Abstract
- One Piece characters are slowly recontextualized throughout many years, with reveals that repeatedly flipped fan perceptions.
- Some outstanding characters gained heroism (like Roger, Usopp or Franky), which made them considerably extra fashionable.
- Bartholomew Kuma and Rocks D. Xebec had been initially launched as antagonists, however their status modified drastically after their backstories had been revealed.
With 1159 manga chapters and 1142 anime episodes, it’s secure to say that One Piece is among the longest fictional tales ever created. After all, since this collection has been working for greater than twenty-eight years, the reputation of some of its most iconic named characters has changed drastically over time.
Eiichiro Oda likes to jot down characters in a brilliantly misleading manner: typically he introduces them as mysterious, intimidating or evil figures, solely to disclose one thing essential about them and/or make them do one thing spectacular lots of of chapters later, which fully shifts the fan base’s notion of stated individual. Naturally, this has occurred many instances all through the course of the collection, with the next eight One Piece characters being probably the most infamous examples of this phenomenon.
Gol D. Roger
From Mysterious Historic Determine To Heroic Pirate Captain
- Debut:Chapter 1 (Manga) Episode 1 (Anime)
Gol D. Roger, the original Pirate King and the person who single-handedly kick-started the plot of One Piece, is an ideal instance of a outstanding character whose status shifted drastically all through the years. When he was launched within the first chapter/episode of the collection, he was depicted as a mysterious and (actually) faceless determine with little-to-no details about his backstory or character.
This slowly modified as some tidbits about his previous and his relationships with different outstanding pirates (like Shiki or Whitebeard) had been revealed across the Marineford Arc. However Roger’s status modified greater than ever in the course of the Wano Nation Arc, when he was closely featured in Kouzuki Oden’s flashback. This lengthy and engaging sequence revealed that he was truly a goofy, lighthearted however extremely highly effective pirate captain who bought alongside very nicely together with his crewmates, very equally to Monkey D. Luffy.
Usopp
From Mendacity Coward To Brave Sniper
- Debut:Chapter 23 (Manga) Episode 8 (Anime)
Most seasoned One Piece fans will admit that they didn’t really like Usopp when he was originally introduced. Not solely is his introductory arc, the Syrup Village Arc, notorious for being one of many weakest ones in the whole collection, however his total gimmick of being a goofy coward who lies on a regular basis bought very outdated in a short time to many followers.
Usopp was nonetheless a comparatively enjoyable and pleasant character for a lot of the story, however fan notion of him modified drastically through the Water 7 Arc and the Enies Foyer Arc. In these two arcs, audiences lastly bought to see a extra critical, brave and assured aspect of Usopp, together with his battle in opposition to Luffy and the second he burned down the World Authorities flag being two of his most memorable and spectacular moments. Even Usopp’s harshest critics need to admit that he turned a extremely cool character throughout each of these arcs and, happily, he had a couple of different exceptional moments after in subsequent arcs, like when he defeated Sugar in Dressrosa.
Smoker
From Revered Marine Captain To Somebody Who Can’t Hold Up With The New World
- Debut:Chapter 97 (Manga) Episode 48 (Anime)
Sadly, not each character’s status shifted positively, because Smoker is a solid example of someone who was much more popular back when he was first introduced. Within the Loguetown Arc and the Arabasta Arc, Smoker was depicted as this stern and critical marine captain with a coronary heart of gold who was conscious of the World Authorities’s corruption and was actively making an attempt to vary it from the within. On prime of that, as the primary Logia Satan Fruit consumer ever launched within the collection, he might put up a battle and was in a position to confront highly effective fighters like Ace, Luffy or Boa Hancock.
All of this sadly modified after the time-skip: despite the fact that he was promoted to Vice-Admiral, and he discovered to make use of Haki, Smoker started shedding battle after battle, particularly through the Punk Hazard Arc. After his humiliating defeats in opposition to Regulation, Caesar Clown, Vergo and Doflamingo, most One Piece followers noticed him as a weakling who ought to have by no means gone to the New World. However, it looks like Smoker could have a outstanding function within the close to future, so it’s potential he’ll get stronger and regain his recognition very quickly.
Nico Robin
From Murderous Femme Fatale To Beloved Member Of The Straw Hats
- Debut:Chapter 114 (Manga) Episode 67 (Anime)
Like many different beloved One Piece characters, Nico Robin was originally introduced as a villain, which clearly signifies that her status modified enormously all through the years. Again when she was solely often known as Miss All Sunday, she was a high-ranking member of Baroque Works who apparently murdered Igaram in chilly blood shortly after her debut. So, naturally, most followers noticed her because the malicious femme fatale she was initially depicted as.
Nonetheless, as she stored showing all through the Arabasta Arc, Robin stored proving that she was not as evil as it could have appeared, as not solely did she save Luffy after Crocodile defeated him, but it surely was additionally revealed that she had not truly killed Igaram. She stored her mysterious and distant perspective even after she joined the Straw Hat Pirates, however her eventual function through the emotional Enies Foyer Arc lastly, mixed together with her tragic backstory, cemented her as a significant fan favourite, and these days, she’s one of the fashionable characters in all of One Piece.
Bartholomew Kuma
From Terrifying Warlord Of The Sea To The Finest Father In The Collection
- Debut:Chapter 233 (Manga) Episode 151 (Anime)
Bartholomew Kuma is arguably the One Piece character whose reputation has changed the most over the years. In spite of everything, he was initially launched as one of many Warlords of the Sea (in the identical vein as characters like Crocodile or Doflamingo), he was often known as the “Tyrant of Sorbet Kingdom” and the mix of his cybernetic enhancements and his weird Satan Fruit made him nearly invincible. Nonetheless, audiences started seeing Kuma in a unique mild when he saved the Straw Hat Pirates from Kizaru within the Sabaody Archipelago Arc.
Kuma’s previous, character and motivations remained shrouded in thriller for a couple of extra many years, till him and his daughter, Jewellery Bonney, turned the celebrities of their very own flashback sequence in the course of the Egghead Arc. This heartbreaking a part of the story revealed that Kuma is definitely a extremely type and noble one who, regardless of all the pieces he went via, was nonetheless keen to assist others and that he finally selected to sacrifice his humanity to avoid wasting Bonney’s life. In only a few chapters/episodes, Kuma went from being a mysterious and intimidating pirate to changing into one of the beloved, tragic and admired characters in the whole collection.
Franky
From Despicable Gangster To Lovable Cyborg
- Debut:Chapter 329 (Manga) Episode 233 (Anime)
Very equally to Nico Robin, Franky was originally introduced into the story as an antagonist, except his debut was even more controversial. In spite of everything, he was the chief of the Franky Household, the gang of ship dismantlers and Bounty Hunters who had overwhelmed up Usopp and stole all of his gold. Regardless of his admittedly weird look, he acted like a hard-boiled felony all through a lot of the Water 7 Arc and the Enies Foyer Arc, even after he determined to ally himself with the Straw Hats with a purpose to defeat the brokers of CP9.
Franky slowly warmed to the Straw Hats as he spent an increasing number of time with them, and he ended up dropping his “tough guy” facade nearly completely across the time skip. These days, he nearly solely acts like his true self: a goofy, humorous, charming and clever cyborg shipwright who’s good with children however will nonetheless act tenaciously round his enemies. This modification in character has made Franky extraordinarily fashionable amongst followers and he has undoubtedly grow to be one of the beloved members of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Physician Vegapunk
From Mad Scientist To Goofy Genius Who Needs To Change The World
- Debut:Chapter 1061 (Manga) Episode 1090 (Anime)
For a lot of many years, many individuals (each in-universe and in the actual world) stored listening to about a mysterious scientist called Doctor Vegapunk who worked for the World Government. Whereas not a lot was identified about him, it was stated that he’s the mastermind behind a number of the most essential technological advances within the One Piece world, like inanimate objects who “ate” Satan Fruits, the Pacifista program, the Seastone hulls on the Marines’ ships, and many others.
Most followers perceived Physician Vegapunk as a ruthless, evil scientist who loved working for the World Authorities, till he lastly made his on-screen debut within the Egghead Arc. It seems that he’s truly fairly foolish and pleasant, to not point out that he truly desires to offer free vitality to the whole world: he simply retains working for the World Authorities as a result of they’re the one ones who can fund his bold analysis. In only one story arc, Vegapunk gained a variety of followers and undoubtedly earned his place as one of the fascinating One Piece characters.
Rocks D. Xebec
From The Most Evil Pirate In Historical past To Bold Freedom Fighter
- Debut:Chapter 957 (Manga) Episode 958 (Anime)
Rocks D. Xebecwas originally introduced as the evil captain of the Rocks Pirates — the violent and ruthless pirate crew that notorious figures like Large Mother, Kaido and Whitebeard had been as soon as a part of – and somebody so highly effective that it took the mixed efforts of each Roger and Garp to take him down through the God Valley Incident. Naturally, most followers took this at face worth and thought of Rocks to be one of the malicious characters within the historical past of the collection for a few years.
However, manga readers lastly bought the possibility to attract their very own conclusions about Rocks within the latest Elbaf Arc, since he’s the star of an intensive flashback sequence that, on the time of writing, remains to be being printed. A lot to the shock of followers, this flashback has revealed that, regardless of his violent tendencies and ruthless character, Rocks truly cared for and revered his buddies and his household, to not point out that he was conscious of Imu’s existence, and he sought to take down the World Authorities. After all, it’s nonetheless potential that he truly did one thing sooner or later that made him acquire his in-universe infamy, but it surely’s secure to say that One Piece followers see Rocks D. Xebec in a completely completely different mild now.
