This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Final Saga.
Summary
The creator ofOne Piece,Eiichiro Oda, is surely one of the most brilliant writersof modern times. Oda has created a fantastic piece of fiction that has already etched itself in history, and will most certainly go down as one of the greatest pieces of work ever written by any mangaka.One Piecestill has a lot to offer, but the fact that it has already etched itself into history and gone down as arguably the greatest story ever written is proof of the fact that Oda is dedicated to his craft and that this story is in a league of its own.
Of course,One Piecedoes multiple things right, from writing compelling story arcs, to phenomenal worldbuilding. A key part ofOne Pieceis the character writing, which, in many ways, is also the most important aspect of the story. Oda absolutely nails character writing in many ways and that is also why fans love his characters as much as they do. Now, Oda has revealed the secret behind writing Incredible characters within the story.
Why Oda’s Characters Are Beloved
Oda has written brilliant characters in his story from day one.When the fans were introduced to Luffy, it was clear to see that this was a character with compelling ideas, and a dream that fans could get behind. The same could be said for the likes of Zoro, and every other character that Oda introduced along the way. The fact is that Oda manages to write characters that represent certain themes incredibly well, which is hard to do. Characters that stay consistent to their core and never change personalities based on the whims of the author are always the ones that are always going to be beloved among the fans. Oda has mastered this craft, and he has clearly stated in the past that, at times, he just lets the characters drive his story forward. Of course, Oda is still the person who holds the pen, but, if something doesn’t align with the basis that he has set for his character, then he avoids that decision altogether.
Luffy bothers me the most. I have to put brakes on him with obstacles, or he’ll soon defeat the villain. My characters act 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 has tried to do something specific within the stories that has not aligned with Luffy’s way of thinking. Because of this exact reason, he chose to scrap the decision because Luffy would simply not act that way. This is something that Oda has stated in his story previously, and it is also whyLuffy 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 is alive and driving his own story forward. To any author, consistency within character writing and deep care for the characters is absolutely essential, and that is precisely 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 and intricate characters. In fact, Oda was even asked about this rather 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 don’t vibe with. The worst thing you’re able to do is force in a character just because they’re trendy, without any real personality. If I like the character, at least I’m a fan. But if I make them without care, they might end up with no fans at all.
Clearly, Oda explains that in order to write a compelling character, you have to love them in the first place. If authors don’t love their characters, they simply go to waste. Essentially, an author must embody personal care for the character that they are writing and be mindful of how to go about writing them, and what things to keep in mind while designing their core personality and then modeling their entire character around that. This also goes to show how much Oda loves his characters. Given that there are countless well-written characters in One Piece, Oda cares about all of them deeply and would never have them make decisions that go against their core personalities.
Some Of Oda’s Standout Characters
Oda Has Written Some Brilliant One Piece Characters Like Luffy And Sanji
Of course, when one speaks of Oda’s standout characters,the Straw Hat Pirates come to mind. These individuals are some of the very best ones 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 seen him go from strength to strength, not just in terms of power, but in terms of his headstrong personality and the core ideals that have only, with time, grown significantly. For instance, Luffy actually became the very personification of what his character is all about, and that is freedom. By unlocking the powers of Gear 5, fans got to see why and how Oda has always wanted to handle this character and that is also why fans have come to love Luffy as much as they do.
Another brilliant example of Oda’s well-written characters is Sanji. It is 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 Baratie, all the way to what was revealed about him in Whole Cake Island and then continued in Wano, during the Raid of Onigashima, is absolutely spectacular. Sanji’s deep care about people, his kindness, chivalry, and his self-sacrificing nature, along with all the growth thathe has since then seen in Wano, makes him a brilliant character from start to finish.
Of course, there are others inOne Piecetoo, such as Nami, Zoro, Robin, and of course, many other brilliant non-Strawhat characters as well, such as the likes of Ace, Garp, Whitebeard, and countless others, who embody various ideals and have, thus, proven to be brilliantly written characters.
The best part about all this is thatOne Piecehas not even hit its true peak. There are many intriguing characters that Oda will only now start focusing 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 such as Joy Boy, and various of his allies in the biggest flashback of the series, and there is a lot to look forward to.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and theManga Plusapp. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1128, is set to be June 14, 2025.
