One Piece has a bright and vibrant world, but dangerous villains like Akainu and Blackbeard are dark and ruthless.

With over 30 arcs, One Piece has featured a gargantuan number of villains for the Straw Hat Pirates to fight. Dozens of rival pirates and Marines have stood between Monkey D. Luffy and his dream of becoming King of the Pirates. Many of the threats the Straw Hats have faced are more lighthearted and comedic, especially early on in their adventures, but there’s little to laugh about regarding the series’ true evils.

One Piece has a bright and vibrant world, but its most dangerous villains are dark and ruthless. Be they nation-conquering pirates, rich and powerful members of the government, or a personal nightmare for one of the Straw Hats, there are few lines the most depraved monsters in the series haven’t crossed. The series isn’t over, and there still remain villains who fans don’t know much about, but for now, these villains such as Akainu and Blackbeard stand as some of the darkest in One Piece.

10. Big Mom Ate Her Childhood Friends

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 651

First Anime Appearance: Episode 571

Big Mom, aka Charlotte Linlin, was one of the four Yonko until her defeat at the hands of Eustass Kid and Trafalgar D. Law. As an Emperor of the Sea, Big Mom was one of the world’s most feared and deadly pirates. She is a mass-murdering conqueror who claimed many territories, including Fish-Man Island, as her own and abused her children who didn’t meet her high standards, such as Pudding. However, the darkest aspect of Big Mom’s story comes from when she was just a child. Exiled from her home when she was only 5 for her destructive behavior, she was taken in by the sweet and loving Mother Carmel.

Unbeknownst to Charlotte, Mother Carmel was a child trafficker who planned on selling her as a weapon to the World Government. Before the sale, Charlotte celebrated her 6th birthday with Mother Carmel and her foster siblings with a tea party. This was the happiest day of Charlotte’s life, and she cried tears of joy as she ate. When Big Mom finished eating, she cleared her eyes to find everyone else was gone. Unbeknownst to Charlotte, she had accidentally cannibalized Mother Carmel and all the other kids.

9. Imu Is the True Ruler of the World

Imu using a weapon to destroy an island.

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 906

First Anime Appearance: Episode 885

Little is known about Imu, but as the true ruler of the World Government, they are chiefly responsible for its countless crimes. Operating in the shadows and keeping their identity and very existence hidden, Imu has killed untold amounts of people, caused destruction around the world, imprisoned countless innocent people, enabled the continuation of the slave trade, and committed multiple genocides.

With Imu’s identity not only a mystery to the world but also to readers, it seems likely that they’re either a character fans already know or a character with a connection to someone important. There is perhaps no villain in One Piece responsible for more pain and suffering, and fans had better hope their favorite character has nothing to do with them.

8. The Celestial Dragons Own Slaves

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 233

First Anime Appearance: Episode 151

The Celestial Dragons, also known as the World Nobles, are the descendants of the founders of the World Government. These people view themselves as gods and see everyone else as animals. This selfish attitude is best signified by the bubbles they wear on their heads to prevent having to breathe the same air as other people. The Celestial Dragons hold absolute power and have the full force of the World Government to back them up against anyone who defies their horrific whims.

Celestial Dragons are known to shoot people at random, hunt people for sport, force people into slavery and marriage, and abuse their slaves for fun. They also have no qualms about using their authority to wipe out entire countries if the mood strikes them. While the Marines put on a performance for the world as the defenders of civilization, they’re little more than attack dogs for the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world. The most notable Celestial Dragons are The Five Elders, the public faces of the World Government. Of the five, readers have only gotten to know Jaygarcia Saturn and learned of his human experimentation on Jewelry Bonney’s mother.

7. Spandam Brutalized a Helpless Robin

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 355

First Anime Appearance: Episode 249

Spandam is one of the most hated characters in One Piece. The son of Spandine, the man who made the Buster Call to genocide the people of Ohara, Spandam is just as vile as his father while also being a spineless coward. Born into a position that allowed him to easily attain political influence, he manipulated The Five Elders themselves in his plot to use the Ancient Weapons against the World Government and take over the world. Later in his career, after being bested by the shipwrights of Water 7, Spandam laughed in delight as a young Franky was hit by a sea train.

During the Enies Lobby arc, Spandam acted as the leader of CP9 and was in charge of Nico Robin’s execution. With Robin as his prisoner, Spandam commits some of the most brutal acts in the series, savagely beating Robin out of pure cruelty. Spandam doesn’t use any flashy moves to do this, nor is it any kind of fight, as Robin is helpless to fight back because of her restraints. It’s a type of real-life violence rarely seen in the series and can be hard to watch.

6. Enel Stole the Shandians’ Land

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 254

First Anime Appearance: Episode 167

Enel isn’t a pirate or associated with the World Government, but the former God of Skypeia is as heartless as anyone living on the sea. Born on the sky island Birka, Enel obtained the tremendous power of the Goro Goro no Mi and used his new electrical abilities to kill nearly everyone in his home country just because he could. The only people he spared were his followers, with whom he next traveled to Skypeia. Enel conquered Skypeia, forced the native Shandians off their land, and appointed himself the island’s new God.

Enel’s specific form of evil is as unique as his status within the series. Many One Piece villains, such as Kaido and Doflamingo, are oppressive conquerors, but Enel was more than just a dictator. He displaced the native people of Skypeia entirely and demanded not just loyalty but also worship from his subjects. With his Observation Haki, he was a true Big Brother figure, always listening, and capable of striking down a dissenter with lightning from anywhere on the island. Until the Straw Hat Pirates came along, questioning the utopian nature of his rule was a sin punishable by death.

5. Judge Is the Worst Father in One Piece

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 233

First Anime Appearance: Episode 151

There are many awful fathers in anime, but Vinsmoke Judge’s abuse of not just Sanji but all his children makes him stand out as one of the worst of all. The leader of Germa 66, a nazi-inspired army, Judge’s dream is to re-conquer the North Blue by any means necessary. A cold and heartless tyrant, Judge genetically modified his children to both make them faster and stronger than normal humans and to render them as ruthless as him. This worked on three of his children but only partially worked on his daughter, Reiju, and the modification failed with his son, Sanji. Judge abused Sanji for his weakness throughout the entirety of his childhood. He was cold, distant, scolding, and did nothing but praise Sanji’s brothers as they gleefully beat him. Judge hated Sanji not just for being weak but for being kind and compassionate and for possessing a love of cooking.

When Judge caught Sanji feeding commoners, he locked his son up in a cell and covered his face in an iron mask. While Sanji escaped, Judge later threatened Sanji’s true father, Zeff, to force him into a political marriage. While Judge was significantly more loving toward his other children, they also suffered under him. Ichiji, Niji and Yonji always knew they would be treated just like Sanji if they didn’t behave perfectly. Reiju, who maintained some of her compassion, lived in constant agony, having to pretend to be as awful as her brothers and watch Sanji suffer.

4. Doflamingo Is a Former Celestial Dragon

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 233

First Anime Appearance: Episode 151

Many One Piece villains get flashbacks that add a layer of sympathy to their characters. However, Donquixote Doflamingo’s backstory only made him even more despicable. Doflamingo was the spoiled son of two Celestial Dragons. Even as a boy, he reveled in the cruelty that the World Nobles are known for. When his parents decided they didn’t want to be Celestial Dragons anymore and that they were going to live among the common people, Doflamingo was outraged. He refused to hide his former status, wanting slaves and to shoot those who offended him, resulting in his and his family’s secret being discovered and them being tortured by those who hated them. Doflamingo killed his father, and when this failed to earn his Celestial Dragon status back, he vowed to become a scourge across the world.

As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Doflamingo conquered the country of Dressrosa with his crew of pirates by framing its royal family for turning against the people. He enslaved those who defied him by having his subordinate, Sugar, turn them into living toys and make everyone forget they ever existed. He began operating as a weapons dealer under the pseudonym “Joker.” Doflamingo took in a young Trafalgar D. Law, intending to turn him into a powerful weapon against the world and groom Law to one day use his Devil Fruit to sacrifice his own life and give him immortality. When Doflamingo’s brother, Rosinante, tried to get Law away from Doflamingo, Doflamingo killed his last remaining blood relative.

3. Arlong Destroyed Nami’s Life

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 69

First Anime Appearance: Episode 31

Arlong is an early One Piece villain whose crimes primarily took place within the Conomi Islands. While the scope of his villainy was limited, his treatment of Nami was the stuff of nightmares. Arlong spent his early life as a victim of anti-fish-man racism and joined the Sun Pirates to fight back against humanity. While his captain, Fisher Tiger, used his dying words to beg his crew to abandon their extremist ways, Arlong refused.

Forming the Arlong Pirates, Arlong became one of the strongest and most feared pirates in the East Blue and conquered the Conomi Islands. All those who lived in his territory were forced to pay heavy taxes, and those who couldn’t pay were killed. One innocent victim of his was Bell-Mere, Nami’s adoptive mother, who he shot in front of Nami. Arlong then spent the next eight years forcing a young Nami to draw maps for him as a part of his crew, stringing her along with the idea that if she could ever afford to buy back her village from him, he’d let her and her people go. Arlong never intended to keep this promise.

2. Sakazuki Personifies “Absolute Justice”

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 397

First Anime Appearance: Episode 278

Fleet Admiral Sakazuki perfectly encapsulates the darkness that resides at the core of the Marines as an institution. In his eyes, the law is all that matters; what is considered right and wrong is determined entirely by the law, and those who break the law deserve nothing less than death. With the law of the World Government being determined by the likes of Imu and The Five Elders, Sakazuki serves as the primary enforcer of their oppressive global state, and he sees nothing wrong with this. When called upon by a Celestial Dragon, Sakazuki will happily lead a Buster Call and burn down an entire country.

During the Summit War, Sakazuki cemented himself as one of the most hated characters in the series with his murder of Ace. While many characters have died since then, this was the first time a character had ever died in One Piece. Sakazuki’s infamous act changed the tone and the stakes of the entire story. Sakazuki’s brutality was further demonstrated during the war when he turned one of his own men, Koby, and attempted to kill him simply for pleading for the fighting to stop.

1. Blackbeard Displays the Dark Side of Freedom

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 223

First Anime Appearance: Episode 146

As the wielder of the Yami Yami no Mi, known in English as the Dark Dark Fruit, it’s only fitting that Marshall D. Teach, aka Blackbeard, is one of the darkest villains in One Piece. Best known for betraying and killing Whitebeard and causing Ace’s death, Blackbeard demonstrates why people in the world of One Piece fear pirates. While the Straw Hat Pirates help people everywhere they go, Blackbeard and his crew do nothing but destroy, steal and conquer.

The first time Luffy and Blackbeard met in Jaya, they were presented as reflections of one another, opposites who shared a belief in the importance of freedom. Blackbeard’s actions put a cruel twist on Luffy’s philosophy, as while the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates believes that everyone should be able to live how they want so long as they aren’t hurting others, Blackbeard believes in his right to do whatever he wants, including hurting whoever he feels like. Luffy inspires people around the world, both within One Piece and in real life, and the horror of Blackbeard lies in how he shows how easily Luffy’s values can be warped.