The Straw Hat Crew has been at the core of One Piece's immense popularity for over two decades. Fans grew to love each member through long story arcs that test their dedication to being pirates and their loyalty to each other as family. When it comes to anime groups that fans dream of joining, the Straw Hats are easily at the top of the list. But when it comes to which Straw Hat is the best, there are a lot of great arguments for each member.
Many fans are quick to pick the likes of Zoro or Nami, who joined Luffy early on and have been a vital part of his crew since the beginning. Others will pick latecomers for their narrative impacts like Robin or Chopper. But no crewmate quite embodies the "best friend" energy necessary for Luffy's ally quite like Usopp.
10 Usopp Declared War On The World Government
In one of One Piece's most pivotal moments, the Straw Hat Crew declared war on the World Government as a gesture of friendship and loyalty to their beloved crew member, Robin. At this point, Usopp and Luffy were in the midst of a heated argument that nearly fractured the crew beyond saving. Despite that, Usopp was there when his crew needed him and lit the beacon of revolution, burning down the World Government flag.
Though Usopp was in disguise at the time, to avoid his issues with Luffy, his dedication and love for the crew were obvious to fans everywhere. From that moment on, fans knew that Usopp was truly a ride-or-die friend.
9 Usopp and Chopper Proved Themselves In Alabasta
During the Alabasta Saga, the Straw Hats had to find a way to sneak Vivi into her home city and reach Alabasta's people before they started a bloody, misguided rebellion. This plan involved the Straw Hats splitting up to divide their opponents forces and distract them long enough for Vivi to go unnoticed. For the less battle-inclined Straw Hats like Usopp or Nami, this plan truly pushed them to their limit.
Alongside Chopper, Usopp was tasked with fighting Mr. 4 and Ms. Merry Christmas. It was a brutal fight that showed a clear power difference between the fan-favorite Straw Hats and the immensely powerful organization they were taking on. But with clever strategy, and inspiration from his Straw Hat captain, Usopp proved his worth and defeated the opponents.
8 Usopp Took Responsibility For The Stolen Money
After the Skypiea Saga, the Straw Hat Crew found themselves with a significant amount of treasure and gold. This new wealth would be vital in their pirate ship, the Going Merry's repair and restoration. This made it more tragic when Usopp, tasked with securing and carrying the gold, was jumped and stolen from by the Franky Family.
Burdened with regret and fear of his uselessness, Usopp tasked himself with the sole responsibility of retrieving the gold. While he was ultimately unsuccessful and beaten down once again, fans could not help but admire the tenacity and bravery Usopp showed at that moment.
7 Usopp Stood Up To Luffy
In the Water 7 arc, fans saw the departure of the Going Merry after Luffy made the difficult decision that they'd need a more sturdy, powerful ship to sail into the New World. Luffy made this decision without regarding Usopp's opinion – he received the ship as a gift from his sick friend back on his home island.
While other Straw Hats condemn Usopp for arguing against their Captain's orders, most fans can understand the intense emotional dilemma Usopp was feeling at that moment. Some fans assert that it's the crew's job to keep their Captain grounded and ensure he makes smart decisions. While Luffy was right, Usopp's betrayal stemmed from nothing more than a desire to see the crew prosper.
6 Usopp Was Immune To Negativity
During Thriller Bark, the Straw Hat came face to face with a powerful foe named Perona. Perona had the devil fruit Horo Horo no Mi, which gave her the ability to produce ghosts with various effects. During their encounter, one of her attacks nearly took out the entire crew when a ghost struck them all with a paralyzing sense of dread and negative emotions.
The only character who managed to defeat these negative emotions was the Straw Hat sniper himself, Usopp. Plagued with constant negative emotions, Usopp resisted the ghost's effects and saved his crew in the process, defeating Perona and allowing them to continue forward.
5 Usopp Apologized For Betraying Luffy
Apologizing when you're wrong is one of the most difficult things a person can do. While Usopp standing up to Luffy about the the Going Merry's destruction was commendable and admired by some fans, Luffy's decision to get rid of their ship was correct. The New World is dangerous and a patchwork ship that could barely fit a crew of 10 would not make it out in those turbulent waters.
Usopp demonstrated a level of maturity and selflessness when he set aside his feelings and proved his loyalty to the crew by making a grand apology to Luffy and the Straw Hats for all of Water 7 to hear.
4 Usopp Invented The Clima-Tact
Though Usopp is considered one of the weakest members of the Straw Hat Crew, he is talented. Many fans recognize his abilities as a sniper, which were shown in his introductory arc. But a lesser recognized talent, which got slightly overshadowed by Franky's arrival, is Usopp's knack for inventions.
Usopp is far from a technological genius like Franky, but his minor talents still came in handy in the development and invention of Nami's iconic weapon, the Clima-Tact. Together Nami and Usopp make up the weakest pair in the Straw Hats, but with their creative thinking and handy gadgets, the two proved themselves as valuable assets.
3 Usopp Overcame The Scariest Devil Fruit In Dressrosa
One of the scariest powers in One Piece is Sugar's ability to turn people into toys and erasing them from history, even their friends and family forget them. With this devil fruit power, Sugar was able to assist Doflamingo in taking over and maintaining an iron grasp on the Dressrosa Kingdom.
A vital part of the Straw Hat's plan to liberate Dressrosa from Doflamingo's rule was to free the converted toys made by Sugar and bolster their forces with some of Dressrosa's most powerful fighters. This was a difficult plan due to how easily Sugar could apply her powers to someone. But despite all of his shortcomings, Usopp was the one to bring Sugar down.
2 Usopp Awoke Observation Haki
As part of his many feats during the Dressrosa arc, Usopp also unlocked one of the rarest abilities throughout One Piece, Observation Haki. As the story progressed in the New World, it was inevitable that the Straw Hats would need to level up in a variety of ways.
Observation Haki bolstered Usopp's sniping abilities to an unprecedented level and finally brought him to a tier worthy of the Straw Hat name. Though he isn't Zoro or Sanji, Usopp is not someone to be messed with.
1 Usopp Marched To Fight Arlong And Defend Nami
Many fans consider Arlong Park to be One Piece's first great arc. Some still consider it the greatest arc. Without a doubt, Arlong Park's most iconic moment is the Straw Hat march to help Nami and defeat the man responsible for her childhood suffering.
While fans could easily see the monster trio taking this fight on, it was a pleasant surprise when the camera panned over and revealed Usopp alongside them. Usopp was far outmatched at this point but nonetheless marched alongside his brothers to defend their beloved friend and navigator, Nami.