Being one of the longest-running manga series, One Piece has tons of different arcs, and they are filled with all kinds of characters. Oda tries his best to give each character enough screen time before moving on to the next one.
Despite his best attempts, even Oda can't always keep all the characters relevant. Sometimes, he has to ignore them for the sake of other characters, and in other instances, they just don't add anything to the story as they have already filled their roles. With that in mind, the list will cover the best One Piece characters that have almost disappeared from the story.
8 Heracles
Heracles was a rather eccentric individual who trained Usopp during the time skip. A botanist by profession, Heracles has a great deal of knowledge about plants, especially those in the Boin Archipelago.
Due to the time that he spent on the deadly island, Heracles picked up valuable survival skills. Despite looking out of shape, Heracles was extremely agile and powerful. Heracles' persona made him a popular character, but unfortunately, his last appearance was in the Return to Sabaody arc.
7 Jozu
A Third Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Jozu was properly introduced during the Marineford arc, where he clashed against the Navy. Jozu was one of the strongest fighters among the Whitebeard Pirates.
At some point, Jozu consumed Kira Kira no Mi, which allowed him to turn his entire body into diamonds. This ability grants him immense durability, and it even helped him to withstand Mihawk's "strongest slash" with ease. Jozu was involved in the Payback War against the Blackbeard Pirates but ended up on the losing side once again. Since then, there has been absolutely no mention of him in the story, leading many to believe that he is dead.
6 Enel
Enel was the main antagonist of the Skypiea arc. He was from a completely different kingdom, and after destroying it completely, he turned his attention to Skypiea. Enel used the power of Goro Goro no Mi to displace Gan Fall as the God of Skypiea.
Enel maintained his authority over the residents of Skypiea by combining his devil fruit ability with mantra. Following his defeat to Luffy, Enel continued his pursuit of the Fairy Vearth, which eventually led him to the Moon, where he came into contact with the automata. Enel saved the automata from the Space Pirates and became their ruler. After achieving his goal, it is likely that Enel won't return to the main story.
5 Wyper
Enel wasn't the only good character from the Skypiea arc. In fact, Wyper was much cooler than the tyrant who ruled Skypiea. Wyper was a fearless individual who was ready to put himself in harm's way if it meant that he could achieve his goals.
Wyper's leadership skills were top-notch as he organized the other warriors to rebel against Enel. The best thing about Wyper was that he didn't instantly seek the help of the Straw Hats because he was confident in his abilities. Wyper's last appearance was on a cover story, and it is unlikely that he will appear again anytime soon.
4 Aokiji
Aokiji was the first Navy Admiral to be introduced in the series. He played a crucial role in the Navy's victory over the Whitebeard Pirates. Aokiji possesses the Hie Hie no Mi, a Logia-type devil fruit that grants him the power to create and control ice at will.
Aokiji was among the two candidates who were being considered to replace Sengoku as the Fleet Admiral. There was a subsequent battle between Aokiji and Akainu, which the latter won. Aokiji could not bear to see Akainu as the Fleet Admiral, so he left the Navy.
3 Urouge
Urouge made his debut in the Sabaody Archipelago arc alongside the other Supernovas. He was quite different from the rest of the members of the Worst Generation, as he was a lot older than the others.
Urouge has appeared a couple of times since the time skip, and in both instances, he barely got enough screen time. Given that his last appearance in the manga was years ago, it's not surprising that many fans have completely forgotten about him.
2 Gecko Moria
Gecko Moria served as the main villain of the Thriller Bark arc. Many years prior to the beginning of the story, Gecko Moria was considered a very fearsome pirate who could fight against the likes of Kaido. Sadly, Kaido slaughtered Moria's entire crew, which forced the latter to settle down in the Paradise part of the Grand Line.
Moria began to create zombies with the help of his devil fruit and Dr. Hogback. Despite having an army of zombies, Moria was defeated by Luffy. Moria reappeared in the Marineford arc, only to be injured by Doflamingo. His most recent appearance came during the Wano Country arc, where he confronted the Blackbeard Pirates. The result of their meeting remains unclear, and it is possible that Moria was killed by them.
1 Smoker
Smoker is one of the best characters in the series. From his personality to his fighting ability, everything about Smoker oozes class. He was Luffy's first noteworthy opponent, and he even managed to capture the pirate.
After Luffy and his crew escaped from Loguetown, Smoker continued to follow them. They met each other multiple times, but Smoker could not capture Luffy again. Despite being a major character before the time skip, Smoker's screen time was drastically reduced. He has not been seen in the manga since the Dressrosa arc.