10 One Piece Characters Who Went From Zero to Hero, Ranked

In the vast narrative of the One Piece series, it’s a tedious task to track how much a character has grown since the anime and manga began. That being said, the growth arcs of some of the characters are more than just another random event in shonen anime, let alone Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus.

So at this point, many of you might be wondering: which character growth arc is the most significant transformation in the series? Fret not, here are the most significant character growths in the One Piece anime series, ranked by how much they have grown ever since they started.

TITLE	One Piece
CREATOR	Eiichiro Oda
RELEASE DATE	October 20, 1999
IMDb RATING (As of April 30, 2026)	9/10
WHERE TO WATCH	Crunchyroll

10 Helmeppo Turned From a Spoiled Brat to a Responsible Marine

When the One Piece series started, Helmeppo was one of the most annoying characters in the series, hands down – a spoiled brat under his father’s protection, Axe-Hand Morgan. He was entitled and overly rude to others he deemed beneath him, which completely changed once the immunity was gone.

Once he faced reality, Helmeppo trained alongside Koby under none other than Monkey D. Garp. Under Garp’s guidance, Helmeppo rebuilds himself from scratch, becoming disciplined, competent, and genuinely brave – no shortcuts. He might not be top-tier, but his character growth is significant enough to catch our eyes.

9 Koby Transformation From Alvida’s Cabin Boy to a Marine Hero

When Koby was introduced into the anime series, he was probably a bigger coward than Usopp. Essentially a prisoner under Alvida, Koby had no strength, freedom, or courage. After Luffy liberated him, Koby refused to join the life of a pirate and chose to become a Marine instead, training directly under Monkey D. Garp.

Under Garp, Koby builds real combat ability from scratch, develops discipline and leadership, and learns to stand on his own without relying on stronger figures. Eventually, he even becomes a Hero just like Garp – the Hero of the Rocky Port. His growth is one of the most iconic in the series.

8 Usopp Shows That Even a Coward Can Rise to the Occasion

Usopp‘s growth in the One Piece anime series is one of the most human growth arcs in the series – nothing all of a sudden, slowly and steadily. In his introduction, he was portrayed as a chronic liar, physically weak, and a constant coward. However, he gradually shows signs of courage as the series progresses, and his first breakthrough comes during the Dressrosa Arc.

Usopp runs away during the arc, which is expected from him. But what’s not expected was that he comes back and shows a different side of himself that earned him the title of “God Usopp”. When he came back, Usopp unlocked Observation Haki, saved countless people, and became a symbol.

7 Nami’s Story of a Thief Becoming One of the Best Navigators

Nami’s story from the series is probably one of the more tragic ones, and had the perfect ingredients that made her growth feel even more satisfying. When we first saw Nami, she was a morally grey character who was manipulative, secretive, and emotionally closed off – mainly because of the whole Arlong narrative.

Once Luffy defeated Arlong and freed Nami, she joined the Straw Hat Pirates, and this is where her growth arc begins. Gradually, she became a core part of the crew, navigating them through tough adventures like a pro. Furthermore, she showed substantial emotional growth in the Whole Cake Island Arc as she supported a conflicted Sanji.

6 Sanji Is a Chivalrous Cook Who Became an Awakened Fighter

While Sanji’s growth doesn’t feel like a huge one compared to the others on this list, it was really subtle and significant. Starting as a chivalrous cook at the Baratie restaurant, Sanji had no intentions of becoming a pirate, and even then, he joined the Straw Hats as their cook and nothing else. However, we all know how that went for him.

Sanji was always labeled as a failure by his father, Vinsmoke Judge, and emotionally abused for having empathy despite having powerful genetics. However, thanks to his crewmates’ trust in him, Sanji grew a lot in both strength and personality, to the point where he became Luffy’s left-hand man.

5 Trafalgar D. Law Was a Traumatized Survivor Who Took Down a Yonko

Trafalgar D. Law‘s growth in One Piece is one of the more tragic ones, courtesy of his traumatic childhood days with Doflamingo. By the time he got mixed with the Donquixote family, Law watched his entire country and family wiped out by the Amber Lead disease. However, his hopeless and traumatic life changes thanks to Corazon, who goes as far as to sacrifice himself for Law.

While his revenge against Doflamingo was already a substantial feat that showed his growth, it didn’t stop there. Law went on to join Luffy and Kidd against two of the most powerful Yonko – Kaido and Big Mom, and eventually defeated them in combat. Law turned trauma into ambition and became a decisive force in changing the world.

4 Robin’s Story of a Broken Child Becoming an Absolute Scholar

Robin’s character growth is one of the most attractive and compelling arcs in the One Piece anime and manga series. She starts her life as a wanted girl from Ohara, who literally watched her entire country and family burned to smithereens by the Marines’ Buster Call. She spent the rest of her years hiding and shifting from one criminal organization to another to save herself, until she met the Straw Hat Pirates.

After joining Luffy’s crew, she was still somewhat distant, but the breaking point came during the Enies Lobby Arc. The “I want to Live!” moment showed her complete transformation – from a young girl who had trust issues and trauma to a brilliant pirate and scholar with confidence and friends.

3 Chopper Was a Rejected Reindeer Who Became a Masterful Doctor

Chopper’s transformation in the One Piece anime was the most subtle, but one of the most dramatic and emotional ones. The reindeer was always lonely and harassed by humans, developing trust issues with them. Furthermore, he lost the only father figure he had since childhood, Dr. Hiriluk, until Luffy and his gang came running along.

Not only did he finally gain human friends who trusted in him, but he also found crewmates who respected him as their ship doctor. Furthermore, he gradually became more confident and became someone who heals others, physically and emotionally.

2 Zoro – A Former Bounty Hunter Becoming the Strongest Swordsman

Zoro’s journey is probably the most iconic in the One Piece series, mainly because we see him from the very beginning of the story. Once a pirate bounty hunter who had no solid purpose in life, he joined Luffy and eventually came across his biggest rival, Dracule Mihawk – that was his defining moment.

After losing to Mihawk, Zoro found the purpose of becoming the strongest swordsman in the world, and boy, does he become strong. From effortlessly wielding cursed blades to using advanced Haki techniques, Zoro has come a long way from uncertain beginnings and is still on his way to reaching his goal.

1 Luffy’s Growth in the One Piece Series Is the Core of the Story

This was a no-brainer: the main protagonist of the series, Monkey D. Luffy, is obviously going to be the top-ranked character in terms of character growth. While many might debate that his overpowered Devil Fruit is why he grew so much, we still have to remember that a Devil Fruit is only as powerful as its user.

Even though Luffy got legendary teachers like Silvers Rayleigh and Hyogoro, he still had to put in the physical exertion and training to reach the title of an Emperor of the Sea – that is not a small feat. Just recap his journey from the moment he ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi to now; you’ll have the explanation why he is number 1.

RANKINGS	CHARACTERS
1	Monkey D. Luffy
2	Roronoa Zoro
3	Tony Tony Chopper
4	Nico Robin
5	Trafalgar D. Law
6	Vinsmoke Sanji
7	Nami
8	Usopp
9	Koby
10	Helmeppo

Some FAQs on this ranked list:

What are your thoughts on our ranking of the best character growth arcs in One Piece? We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments below.

Every Episode of the One Piece anime is available to watch on Crunchyroll.