One Piece is a Japanese media giant with an anime far exceeding 1000 episodes. The story showcases an iconic ragtag group of unconventional pirate heroes, who fight injustices with their incredible moral compass and a slew of wacky, powerful techniques. Eiichiro Oda has created a fantastical world full of sword-wielding samurai, scientific clowns, and fruits that grant incredible powers at the loss of being able to swim. One Piece is a world full of rich imagination which, over the years, has inspired a plethora of games.
The latest of these is One Piece Odyssey. Developed by ILCA Inc., this RPG commemorates the series' 25th anniversary. In it, the Straw Hat Pirates are caught in a storm and marooned on a tropical island where they encounter strange people, unravel a mystery, defeat enemies, and must find a way to escape. Players start as the iconic Monkey D. Luffy before adding the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates to the party. Each member serves a different role, but the question remains, what characters float the player's boat?
9 "Soul King" Brook
The Straw Hats' resident musician has music running through his bones and a 60s psychedelic style. Fortunately, due to eating the Revive-Revive Fruit, Brook has been blessed with the ability for his soul to persist beyond death and possess his own undead skeletal body. Being so close to the underworld lets him summon the cold hand of death. He can sing melodies and strike with his iaido techniques to take down enemies.
Brook does not appear until later in the game, so he has less time to showcase his powers than the others. He appears most of the time in his spectral form until the player reunites him with his body. His prowess in battle is somewhat mid-ranged, supporting others with his music and getting a few powerful hits of his own with swordplay.
8 "Devil Child" Nico Robin
First introduced as a member of Baroque Works in the Alabasta arc, Nico Robin is an adept archeologist with the abilities of the Flower-Flower Fruit. Like a flower, she blooms when fighting, summoning limbs and body parts on any surface in her sight. Her hands and legs may be good for kicking and launching attacks; however, her real strength lies in her ability to read the Poneglyphs. These mysterious stone tablets are inscribed with a dead language that contains the truth of the world.
Robin can be considered an investment. She's not as battle-ready as the other members, and needs time to be able to take down enemies quickly. At the start of the game, she has a few special abilities, one of which is aptly named Grab. However, she will need to find 'leverage' first.
7 "Iron Man" Franky
The man who was first misunderstood, the "Aniki" of Water 7 would soon join the Straw Hat crew as their resident engineer and shipwright. Flexing his skills, he often gets them out of tight spots. His augmentation abilities do not stop at ships, though. Franky has made himself into a cyborg and a veritable mechanical fighting machine. He made need Cola, but in exchange, he has weapons, gimmicks, and gadgets galore.
As a man of his calling, Franky is indisposed for most of Odyssey's story fixing their ship, The Thousand Sunny. He has decent combat abilities and has a useful skill to build a bridge out of the scrap and junk lying around, when players do finally get to use him.
6 "God" Usopp
Usopp has gone by many names and had his mettle tested many times. A cowardly exterior hides a brave interior, and though he may not be the strongest, he is sly and resourceful. He plays as a sniper that stays in the rearguard with his slingshot and keen eyes, from which he attacks with a bevy of botanical ammunition called Pop Greens.
Usopp has great capabilities in Odyssey, and is an asset to have on the battlefield. He isn't as hardy as some other characters, but his explosive attacks can hurt multiple foes at once. Plus, he has an arsenal of gags at his disposal, such as his comically sized hammer that can exploit enemy weaknesses.
5 Tony-Tony "Cotton Candy" Chopper
An anthropomorphic reindeer and the Straw Hats' Doctor, Chopper consumed the Human-Human fruit, allowing him to change between a quadrupedal and bipedal form. Over his journeys, he has approached his powers the same way he has with medicine: scientifically. Through experimentation, he has unlocked and utilized sub-forms that highlight certain physical abilities.
Chopper's abilities translate easily to an RPG system, where he takes on the role of the healer. He's especially useful in the early part of the game where he is the only one with access to healing abilities. During exploration sections, his size and shape-changing abilities come in handy. Turning into his smaller form, he can uncover areas that other members would find hard to reach.
4 "Cat Burglar" Nami
The third member to join the Straw Hats, Nami is forever in Luffy and Zoro's debt for helping her escape her fishmen captors. She has an innate ability for navigation and thievery, and is a learned meteorologist. Using her weapon the Clima-Tact, she can affect localized weather patterns and cause lightning strikes and mirages.
Nami is a classic glass cannon build, packing a heavy punch. However, she can fall unconscious quickly, as she has a smaller health pool than other members. Thankfully, her powers are potent and long-ranged, so keep her away from the vanguard. On the positive side, her thievery ability will never leave the coffers empty. She can find money while players explore.
3 "Black Leg" Sanji
Cutting up food and the competition, Sanji knows how to kick things into shape and out of bounds. He has a traumatic past, which he takes in stride. He has found a new family in the Straw Hat pirates (with particular infatuations for Robin and Nami). Under the tutelage of the great chef, Zeff, he can prepare meals for the crew and attacks his enemies with a fiery kick-based martial art.
In Odyssey, Sanji is a powerful fighter who aims for enemies' heads with kicks and spins. His Diable Jambe ability augments his attacks with fire, which can inflict burns that can severely damage foes. Outside combat, he can hunt down ingredients and prepare meals that have restorative effects.
2 "Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro
The first member to be recruited into the Straw Hats, Zoro is a powerful user of the three-sword style. He uses it to protect the people he cares about, and collects potent blades that are used for ill repute. He has demonic strength and aura when he gets serious, so never get on the pointy end of his patience.
While exploring, Zoro learns the ability to cut through nearly anything, including steel doors. However, his abilities shine in the midst of battle. A technique-based whirling dervish of steel, he has an attack for any situation. His versatile and damaging strikes mow down mob enemies and other abilities to cleave the bosses that stand in his way. Make sure that he is in the vanguard where he can get up close and personal with foes.
1 "Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy
With a crew this powerful, diverse, and unique, the Captain has to be a force to be reckoned with. Luffy vows to become King Of Pirates and follow in the footsteps of Gol D. Rogers. He's the moral compass of the group and insists on never leaving anyone behind or in pain (if he can help it). Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit and has been inventive with his powers, taking advantage of his rubber-like body to perform inhuman martial feats.
Unsurprisingly, Odyssey paints Luffy as the most valuable member. In exploration, his stretchiness has many applications, reaching far-off items and traversing gaps. Plus, his Observation Haki (extra-sensory perceptions) allow him to scan his surroundings. When embroiled in combat, Luffy can mold himself to fit any scenario. He has moves to take down groups of foes, a single fiercer enemy, or attack at long-range if the situation calls for it.
Furthermore, if a battle drags, Luffy has access to his Gear techniques. He combines the gigantism of Gear Third and the speed of Gear Second, with the transformative abilities of the higher gears to deal deadly damage.
One Piece Odyssey is out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.