Monkey D. Luffy saw eating his Devil Fruit in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

5 One Piece characters who deserved a Devil Fruit (and 5 who never did)

Timeless

Despite how plentiful One Piece’s Devil Fruits may seem, a respectable amount of the characters introduced during the series are fruitless. Many highly respected figures such as Shanks, Garp, and, more recently confirmed, Gol D. Roger never had Devil Fruits yet made a name for themselves as pirates and marines.

While these big names may not have had Devil Fruits, they were more than powerful enough to earn one. Contrarily, there are those characters with Devil Fruits thus far in the series who don’t deserve the Fruit they had or any Fruit for that matter.

These One Piece characters deserved a Devil Fruit

1) Monkey D. Garp

Garp as seen in the anime's Water 7 saga (Image via Toei Animation)

As one of the biggest names of Roger’s era, Monkey D. Garp deserved a Devil Fruit, even if he didn’t end up receiving one. In what little flashbacks fans have received of Garp during his prime, his use of a Devil Fruit in those moments would’ve made the scenes that much cooler. Despite never needing one to keep up with the biggest names of the time, he certainly deserved one.

2) Gol D. Roger

Gol D. Roger as seen in the series' anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Although, unfortunately, being recently confirmed to have never had a Devil Fruit, the former Pirate King Gol D. Roger deserved one. His status and title as the Pirate King merited him receiving a Devil Fruit. If he had one paired with his unbelievably strong Conqueror’s Haki, there’s little doubt he would be unmatched in the Grand Line and New World.

3) Shanks

Shanks as seen in the anime's Marineford arc (Image via Toei Animation)

It’s been known that Shanks is not a Devil Fruit user for quite some time, but he most definitely is strong enough to deserve one.

His Conqueror’s Haki is the strongest amongst One Piece characters currently alive in the story, able to physically affect his surroundings even when suppressed. If anyone in the series deserves a Devil Fruit and doesn’t have one, it’s Shanks.

4) Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy as seen during the anime's Wano arc (Image via Toei Animation)

Contrarily, Luffy has a Devil Fruit from the beginning of One Piece and proves why he deserves one in every chapter. His creativity and ingenuity are second to none in the series, allowing him to turn what was once an inherently weak Devil Fruit into one of the series’ strongest. This creativity alone proves why, if any One Piece character deserves their Devil Fruit, it’s him.

5) Portgas D. Ace

Ace as seen in the anime's Wano arc (Image via Toei Animation)

Given his role in the story, it’s somewhat necessary for Ace to have had a Devil Fruit. As the cool, powerful older brother of Luffy, it wouldn’t feel right if the younger brother had something the older didn’t.

He was a mighty and respected pirate in Whitebeard’s crew, even being a division commander. Combined with the inherent power and talent Ace had as the son of Gol D. Roger, there’s little argument to be made against his deserving a Devil Fruit.

Five One Piece characters never deserved a Devil Fruit

1) Kaku

Kaku as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite rising to the rank of CP0 agent in post-time-skip One Piece, Kaku only got his Devil Fruit as a means to giving Zoro an opponent in Enies Lobby. Had he not had his Devil Fruit, the Straw Hat swordsman would’ve made quick work of him.

His use of the Devil Fruit also tends to be more comical than productive and efficient, further emphasizing why he doesn’t deserve a Fruit.

2) Kalifa

Kalifa as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Likewise, Kalifa’s Devil Fruit only served the purpose of creating another competent fighter for the Straw Hats to defeat.

Nami eventually takes her down after Sanji continuously refuses to hit her and doesn’t seem to have the best control over her Fruit. Her expulsion from CP9 and lack of reentry into CP0 confirm this point.

3) Foxy

Foxy as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Foxy’s Slow-Slow Fruit is incredibly wasted on the goofy, game-playing pirate. There are so many fantastic combat uses that the Fruit can be aimed towards, yet Foxy’s silly attitude and lack of focus result in jokes.

Overall, it’s one of the most pathetic uses of a Devil Fruit in the series and shows why Foxy deserves no Fruit.

4) Caribou

Caribou as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Caribou’s use of his Swamp-Swamp Fruit is incredibly inefficient. With training, he could likely learn to expand his swamp form to fill up an enclosed space, drowning those around him and easily winning any fight.

Instead, he uses it to smuggle anything from mermaids to food, not seeing the bigger picture possible with his powers.

5) Kurozumi Orochi

Kurozumi Orochi as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Finally, Kurozumi Orochi is arguably the character least deserving of a Devil Fruit in the entire series. Despite having a Mythical Zoan fruit, he’s a fragile and cowardly fighter, completely unaccustomed to anything resembling a pirate’s life.

His overall demeanour is unbecoming of receiving any Devil Fruit, let alone a combat-oriented Mythical Zoan type.