When a series goes on for as long as One Piece, there are bound to be characters that fall by the wayside. Given the massive size of the world, there are always characters waiting to be revealed to be the next big rival. What makes One Piece different from many long-running series is the world building that’s been done since the very early stories.

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Several characters have been introduced that have shown massive power, but, due to the globetrotting nature of pirates, they have much more to do than just track down the “small” crew the main story follows. While some cast big shadows yet have never been seen, others have been recurring characters that have simply shown up at significant story junctions.

Blackbeard

Blackbeard showing off his rings with a fist

Other than the World Government, Marshall D. Teach, a.k.a Blackbeard, has been one of the longest running villains in One Piece. He’s stolen Whitebeard’s Devil Fruit power, recruited several of the worst prisoners from Impel Down, and only continues to grow stronger. However, Blackbeard is smart like a vulture. He’ll swoop in when his targets are at their weakest and bail before the situation gets too hot.

The Blackbeard pirates teamed up on Whitebeard at his weakest point in the raid on Marineford. Blackbeard was about to level Marineford, but he fled with his crew once Sengoku and Shanks got involved. Because of this, the full power of the Blackbeard pirates has yet to be seen.

Shanks

Shanks glaring at camera

“Red Hair” Shanks has been in One Piece since "Chapter One" of the manga; he’s the very man who passed down Gol D. Roger’s straw hat to Luffy. If it weren’t for Shank’s influence, Luffy would never have wanted to become a pirate in the first place. Shanks also gifted Luffy with his signature Straw Hat, a memento from Gol D. Roger himself.

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Shanks’ has come in and out of the story for its entire run, yet has only displayed a fraction of his power. Due to his mysterious nature and reach, Shanks has been mostly a background character for much of the story. Given his level of power, it makes sense that the audience wouldn’t know much about him until Luffy gets to that level of power.

Dragon

Dragon and Kuma staring forward

First introduced in the Loguetown arc, Monkey D. Dragon is Luffy’s father and the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army. As the Supreme Commander, it can be assumed Dragon is a being of immense power. He’s often seen with strong blasts of wind, implying some kind of Devil Fruit power.

Given his group’s goal of overthrowing the World Government, Dragon has been labeled “World’s Worst Criminal.” He has to live a largely secretive existence in order to avoid those who would kill him, so has remained in the shadows of the series.

Vegapunk

Franky Outside Vegapunk's Lab

Dr. Vegapunk’s shadow has loomed over the world of One Piece since the early days of the Grand Line. As the World Government’s top scientist, Vegapunk has pioneered several technological innovations such as combining Devil Fruits with inanimate objects, the Pacifista robots, and even seastone.

While their influence stretches all over the world of One Piece, Vegapunk has never made a proper appearance in the series. Being a top scientist, it makes sense they wouldn’t be on the ground fighting pirates. However, Vegapunk’s litany of scientific breakthroughs suggest they’ll likely be one of the more powerful enemies the Straw Hat Pirates face.

Garp

Garp walking away from Sengoku

Known as “The Hero of the Marines,” Monkey D. Garp has a long history in the world of One Piece. He was one of the major figures during Roger’s era, and earned his epithet at the legendary God Valley Incident. Garp is also the father of Revolutionary Army leader Dragon and the grandfather of Luffy.

Garp showed impressive feats of strength and will during the Marineford War, but given his age he is not one to rush into combat. His glory days are in the past, and he’s recently stepped down from his position of Vice Admiral in order to train new Marine recruits.

Mihawk

Mihawk looking down

Dracule “Hawk Eyes” Mihawk was the first of the Seven Warlords introduced in the series, making him quite a formidable foe from the moment he sailed on to screen. Mihawk is one of the strongest swordsmen in the One Piece world, and defeating him has been Zoro’s goal since the start of the manga.

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Despite all this and a brief stint as Zoro’s mentor during the time skip, Mihawk has not really done much in the series outside the Marineford war. For being such an integral character, Mihawk has mostly been relegated to the background. With the Seven Warlords system recently being abolished, it shouldn’t be long before Mihawk and the Straw Hats cross paths once again.

Kong

Kong looking forward

Kong holds one of the highest positions of power in the World Government: Commander-In-Chief. Second only to the 5 Elders, Kong oversees not only the entirety of the Marines but all the World Government’s agencies. Given his history as Fleet Admiral during Gol D. Roger’s era, it’s easy to assume that Kong is quite a powerful character.

In the series, Kong has only been in brief scenes. The most significant was Garp and Sengoku’s resignations after the Marineford War. However, it’s likely audiences will see Kong in action before the end of the series as the Straw Hat pirates and their allies continue to be a thorn in the World Government’s side.

Stussy

Stussy glaring

Stussy is a character that has only made a few brief appearances during the Whole Cake Island arc. She’s known as the Underworld’s “Queen of the Pleasure District,” giving her access to many powerful figures in the New World. However, it’s revealed that Stussy is merely undercover and her true allegiance is to the World Government’s Cipher-Pol 0.

Her status as a Cipher Pol agent shows just how strong Stussy is a combatant and spy, and is only further proved by her being a peer to former CP9 agent Rob Lucci. Stussy has not done much fighting in the series proper, but given her undercover status it makes sense she wouldn’t try to make too much of a scene.

Im

Im looking at wanted posters and a frozen straw hat

The World Government is an organization that prides its public image on the alliance of 170 of the One Piece world’s countries. The Empty Throne is supposed to represent peace and equality between the nations. However, it was revealed to the readers that there is someone who sits on this throne: Im.

Im is the secret leader of the World Government. While the 5 Elders are the public leaders, they all serve Im. Only seen in a brief appearance during the Levely Arc, Im is a figure shrouded in mystery by the very nature of their position. It’s easy to assume that Im is a being of immense power given their position. However, what that power is still remains to be seen.

Ryokugyu

Ryokugyu in silhouette laughing

After the Marineford War, Admiral Akainu was promoted to Fleet Admiral and Admiral Aokiji resigned. Their two vacancies were filled by Fujitora and Ryokugyu. While the former has had a prominent role in several story arcs, the latter has yet to even be fully revealed outside a silhouette.

Given the power level shown by the four other admirals in One Piece, it can be assumed Ryokugyu is going to be a tough foe for any opponent. He claims to have not eaten in three years, implying some kind of devil fruit or other special power.

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