One Piece has always had memorable characters, regardless of the role they play. Here’s how they’ve stood the test of time.
With over a decade of flawlessness to its name, One Piece is quickly becoming one of the longest-running anime of all time. Eiichiro Oda envisioned a vast world of limitless possibilities and intricate political structures. He designed the anime structure to last a long time, as the fictional world will end only when he drops the pen. All fans could do was speculate and deduce meaning from the mysteries and suspense Oda has woven into the plot over the years.
In One Piece, no scene or character is unimportant to the series’ progression. Despite its rich and incredible storyline and fantastic universe, One Piece has made a name for itself in the world of anime thanks to its diverse and captivating characters. After thousands of episodes, with the impressive feat the show has set over the years, its well-developed characters give the anime more depth and meaning, even for much other great anime. How else can Oda keep fans enthralled if not through this cast of unique characters?
The Straw Hat Pirates
While the immersive world Oda created is at the heart of the series, the film’s soul is with the straw hat pirates. A strange and disparate group of people with disparate goals banded together to make Monkey D. Luffy the pirate king. Oda endows this crew with tremendous power and willpower, but he also limits their abilities, making them flawed and imperfect. Fans quickly form bonds with them in this manner.
Monkey D. Luffy, the straw hat captain and main character, is the most remarkable yet bizarre of characters, with his eccentric nature and whimsical ways. He is unusually playful and fatuous for a character with such a heavy burden on his shoulders (being pirate king), which he never jokes about. His oafish nature, on the other hand, is his greatest strength and the reason why many fans can easily relate to and bond with him. Oda not only imbued him with these characteristics to distinguish him from the many shonen main characters, but also to portray him as a simple character before plunging him into so much power as the film progressed. His willpower, dream, and loyalty to his crew propel him to achieve the impossible, qualities that every ordinary human possesses and that Oda visualizes through Luffy. And he doesn’t overcome the impossible alone; he has the help of his crew, demonstrating that even the most powerful people have people they look up to.
Roronoa Zoro, a pirate hunter with unwavering loyalty and a strong command of swordplay, has a fatal flaw: he has no sense of direction. Zoro could be given a map and a thousand tours, but he always gets lost in whatever land the straw hats end up in. However, he always returns to his crew when they need him the most. Oda’s ability to make Zoro a strong character while also making him fallible with an odd, peculiar trait is another of his masterworks.
Sanji, who adores women, would rather be beaten to death by one than lay a finger on one. Oda teaches his viewers how to be honorable and polite in an indirect manner. A sign that even the most noble of men would never hit a woman. Fans learned the value of human lives through Chopper; sometimes, all the enemy deserves is sympathy. Chopper is a doctor who would save even his enemy from illness or death if he could. He constantly reminds viewers that his profession as a doctor comes first and foremost.
Nami, the great ship navigator, is obsessed with money and earthly possessions. Robin represents how a past trauma should never be allowed to shape someone’s present, nor should it be given complete control of one’s life. Any of the fans could be the timid and fearful Usopp who embarks on a dangerous adventure. Oda makes it clear through Usopp that fear should never be a barrier or deterrence to pursuing one’s dreams.
Oda brings to life the characteristics and quirks of ordinary people through the straw hat pirates. To put it another way, the fascinating personalities and fatal flaws of the straw hat pirates may represent the path taken by many viewers who adore the show.
Oda’s Portrayal of Equality Among People
Despite the long saga and numerous characters that One Piece has shown over the years, the newly added characters in the Wano arc are a welcome addition for anime viewers and readers. The introduction of Kiku and Yamato, who fight for their beliefs and wish to die for them. This could be Oda’s way of demonstrating One Piece’s ‘Trans Rights.’ It supports Trans people in Japan who face discrimination and prejudice for wanting to be themselves in a system that despises them.
These characters, like Ivankov, are portrayed as innocuous and robust. Ivankov guided Luffy through Impel Down; her devil fruit quirks came in handy when Luffy needed it the most. Oda hammered the final nail in the coffin when Kiku and Yamato were accepted to their preferred bathhouses in the Wano arc, Yamato to the males and Kiku to the females. Oda demonstrated equality and acceptance of all people in the most One Piece-like manner. One of the many reasons One Piece has and will always be respected and idolized for many years, even after One Piece ends, is Oda’s heroic mannerism in adapting this long-running anime to changing times.
Src: gamerant.com
