10 One Piece Anime Villains That Need to Face Justice
Unfortunately, some of the most heinous One Piece villains face consequences that don’t measure up to their terrible crimes.
As one of the longest-running anime series of all time, One Piece has become an iconic classic with massive influence within its genre, in part because of the infamous villains driving the show’s plot. Ruthless characters, like Blackbeard and Admiral Akainu, who are to blame for countless devastating events throughout the series, routinely interrupt the Straw Hat Pirates’ journey through the Grand Line.
Although Monkey D. Luffy’s crew and their allies successfully defeat many of the antagonists they fight, some villains aren’t properly restrained from returning to dark pursuits after the battle. While that may simply prove how villainous they are at their core, the punishment doesn’t always fit the crime. Unfortunately, some of the most heinous One Piece villains have yet to face the proper justice for their ongoing evil deeds.
10Crocodile Deserves Prison for His Crimes Against Alabasta Kingdom
Crimes: Betrayed Alabasta Kingdom & Formed the Cross Guild with Dracule & Buggy the Clown
As the first antagonist to seriously wound and defeat Monkey D. Luffy, Crocodile appears as a powerful villain willing to exploit his position as a Warlord of the Sea as well as those around him, like Straw Hat Nico Robin. Before Crocodile was stripped of his Warlord title and imprisoned at Impel Down by the World Government, he created a secret criminal organization, Baroque Works, to betray Alabasta Kingdom as part of a political scheme to fool the public into admiring him.
After his escape from Impel Down, Crocodile joins forces with Dracule Mihawk and Buggy the Clown to form the Cross Guild, a vengeful criminal operation openly setting bounties on Marines. Crocodile’s betrayal against Alabasta Kingdom and his ongoing criminal activity in One Piece make it clear that his premature release from Impel Down is undeserved mercy for his evil actions.
9Blackbeard’s Devil Fruit Theft Must Be Avenged
Crimes: Murdered Absalom & Boa Hancock; Steals His Victims’ Devil Fruits
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Since his foreboding introduction to One Piece during the Drum Island arc, Blackbeard has earned a terrifying reputation as one of the most dangerous pirates in the series. The ruthless villain, also known as Marshall D. Teach, betrayed a fellow Whitebeard Pirate to acquire his first Devil Fruit before exploiting his position as Warlord of the Sea to break into Impel Down, which would set the explosive events of the Marineford Arc into motion. Accompanied by a bloodthirsty crew, the Emperor of the Sea commits violent crimes to acquire stolen Devil Fruits from his victims.
The Blackbeard Pirates demonstrate the deadly lengths they will go to further their goal of stealing Devil Fruits by murdering Absalom in cold blood and boldly attacking Boa Hancock, former Warlord of the Sea. Many fans believe Blackbeard will consume a third Devil Fruit to reveal his full strength, and with his mind set on claiming the legendary One Piece treasure, it is imperative that he is restrained from shedding more blood to gain power.
8The Five Elders’ Manipulation Must Be Exposed
Crimes: The Oppression of Innocents; Manipulation of the Public; Erasure of Entire Populations
The World Government is responsible for horrible large-scale atrocities throughout One Piece‘s narrative, and as the highest seat of power in the political organization, the Five Elders are accountable for the countless lives lost during these violent acts. Although unpredictable circumstances, such as Monkey D. Luffy’s chaotic appearances, sometimes disrupt the outcome of the Five Elders’ best-laid plans, their manipulation of the public to preserve their power must be exposed to bring justice. Under the guidance of the Five Elders, a group of five male Celestial Dragons influence political actions behind closed doors.
The World Government has fostered evil in the world through the destructive erasure of entire islands and their accompanying populations, including the loss of Ohara and Nico Robin’s people. The violent actions of the World Government and the suppression of important world secrets, like the history of the Void Century, emphasize the importance of unseating the Five Elders as the evil oligarchy of the world. This coup may soon become a reality as they square off with the Straw Hat Pirates during the events of the unfolding Egghead Island Arc.
7Aokiji Remains Guilty of His Admiral Crimes as a Blackbeard Pirate
Crimes: Defected from the Marines & Joined Blackbeard Pirates
Before Aokiji defects from the Marines to the Blackbeard Pirates, he complies with many of the World Government’s terrible actions as an Admiral, including the tragic Ohara Incident. Although the former Admiral shows remorse for some of his actions, his decision to join the notorious Blackbeard Pirates is unforgivable.
Aokiji demonstrates a sense of personal justice when he makes the risky decision to defy Marine orders by saving Nico Robin’s life in secret during the Ohara Incident. Aokiji is ultimately convinced to join Blackbeard’s crew to empower his personal pursuits. Because of his relatively uncertain motivations, the trajectory of Aokiji’s character could change when he finally faces off with the Straw Hat Pirates, but he will still need to answer for his past crimes.
6Rob Lucci Is a Terrifying Ally to the Celestial Dragons
Crimes: Commits Unwarranted Violence to Reach His Goals
Rob Lucci is easily one of the most fearsome agents of the World Government as a result of his bloodthirsty nature and powerful awakened Devil Fruit. Despite his exhausting defeat against Monkey D. Luffy as a CP9 agent during the Enies Lobby Arc, Lucci gets promoted to serve the Celestial Dragons directly as a CP0 agent.
It’s frightening enough that Lucci is empowered to carry out the will of the infamous Celestial Dragons, but he also repeatedly demonstrates his vengeful desire to commit violence beyond what is necessary to secure his objectives. For Lucci’s numerous crimes, many of them sanctioned, to go unpunished would be a failure to uphold justice against both a murderous government and its assassin.
5Spandam Is a Disgrace to Cipher Pol and His Father
Crimes: Brutalized Nico Robin & Mentally & Emotionally Abused Her
The primary antagonist of the Enies Lobby Arc, Spandam, is given his CP9 role as the simple result of military nepotism in the One Piece world. Spandam is the despicble son of Spandine, the CP9 agent who initiated the fatal Buster Call on Ohara Island. Although Spandam’s actions didn’t have the impact that his father’s did, he made sure they were just as cruel.
Spandam brutalized Nico Robin and forced her to endure painful recollections of the Ohara Incident, drawing comparisons to the pain Spandine inflicted on Robin’s mother before the deadly Buster Call. Despite his failure to deliver Robin to her execution, Spandam was promoted to CP0 as Lucci’s subordinate in a shameful reversal of their roles. The best justice for Spandam’s actions is removing him from his role in the World Government to prevent further harm down the line.
4Admiral Akainu’s Unwavering Absolute Justice Is Evil
Crimes: Mercilessly Destroys a Lone Escape Ship & Executed Portgas D. Ace
In one of the most memorable exhibitions of Akainu’s Devil Fruit powers, Admiral Akainu brutally executes Portgas D. Ace, the only known descendant of the legendary Gol D. Roger, to signal the end of the Great Age of Pirates by finally eliminating the Pirate King’s bloodline during the Marineford Arc. During One Piece‘s timeskip, Aokiji challenges Akainu’s rigid ideals in a battle to decide the successor to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Admiral Akainu’s absolute adherence to the cold ideals of the World Government is perhaps never more clear than during the Ohara Incident when he mercilessly orders the destruction of a lone escape ship without hesitation. Now appointed to the highest seat of power in the Marines, Akainu poses a greater threat than ever, which can only be neutralized by his complete excision from the World Government structure.
3Eustass Kid Is the Worst Pirate of His Generation
Crimes: Indiscriminately Attacked & Murdered Many Innocent People
One of the strongest Eleven Supernovas, Eustass Kid, earned a noteworthy bounty from the World Government by indiscriminately attacking an alarming number of innocent people before he enters the Grand Line. Kid lacks the humility and maturity to restrain himself from lashing out violently at civilians that pose no threat to him, even invoking the deadly power of his awakened Devil Fruit, when he perceives an attack on his pride.
While Kid’s deadly power makes him a dangerous contender in the journey to become the new Pirate King, it’s his reckless nature, demonstrated by his impulsive attacks on citizens and various pirate crews throughout the series, that is the greater threat to those unlucky enough to cross his path. Despite his sporadic support of the Straw Hat Pirates, Eustass Kid is a remorseless murderer who owes his numerous victims the dignity of acknowledging his cruel crimes.
2Caribou Should Have Easily Been Defeated By Now
Crimes: Kills in Cold Blood But Also Incompetence
Despite his terrifying appearance and willingness to kill in cold blood, Caribou stands out among other One Piece villains as a pathetic and incompetent character. After being tricked into joining a fake Straw Hat Crew during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc, Caribou’s trajectory as a comedic character becomes further cemented into place with each of his humorous blunders.
Caribou disgraces himself most when his crew arrives to rescue him from the G-5 Marine base, only to be left behind after he escapes. Paired with his cowardice, Caribou’s unimpressive bounty indicates that he’s a villain that should have easily been defeated by now, and he doesn’t deserve to waste any more of the protagonists’ time in the Final Saga of the series.
1Imu Must Be Put on Trial for His Crimes Against the World
Crimes: Unknown but Terrible
Every heinous act carried out by the World Government throughout the series can be traced back to One Piece‘s most evil villain: Imu. Much like the Five Elders, Imu operates from the shadows, but the mysteries of his secret existence are even more guarded than the elder council’s actions.
The massive scope of the harm dealt by the Imu’s actions over the course of his rule as Shadow King makes him an unquestionably irredeemable character. While the full extent of Imu’s crimes may never be revealed, it’s clear that if any one character should be held singularly accountable for perpetuating evil, Imu deserves the ultimate punishment for his crimes against the world.
