One Piece, written by Eiichiro Oda, is arguably one of the greatest manga and anime. The action-comedy series follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy with the lofty goals offinding pirates’ greatest treasure, the One Piece and becoming the esteemed Pirate King.One Piecetakes viewers through fine moments, starring defeats of oppressors, villains, and more.
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However,One Piecealso has its fair share of dark moments, involving the deaths of central characters and much-loved individuals. Even though these deaths added depth to the plot, they still rocked the very foundation of the story. Here’s a list of 10 deaths that rockedOne Piecefoundation, even to date.
Updated on August 03, 2025, by Emedo Destiny:Death is a powerful toolin storytelling, and in One Piece, it has been used to shape the story and influence the characters and audience in a lasting way. From the death of Gol D. Roger to the loss of Whitebeard, these deaths have had an incredible impact on the series, and have left an indelible mark on the characters and viewers alike. These characters’ deaths have had a powerful role in the development of the One Piece story, each one impacting the series, and moving the audience, whether through shock or sorrow. From the heartbreaking moment when Ace died for Luffy to Pedro’s great sacrifice, here are the deaths that have rocked the foundation of One Piece.
15Fisher Tiger
Also called the Adventurer, Fisher Tiger founded and captainedthe Sun Piratesbefore his death. He was a Fish-Man and no stranger to discrimination due to his race. Once a slave himself, he was passionate about freeing slaves, irrespective of their race.
It was after one such mission that he was killed, returning a freed slave to her home. He was ambushed by Marines and he sustained damage to his body that could only be helped with a transfusion of human blood. Fisher Tiger refused the transfusion and died from loss of blood.
14Tom
Known as the greatest shipwright in the world ofOne Piece, Tom headed his company called Tom’s Workers, which had become quite renowned for its excellent craftsmanship. He also took Iceburg and Franky under his wingas their teacher, and though he could be harsh sometimes, he really cared for them. Unfortunately, his kindness and devotion to them would lead to his death.
In the 250th episode of the show, while trying to protect Iceburg and Franky from being framed by Spandam, Tom offered to take a previous sentence upon himself. This act of self-sacrifice, though noble, led to his execution.
13Mont Blanc Noland
Mont Blanc Noland was introduced toOne Piecefans in episode 187 of the show, where Wyper tells the story of his old friend. Nolandwas an explorerpassionate about adventures and who loved to tell people about stories of them. On one fateful expedition, he stumbled upon a fantastic discovery: Shandora, a city made of gold on the island of Jaya.
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When he returned from his voyage, he told the king about what he found. Unfortunately, when he returned with the king, the golden city was gone from the island, leaving no trace of its former glory. This earned Noland the punishment of execution.
12Dr. Hiriluk
This quack doctor and former thief killed himself in a conspicuous way. He was fond ofexperimenting with concoctionsand testing them on oblivious patients, leading to repercussions he had to run away from. He did this not out of malevolence but a genuine desire to offer help to those who needed it, but he usually failed to do so, earning him his reputation as a quack doctor.
In the 86th episode of the show, Hiriluk committed suicide by drinking a potion that caused him to explode, despite Chopper’s attempt to save him.
11Kozuki Toki
Kozuki Toki was Kozuki Oden’s wife, and a significant person as a result, until his death. She had the interesting ability togo forward into the future, but never to the past, as a result of eating the Toki Toki no Mi, a devil fruit that grants the power.
In the 975th episode of the show, the Oden castle was set on fire and Toki was shot down by a sniper at the city gate, after helping with the escape of the Nine Red Scabbards and Momonosuke by sending them into the future.
10Queen Otohime
Queen Otohime is among those noble characters who do not deserve a dishonorable death. Otohime was the Queen of the Ryugu Kingdom and the mother of Shirahoshi, an important side character inOne Piece. Despite being part of the nobility, Queen Otohime was a down-to-earth and open-minded individual that advocated for the peaceful co-existence between the Fishmen and the Humans.
At several points in the series, she was even shown to have visited Marejois on behalf of her political activism to advocate for a co-existing relationship. Unfortunately, she was assassinated by her own fellow Fishman, Hody Jones – a crafty individual that framed Otohime’s death at thehands of a human pirate, worsening the already strained Human-Fishmen relationship Otohime worked hard to amend.
9Shimotsuki Yasuie
Shimotsuke Yasuie’s death was a shocking experience to witness inWano Arc. InOne Piece, Yasuie was depicted as a regular, carefree individual that informally led and cared for Ebisu Town’s citizens – a community of ever-smiling people – a product of the smiley fruit produced by Kaido. Later on, he was revealed to have been a strict man two decades earlier.
InOne Piece’s current timeline, Yasuie was portrayed as a crafty man, fooling Orochi and his subordinates into believing that he was Ushimitsu Kozo. Orochi bought Yasuie’s lie and executed him in the Flower Capital. Even when he was about to die, Yasuie still fooled Orochi again, twisting information about the Kozuki Family’s crest secret message, proving how much of a noble man he was.
8Bell-mère
The Death of Bell-mère occurred within the first few arcs ofOne Piece: TheArlong Park Arc. Bell-mère was the single adoptive mother of Nami and Nojiko. Despite barely having enough for herself, Bellmere did her best to raise her two children in a happy home in Cocoyasi Village. However, the moment Arlong Pirates invaded the Island, everything changed. After Arlong found Bell-mère’s home, she tried to protect herself and her daughters, being a former Marine Soldier.
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Arlong demanded a fee from Bellmere to let everyone in her family stay alive. Unfortunately, Bell-mère just had enough money to cover her two daughters. So, Arlong shot Bell-mère after she declared that the money was for her kids. However, just before she died, she told her daughters, “I love you,” making her departure even more painful.
7Pedro
Pedro was a Jaguar Mink that was part of Nekomamushi’s squad.One Piecefirst introduced Pedro to viewers inZou Arc. After the whole saga, Pedro agreed to venture into Cake Island with Carrot, a fellow member of the Mink Tribe and the Straw Hats. Throughout the Cake Island Arc, Pedro, alongside the Straw Hats, encountered dangerous and sometimes near-death situations.
In these events, it was clear that Pedro was willing to sacrifice himself for the safety of the Straw Hats. Later on, just beforethe Straw Hatscould leave Big Mom’s territory, Pedro had to sacrifice himself for them to escape while dying a noble death.
6Donquioxte Rosinante
Rosinante may not share a direct connection to the Straw Hats,One Piece’s main characters, but his death was saddening and significant to theOne PieceFranchise. Rosinante was the brother of Doflamingo, a notorious former warlord that bore a grudge toward his parents for renouncing their nobility.
Despite his relationship with his brother, Rosinante worked undercoverfor the Marineto spy on Doflamingo. At the same time, he also raised Trafalgar Law, saving him from a deadly disease by feeding him the Ope Ope no Mi Fruit. After Doflamingo discovered Rosinate’s betrayal, he killed him, but not before Rosinante allowed the weeping Trafalgar to escape from Doflamingo.
