Summary
One Piecehas been around for more than two decades, and it is still going strong.One Piecehas become the most popular anime and manga series of all time because fans love the characters and story. Monkey D. Luffy is the main character, and fans want to see him achieve his dream of becoming the new Pirate King. Luffy is known for his straightforward and fearless personality. He is a kind and selfless person, which is why he has been able to make so many friends.
Many of Luffy’s closest friends are members of his crew, but he has been able to turn former enemies into friends as well. Some of his closest friends are people who he has known since childhood, and he considers them to be his real brothers.
Updated July 18, 2025 by George Voutiritsas:Monkey D. Luffy has met dozens of characters throughout his journey. He has had to fight several of them because they have stood in the way of his dream, but he has befriended quite a few characters as well. This is not surprising because Luffy is a very caring and fun-loving person.
Luffy’s closest friends have been part of his crew since the very beginning, and each new member has developed a life-long friendship with him as well. Most One Piece fans know who Luffy’s best friends are, but other characters deserve to be mentioned as well.
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Megumi Han (JPN)/ Sarah Wiedenheft (ENG)
O-Tama, otherwise known as Tama Kurozumi, was one of the many characters introduced in the Wano Arc. Luffy inadvertently rescued her from a group of kidnappers, and she has referred to him as “older brother” ever since. She was so grateful to him that she offered him all the food she had. When Luffy was captured and sent to Udon Prison, Tama, who was injured at the time, accompanied the group that intended to rescue him.
O-Tama grew attached to Luffy, and he allowed her to wear his Straw Hat - which is something he rarely does. O-Tama met Ace a few years ago, and the two quickly formed a sibling-like bond. Ace even promised her that she could join his crew when she got older. Luffy reminded her of Ace, and when she learned that Ace and Luffy were brothers, her connection to Luffy grew even greater.
Kaori Nazuka (JPN)/ Amanda Lee (ENG)
Uta is Shanks' adopted daughter, and she is a member ofthe Red Hair Pirates. She joined the crew when she was a child and served as their musician. She grew to resent Shanks and the crew because she thought they abandoned her, but they were able to reconcile. She met Luffy when the Red Hair Pirates visited Foosha Village.
They became childhood friends and rivals, and they would find ways to compete against each other. Uta would always cheat by distracting Luffy, so he always declared himself the winner. She was happy to see him at her concert, and she regained respect for him after seeing how determined he was to save her and her fans from Tot Musica.
Unknown
Keiichi Sonobe (JPN)/ Bruce Carey (ENG)
Silvers Rayleigh was the right-hand man of Gol D. Roger. Rayleigh may be in his late 70s, but he is still considered to be one ofOne Piece’sstrongest characters. Shanks told Rayleigh about Luffy a few years earlier, and he was eager to meet the young pirate. They finally met at Saboady Archipelago, and Rayleigh was immediately impressed by Luffy.
After the Summit War, Rayleigh agreed to train Luffy. Thanks to him,Luffy learned how to use all three types of Haki. Luffy and Rayleigh developed a real friendship during the two-year timeskip. Luffy now holds Rayleigh in high regard, and Rayleigh is proud to call Luffy his student. Luffy and Roger have similar personalities, so it is not surprising that Rayleigh formed a bond with him.
32,000,000
Kazuki Yao (JPN)/ Barry Yandell (ENG)
The Straw Hats first met Bon Clay duringthe Arabasta arc, where he worked for Crocodile. He and Luffy hit it off right away because Luffy enjoyed his flamboyant personality. It also helped that Bon Clay’s Devil Fruit allowed him to impersonate some of the Straw Hats for comedic effect.
They became good friends after Bon Clay apologized for causing trouble in Arabasta. They met again in the underground prison of Impel Down, and they hugged it out after defeating several guards. Bon helped Luffy to reach Ace’s cell and helped him to escape the prison. Luffy believes that Bon died to help him, so their next meeting will likely be very emotional.
1,659,000,000
Kotono Mitsuishi (JPN)/ Lydia Mackay (ENG)
Luffy metBoa Hancockwhen he was sent to Amazon Lilly by Kuma’s Devil Fruit. Boa was hostile towards Luffy at first because he saw the slave mark on her back. She ordered his execution, and during the ensuing fights, she witnessed Luffy’s selflessness when he went out of his way to cover her sister’s slave mark.
After learning that Luffy hit a Celestial Dragon, she pledged her loyalty to him. Eventually, Boa fell in love with Luffy because of his bravery and kind heart. Luffy is completely oblivious to her feelings but considers her a close friend who has helped him multiple times.
4,048,900,000
Shuichi Ikeda (JPN)/ Brandon Potter (ENG)
Shanks is now the longest reigning Yonko, and he is one ofthe world’s strongest advanced Haki users.Luffy has not seen Shanks in years, but they still share a deep bond. In fact, Shanks is the one who scared off Admiral Ryokugyu when he tried to capture Luffy in Wano.
Shanks is Luffy’s hero, and he is the man who inspired Luffy to become a pirate. Shanks risked his life and willingly lost his left arm to save a young Luffy from a Sea King. Luffy’s Straw Hat once belonged to Shanks, and he still considers it to be his most sacred treasure.
Misa Watanabe (JPN)/ Caitlin Glass (ENG)
Vivi is the princess of the Arabasta Kingdom, and when Luffy first met her, she worked forCrocodile’s Baroque Works organization.She accompanied the Straw Hats for a good amount of time, and this allowed her to get close to everyone, including Luffy.
She was amazed by Luffy’s fighting strength and caring nature. She cared for Luffy’s well-being and helped him to realize his responsibilities as a leader. When the time came to fight Crocodile, Luffy agreed to help her save Arabasta because they were friends. It was a sad moment when Vivi and the Straw Hats separated, but Luffy cemented their friendship by making her an honorary crewmember.
394,000,000
Kazuki Yao (JPN)/ Patrick Seitz (ENG)
Luffy did not like Franky at first. In fact, Luffy and the Straw Hats attacked Franky’s group in Water 7 after they beat up Usopp. Franky was not a fan of Luffy either, but he respected him for standing up to him. During the Enies Lobby Arc, Luffy and Franky came to understand each other, and Luffy trusted him to rescue Robin from Spandam andthe World Government.
After rescuing Robin, Franky agreed to build the Thousand Sunny for the Straw Hats, and Luffy encouraged him to join the crew. Franky now treats Luffy like a little brother, and Luffy is constantly amazed by Franky’s weapons and cybernetic modifications. Franky is extremely proud of Luffy, and he believes in him to the point that he can stand up to a Yonko like Big Mom without fear.
383,000,000
Cho (JPN)/ Ian Sinclair (ENG)
Brook died years ago, but he came back to life because he atethe Revive-Revive Fruit.Unfortunately, it took a long time for his soul to find his body. This is the reason why Brook is now a living skeleton. When the Straw Hats first encountered him, most of the crew was scared of him, but Luffy thought he was cool.
Luffy loved Brook so much that he instantly asked him to join the crew. This meant a great deal to Brook because he had been alone for decades. The two goof off from time to time, but Brook’s loyalty is absolute. He became a popular music star during the time skip, but he immediately dropped that life when it was time to reunite with Luffy and the others.
1,100,000,000
Katsuhisa Hoki (JPN)/ Daniel Baugh (ENG)
Jinbe is a whale shark fish-man, and when Luffy first met him, he was one of the Seven Warlords. They met in Impel Down, and Jinbe was immediately impressed by Luffy’s recklessness. Jinbe and Ace were friends, so he helped Luffy rescue him. His respect for Luffy grew as they made their way through the prison.
When they got to Marineford, Jinbe cared for Luffy’s well-being to the point that he saved Luffy from Akainu’s magma attack. After Ace died, it was Jinbe who saved Luffy from his self-pity by telling him that he had others to protect. Luffy has held Jinbe in high regard ever since, and he was ecstatic when Jinbe officially joined his crew in Wano.
