10 One Piece Characters Who Were Villains First

10 One Piece Characters Who Were Villains First

One Piece is famous for turning sharp, early impressions on their heads. Some characters arrive swinging at the Straw Hats, only to pivot later into complex allies, tragic anti-heroes, or morally grey figures. Eiichiro Oda routinely uses “villain first” introductions to create tension and later reveal context. In many cases, the pivot to allyship happens through sacrifice, revealed trauma, or political complexity. In others, the antagonist tag s…