Summary
They say a picture speaks a thousand words. A great painting can tell a vivid story through its visuals alone without including a single word on the canvas. The same principle applies to character design. Agreat character designshould convey information to the audience without the characters themselves having to utter a single word.
This is doubly true in the world of shounen manga and anime, where everything has to be overt and in-your-face. A great character design will enable the audience to guess the character’s allegiance, personality, moral compass, and even their background to some degree, with just a quick glance. When it comes to character design, Eiichiro Oda is one of the best in the industry, andOne Pieceis a showcase for that talent. Let’s take a look atsome of his best-designed villains.
This ranking is based on personal preference, so feel free to swap them around to suit your taste.
10Marshall D. Teach
The Traditional Pirate
Out of every character inOne Piece,Blackbeard’sappearanceis the one that is most aligned with the traditional depiction of “pirates” that viewers seen in popular culture. The pirate hat, the large overcoat, the long beard, the guns tucked in his belt, the rowdy behavior, the booze, and the maniacal laugh; Blackbeard fulfills every pirate stereotype on the spectrum.
Show a picture of Blackbeard to someone unfamiliar withOne Pieceand tell them it’s the concept art for a new villain in the nextPirates of the Caribbeanmovie, and there’s a good chance they’ll believe it. It’s a classic look, but there’s a reason it still works so well.
9Kuro
The Dashing Villain
Kuroisa former captain of the Black Cat Pirateswho poses as a butler for a wealthy family, patiently biding his time until he can steal their riches. As such, his design also revolves around that concept. Here is a pirate who wears a black suit with slicked-back hair and thin-frame glasses; a truly dashing and high-class villain.
However, there’s a time in the series when Kuro finally reveals his true evil self. At this point, his design changes a little bit. In place of his emotionless face is now an arrogant smirk and piercing eyes. He also loosens up the shirt and the tie. These might seem like tiny changes, but they totally alter Kuro’s overall vibe.
8Crocodile
The Mafia Boss
Appearance-wise,Crocodileis like Kuro but with more flair. Loafers, slacks, a long-sleeve shirt, a buttoned-up vest, a scarf, and a big fat cigar to complete the mafia boss look. It wouldn’t be surprising if his subordinatescalled him Don Crocodilein private.
To tie the whole mafia concept together with the pirate theme, Crocodile also has a rather noticeable scar across his face and a large hook attached to his left hand. This way, he appears rougher than most mafia bosses, but classier than most pirates.
7Smoker
A Lawful Thug
His name isSmoker.He smokes two cigars at the same time. His Devil Fruit power enables him to turn into smoke. He has ashen white hair, just like the color of the smoke. Everything about him has something to do with smoke. He is literally a walking pun.
Not only that, but Smoker’s overall appearance is representative of his personality. His stern face is adorned with a noticeable scar that makes him look more like a thug than a law enforcer, but his Marine jacket clearly displays where his allegiance lies. Even then, he keeps the jacket open because, unlike most Marines, Smoker doesn’t have an issue with bending a few rules if it means arresting some pirates.
6Magellan
A Ruthless Yet Lawful Warden
When it comes to design,Magellanis an interesting character to analyze. Here’s the puzzle: how does one make a character who needs to be scary, dangerous, and powerful enough to be the warden ofa prison that holds the most vicious criminals in the world, but is also still incredibly loyal to the World Government?
The answer is contrast. He has the face of a devil and wields the power of poison. If that’s not scary enough, what is? However, he also always wears his uniform properly—with the shirt, suit, belt, armbands, the whole shebang. Unlike Smoker, who doesn’t really put much thought into his uniform, Magellan is clearly proud of his attire, which heavily implies his strong allegiance to the World Government.
5Donquixote Doflamingo
A Flamboyant Delinquent
From the strait-laced Magellan, we go straight to the person who embodies the devil-may-care attitude,Donquixote Doflamingo.He is ruthless, he is dangerous, he is over-the-top, and he will always do things his way. Needless to say, his design perfectly represents those values.
He wears a white shirt—unbuttoned, of course—animal print pants, a flamingo-colored feather coat, and a funky pair of sunglasses to complete the flamboyant look. He walks like a 90s Japanese delinquent with a big grin on his face and mischief in his mind. He is the epitome of a flamboyant delinquent.
4Z
A Jaded Military Man
Zis a villain from the movieOne Piece Film: Z.He wasa former Marine Admiraland was on track to claim the top spot of the Marines. Unfortunately, something terrible happened that radicalized him and filled his head with dangerous ideas. He instead becomes an extremist, a turncoat, a leader of an evil organization, and a man with a dangerous mission.
To reflect his background and personality, Z is given an overcoat wrapped around his shoulder, the signature style of a Marine admiral. However, unlike admirals who wear white coats, Z has a black coat with a Jolly Roger symbol on its back, signaling to the world that he is the complete opposite of a true Marine Admiral. Add to that his scary face, mechanical arm, and thuggish behavior, and we’ve got ourselves a villain.
3Ryuma (Zombie)
A Chill Yet Dangerous Samurai
Ryumais an interesting character, not only because of how he looks, but also because he is a mix of numerous things that, in theory, shouldn’t blend. He is a zombie samurai who speaks like a pirate and fights like a fencer. He is cool yet terrifying, ruthless yet wise as a sage, constantly relaxed yet always ready to fight. Needless to say, the design plays a huge part in conveying these different qualities.
His oversized scarf hides his skin-less mouth, diminishing his scary appearance and increasing his coolness. His tattered kimono, worn loosely around his body, makes him appear carefree and relaxed. However, he always puts his hand near the hilt of his sword, indicating thatthis legendary samurai is always prepared for battle.He is a walking contradiction, and it’s impossible to predict what he’ll do next.
2Uta
A Hidden Enemy
Utaisthe main antagonist ofOne Piece Film: Red.The great thing about Uta is that no part of her design suggests that she is a villain. From her colorful hair to her gentle facial expressions and vibrant costumes, everything about her screams “pop star.”
However, just like how Uta deceives her fans in the story, her design also deceives the audience. Every character on this list has noticeable villainous traits, such as a scary face, an imposing figure, and menacing weapons, to name a few. The only exception to that rule is Uta. Unless viewers follow the story, they won’t be able to guess that she is a villain. That makes the revelation about her true intentions so much more powerful.
1Kaidou
A Good Old Fashioned Villain
NoOne Piececharacter screams “villain” at first glance more thanKaidou,the captain of the Beast Pirates.His character design is packed with details that highlight his personality and his role as a villain. Starting from the top, Kaidou has a towering and muscular body that will intimidate everybody who lays eyes on him. Furthermore, he also has a pair of longhorns and a spine-chilling face to complete his terrifying look.
Moving on, the sleeve tattoo that extends from his left wrist all the way to his left chest is reminiscent of a traditional Yakuza tattoo. The resemblance is even clearer when Kaidou is in his hybrid mode, with his dragon scales forming something akin to a Yakuza full-sleeve tattoo design on both arms. That’s not all; there’s also the rope that he ties around his waist, which is the traditional sacred rope given to a Yokozuna, the highest-ranked sumo wrestler. These Japanese themes fit perfectly with Kaidou, considering he isthe villain of Wano Country,a nation that is heavily inspired by Japanese culture.
Clearly, a lot of thought goes into designing a proper villain character, and this list is barely scratching the surface. Whether it’s Crocodile’s mafia look, Doflamingo’s flamboyance, or Uta’s deceptive visuals, Oda’s attention to detail ensures that every antagonist inOne Pieceis not only visually striking, but also memorable.
