Throughout One Piece’s 1,000+ episode run, many of the series’ characters have gone through ups and downs in terms of their reputation amongst fans. While some have gained favor over time, others have lost the community's love over the course of the series. Even central characters such as certain Straw Hats have experienced different levels of popularity at different points in the story.
The phenomenon is not restricted to just those on the good side. Many characters, irrespective of their affiliation, have become progressively unpopular over the course of One Piece. While some have managed to regain the love of fans, others could never make a comeback.
Here are 10 One Piece characters fans started to dislike as the series progressed.
Wapol and 9 other One Piece characters who have earned the ire of fans over time
1) Sanji
One of the first characters in the series to come to mind in this context is undoubtedly Sanji. While his perverse antics were never favorably looked upon by a majority of the series’ fanbase, the Fish-man Island arc took them to an entirely new level.
Nearly every time Sanji was on screen, he was seen fawning over a mermaid and making no valuable contribution. While comical initially, it quickly got old and the audience began to dislike him as the arc progressed.
2) Big Mom
Big Mom’s initial build-up during the Fish-man Island arc led to some disappointment among certain fans. They were upset to see that a Yonko had essentially spent an entire arc yelling about food and chasing down a third of the Straw Hat crew, arguably comprising some of its weakest members.
While splitting her and Luffy up was necessary at that point in the story due to the latter being far from Yonko-level, it led to the viewers seeing Big Mom in a negative way.
3) Usopp
Usopp was one of the most beloved characters in the first half of the series, showing clear development and growing on fans as the story progressed. However, many feel that his post-time-skip character reverted back to his early ways, with Usopp not being as brave a warrior as many think he should be.
Specific examples of this include the Onigashima Raid where he continuously avoids battle every time such a course of action is viable. Hopefully, the upcoming Elbaf arc will fix this problem to some degree, but a certain sect of fans may never go back to loving him like before.
4) Shirahoshi
Shirahoshi’s initial introduction did not impress her fans, and the situation never improved. Her character development over the course of the arc was fairly lackluster. She simply learnt not to cry all the time.
While she’s had only one appearance since this arc, it did not seem like her character had undergone significant changes since the Fish-man Island during that cameo.
5) Wapol
Wapol was one of the earliest villains in the series, and quite possibly the first character to be universally disliked by the fanbase. His cowardly antics made him unworthy of the title of the main antagonist title. He appeared for a relatively brief amount of time throughout the Drum Island arc.
While more appearances would’ve likely only garnered more negative responses, it speaks volumes that he is so widely disliked despite his relatively less screen time.
6) Caribou
Wet-Haired Caribou debuted during the Fish-man Island arc and was present in the series during the Wano arc as well. However, his character did not manage to garner fans' favor over time, with many disliking how creepy his personality and powers are.
Even becoming allied with Luffy himself during the Udon Prison section of the Wano arc wasn’t enough to get him in the good graces of fans. There’s likely nothing Caribou can do that will keep him from being a source of annoyance.
7) Foxy
Foxy wasn’t exactly popular upon first being introduced, but his reputation only went downhill from there despite his role being fairly brief. The Davy Back game he forced the Straw Hats to play only exacerbated this distaste among fans since it was a boring contest with no real stakes.
Unfortunately for Foxy, his annoying character combined with the lackluster story arc was never going to sit well with fans.
8) Spandam
Spandam did not make a great first impression, and his reputation amongst fans quickly spiralled to rock bottom. His manipulation of Franky in the past already made fans dislike him, and his verbal abuse and mental torturing of Nico Robin made them despise him over time.
However, he truly became irredeemable in the eyes of fans once he started physically beating Nico Robin later on in the Water 7 saga.
9) Momonosuke
When first introduced, Momonosuke was generally appreciated by fans who were intrigued by the mystery shrouding his and Kin’emon’s origins and goals. However, his perverse antics with Nami and Robin quickly annoyed fans and they began to dislike him. Many felt that his characterization as a young boy was improper.
Some fans began to appreciate his character more with the development of the Onigashima Raid, but many still dislike him for his inappropriate antics.
10) Trebol
Finally, Trebol was disliked by fans from the moment he was first introduced. His disgusting, slimy appearance was off-putting to fans when they first saw him, and then his demeanor and personality only made things worse. His doting on Sugar was also not viewed favorably by fans.
Trebol’s descent in the community's eyes was further facilitated by his manipulation of a young Doffy. He convinced and gave the young boy the means to kill his father, which he happily did before beginning his own pirate crew with those who sent him down this dark, twisted path.
Be sure to follow for more anime updates and manga news as 2023 progresses.
This article was modified on Thursday, June 29, at 10:26 pm.