This list delves into some story spoilers for One Piece, as each entry explores certain characters and their immature antics throughout the show.
Summary
Some characters in One Piece, like Buggy, struggle with maturity, often displaying childish behavior and cowardice.
Shirahoshi needed help from Luffy to grow into her role as a princess, overcoming timidity.
Big Mom’s childlike behavior, which includes tantrums, showcases her inability to mature despite her power.
On the surface, the world of One Piece can seem very bright, vibrant, and innocent, and while it certainly can be, anyone who has read or watched the series will know that it is also pretty dangerous. As a result, in order for a character to survive, they need to be mature enough to accept the risks and responsibilities that come with being either a marine or a pirate. That being said, though, there are still several individuals who, despite no longer being kids, clearly still have a lot of growing up to do.
These characters can tend to act pretty childish and irresponsibly, to the point where those around them will remind them to act their own age when the going gets tough. Then again, it’s always a lot of fun to see a character holding onto their younger years as firmly as possible, despite how old they might be in the main story, and this certainly relates to the One Piece characters listed below who just don’t seem to want to ever grow up.
7
Buggy
Buggy is Still Just as Cowardly as He’s Always Been
First Appearance: Episode 4
Buggy’s finest achievement as a pirate was having the opportunity to ride alongside Gol D. Roger back when the legendary captain was still alive and kicking, but that being said, he wasn’t exactly the most reliable member of the crew. Buggy was more than capable of cheering Shanks and the others up in dire situations, but he was also known for being a massive coward who would usually rather run away from a fight than protect his allies.
As an adult, he’s honestly not all that much different, as Buggy will always let out a scream and run when faced with a tough opponent, as was shown numerous times in the Marineford War. This is why it’s so shocking that Buggy has managed to reach the status of Yonko, but if fans are best honest, this is pretty much all down to luck, considering Buggy still acts like a giant cry baby, despite now being a seasoned pirate.
6
Shirahoshi
Luffy Encouraged Shirahoshi to Mature and Grow into Her Role as a Princess
First Appearance: Episode 531
Speaking of crybabies, Shirahoshi may technically be the Princess of Fishman Island, but it’s pretty evident to Luffy from the moment he meets her that she is far from a great fit for the role. For much of her life, Shirahoshi had been coddled and protected by her royal brothers, but rather than eventually fleeing the nest and gaining her own independence, she instead had always remained to be extremely timid and scared of everything around her, even though she is supposed to act as the leading figure of her people.
Even Luffy, who is known for being incredibly childish and immature, was surprised at just how sensitive Shirahoshi actually was any time he spoke to her. In the end, though, it would be the Straw Hat captain who convinced Shirahoshi to come out of her shell, to the point where she even decided to travel to the surface to attend the Reverie, though it certainly took her a long time to finally accept the responsibilities that came with being a member of royalty.
5
Spandam
Spandam Never Became an Honorable and Honest Marine
First Appearance: Episode 249
It’s truly remarkable that Spandam reached such a high rank as a marine, considering he clearly doesn’t care all that much about delivering true justice or being honorable in any kind of way, shape, or form. In fact, Spandam is clearly just as selfish as he was back when he was still a child, as his only concern is bolstering his own reputation and collecting as much money as possible.
Whenever he doesn’t get his way, Spandam will always resort to jumping into a fiery tantrum, moaning about his current situation without ever actually doing anything about it. This was clearly shown when he was struggling to capture Robin back in Enies Lobby, where he constantly let his emotions get the better of him and even called in a Buster Call by complete accident. Clearly, this infamous marine has some serious growing up to do.
4
Sugar
Sugar’s Fruit Prevents Her From Growing Older
First Appearance: Episode 608
While all the characters on this list have been unable to live up to their age from an emotional perspective, Sugar is a little different. Her Devil Fruit, the Hobi Hobi no Mi, makes it so Sugar will stop aging the moment she eats it, which is why, despite actually being 22 years old in the main story, she assumes the physical appearance of a child. While the fruit itself is extremely strong, enabling Sugar to turn anybody she wants into a toy, the drawback is a pretty severe one, considering everyone always feels the need to talk down to Sugar after forgetting her real age.
Though Sugar hasn’t been seen since the Dressrosa arc, she’s actually ended up becoming pretty memorable due to her fascinating Devil Fruit, which was strong enough to keep an entire island population under Doflamingo’s control. While Sugar herself may be able to see the world from the eyes of an adult, she is unfortunately always going to be treated as a child for the remainder of her life due to her physical appearance.
3
Flampe
A Rude and Snobby Brat Who Willingly Turned on Her Own Brother
First Appearance: Episode 865
Fans might remember Flampe as the spectator to Luffy and Katakuri’s fight who was shooting a barrage of darts at the Straw Hat captain in the middle of the battle. Considering Flampe is always obsessing over proving herself right and criticizing others, it would be easy to assume that she’s still only a child, but she’s actually just a teenager who evidently still has a lot to learn.
Rather than sticking by her family and supporting them in their time of need, Flampe acted like a child and immediately turned her back on Katakuri after he revealed his big secret. Admittedly, it does make sense why some of Big Mom‘s kids would continue to act like spoiled brats, considering their mother isn’t much different, though Flampe is definitely the most dramatic example of this.
2
Big Mom
Looks Can Be Deceiving, as Big Mom is Still a Child at Heart
First Appearance: Episode 868
As an abnormally large child, all Big Mom wanted to do when she was still young was to eat everything she could get her hands on. When she wasn’t filling her face with cake and sweets, Big Mom would enjoy partaking in big and extravagant tea parties with her friends, or at least, the friends she hadn’t accidentally eaten yet. Rather than getting over her eating obsession and saying goodbye to the childish parties, Big Mom has remained the same child at heart throughout her entire life.
In fact, it was shown on Whole Cake Island that if Big Mom doesn’t get her fill of candy for the day, rather than peacefully talking with her kids to acquire some more, she instead acts like the biggest child of them all, destroying anything and everything in her path to prove a point. She may be one of the most powerful pirates in the series, but Big Mom’s childhood innocence is still clear as day to see.
1
Luffy
Luffy Explores the Wide Open Seas With an Infectious and Childish Sense of Wonder
First Appearance: Episode 1
In most anime and manga stories, the protagonist will gradually become more serious or mature over the course of the series, but Luffy is the exception. Even though he’s been through hell and back multiple times, losing several characters and friends along his journey, including his entire crew at one point, he has always managed to retain a childish sense of wonder that makes him such a fun leader to follow. In the flashbacks that have been shown, Luffy was an upbeat and cheerful kid who was always fascinated by the world around him, and it’s fair to say that the same could be said for his appearance in the main story.
While this has sometimes put his position as captain in jeopardy, his childish nature is ultimately more of a strength than a drawback, since it allows him to keep the adventure fun and exciting with his hilarious antics. Even when he does decide to go all out with his power, though, such as when he unleashed Gear 5 against Kaido, Luffy’s immaturity is still fully represented by his entire body turning into a living cartoon, making him very different compared to the average dark and brooding protagonist.
