Eiichiro Oda has created an incredibly vast world in One Piece and there are plenty of characters for the fans To adore. Of course, among all the characters that are special in One Piece, the Straw Hat Pirates stand out the most. This is because these characters are at the core of the story, and the vast majority of them are given extra care by the author of the series.

While Oda certainly does care about all the Straw Hats much more than the vast majority of the characters, there are some biases that can be noticed in the story on many occasions. This has often led fans to debate about who Oda’s favorite Straw Hat is, and there can only be one clear answer on set to the question.

The Neglected Straw Hats in One Piece Cannot Be Oda’s Number 1

Franky Doesn’t Get Many Moments

Chopper is Often Neglected

When speaking of Oda’s favorite Straw Hats, one first needs to tackle the idea of Oda’s least used Straw Hats. Now, it must be clarified that Oda likes all Straw Hats, because they are all beautiful characters who serve the plot in one way or another. These characters are all loved by Oda equally, and they all get their moments to shine. However, some are clearly given more attention than others in the story, and while that is sad and upsetting for many, given the circumstances of the story, it is also understandable in many ways. The neglected Straw Hats in One Piece include the likes of Franky, Chopper, and Brook. This certainly doesn’t mean that these characters don’t get their moments to shine.

I’m gonna become a doctor that can cure any disease! – Chopper

In fact, Franky had plenty of incredible moments in the Egghead Island Arc, while Brook had his in Whole Cake Island and also in the Wano Country Arc as well. Oda loves these characters as well, but it is clear for the fans to see that there are core characters in One Piece that serve a much bigger purpose.

To Luffy, all these characters are equal. Luffy loves every Straw Hat equally, and every Straw Hat loves Luffy the same. At the same time, all the Straw Hats are loyal to Luffyareand Luffy is loyal to every Straw Hat. Their love and loyalty is mutual, and that is what makes the Straw Hat pirates so special. But, Oda can certainly have his biases and fans certainly know that he does.

Similarly, the likes of Robin and Jinbe often get to shine in the story, but, once again, they are not characters that one would put in the same category as the East Blue Five. Those five characters are at the core of One Piece, and clearly Oda’s favorites are among them. The East Blue Five are far more special than any other Straw Hat, not in the eyes of Luffy, but certainly in the eyes of Oda, and the role that they go on to play in the story certainly goes to show for it.

The Straw Hats That Received A Lot Of Shine

Zoro, Nami, and Sanji Are Often At the Center Of Major Events

Among the Straw Hats that receive a lot of shine are the likes of Nami, Zoro, and Sanji. These three characters are usually the most important across major arcs of One Piece and end up playing a good role in one wabattle-orientedf course, given that One Piece is, to an extent, battle oriented, Nami does not get as much shine as the likes of Zoro and Sanji, but she is equally as important to the crew, and at the same time, it is clear for the fans to see that Oda loves her just as much as he does the likes of Sanji and Zoro.

After all, he’s the man known as the Wings of the Pirate King! – Robin

Usopp, on the other hand, is quite a curious Case. Usopp has not received as much attention as many other Straw Hats. In fact, he can be considered to be one of the most neglected members of the crew, but the Straw Hats are currently headed to Elbaf, which might suggest that Usopp is going to get an absolutely massive role to make up for the mishandling so far.

As far as the Wings of the Pirate King go, fans know that Zoro is Luffy’s very first crewmate, and, in that sense, is very special, but, at the same time, Sanji is the one who receives major roles across most arcs, having two whole arcs dedicated to him, and taking up a shining role in the Wano Country and the Egghead arcs as well. Clearly, Oda loves playing around with these characters and they are certainly up there with his very favorite ones.

The Curious Case Of Monkey D. Luffy

Monkey D. Luffy Will Always Be Oda’s #1

Of course, then, there is a protagonist of One Piece, Luffy. Clearly, Oda’s favorite Straw Hat is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy. This is evident from the fact that Oda himself once stated that Zoro being close to him in popularity polls worried him because he wanted Luffy to be number one. At the same time, Oda has also stated that Luffy is the ideal child and that essentially goes to show what he thinks of him as a character. Oda incorporates Luffy in the story in such a way that everything revolves around him, and the way that he has been characterized with utmost care is yet another proof of the fact that he is Oda’s very favorite.

At the end of the day, Oda is only human, which means that he is likely going to have his own favorites. But, it is no secret that his favorite character in One Piece is likely Luffy himself. Of course, Oda has previously also spoken in admiration of Shanks, but, of course, Shanks is not a part of the Straw Hat crew, which means that he isn’t part of the conversation here. Among the Straw Hats, it can be said that Oda’s most beloved character is Luffy, and after him, Zoro, Sanji, and Nami, in any order. Usopp is up there as well, but given that he hasn’t been involved in the story on as many occasions as one would like, one certainly would call into question as to how much Oda thinks about this character. Perhaps, Elbaf is going to mend that.

Following the East Blue 5, there are the remaining characters who the Straw Hat Pirates recruited in the Grand Line. Robin is certainly the most popular character from the remaining bunch and has had special attention paid to her in every arc, especially given that her character is directly tied to the mystery of the One Piece itself. Jimbe is also loved by Oda, as are Brook, Franky, and chopper. Essentially, Oda loves all Straw Hats to bits, as is expected of the author who wrote such a deep story where each character stands on their own and has brilliant stories fleshed out for themselves. But, Luffy is, by far, Oda’s number one.