Tony Tony Chopper debuted in One Piece in the Drum Island Arc, and after more than 900 episodes, 900 manga chapters, and 22 years of real-life time, the reindeer is still one of the most iconic characters in the entire series. Eiichiro Oda has a knack for crafting adorable fan favorites, and while many others have replicated the formula, few were as successful as the doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Monkey D. Luffy is the future King of the Pirates, and as such, it only follows that he would possess one of the greatest crews to ever traverse the Grand Line. Many One Piece fans have spent countless hours arguing over who is the best crewmate aboard the Thousand Sunny. Although an argument can be made for almost any of the Straw Hats, Chopper has proven himself infinitely helpful.
10 Chopper Saves Nami From Kumadori
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CP9, the secret assassination branch of the World Government’s Cipher Pol organization, possesses some incredibly dangerous opponents. While Kumadori wasn’t the strongest member by any means, he posed a grave threat to the Straw Hats during the events of the Water 7 Arc. Armed with Rokushiki and superhuman physical abilities, Kumadori was on the brink of killing Nami prior to Chopper’s intervention.
Kumadori pushed Chopper to his limits, almost defeating him before the doctor swallowed a third Rumble Ball, achieving his now-iconic form known as “Monster Point.” The Wendigo-esque appearance of Chopper is one of the best shots in One Piece, and it solidified that the Zoan-user is more than capable of holding his own against quality opponents.
9 Chopper Passes The Trial Of Swamp
The Straw Hats’ adventures in Skypeia presented several challenges to each of the crewmates, and in Chopper’s case, he was no exception. After being separated from his friends during the game of survival tasked to them by Enel, Chopper was forced to pass the Trial of Swamp by defeating its high priest, Gedatsu.
No match for the raw strength of Gedatsu, the reindeer relied on his mental prowess to outthink the air-headed priest, eventually disarming one of the Jet Dials attached to Gedatsu’s feet. Chopper hasn’t gotten as many opportunities to shine in one-on-one combat as most of the Straw Hats, so this was a huge feather in his cap.
8 Chopper Takes Down An Officer In The New World
Entering the New World changed the events of One Piece forever, thrusting Luffy and his crew into more high-stakes situations than ever before and pitting them up against some of the toughest enemies in the world. Fish-Man Island was the first new island visited by Chopper and the Straw Hats post-timeskip and allowed all of them to properly showcase their newfound talents.
Prior to the timeskip, Chopper was unable to control Monster Point, the strongest of his forms. Despite not needing it to block a preliminary attack from Dosun, an officer of the New Fish-Man Pirates, Chopper demonstrated full mastery of its abilities by easily defeating Dosun with a single strike in the altered state.
7 Chopper Demonstrates His Medical Talents
Chopper’s introduction into One Piece didn’t necessarily give life to his combat prowess or now-outgoing personality, but it did do one thing: showcase his ability to save lives. Nami contracted a rare disease from a bug bite while on Little Garden prior to visiting Chopper’s home, Drum Island, resulting in her dire state upon reaching the snowy territory.
The Straw Hats desperately needed assistance from a medical professional in the near-doctorless country, so Chopper’s ability to help Nami was crucial for the future of the crew. Thankfully, he and his mentor, Kureha, flawlessly demonstrated the result of their studies and hard work.
6 Chopper Holds Off Two Baroque Works Agents On His Own
The influence being exerted by Crocodile over the kingdom of Alabasta was immense, with Baroque Works agents infiltrating every level of the desert kingdom’s system of command. Their strongest members were denoted by either a number or a holiday, depending on their gender, and at one point in the saga, Chopper was tasked with defending himself from two of them at once.
Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas tailed Sanji and Chopper before the former left to search for Princess Vivi, so upon their attack, Chopper found himself all alone and facing two of the strongest fighters on the island. Chopper didn’t just hold his own until Usopp eventually joined in the fray several minutes later — he forced everyone involved to acknowledge his strength as a Straw Hat Pirate.
5 Chopper Unites A Divided Island
Bartholomew Kuma is an impressively nuanced character, even as far as One Piece characters go, as demonstrated by his role in the events immediately preceding the timeskip of One Piece. The Warlord of the Sea seemingly decimates the Straw Hat Pirates, sending each of them careening to different islands across the world.
However, later revelations in One Piece reveal that Kuma scattered the crew in order to protect them, sending each of them to a location suited for their personal development. Chopper lands in Torino Kingdom and eventually unites its populace, settling a long-standing dispute between the humans and giant birds of the kingdom.
4 Chopper Somehow Stops Zoro From Succumbing To His Wounds
No moment in One Piece has done more for Zoro than the words he uttered to his crew after absorbing all the damage dealt to his captain on Thriller Bark: “What happened? Nothing at all.” In spite of his stoicism, Zoro suffered extreme amounts of damage at the hands of Bartholomew Kuma. Were it not for the intervention of a certain reindeer, he would have likely perished from his wounds.
The relationship between Zoro and Chopper has always been a unique one, more reminiscent of two brothers than members of a pirate crew. Given this, Chopper’s medical treatment of Zoro following his stand-off against Kuma was even more impactful.
3 Chopper Defends Himself From The Attacks Of A Yonko
Big Mom occupies a rarified air in the One Piece universe, holding the illustrious title of Yonko alongside Shanks, Kaido, and Blackbeard. Her strength is virtually unparalleled among pirates, yet somehow Chopper, by no means the strongest of the Straw Hat crew, repelled multiple of her strikes during the events on Whole Cake Island.
Enraged by, among other things, the destruction of her wedding cake, Big Mom chased after the Thousand Sunny, striking out at the ship multiple times with her blade only to be stopped each time by Chopper. Each of these strikes took its toll on him, but he was miraculously able to survive long enough for her to be distracted by the support that showed up.
2 Chopper Fights For The Sake Of His Home
When the One Piece audience is introduced to Chopper, his home, Drum Island, is under the control of the primary antagonist of the arc, Wapol. Using Wapol’s Baku Baku no Mi Fruit, which allows its user to combine any two things that they consume, the ruler of the wintry island conjoined his two strongest soldiers into one being: Chessmarimo.
Chopper had yet to prove his combat ability before fighting Chessmarimo, providing the perfect opportunity to introduce One Piece fans to the Straw Hats’ new addition. Given Chopper’s history of being ostracized by the inhabitants of Drum Island, his decision to risk his life and not only oppose, but actually defeat, Chessmarimo is made even more impactful.
1 Chopper Stands Against One Of The Strongest Beast Pirates
The Wano Arc raised the stakes of One Piece far past any of their previous heights, placing the Straw Hats up against opponents who pushed each of them to their absolute limits. Chopper was no exception to this trend, as he was briefly pitted in a fight against Queen, the second-in-command of the Beast Pirates.
Queen is the most scientifically advanced member of the Beast Pirates. He was able to weaponize the Ice Oni virus, utilizing it against the liberators of Wano during his fight with Chopper. Thankfully, the doctor rapidly developed antibodies for the virus in the heat of battle and struck back against Queen, drawing blood on the Plague and solidifying himself as one of the best members of the Straw Hat Pirates.