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Over the course of the last twenty years or so, One Piece has steadily expanded the Straw Hats’ roster, giving Luffy one valuable crewmate after another. While a majority of the spots in the crew were filled very early on, the series has introduced new additions even after the time skip, with the latest being Jimbei, who officially joined during the latter half of the Wano Arc.
Having said that, over the years, One Piece has introduced many potential Straw Hat candidates, and the series arguably continues to do so even in the Final Saga. Though it seems unlikely that Luffy will be recruiting new members this late into the game, it’s impossible to be sure with They bakee. The series may just surprise fans with one, if not multiple, new crewmates before the big finale, and these characters deserve it the most.
10) Loki
First mentioned during the Whole Cake Island Arc, Loki has finally made his debut on Elbaf in One Piece’s manga and is already shaping up to be much more interesting than his initial introduction let on. Until very recently, it had been unclear whether Loki would end up being a foe or an ally, though as the story progresses, Loki seems to be leaning more towards the latter. Even with what little fans have seen of his abilities so far, Loki would prove to be a very powerful addition to the crew, that is, if the Straw Hats can figure out the logistics of fitting him onto the Sunny.
Though Loki seems to idolize Rocks D. Xebec, much like Luffy’s biggest rival, Blackbeard, the latest chapters have proven that Loki and Luffy are, in fact, very much alike. Loki and Luffy can even be seen as two sides of the same coin and as the Elbaf Arc gradually reveals the truth to the Straw Hats about King Harald’s murder, there’s no doubt that One Piece will eventually redeem Loki.
9) Kung-fu Bloody
Although technically a filler character, the Kung-Fu Dugong from the Ceaser Retrieval Arc is also another strong contender for a Straw Hat member, with an adorable backstory and even some firepower. The arc revealed that one of the dugongs from Alabasta whom Luffy trained ended up forming his own crew known as the Sea Animal Pirates, with their captain adorably emulating Luffy down to the scar on his chest.
That said, besides being incredibly cute and lovable, this Kung-Fu Dugong would also be valuable in battle as the arc revealed he could also use Armament Haki, an ability that many of the Straw Hats still don’t possess.
8) Marco
Another fun possible addition to the Straw Hats could be Marco. The Wano Arc already saw the former Whitebeard Commander fight alongside the Straw Hats. Furthermore, given that the Whitebeard Pirates have long disbanded after their captain’s death, this conveniently leaves Marco with nowhere to go, and recruiting him as a permanent ally could be very advantageous for the Straw Hats going into the Final Saga.
Marco could especially prove invaluable as Luffy and the Straw Hats face more and more powerful foes with regenerative abilities like Imu, the Five Elders, and the Holy Knights, as Marco would naturally be the perfect counter with his own regenerative powers.
7) Karoo
One of the first characters that fans usually bring up when talking about potential Straw Hat hopefuls in One Piece is Vivi. That said, few ever mention Karoo, the adorable leader of the Supersonic Duck Squadron of Alabasta, who is arguably a package deal with Vivi. While Chopper no doubt already fulfills the Straw Hats’ cuteness quota, there’s no harm in having another adorable mascot character on board. In fact, you could even argue that Karoo was there before Chopper.
6) Trafalgar D. Law
If there’s one thing the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance has proved, it’s that Law has amazing chemistry with Luffy and the Straw Hats and could be a very fun yet also meaningful addition to the crew. Out of all the Worst Generation members, Law might just be the most popular, with his popularity even taking Oda by surprise. While the Straw Hats already have their own doctor in Chopper, it wouldn’t hurt to have Law and the additional expertise and fighting power that the Op-Op Fruit provides.
With Law’s crew supposedly wiped out by Blackbeard, this would also be an excellent opportunity for Law to join the Straw Hats and accompany them to the final island, thus also giving him a way to achieve his dream of learning the truth of the world. Besides, this would also be a major win for all the LuLaw shippers. But of course, all of this hinges on Law having survived the battle with Blackbeard, which is something that One Piece has yet to confirm.
5) Bonney
Despite being burned by the Wano Arc and Yamato not joining the crew at the end, when the Egghead Arc came around, fans yet again fully believed Bonney would be the next Straw Hat. Her gluttonous tendencies and child-like nature made her instantly get along with Luffy and the reveal that Bonney could also take on a Gear Five-like transformation opened up interesting possibilities for future tag-team battles.
More than anything, Bonney and Kuma’s backstory made it so fans wanted nothing more than for Bonney to happily sail the seas and explore the world like she always wanted. The Elbaf Arc has since implied that Bonney, Kuma, and Lilith could settle down in the land of the Giants instead, allowing Lilith to fix Kuma. However, Imu and the Holy Knights’ arrival has complicated things, which means Bonney may be forced to accompany the Straw Hats a little longer.
4) Carrot
Though she started as a stowaway aboard the Sunny, Carrot is another character who has warmed up to fans’ hearts over the years with many agreeing on her being a “best girl” and wanting her to become a permanent member of the crew. Carrot has displayed good chemistry with Chopper as well as Luffy while her Sulong form also adds considerable combat value.
While the end of One Piece’s Wano Arc saw Carrot become the new ruler of the Mokomo Dukedom, many still argue she should have joined the Straw Hats, instead, as it is still debatable whether Carrot is suitable for the role. Many even hoped she had stowed away on the Sunny yet again, but alas, it seems like fans won’t be seeing much of Carrot again outside of filler episodes.
3) Yamato
One of the biggest disappointments at the end of the Wano Arc was the fact that Yamato did not join the Straw Hats despite being asked by Luffy and wanting to do so himself. Yamato would not only be an incredibly strong addition to the crew but would also thematically fill the role of Oden in the Straw Hats, furthering the parallels with the Roger Pirates. Joining the Straw Hats and setting out to sea would also bring Yamato’s character full circle by finally giving him the true freedom he’s always wanted.
As such, it was understandably frustrating when Yamato chose to stay back and journey across Wano first. Admittedly, Yamato was needed to protect Wano during this period of restructuring but seeing as the country is slowly headed towards stability and Yamato’s pilgrimage is also nearing its end, hopefully, it may not be too long till Yamato officially joins, potentially reuniting with Luffy at another island like Jimbei did.
2) Bon Clay
One Piece has introduced thousands of characters so far, including many honorable figures like Pedro, Oden, and Fisher Tiger, to name a few. Having said that, not many characters in One Piece command as much respect from fans as Bon Clay, who to this day remains one of the top picks for a potential Straw Hat crewmate. Although Bon Clay, or Bentham started out as an antagonist, his noble sacrifice for the Straw Hats at the end of the Alabasta Arc quickly redeemed him in fans’ eyes.
Bon Clay would go on to claim a permanent place in fans’ hearts after the Impel Down Arc. where he displayed unassailable loyalty to Luffy and sacrificed himself yet again so Luffy could escape. For the longest time after, Bon Clay’s fate was unknown, though the cover story of Chapter 666 fortunately confirmed he is still alive, thus keeping him in the running as a candidate for the next crew member.
1) Vivi
Fans of One Piece rarely agree on anything, though if there is one thing that comes close, it’s the fact that Vivi should be the final Straw Hat to join the crew and that she, of all characters, deserves the spot the most. Vivi won over hearts during the Alabasta Saga, and ever since fans have considered her (and Karoo) honorary members of the crew.
If anything, the recent revelation that Vivi, too, is a member of the D Clan like Luffy makes the case for her joining the Straw Hats even stronger. Furthermore, her unique qualities would have made her the innate choice of the Straw Hats’ diplomat by default. Finally, the events since the Reverie all seem to point to a reunion with Vivi, as she would certainly be much safer with the Straw Hats than with Morgans.
One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix and is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.
