The Straw Hat Pirates are the main protagonists of One Piece. Over the years, each has opportunities to prove their worth, saving the crew in at least one instance. However, with over a thousand characters to balance, the anime has often struggled with giving the main heroes the screen time they deserve.
In many arcs, they either jockey for attention with side characters or are ignored altogether. Straw Hats that are given more narrative attention usually prove more instrumental to Luffy's goals than those that aren't since they have a greater opportunity to make their talents known.
10 Brook Is Rarely Useful To Luffy's Goals
As the Straw Hats' musician, Brook's lack of usefulness was of little surprise. Although prominent for well over 700 episodes, he's seldom accomplished much aside from stealing Big Mom's poneglyph and saving Robin from Orochi.
To Brook's credit, he has a few unique talents, such as his ability to survive decapitation and detach his soul from his body. All the same, he's an inferior swordsman to Zoro and doesn't serve a function essential to the crew's survival. Brook was mostly absent for the Straw Hats' most dire encounters.
9 Chopper Is Seldom In The Heat Of The Action
Although Chopper was instrumental to the Paradise saga, he had unfortunately little screen time in the New World. He lacked any major victories, was completely absent for Dressrosa, and seldom contributed to the Whole Cake Island conflict.
Oftentimes, Chopper was only used as a device either to resolve a medical issue or to look cute. Although Chopper's battle against Queen proved his importance to the crew, other characters had longer, more significant battles that they actually won. Chopper's Monster Point arc felt especially inconclusive since he learned to control it off-screen.
8 Jimbei Lacked Screen Time Due To Commitment Issues
Given that Jimbei is the last addition to the Straw Hats, his screen time was relatively limited. He debuted in the Impel Down arc when the story was already well underway. Nonetheless, Jimbei was essential in the battle for Marineford, defeating Gecko Moria and rescuing Luffy from Akainu.
Jimbei also saved Luffy from Hody Jones and Big Mom in two separate instances. Although Jimbei was relevant in every arc he showed up for, he had too many major absences to be considered a reliable ally.
7 Many Important Fights Left Robin In The Background
Nico Robin was the highlight of the Enies Lobby arc and a major player in the war for Alabasta. Her knowledge of poneglyphs made her narratively significant and an essential character in the pre-time skip era.
Unfortunately, Robin lost a staggering amount of attention and identity when the crew reunited. She played a support role in Kyros' fight with Diamante, contributing little else to Dressrosa. Robin was completely absent for Whole Cake Island, and her battle against Black Maria was the first solo fight she had since Skypiea.
6 Franky Performed His Role Superbly
Franky is the Straw Hats' shipwright and a superb character. He had a major stake in most arcs, such as defeating Kaido's armored division at Onigashima and holding off a coalition of Marines and pirates in Dressrosa. He was also the second most important character in the Water Seven arc, barring Robin.
However, there were still issues that limited Franky's screen time. In addition to being the third last introduced member of the crew, he was unimportant in Whole Cake Island, Fish-Man Island, and most of Wano. The cyborg may have appeared, but his role was hardly one of irreplaceable importance.
5 Usopp Has An Amazing Character Arc
First debuting in the Syrup Village arc, Usopp is one of the Straw Hats' founding members. His generous amount of screen time allowed for a great character arc, and he remained consistently relevant throughout the New World.
Usopp defeated Chew in Arlong Park, faced off against Luffy in Water Seven, and even secured the allegiance of an entire army in the Dressrosa arc. Although still not perfect by any means, Usopp is closer to achieving his dream as a brave warrior of the sea than most other Straw Hats.
4 Zoro Is Great For Battle Sequences
As the Straw Hats' first mate and second-strongest character, Zoro is prominent throughout the series. He was often charged with defeating the current villain's top lieutenant, such as Mr. One in Alabasta, King in Wano, and Ryuma in Thriller Bark.
Despite Zoro's importance in protecting the Straw Hats, his character is almost exclusively used in battle scenes. This seems to limit his screen time to high-adrenaline spectacles, leaving other heroes to carry the emotional content for him. Many of Zoro's plot threads were abandoned in the interest of time, such as his relationship with Tashigi and his quest to avenge Yasuie.
3 Sanji Makes Himself Important In Every Arc
Unlike most of the crew, Sanji was present for both Whole Cake Island and Dressrosa. This was a major boon to his screen time given that both chapters were some of the longest in the series' history. It meant that many of his quirks would be well explained, such as his interest in cooking and sense of chivalry.
Among the Straw Hats' most senior members, Sanji had a major fight in almost every arc. His backstory with Germa 66 also gave him an incredible amount of characterization and personal attention that other Straw Hats have yet to receive.
2 Nami Is Luffy's Most Faithful Ally
Debuting in the Orange Town arc, Nami had an incredible amount of time to make an impression. Her lust for money contrasted with a desire to keep Luffy safe, which made her a unique and interesting personality on the ship.
There was never a point in the series where Nami wasn't important. She helped save her village, negotiated for berries to pay for the Thousand Sunny, used Homies to save Luffy from Big Mom, and even refused to denounce him to Ulti. Nami also has a well-defined relationship with all members of the crew, making her even more vivid.
1 Luffy Is Present For The Series' Darkest Chapters
As the main protagonist, it comes as little surprise that Luffy has more screen time than any other character in the series. His influence extends further than fighting the high seas' worst enemies. He was also there for its darkest chapters.
When Kuma banished the Straw Hats to different corners of the globe, Luffy had three arcs (Amazon Lily, Impel Down, and the battle for Marineford) entirely to himself. Although broken from hardship, he emerged stronger than before and ready to resume his quest.