This article contains spoilers from One Piece's Final Saga.
Key things
- Zoro and Sanji will become stronger during the Elbaf Arc and potentially gain new power-ups.
- Oda excels at character writing, letting the characters drive the plot independently.
- Odo's dedication to creating compelling characters stems from his personal love for them.
Creator One pieceEiichiro Oda is certainly one of the most brilliant writers of modern times. Oda created a fantastic piece of fiction that has already gone down in history and will surely go down as one of the greatest works ever written by any mangaka. One piece still has a lot to offer, but the fact that it has already gone down in history as arguably the greatest story ever written is a testament to Oda's dedication to his craft and that this story is in a league of its own. own.
Of course, One piece it does several things right, from writing compelling story arcs to phenomenal world-building. A key component One piece is the character writing, which in many ways is also the most important aspect of the story. Oda absolutely rocks the character writing in so many ways, and that's why fans love his characters as much as they do. Now Oda has revealed the secret behind writing the incredible characters in the story.
Why the characters of the Ode are loved
- Od's figures stand independently
- Odo's characters move the plot on their own
Oda has written great characters into his story from day one. When Luffy was introduced to fans, it was clear that he was a character with compelling ideas and a dream that fans could get behind. The same could be said for characters like Zoro and every other character Oda introduced along the way. The fact is, Oda is incredibly good at writing characters that represent certain themes, which is difficult. Characters that stay true to their core and never change personalities based on the whims of the author are always the ones that will always be loved by fans. Oda has mastered the craft and has made it clear in the past that he sometimes just lets the characters drive his story forward. Of course, Oda is still the person holding the pen, but if something doesn't fit the foundation he's set for his character, then he avoids that decision entirely.
Luffy bothers me the most. I have to hold him back with obstacles or he will defeat the bad guy soon. My characters act as if they have a will of their own. When I made them move for the sake of the story, my audience complained. – Ode
A good example of how Oda talks about Luffy and his sense of freedom. Oda often tried to do something specific in the stories that didn't align with Luffy's way of thinking. It was for this very reason that he decided to rescind the decision, because Luffy simply wouldn't act like that. This is something that Oda stated earlier in his story and is also why Luffy is as beloved a character as he is. Luffy's personality is what drives the plot forward, and Oda writes Luffy in a way as if he were alive and driving his own story forward. Consistency in character writing and caring deeply about characters is absolutely essential for any author, and that's exactly what Oda has honed over the years.
Because Oda is so dedicated to his craft and knows what makes characters compelling and story arcs stand out, he created the perfect formula for writing deep and complex characters. In fact, Oda was even asked this recently, and he certainly had a very interesting answer to the question Oda was asked 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'm not in the mood for. The worst thing you can do is force a character just because it's trendy, with no real personality. If I like the character, at least I'm rooting for her. But if I do them carelessly, they might end up with no fans at all.
Oda makes it clear that in order to write a compelling character, you must first love them. If writers don't love their characters, they're simply doomed. Basically, an author must embody personal care for the character they are writing and be aware of how to go about writing them and what to keep in mind when designing their core personality and then model their entire character around that. It also shows how much Oda loves his characters. Since there are countless well-written characters in One Piece, Oda cares deeply for all of them and would never let them make decisions that go against their core personalities.
Some of Oda's exceptional characters
Oda wrote some great one-liners like Luffy and Sanji
Of course, when talking about the exceptional characters of the Oda, I think of the straw pirates. These individuals are some of the best written in the entire story. Luffy in particular is the example that the story should follow. Luffy embodies freedom in the literal sense of the word, and fans have seen him go from strength to strength, not just in terms of strength, but in terms of his stubborn personality and core ideals that have grown significantly over time. For example, Luffy has actually become the embodiment of what his character is all about, which is freedom. By unlocking Gear 5's abilities, fans understood why and how Oda always wanted to handle the character, which made fans fall in love with Luffy as much as they did.
Another great 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 goes without saying. His character arcs, starting with Baratia, to what was revealed about him in Whole Cake Island and then continuing in Wano, during the Raid of Onigashima, is absolutely spectacular. Sanji's deep care for people, his kindness, his chivalry, and his self-sacrificing nature, along with all the growth he's seen in Wano since then, make him a great character from start to finish.
Of course there are others One piece also like Nami, Zoro, Robin and of course many other great characters outside of Strawhat like Ace, Garp, Whitebeard and countless others who embody different ideals and thus prove to be great written characters.
The best part of it all is this One piece it hasn't even reached its true peak. There are many interesting characters that Oda will only start to focus on now. These include characters like Shanks, Blackbeard, and government figures like Imu, among others. Fans will also find other impressive characters such as Joy Boy and his various allies in the series' biggest flashback, and there's plenty to look forward to.
One Piece is available to read through Viz Media. Fans can officially read the series for free on Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next One Piece chapter, One Piece 1128, is set for October 6, 2024.
