Not just anybody can be a Straw Hat pirate. Over the last 25 years, Eiichiro Oda has gradually expanded One Piece's main characters to 10, a number that grows ever more final with each passing chapter in the final saga. Anybody who lives alongside Luffy and the crew on the Going Merry or Thousand Sunny must be one of the most important characters in the story; somebody that every single fan knows inside out.

Well, exceptions exist to every rule.

Like any popular shonen series, One Piece extends far beyond manga or anime, and the Straw Hats have been on countless video game adventures over the decades. Although some releases regurgitate the canon arcs, many One Piece games tell original stories that introduce new characters, some of whom basically become Straw Hats throughout their adventure. In fact, a few of them straight-up join the crew and are, technically, former Straw Hats like Vivi.

As the games aren't canon, these honorary Straw Hats exist in a separate universe from the anime.

Gaburi Joins The Straw Hats For An Unlimited Adventure

Active Straw Hat Pirate

  • One Piece Unlimited Cruise Episode 1 & 2

One Piece: Unlimited Cruise is simultaneously one of the best AND most disappointing game(s) in the franchise. While the story, character interactions, and locations are generally top-notch and fit One Piece well, the combat grows monotonous way too quickly, despite featuring all the Straw Hats (at the time) as playable characters. For all its flaws, I would recommend fans check out the Wii version, which is split into two games.

Diving into the story, Unlimited Cruise sees the Straw Hats stumble into a mysterious archipelago around a massive tree, where they are then assigned trials on different islands. Right from the start, they are accompanied by Gaburi, a sentient Orb that has no memories or even much of a personality at first. Initially, his contributions consisted mainly of creating items to help the Straw Hats, but he eventually integrated fully into the crew.

Gaburi is essentially an empty vessel who can be molded by those around him; in fact, his "purpose" is to turn into the perfect present for those who complete the trials. However, Gaburi gradually learns what it means to have friends, especially since the Straw Hats constantly step up to save him.

Gaburi becomes such a big part of the Straw Hats that the second game (aka Episode 2) primarily revolves around the crew trying to save him.

Dias And Atoli Are The Main Characters Of Their One Piece Story

Active Straw Hat Pirates

dias meeting straw hats one piece legend of the rainbow island Image by GameRant; Source: Bandai
  • One Piece: Legend of the Rainbow Island

We have a real deep cut here; a Wonderswan Color RPG that was never released outside of Japan. Nowadays, new One Piece games are almost guaranteed to earn global releases, but that really wasn't the case for the franchise's first 20 titles, 19 of which skipped North America. Legend of the Rainbow Island is one of these forgotten treasures, and a complete fan sub doesn't seem to exist either. At least, I couldn't find one.

What I am trying to say is that nobody knows Dias and Atoli, two characters who not only go on an epic journey with the Straw Hats but are also invited to join the crew by Luffy after everything is said and done. Naturally, they decline, but they clearly leave a positive impression. Impressively, they are the protagonists of Rainbow Island, with Dias being the first character that players control. Their importance to the story and playable nature puts them on a level playing field with the Straw Hats, making them seem like equals.

Rainbow Island came out in 2001, when One Piece was still in its infancy, and the crew consisted of only 5 members (+ Vivi). Chopper had already been introduced as the 6th Straw Hat in the official story, but the game takes place before his arrival. Consequently, Dias and Atoli joining the crew might have seemed like a big deal at the time, especially since it was the first game to go down this route.

Test your knowledge.

Pato Is The Rejected Straw Hat

Honorary Straw Hat Who Was Already Committed To Somebody Else

  • One Piece: Unlimited World Red

Similar to Unlimited Cruise, One Piece: Unlimited World Red is on the cusp of being incredible, only to be let down by a combat system that settles to be "fine" rather than "good." The game's biggest strength is its new characters, particularly the main villain, Patrick Redfield, and his only companion, Pato. If it wasn't for the fact that they have absurdly overpowered and broken Devil Fruits, they would fit into the canon anime perfectly.

Despite being fiercely loyal to Redfield, Pato spends most of the game as an ally to the Straw Hats, helping Luffy when the other crew members are kidnapped. Admittedly, he follows Redfield's orders for the first part of the game, but Pato fully turns against Redfield once the latter's cruelty becomes obvious, using this opportunity to integrate himself into the Straw Hat Pirates.

Pato actively asks to join the crew at one point, only to be rejected by Luffy since he knows that he really wants to reconnect with Redfield.

Lim Sees The Straw Hats At Their Best And Worst

Honorary Straw Hat

  • One Piece Odyssey

Finally, we have Lim, who spends most of One Piece Odyssey with the Straw Hats. Considering the story cycles through four of the biggest arcs in the franchise, she effectively bears witness to many of the crew's defining moments, helping them to rediscover their glory (and fixing her own mistake).

At first, Lim serves as an antagonist, as her prejudice against pirates and outsiders prompts her to rob the Straw Hats of their memories and powers. Yeah, she has a very "video-gamey" ability. To regain their memories, they need to enter worlds crafted from their memories, something only Lim can create.

While initially keeping her distance and mostly speaking telepathically, she gradually changes her mind about the Straw Hats, particularly when she sees Luffy's attempts to rescue Ace at Marineford. By the end, Lim and the Straw Hats fully accept each other, to the point that they are both willing to put their lives on the line to offer protection.