own "son." Ace was shocked to see this and he developed a lot of respect for him. Ace's story would definitely make him a brilliant protagonist.

9 Can't: Gekko Moriah

Gecko Moria from One Piece.

Gekko Moriah is the captain of the Thriller Bark Pirates. He used to be a Shichibukai. Despite the common belief that Moriah is a lackluster character, he is actually a very interesting character. In his prime, Moriah was a rival of Kaido, who is currently one of the Yonko. Moriah and Kaido were engaged in an enthralling battle many years ago. In the end, Kaido came out on top after he killed Moriah's underlings.

Moriah was distraught as he loved his crew, so he sought the power of Hogback to create an army of zombies. Despite his unique character, he doesn't seem like a character who'd be a perfect fit as the protagonist.

8 Can: Shanks

Shanks holding the straw hat and putting an end to the Summit War during One Piece' Marineford arc

Shanks is one of the Yonko, who reigns supreme in the New World. He was the first Yonko to be introduced in the series (albeit he wasn't a Yonko at that time). Shanks has been a fan favorite ever since his appearance in the series. One of the main things that is needed for a good protagonist is a likable personality.

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Shanks is a very nice person and he knows when to step up and become serious. We have seen plenty of instances where Shanks was behaving like a fool, but when the situation requires him to be earnest he shows his strength.

7 Can't: Kizaru

Marine Admiral Kizaru during the events of One Piece

Kizaru is one of the Marine Admirals. He made his introduction at Sabaody Archipelago. Kizaru possesses the Pika Pika no Mi. It allows him to control light. Kizaru's devil fruit ability makes him one of the most powerful characters in the series. Kizaru is a follower of "Unclear Justice," and as the name suggests it is unclear what kind of justice Kizaru believes in.

At Sabaody, he was behaving like a normal person, who was looking for someone, but in seconds he would change to a pirate hating Marine. Even though Kizaru has a unique personality, he doesn't seem to fit the bill of a protagonist.

6 Can: Gol D. Roger

Gol D. Roger as he appears just before his execution in One Piece.

Many people have drawn parallels between Luffy and Roger be it for one reason or another. Roger was the first person who was able to conquer the Grand Line. Roger was the captain of the Roger Pirates. He strictly believed that forming taking over the world and things akin to that were paltry. Roger believed in being free and sailing the seas together.

There are still plenty of mysteries surrounding Roger and there is no doubt that these will be unraveled in the future. His journey to the top would be worth seeing and he could definitely replace Luffy as the protagonist.

5 Can't: Buggy

Buggy the Clown getting scared at Marineford in the One Piece anime

Buggy is the strongest character in the series. A series based on Buggy would be over in an instant as he's just too powerful to be stopped.

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No more jests now. Buggy is the leader of the Buggy Pirates. He possesses the Bara Bara no Mi, which allows him to separate parts of his body. Buggy became a Shichibukai after he revealed that he was a member of the Roger Pirates and a friend of Shanks. Buggy is cool as a side character, but an anime with Buggy as its protagonist would be very average.

4 Can: Blackbeard

Blackbeard became a Yonko after he defeated the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates in the Payback War. There are a lot of things about Blackbeard that we still do not know. Oda drew a picture of Blackbeard as a kid and he was crying in that photo. When you look at Blackbeard right now, it just makes you wonder what happened to him as a child.

Blackbeard's backstory will definitely be groundbreaking and it will send the community into a state of frenzy. He has some dreams as well and it will be interesting to see whether he manages to achieve them or not.

3 Can't: Roronoa Zoro

Roronoa Zoro is the right-hand man of Luffy. He was the first person to join the Straw Hat Pirates. It took a lot of effort to convince him to join the crew. He has the dream of becoming the "Strongest Swordsman in the World."

Zoro has come really far and he is still going strong. Even though Zoro is a good character, his backstory is average at best and his character is mostly about fighting and training.

2 Can: Eustass Kid

Eustass Kid is one of the supernovas and a member of the Worst Generation. Many One Piece fans believe that Eustass Kid is actually Luffy's rival.

Eustass Kid dreams of becoming the Pirate King as well. He is a lot more dangerous than Luffy due to his temperament. Kid has killed numerous people who have laughed at his dream. He is currently in Wano and it will be interesting to see more of him.

1 Can't: Akainu

Marine Fleet Admiral Akainu, also known as Sakazuki, smoking a cigar in One Piece

The final character on the list is the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Akainu. Akainu is one of the strongest characters in the series and he is obsessed with Absolute Justice.

No One Piece fan is keen on seeing Akainu obliterating every other person for their different way of thinking.

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