One Piece has been around for more than two decades, and it is still going strong. One Piece has 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.

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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 3, 2024 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.

18 O-Tama

A Young Friend Who Knew Ace

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.

17 Uta

Childhood Friends

Uta is Shanks' adopted daughter, and she is a member of the 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.

16 Silvers Rayleigh

Luffy's Haki Teacher

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 of One Piece's strongest 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.

15 Bon Clay

A Good Friend Who Helped Luffy To Escape Prison

The Straw Hats first met Bon Clay during the 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.

14 Boa Hancock

A Good Friend Who Has Fallen In Love With Luffy

Luffy met Boa Hancock when 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.

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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.

13 Shanks

Inspired Luffy To Become A Pirate & Saved His Life

Shanks is now the longest reigning Yonko, and he is one of the 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.

12 Nefertari Vivi

A Good Friend & Honorary Straw Hat

Vivi is the princess of the Arabasta Kingdom, and when Luffy first met her, she worked for Crocodile'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.

11 Franky

A Close Friend & The Straw Hats' Shipwright

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 and the 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.

10 Brook

A Close Friend & The Straw Hats' Musician

Brook died years ago, but he came back to life because he ate the 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.

9 Jinbe

A Close Friend Who Has Saved Luffy's Life

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.

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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.

8 Nico Robin

A Very Close Friend That Luffy Was Willing To Go To War Over

When Luffy first met Nico Robin, she was an enemy who worked for Baroque Works, but she only joined because she wanted to gain access to Arabasta's Pneglyph. Before joining the crew, she saved Luffy's life after Crocodile left him to die in the desert.

Luffy was the one who first accepted Robin as a Straw Hat. As they sail together, Robin begins to care for Luffy more and more. During the Enies Lobby Arc, Luffy willingly declares war against the World Government to save Robin. Luffy's actions gave Robin the will to live, and she has been loyal to him ever since.

7 Chopper

A Close Friend & Beloved Crewmate

Chopper is a Reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit, and he is one of One Piece's smartest characters. Most people were scared of Chopper and his transformations, but Luffy thought they were cool. He was also amazed by how much Luffy cared for his crew, and he appreciated how Luffy defended Dr. Hiriluk's honor.

Luffy and Chopper love to fool around and laugh with Usopp. He usually joins Luffy during some of his more childish antics. Chopper will sometimes beat Luffy up in a comical fashion for his stupid decisions, but he still respects Luffy more than anyone.

6 Sanji

A Very Close Friend That Luffy Was Willing To Die For

Luffy and Sanji first met at the Baratie restaurant, and Luffy quickly became fond of Sanji's culinary skills and kindness. He was also a fan of Sanji's strength. Sanji developed a bond with Luffy right away because they both shared foolish dreams and mentors who made huge sacrifices for them.

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Sanji may scold Luffy sometimes, but he has a great deal of respect for him, and they have great trust in each other. Sanji has risked his life several times because he believes in Luffy. When he left the crew to protect them from his family, Luffy was willing to die rather than carry on without him.

5 Usopp

Has A Brotherly Relationship With Luffy

Usopp is the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, and he has always been close to Luffy. They share a brotherly relationship, and they often goof off together. Luffy helped inspire him to finally set sail so that he could become a brave warrior.

Their relationship became a bit strained during the Water 7 arc when they fought over the Going Merry. This led to Usopp briefly leaving the crew, but he rejoined after giving Luffy a long and emotional apology. Their bond became even stronger after the time skip, and Usopp now comically beats Luffy whenever he makes outrageous decisions.

4 Nami

A Very Close Friend Who Really Cares About Luffy's Well-Being

Nami is one of the first people that Luffy meets when he sets sail, and she comes to respect his leadership qualities early on. Even when Nami betrayed the crew and went back to Arlong, Luffy still considered her a close friend. He agreed to help her when all hope for her village seemed lost, and he entrusted her with his hat — his most treasured possession.

Nami tends to get angry at Luffy's childishness and irrational thinking, and she will often beat him in a comedic fashion. That being said, she cares for him deeply and worries about his well-being when he fights. Even when she was threatened by Ulti, she refused to say that Luffy would never become the Pirate King.

3 Sabo

Luffy's Adopted Older Brother

Luffy thought that Sabo was dead, which is why their reunion in Dressrosa was so emotional. When Sabo first met Luffy, he told Ace that they should kill him before Luffy could tell the pirates about their secret stash. Luffy resisted the pirate, and Sabo decided to induct him into the group instead.

From that moment on, Sabo, Luffy, and Ace were like brothers. Luffy always considered Sabo to be kinder than Ace, and he often encouraged Luffy to believe in his Devil Fruit powers. Following Ace's death, Sabo vowed to protect Luffy at all costs.

2 Portgas D. Ace

Luffy's Protective Adpted Older Brother

Ace was the son of Gol D. Roger, but more importantly, he was Luffy's older adopted brother. They met when they were children, and when they finally grew close, Ace became very protective of Luffy. He would worry about Luffy's reckless behavior, but he was proud of him nonetheless.

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When Luffy arrived at Marineford, Ace's protective instincts kicked in, and he begged for Luffy to turn back. When Admiral Akainu tried to kill Luffy, Ace did not hesitate to jump in the way of the fatal blow. He ended up dying in Luffy's arms with a smile on his face.

1 Zoro

Luffy's First Mate & Most Loyal Friend

Zoro is Luffy's first mate and right-hand man, which means that Luffy trusts him more than anyone else. Despite Luffy's recklessness, Zoro trusts and respects Luffy's decisions without question. He now believes that he can only become the world's strongest swordsman by helping Luffy to achieve his dream.

When Zoro learned of Ace's death, he begged Mihawk to train him so that he could become stronger for Luffy's sake. On Thriller Bark, Zoro willingly took all of Luffy's pain despite Kuma stating that he would likely die as a result.

One Piece (1999)

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Fantasy

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Studio

Toei Animation

Number of Episodes

1082+