This article contains spoilers from the final saga of One Piece.
Key points
- Zoro and Sanji will become stronger during the Elbaf arc, potentially gaining new power-ups.
- Oda excels at character writing, letting the characters drive the plot independently.
- Oda's dedication to creating compelling characters stems from his personal love for them.
The creator of One pieceEiichiro Oda is certainly one of the most brilliant writers of modern times. Oda has created a fantastic piece of fiction that has already been imprinted in history and will surely become one of the greatest masterpieces ever written by a manga artist. One piece still has a lot to offer, but the fact that it has already made history and gone down in history as arguably the greatest story ever written is proof that Oda is dedicated to his art and that this story is in a league of its own type. Own.
Obviously, One piece does a lot of things well, from writing compelling story arcs, to phenomenal world-building. A key part of One piece it's the writing of the characters that, in many ways, is also the most important aspect of the story. Oda nails the character writing perfectly in many ways and that's also why fans love his characters as much as they do. Now, Oda has revealed the secret behind writing incredible characters within the story.
Because Oda's characters are loved
- Oda's characters are independent
- Oda's characters move the plot on their own
Oda has written brilliant characters in his story since day one. When fans were introduced to Luffy, it was clear that this was a character with compelling ideas and a dream that fans could make come true. The same could be said for the likes of Zoro and all the other characters Oda introduced along the way. The thing is, Oda manages to write characters that represent certain themes incredibly well, which is hard to do. Characters who remain consistent in their essence and never change personality based on the whims of the author are always the ones who will always be loved by fans. Oda has mastered this craft and has made it clear in the past that sometimes he simply lets the characters carry his story forward. Of course, Oda is still the person holding the pen, but, if something doesn't align with the foundation he's set for his character, then avoid that decision altogether.
Luffy annoys me the most. I have to slow him down with obstacles, otherwise he will soon defeat the bad guy. My characters behave as if they have a will of their own. When I forced them to move for the sake of the story, my audience complained. – Oda
A good example of this Oda talking about Luffy and his sense of freedom. Often Oda tried to do something specific within the stories that didn't align with Luffy's way of thinking. For this very reason, he chose to reverse the decision because Luffy simply wouldn't behave that way. This is something Oda stated earlier in his story, and it's also why Luffy is as beloved a character as he is. Luffy's personality is what drives the plot forward, and Oda writes Luffy as if he were alive and moving his story forward. For any author, consistency in character writing and deep care for characters are absolutely essential, and that's exactly what Oda has nailed over the years.
Because Oda is so dedicated to his craft and knows what makes characters compelling and story arcs stand out, he has created the perfect formula for writing deep, intricate characters. In fact, Oda was asked about this quite recently, and he certainly gave a very interesting answer to the question posed to Oda in an interview:
How do you create characters that stand out? Eiichiro Oda: It all starts with whether I like the character or not. I can't work with characters I don't feel good with. The worst thing you can do is force a character just because it's trendy, without any real personality. If I like the character, at least I'm a fan. But if I do them carelessly, they may end up without a fan.
Clearly, Oda explains that to write a compelling character, you have to love him first. If authors don't love their characters, they simply go to waste. In essence, an author must embody personal care for the character they are writing and be aware of how to write them and what things to keep in mind as they design their core personality and then shape their entire character around that. This also shows how much Oda loves his characters. Since there are countless well-written characters in One Piece, Oda cares deeply about all of them and would never want them to make decisions that go against their core personalities.
Some of Oda's most important characters
Oda wrote some brilliant One Piece characters like Luffy and Sanji
Of course, when talking about Oda's most important characters, the Straw Hat Pirates come to mind. These individuals are some of the best written in the entire story. Luffy, in particular, is an example for the story to follow. Luffy embodies freedom in a literal sense, and fans have watched him grow stronger and stronger, not only in terms of power, but in terms of his headstrong personality and core ideals that, over time, have grown significantly. For example, Luffy has actually become the very embodiment of what his character represents, and that is freedom. By unlocking Gear 5's powers, fans were able to see why and how Oda always wanted to handle this character and that's also why fans have come to love Luffy as much as they do.
Another shining example of Oda's well-written characters is Sanji. It's safe to say that, along with Luffy, Sanji is the best written character in all of One Piece, and that's obvious. His character arc, starting with Baratie, to what was revealed about him in Whole Cake Island and then continuing into Wano, during the Onigashima Raid, is absolutely spectacular. Sanji's deep concern for people, his kindness, his chivalry, and his selfless nature, along with all the growth he's seen in Wano since then, make him a brilliant character from start to finish.
Of course there are others One piece also, such as Nami, Zoro, Robin, and of course, many other brilliant non-Strawhat characters, such as Ace, Garp, Whitebeard, and countless others, who embody various ideals and have, therefore, proven to be brilliantly written characters.
The best part of all this is this One piece it hasn't even reached its true peak. There are many intriguing characters that Oda will only now begin to focus on. These include characters such as Shanks, Blackbeard, and those of the government, such as Imu, among others. Fans will also find other compelling characters like Joy Boy and various of his allies in the series' biggest flashback, and there's a lot to look forward to.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by fans officially and for free on Shonen Jump and on the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1128, is scheduled for October 6, 2024.
