Any anime fan will be quick to tell you how One Piece is the hallmark of anime, and it's easy to understand why. Sporting over 900 episodes and still going strong, this show has an enormous and ever-changing world, amazing action scenes, an original and intriguing plot, and, most importantly for many fans, a well-developed and creative cast of characters.
While all the of Luffy's crew tend to share certain characteristics, it takes a specific type of person to a pirate crew and chase your dreams across a very dangerous world, and each crew member has unique characteristics that help to define and separate them from the rest. This allows fans of One Piece to have a wide selection of favorite characters to choose from, and your favorite One Piece character can say quite a lot about the type of person you ire or would wish to be friends with.
Sanji
Sanji may be a wool-headed fool when it comes to women, easily dropping anything he is doing to chase them in an often overbearing manner, yet he is a valuable part of the Straw Hat team. His true value comes in the form of his devotion to others. He often seems to ask himself, "What could I do that would be the most useful for the crew as a whole?" and this line of thought is reflected in his actions.
Whether it's opening the Gates of Heaven in Marine Ford, rushing in to save Luffy from Totto Land after his fight with Katakuri, or kicking Don Flamingo out of the air just before he laid waste to The Sunny, Sanji is always right where he needs to be for the rest of the crew. This way of thinking leads him to have a self-sacrificing nature, proven by the fact that he so easily gave himself up to the Big Mom Pirates in order to protect his crew. Fans of Sanji often seek out friends with a strong sense of devotion who will drop everything for those people or things they are devoted to.
Robbin
Fans of Robbin tend to share many similar characteristics with the woman herself. She is intelligent, calm, and, most importantly, very independent.
Robbin has no issue going off on her own and often brings back useful information for the Straw Hats while using her guile and wit to outsmart any danger that comes her way. It's easy to see how fans of Robbin, being very independent and intelligent people themselves, quickly fall in love with this amazing woman.
Franky
Franky is the ultimate cool uncle type of character, and this is shown by his actions and values in the show. Franky loves showing off all his cool gadgets as he exhibits an outgoing nature and an ability to entertain children and adults alike.
Franky's greatest characteristic is his adaptability, so fans of Franky often value people who can enter a new situation and figure out where and how they are going to fit into it before playing their role perfectly, such as when Franky had to wear the big-boy-pirate-pants in the Dressrosa Arc.
Nami
Nami is similar to Franky in the way she is portrayed in the anime, yet, instead of being the cool uncle, she is the responsible and strong-willed older sister.
These older sister types are people you never want to enter an argument with, for they share the same sharp tongue as Nami, who is always coming down hard on different of the crew for acting foolish. Yet Nami is sweet and caring to the younger additions to the crew such as Chopper and Momo, and any fan of Nami will also share her caring nature.
Zorro
Fans of Zorro tend to have personalities closer related to Luffy or Sanji, who are more outwardly loud and ionate about their beliefs, running off in an instant to chase their desires. This is because fans of Zorro crave consistency and reliability in their friends, Zorro's two greatest qualities. He is the backbone of the Straw Hats, the voice of reason, the man who need not rely on anyone to get a job done.
This untitled vice-captain won't bend even in the direst of situations, like a stone resisting the flow of a rushing river. His strength brings confidence to every Straw Hat, assuming he doesn't get lost before the fight.
Usopp
Usopp can be a hard character to like because of the cowardly way he acts when danger is afoot. Yet, true fans understand that he is actually the most courageous member of the Straw Hats. Ussop is physically weak compared to the rest of the crew, so it is understandable that he is often terrified of going toe to toe with the overwhelmingly powerful forces Luffy's crew comes up against.
Yet courage is all about overcoming fear, which is a vastly different quality from Luffy's fearlessness, and when Ussop is forced into a battle, he overcomes that fear and wins every time. Fan's of Ussop appreciate similar qualities in themselves and friends. They tend to be very realistic and understanding of others and the difficulties they face in everyday life.
Chopper
Chopper is empathetic, hard-working, and forgiving. Take all of this and add it to his small size and cute appearance and it's easy to see what fans of Chopper appreciate because he is absolutely adorable. Fans of Chopper have a love for characters such as Hello Kitty, Pikachu, and Plue from Fairy Tail and will defend their love for these cute little critters with fervor!
It's not completely about cuteness, though. Fans of Chopper also tend to be empaths themselves. They are always in sync with the emotions of the people around them and like to keep everyone upbeat and happy.
Jinbe
Sturdy and unwavering, Jinbe is the type of fish-man you'd trust with a very important task because you know he is going to keep his word. We see this trait exemplified when Jinbe returns to Big Mom in order to personally cut ties between him and her pirate group despite the danger involved.
Fans of Jimbei tend to value loyalty and honesty above all else. They will rarely keep friends in their lives who bail on plans and can't be counted in tough situations. People who closely identify with Luffy tend to also have a great love for people like Jinbe because their chasing of whims often leads them into trouble and they require a sturdy and unwavering voice to help keep them in check.
Brook
Brook is the ultimate comedic relief and a very easy character to like, as long as you like bad dad-like skeleton puns. If Nami and Franky are the big sister and fun uncle, Brook is the senile yet wise grandpa character.
Fans of Brook enjoy people who aren't completely bound by the invisible rules of society. Do you or your friends randomly sing and dance in public? Can you not resist making a dumb joke even at the most inopportune time? If so, you are likely a fan of Brook. Yet Brook's humor and need for everyone around him to be having a good time are very important for the Straw Hats and when Brook needs to be serious, he is nearly as terrifying and intense as Zorro.
Luffy
Fans of Luffy know that he is a very ionate individual. Whether it's a ion for protecting his friends, chasing his dreams, or eating meat, Luffy puts his whole heart into everything he does. This ion leads him to value freedom above anything else, for he needs freedom to pursue his ions. Yet, perhaps the greatest draw of Luffy's character is his genuine nature. It doesn't matter to him if an entire bar of pirates is going to laugh at him for his dorky behavior or wild dreams, he's going to be himself regardless of the consequences.
Fans of Luffy greatly value these qualities in their friends and will often seek out individuals who can motivate and inspire them with their actions alone.
