The Straw Hat Pirates are the main focus of the One Piece series. Led by the future King of the Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy, the crew is incredibly powerful and has gone on to gain major notoriety in the New World.
Currently, the Straw Hat Pirates are going head-to-head against Yonko Kaido in the Land of Wano and proving themselves worthy of being the greatest crew of all time. That wasn't always the case, however. The Straw Hat Pirates have gradually changed over the years, and each member has shown remarkable growth with time.
10 Monkey D. Luffy Has Matured Well As A Captain
Luffy is one of the most carefree people in the One Piece world, and this quality of his is very prominent even today. However, Luffy has grown tremendously over the years and is far more mature now. Before the timeskip, Luffy's decision-making was certainly not the best, as seen when Vivi reminded him of how a captain should act in Drum Island. However, now, Luffy has matured into a respectable figure who understands every situation perfectly, as seen during the Onigashima Raid.
9 Roronoa Zoro Has Gained A Bigger Goal Along The Way
Roronoa Zoro was introduced in One Piece's Shell's Town arc where he met Luffy for the first time. Zoro became the first person to join the crew, however, he was only joining to further his own goal. At the time, Zoro prioritized his aim of becoming the World's Strongest Swordsman. With time, however, making Luffy the Pirate King became more important to him than his own goal. This was seen when Zoro was willing to give up his dream and life for Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates' sake on Thriller Bark.
8 Nami Now Has Trust In Pirates
Nami met Luffy in Orange Town, where the two worked together to stop Buggy the Clown, a pirate who had once been to the Grand Line. Although Nami joined hands with Luffy, she clearly stated that she hated pirates at the time. During the Arlong Park arc, fans got to see the reason behind her hatred when it was revealed that her entire village was destroyed by pirates. After Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates saved her, Nami chose to become one of them and learned to trust them.
7 Usopp Became A Brave Warrior Of The Sea On His Journey
Usopp was another one of the Straw Hat Pirates members who joined in the East Blue. In Syrup Village, Usopp joined up with Luffy after the defeat of the Black Cats Pirates.
Over time, Usopp decided he wanted to become a brave warrior of the sea. However, he has already shown his bravery on countless occasions in the story such as when he confronted Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4 during the Alabasta arc.
6 Sanji Learned To Value Himself & Trust His Friends
Sanji is known to be one of the kindest people in One Piece. Raised by an abusive family, he was often ready to risk himself for the sake of those who were kind to him. Throughout the Whole Cake Island arc, Sanji learned how much Luffy valued him and what his presence brought to the crew. Instead of sacrificing himself, Sanji chose to rely on his friends as seen when he confronted Black Maria of the Beasts Pirates.
5 Chopper Decided To Become A Monster For Luffy's Sake
Chopper was treated as a monster for the majority of his life due to him being a reindeer with the powers of a human. His unique appearance left him unable to interact with humans or even consider himself worthy of being one. Chopper was often labeled a monster, but he's grown quite a lot since. Chopper has turned into a monster on countless occasions for the sake of his friends. In fact, after the timeskip, Zoro mentioned how Chopper's human form was looking more monstrous than ever, and Chopper responded by saying he was ready to be one for Luffy.
4 Robin Learned To Value Her Existence & Found Friends
The last known survivor of Ohara, Nico Robin was chased by the Government since she was merely 8 years old. As a kid, Robin lost everyone who was close to her. Despite finding a lot of people who took her in, none of those people where ones she could actually trust.
Eventually, Robin ran into the Straw Hat Pirates. Although she didn't rely on the crew until the events of the Enies Lobby arc, she immediately asked for help once she realized what she meant to them. At Zou, Robin once again reiterated the fact that she has her friends to rely upon.
3 Franky Became A Pirate After Being Abandoned By His Parents
Franky was introduced in One Piece's Water Seven arc, but he wasn't actually from Water Seven. Franky came from the South Blue, and both his parents were pirates. At a very young age, Franky was abandoned by them, which was how he found Tom and Iceberg. When Franky met Oden, he claimed to not like pirates because those were the people who abandoned him. However, after seeing the kind of pirate that Luffy was, Franky willingly joined the crew.
2 Brook Has Started A New Adventure With A Different Crew
Brook is the musician of the Straw Hat Pirates, but his career as a pirate goes way back. Brook was a member of the Rumbar Pirates as well, and he met Laboon for the first time during his journey with them. Although Brook promised to meet Laboon after sailing across the Grand Line with the Rumbar Pirates, he failed to do so. The crew died, and Brook became a skeleton who was eventually recruited by Luffy. Now, Brook is a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, meaning he'll fulfill his journey as a changed man.
1 Jinbe Found A Reason Worth Risking His Life For
Jinbe was once an ally of the Whitebeard Pirates, and he held great respect for the Yonko, Whitebeard. For Jinbe, his respect was something that needed to be earned, and he initially wasn't convinced that Luffy deserved his services. However, during their journey to Marineford and back, Jinbe warmed up to Luffy slowly and gained immense respect for him. Now, Jinbe is ready to die for Luffy if necessary, and he fully believes that Luffy will rise above the Yonko and become the Pirate King.