'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Some One Piece villains display very impressive fighting skills, while others have been greatly disappointing.
The long-running series has given Luffy plenty of challenges throughout the years. Many of these villains have exceeded their expectations, whether it's due to a strong backstory or a memorable fight. These major antagonists are highly regarded within the community.
However, there are also a few villains that feel like a letdown. They seem to have really great abilities, only to not use them properly. Sometimes it's due to a lack of screentime, or other times it's because of their lack of skill. These are the villains that fall short of the fanbase's expectations.
4 One Piece villains that surpassed their expectations
4) Rob Lucci
He is the strongest member in CP9 history, thanks to his superhuman strength and mastery of martial arts. The man has developed such a reputation for his fighting skills that some Marines believed he could take on a Buster Call.
Rob Lucci wasn't playing around when he fought against Luffy in the Enies Lobby. The Straw Hat spent most of the fight on the receiving end of Lucci's attacks.
Luffy only won that fight because he desperately wanted to save Nico Robin, whose life was on the line. Many One Piece fans look back at Lucci very fondly since he took Luffy to his absolute limit.
3) Donquixote Doflamingo
Doflamingo has always been a popular character in the One Piece community, thanks to his colorful design and interesting Devil Fruit. His popularity completely blew up in the Dressrosa arc, where he finally got his chance to shine.
His tragic backstory does explain his actions, but it doesn't excuse them. After losing his World Noble privilege at a young age, Doflamingo began a life of a dangerous criminal. This is someone who brutally took out his own family members because he felt slighted by them.
The Heavenly Yaksha eventually took over the Dressrosa kingdom, ruling it with an iron fist. In order to free the citizens, Luffy had to fight him with everything he had. Doflamingo forced the Straw Hat to resort to his new Gear Fourth technique, which gave him a hard-fought victory.
2) Charlotte Katakuri
Whole Cake Island picked up the pace with the introduction of the Sweet Commander. In many ways, Katakuri is a mirror counterpart to Luffy. Most of his attacks directly copy the Straw Hats, but much bigger and stronger.
Ever since the One Piece timeskip began, Katakuri has given Luffy one of his hardest challenges yet, despite the latter using his Gear Fourth form. The Straw Hat desperately needed to win this fight. Otherwise, he stood no chance against the Emperors down the line.
Katakuri is unlike most One Piece villains in that he grows to respect Luffy as a fighter. After his eventual defeat, he wishes the Straw Hat good luck in defeating his mother. Many One Piece fans have greatly appreciated his change of attitude.
1) Kaido
The world's strongest creature has only lost seven times in his lifetime. He proves to be Luffy's biggest obstacle towards becoming the Pirate King.
Kaido has taken so much punishment during the Onigashima Raid, yet he still keeps on fighting. Most One Piece characters would be dead if they took several attacks from the Red Scabbards and the Supernovas.
Kaido has truly earned his place as the most formidable fighter in the series. He is definitely worth the hype in One Piece.
4 One Piece villains that didn't meet expectations
4) Hody Jones
Without a doubt, Hody Jones is one of the weakest villains in the One Piece series. Whether it's against Luffy or Zoro, the fish-man barely puts up a fight. This was to demonstrate how much the Straw Hats have grown since the two-year timeskip.
Nonetheless, Hody Jones is less of a fighter and more of an antagonist force. He represents the major theme of racism in the Fish-Man Island arc. His belief system is ridiculous, yet he clings to it out of sheer ignorance.
Unfortunately, while his story is rather interesting, he suffers from underwhelming fight scenes. One Piece fans tend to judge villains based on their threat level, which Hody Jones severely lacks. He even got cut by Zoro when he flooded the Ryugu Palace, despite his obvious advantage underwater.
3) Charlotte Smoothie
Smoothie is a Sweet Commander under Big Mom, which makes her a very powerful fighter. However, the biggest problem with her is that she never really does anything noteworthy.
She is primarily a background character in One Piece, which is rather disappointing given her power and position. Smoothie doesn't even have a major fight in the Whole Cake Island arc, unlike her siblings Cracker and Katakuri. It doesn't get much better in Wano Country either.
The Sweet Commander has the ability to drain liquid from objects. Unfortunately, she rarely gets to showcase her powers. That's what makes it disappointing for certain fans since they want to see more.
2) Mr. 5
When Mr. 5 was first introduced in the Whiskey Peak arc, many characters were afraid of him. The man had the ability to cause explosions with his Bomu Bomu no Mi fruit. However, the Baroque Works agent was simply full of hot air.
Despite his devastating powers, Mr. 5 doesn't make good use of them. Mr. 3 even notes this during the Little Garden arc. Mr. 5 also lacks durability since Zoro made quick work of him. All it took was a single blow to finish the job.
1) Bellamy
Unlike other examples, this one works for several reasons. Bellamy talked a big game back in the Sky Island Saga. He completely disregarded Luffy, thanks to his mistaken belief that he had a smaller bounty.
In the end, Bellamy proved that he wasn't worth his own hype. One Piece fans enjoyed it when Luffy took him out with a single punch. Bellamy relied too much on his speed and not his strength, resulting in a humiliating loss.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinion of the writer.
