Not just anyone can be one Straw hat Pirate. Over the past 25 years, Eiichiro Oda has gradually expanded One Pieces main characters to 10, a number that becomes increasingly definitive with each passing chapter of the final saga. Anyone who lives with Luffy and the crew of the Going Merry or Thousand Sunny must be one of the most important characters in the story; someone that every fan knows inside and out.
Well, there are exceptions to all rules.
Like all popular Shonen series, One Piece extends far beyond manga or anime, and the Straw Hats have been on countless video game adventures over the decades. Although some editions revive the cannon arches, many One Piece games tell original stories that introduce new characterssome of whom basically become Straw Hats throughout their adventures. In fact, some of them immediately join the crew and are technically ex-Straw Hats like Vivi.
Since the games are not canon, these honorary straw hats exist in a separate universe from the anime.
Gaburi joins the Straw Hats for an unlimited adventure
Active straw hat Pirate
- One Piece Unlimited Cruise Episode 1 & 2
One Piece: Unlimited Cruise is simultaneously one of the best AND most disappointing games in the franchise. While the story, character interactions and locations are generally top notch and fitting One Piece Well, the battle grows monotonously way too fast, despite all the Straw Hats (at the time) being playable characters. For all its flaws, I'd recommend fans check out the Wii version, which is split into two games.
Diving into the story, Unlimited cruising sees the Straw Hats stumble into a mysterious archipelago around a massive tree, where they are then assigned trials on various islands. From the very beginning, they are accompanied by Gaburi, a sentient Orb who has no memories or even much of a personality at first. At first his contribution consisted mainly of crafting items to help the Straw Hats, but he was eventually fully integrated into the crew.
Gaburi is basically an empty vessel that can be shaped by its surroundings; in fact, his “purpose” is to transform into the perfect gift for those who complete the trials. But Gaburi gradually learns what it means to have friends, especially as the Straw Hats constantly step up to save him.
Gaburi becomes such a big part of Straw Hats that the second game (aka Section 2) revolves primarily around the crew trying to rescue him.
Dias and Atoli are the main characters in their One Piece Story
Active Straw Hat Pirates
- One Piece: Legend of the Rainbow Island
We have a really deep cut here; a Wonderswan Color RPG that was never released outside of Japan. Nowadays, new One Piece games are almost guaranteed to receive global releases, but that certainly wasn't the case for the franchise's first 20 titles, 19 of which skipped North America. The Legend of Rainbow Island is one of those forgotten treasures, and a complete fansub doesn't seem to exist either. At least I couldn't find any.
What I'm trying to say is that no one knows about Dias and Atoli, two characters who not only go on an epic journey with the Straw Hats but are also invited to join the crew by Luffy after all is said and done. Of course they decline, but they clearly leave a positive impression. Impressively, they are the main characters in Rainbow Islandwith Dias as the first character that players control. Their importance to the story and playability puts them on equal footing with the Straw Hats, making them seem like equals.
Rainbow Island came out in 2001, then One Piece was still in its infancy, and the crew consisted of only 5 members (+ Vivi). Chopper had already been introduced as the 6th Straw Hat in the official story, but the game takes place before his arrival. Consequently, Dias and Atoli joining the crew may have seemed like a big deal at the time, especially since it was the first game to go this route.
Pato is the rejected Straw Hat
Honorary Straw Hat who was already engaged to someone else
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Image courtesy of Bandai Namco -
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco -
Image via Bandai Namco
- One Piece: Unlimited World Red
Similar Unlimited cruising, One Piece: Unlimited World Red is on the verge of being incredible, only to be let down by a battle system that decides to be “good” rather than “good”. The game's biggest strength is its new characters, especially the main villain, Patrick Redfield, and his only companion, Pato. If it weren't for the fact that they've absurdly overpowered and broken the Devil Fruits, they'd fit perfectly into the canon anime.
Despite being fiercely loyal to Redfield, Pato spends most of the game as an ally of the Straw Hats, helping Luffy when the other crew members are kidnapped. Although he follows Redfield's orders for the first part of the game, Pato completely turns against Redfield when the latter's cruelty becomes apparent and uses this opportunity to integrate himself into the Straw Hat Pirates.
Pato actively asks to join the crew at one point, only to be turned down by Luffy knowing that he really wants to reconnect with Redfield.
Lim sees the Straw Hats at their best and worst
Honorary straw hat
Finally, we have Lim, who spends the most One Piece Odyssey with straw hats. Given that the story cycles through four of the biggest arcs in the franchise, she effectively bears witness to many of the crew's defining moments, helping them rediscover their glory (and fix their own mistake).
At first, Lim serves as an antagonist, as her prejudice against pirates and outsiders causes her to rob the Straw Hats of their memories and powers. Yes, she has a very “video game” ability. To regain their memories, they must enter worlds created by their memories, something only Lim can create.
While initially aloof and mostly speaking telepathically, she gradually changes her mind about the Straw Hats, especially when she sees Luffy's attempt to rescue Ace at Marineford. By the end, Lim and the Straw Hats fully accept each other, to the point where they are both willing to put their lives on the line to offer protection.
