One Piece recently wrapped up its Wano Country arc and, as Oda mentioned previously, after Wano would be the end of One Piece. That is precisely what has happened and One Piece is now officially in its final saga. Of course, this doesn't mean that One Piece is ending anytime soon, however, what it does mean is that the endgame has finally begun now.
From here onwards, everything in One Piece is going to be that much more intense and exciting for the fans to witness and, with the Final Saga comes the opportunity for old characters to reappear and play an important role. Oda is an author who loves to reintroduce his old characters as better and stronger versions of themselves and with the Final Saga, he has plenty of opportunities to do so.
8 Gin
Gin is a character that was introduced to the fans during the Baratie arc and he served a very important role in the Krieg Armada. He fought against Sanji and fared quite well and, at the same time, he also forged a very deep and lasting bond with both Luffy as well as Sanji. Even though he was a villain, Gin did play a part in saving Sanji and Baratie in the process.
His life was running out at the end of the arc, however, chances are that he survived. Gin promised that he would meet Sanji and Luffy on the Grand Line one day. Sadly, this day has never come since and fans are waiting for him to return. The final saga of One Piece would be the perfect place for him to reintroduce himself.
7 Arlong
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Arlong is a character who was vicious through and through. He was defeated by Luffy at the end of the Arlong Park arc, following which the Straw Hat pirate received his first 30 billion berry bounty. Arlong was imprisoned shortly after, however, his whereabouts have not been known since. Given that he was once put in Impel Down before, it could be that he found his way back to the prison, however, he was nowhere to be seen during the Impel Down breakout.
A character that is tied so deeply to the Fishmen and the character of Nami would do well to reintroduce themselves in the Final Saga. Fans should not expect Arlong to have a change of heart in any way, however, just seeing him back once again would be very interesting.
6 Bon Clay
Bon Clay is another intriguing character who has to reappear in the Final Saga of One Piece at any cost. He started his journey in One Piece as a member of the Baroque Works and on the opposing side of the Straw Hat Pirates. However, it didn't take him long to become a fan favorite.
In Impel Down, especially, he played a massive role in trying to help Luffy rescue his brother. He sacrificed himself to make sure that Luffy and the group escaped from the prison and, ever since then, he has been in Level 5.5 of Impel Down. Before the end of the story, Bon Clay has to leave Impel Down and reunite with the Straw Hat Pirates.
5 Katakuri
Katakuri joined the cast of Whole Cake Island as a menacing antagonist, however, it didn't take fans long to warm up to him after seeing his true self. Katakuri forged a special relationship with Luffy, even though it was one where the two were on opposing ends. The two have deep respect for each other and, it goes without saying that the latter will come into the fray in the Final Saga of One Piece.
Currently, Katakuri is in charge of Whole Cake Island, and with Big Mom's fate being a big mystery, Katakuri could very well be taking charge of the crew by himself and become an important player and the final saga of One Piece.
4 Smoker
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Smoker is another interesting character who fans will definitely see reappear in the Final Saga of One Piece. He is an exceptional character and one of the most likable members of the Navy at the same time.
Fans have not seen him get a proper role in any arc since Punk Hazard, which was over a decade ago. It is time for Smoker to enter the great game and be a part of the Final Saga and fans can rest assured that Oda will certainly take steps to do so.
3 Saul
Jaguar D. Saul was recently mentioned in One Piece during the Egghead Island arc, where it was made clear that he had survived the tragedy of Ohara. Saul is currently on the island of Elbaf, however, he hasn't properly reappeared ever since the flashback of Nico Robin.
Eventually, the Straw Hat Pirates will head to Elbaf – that much is certain. When the crew does travel there, they will definitely get to meet Saul and fans can enjoy a heartfelt reunion between Nico Robin and the former Navy Vice Admiral giant who saved her life.
2 Enel
Enel appeared in One Piece quite a long time ago as he served the role of the main villain during the Skypiea arc. Ever since then, he has not appeared in the main story, however, he has played a part in the cover stories of One Piece. Enel is currently on the moon where he has found some curious truths about the history of the world, especially the winged races.
He has key information and through him, Oda could make it public if he were to return in the Final Saga of One Piece. A character who played such a massive role in Skypiea certainly does deserve a return and, with Crocodile recently returning to the story as well, it is time that Enel does the same.
1 Big Mom
Big Mom has not been away for all that long in One Piece, however, she is definitely one of the characters who deserves to reappear in the final saga one last time. Big Mom was defeated by Kid and Law in Wano, however, she promised that she would return. At the same time, Big Mom has great ties to the land of Elbaf and a part of her story has been left unresolved.
She is also one of Oda's very best villains with several layers to her character. Big Mom isn't inherently or entirely bad. There is a mix of both good and evil in this pirate and Oda could do her the justice that she deserves in the final saga if she were to reappear.