The best written One Piece character isn't Luffy, it's this straw hat

As the main leader in One pieceMonkey D. Luffy is almost always the center of attention. Because of this, Luffy is also the most popular character in the series. Even people who haven't seen One Piece know about Luffy. Needless to say, the main reason for its popularity is Eiichiro Oda's brain.

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Like all manga authors, Eiichiro Oda put a lot of effort into creating Luffy. He worked hard to come up with Luffy's design, personality and abilities that are integral to the pirate's fame. Without Odo's ingenuity, Luffy wouldn't be as appealing. As a result of the author's efforts, Luffy is widely considered to be the best written character One piecebut the truth is a little different.

Sanji is the best written character in one piece

Image via Toei Animation.

While there's no denying that Luffy is an amazingly well-written character, he's not the best, with that honor going to fellow Straw Man Sanji. Like his captain, Sanji is popular with the masses, as evidenced by his popularity polls. So the question is, why is Sanji so adored by fans? The answer is quite simple – he is probably the best all-round character in One Piece.

Some people may feel that this statement is an exaggeration, but there is plenty of evidence to prove that Sanji is head and shoulders above the competition. First, it's important to look at Sanji's story. While the Straw Hats were on Baratia, it was revealed that Sanji and Zeff had met under the most unlikely of circumstances. Zeff and his crew were trying to loot the ship Sanji was on. When all the people were gathered, Sanji revealed that his dream was to find All Blue. Everyone around began to laugh, but at that moment Zeff saw himself in the young boy. So when a tidal wave knocked Sanji off the ship, Zeff jumped into the water to save him.

He then found Sanji and swam to an isolated rock. Zeff gave Sanji a bag of food while keeping the other for himself. Days passed and yet there was still no sign of help. As a child, Sanji didn't have the same level of control, and after running out of food, he decided to attack Zeff. But he was shocked to see that Zeff had eaten his leg because his sack was full of loot. Zeff gave all the food to Sanji so he could survive. Realizing his mistake, Sanji burst into tears and his respect for Zeff grew significantly. Once rescued, Sanji stayed with Zeff as they set up Baratie, a restaurant at sea.

Sanji's time on the island with Zeff not only showed how determined he was to survive, but also that he was mature enough to accept his mistakes. Seeing Zeff sacrifice so much for a boy he barely knew changed Sanji for the better, especially considering how badly the Vinsmokes had treated him. Sanji considered Zeff to be his real father, which is why he went with Capone Bege when they threatened to kill him.

Sanji's Past As A Vinsmoke Was Beautifully Executed by Oda

• Sanji was tormented by his family

• He remained true to his ideals

As the story moved into the Whole Cake Island arc, Sanji's family was revealed. In a major flashback, it was revealed how Sanji was mistreated by his siblings and his own father, Reiju and Sora being the exception. Sora in particular was kind to Sanji because she knew her son was compassionate and loving. She was happy that at least one of her children hadn't been corrupted by Judge's insane lust for power. For most of his childhood, Sanji spent time with Sora, cooking new things for her. He was also kind to animals, which did not sit well with his father and brothers. The four of them would bully him at every opportunity. In reality, Judge put a mask on Sanji and imprisoned him so that no one would know that he was connected to the Vinsmoke family. Sanji eventually escaped the torture and left his old life behind with Reiju's help.

Sanji's past as a member of the Vinsmoke Family has caused severe mental damage. Being still a child, it was not easy for him to understand why his own flesh and blood hated him so much. He guessed everything and became a person who did not want to rely on others. This was another reason why Sanji went with Capone because he wanted to share all the burden himself. When he first countered Luffy in the Whole Cake Island arc, he chose to maintain the facade that he was done with the Straw Hats. Again, this was due to Sanji's desire not to depend on anyone else.

Sanji never changed even after years of torture

Later in the arc, Sanji had the perfect opportunity to exact revenge on the Vinsmoke family. Sanji could have had Big Mom's Pirates kill them, but that would mean Judge had successfully killed his compassion. Besides, that's not how Zeff raised him. So Sanji saved Vinsmoke, proving that he wasn't emotionless like them. It was also a slap in the face to his father as he had always believed Sanji to be a weakling.

The Robin Moment in Onigashima changed everything

Sanji proved that he was not the same as before

If Oda stopped adding Sanji's character in Whole Cake Island, he would still be one of the best written characters in One Piece. But the author wanted to add one more, probably the most important moment to demonstrate Sanji's growth. During the Onigashima Raid, Sanji was tricked and captured by Black Maria. Normally, Sanji could easily run away, but his chivalrous nature prevented him from harming the woman.

Black Maria gave Sanji an ultimatum – call Nico Robin or die. To everyone's surprise, Sanji yelled at Robin for help. A lot of fans felt that it was pathetic of Sanji, but it wasn't. Sanji's decision showed that he was ready to share his burden with others. It also meant that he trusted his crewmate to get the job, which is exactly what Robin did.

Image via Toei Animation.

The level of detail and complexity with which Oda planned Sanji's story and his development is unmatched. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this is Odo's best effort in terms of character writing. Obviously Sanji isn't perfect and has his faults, but so does everyone. Fans who aren't happy with Sanji being a pervert should remember that his actions are grossly exaggerated in the anime. He is much more decent in the manga, as his gag is limited to only a few occasions.

One piece

Release date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imayomura, Yashiôhiro Mayuū Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

Writers

Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda

• 

  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)