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slowcatsisland · 26 days ago

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One Piece Thought; Oda’s Aversion to Killing Characters

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Oda wanting to keep a majority of characters alive for the end of One Piece so everyone can still smile n what not is actually a pretty good take, there’s just been some times where I personally found it so draining.

Luffy does have a kill count, even though in a majority of fights he gets in to he isn’t trying to kill his opponent, only destroy them which - there is a difference!! But it doesn’t erase the fact that some people he’s gone up against (Kaido) or bystanders that got caught up in the context of the fight have died.

Idk there’s just some instances where a couple people could have, would have, or SHOULD have died that just..didn’t.

A lot of times characters are introduced to drive the plot or to complete their storyline and once they do, they don’t need to stay alive. Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gege Akutami does a terrifyingly good hob at disposing his characters when they fulfill their storyline, sometimes even before. I’m not saying I want One Piece to be more like JJK, it’s just a difference between the two anime’s based off their creators. Yk ?

Although I am glad Oda wrote these storylines the way they did bc they add to the world of One Piece a lot by defying their mortal expectations and don’t sadden the reality of their world for the straw hat crew or the viewers.

I think my main issue with this is it often discredits whoever dealt them an attack imo. **

These are just my opinions abt who could have died, when, and by whom that wouldn’t have fully changed the story of One Piece, prolly just add to the severity and dread in the arc yk

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Spandam - Ennies Lobby by Robin **

- Spandam is literally such a revolting person and it was deserved for him to die when Robin snapped his spine. The fact he didn’t imo is an insult to Robin’s determination in that moment/annoying because he didn’t have a major purpose after Enies Lobby.

Apoo - Onigashima by Zoro **

- I understand Apoo not dying when Zoro slashed him in the beginning of the raid of Onigashima on the battle floor bc he ended up with that whole plot of him having the antidote to the zombie freezing disease but even then it was drawn out yk. in the anime there was a large emphasis put on Zoro here. It showed his seriousness, his lack tolerance to nuisances and threats to the crew/the alliance, and his ability to deal damaging attacks without going all out/his range of offensive capability. I feel like all of that was undermined by Apoo getting up and surviving the alliance, CP0, and the fire all the way to the end of Wano.

(Controversial) Kin’emon - Onigashima by Kaido (twice)

Kin’emon I love you but I totally thought you died when the captains met you guys at the rooftop and you were bleeding out on the ground. And again when Kaido cut you in two. Both of these moments would have been good moments for Kin’emon to die imo bc even if his story wasn’t finished (reconnecting with otsuru, guiding Mononoke when he becomes shogun) it showed his true character. He was a swordsman putting all his honor and pride and life and energy into defeating Kaido. These moments honored that side of him so even if it would’ve been sad it would have been a good time for him to die. Im glad he didn’t though.

Mad Monk Urogue - Sabaody Archipelago by Pacifista Kuma & Kizaru

- bro got his ass handed to him every fight he got into for his whole showing on screen in Sababody and the New World imo. He suffered some serious damage in Sabaody and it might’ve been a good showing of how dangerous the admirals and the World government are outside of the straw hats. Bc we know they packed up the straw hats to show them they weren’t ready and needed to get stronger but it would’ve been kinda cool to see another crew get almost the exact same treatment at the exact same time imo. I also don’t like him.

Hatchan - Sabaody Archipelago by St. Charlos

- when Charles shot him and Hatchan was apologizing I thought he was going to die. I was even watching it with my friend and when it panned to him getting patched up in Shakky’s bar my friend went ‘he didn’t die?’ Ya ik. Hatchan could have died in that scene and it would’ve been good. It would’ve been another showing of how cruel the celestial dragons are and it would’ve been the first fatal showing of this to people the strawhats care abt I think. Hatchan got his apology, he amended things with Nami, he ended up leading the strawhats to Rayleigh, and ultimately Cami got saved so it would’ve been a good moment imo. Kinda sad tho and def would’ve brought down the post slave auction house sababody vibes but the vibes weren’t good for that long thanks to kuma and kizaru.

Kanjuro - Onigashima by Okiku ** (twice)

- I thought the first fight scene between okiku and kanjuro was beautiful, and it was a good death to Kanjuro. But when he was alive again and made the fake oden I was just like why. It took away from Kiku’s achievement and devotion to the cause in that battle bc it’s her fault (and oda’s) that’s he’s still alive. Imo I would’ve liked it better as an audience member if the fake oden and the kazenbo that kanjuro becomes later in Onigashima was remnants of kanjuro’s devil fruit ability after he died. (Yk think Boa’s Df and how the stone stays stone even if she dies or the concept of post mortem men in hxh) that way those things could have still happened but Kiku wouldn’t have lost and integrity in the fight.

(Controversial prolly) Okiku - Onigashima by Kaido

- kiku losing her arm was scary, but she bounced back. However when Kaido took out her and Kin’emon together, I still wanted her to live. Until she said something! It was like “the dawn will come to show spring and the fallen snow will be gone” idk blah but it was so beautiful and a lovely line written by Oda bc I feel like it was a prophecy-type foreshadowing where Kiku had to be one of the retainers that died in the final battle in order for the dawn to come. Bc her nickname was th e fallen snow! It just worked so well but was ignored in favor of her living and I’m glad she did but ugh imo it would have been beautiful writing.

Pell - Alabasta by Robin (?)

- Pell’s Pell. He got folded by Robin and I feel like he could’ve died there. He did have a major role tho in the battle later so it’s good he came back but there was the other guardian deity aside from him (the dog one) so I feel like alabasta would’ve been okay w/o him.

Conis’ father Pagaya - Skypiea by Enel (?)

- No hate to this guy I only put him bc when he surprised everyone by not being dead everyone was like “ur supposed to be dead” which was funny lol. One of the first cases of people would could die not dying

Wiper - Skypiea by Enel (?)

- wiper served his purpose in Skypiea. He helped defeat Enel and gain back the land that was once his peoples so I feel like if he died a warrior death and succumbed to his injuries it would’ve been a good ending for his character.

Raki - Skypia by Enel **

- I’m only putting her bc she got blasted point blank by Enel and still survived. Like what? It’s moments like these where when the character doesn’t die it messes with the lethality of attacks and characters like now Enel doesn’t seem as fatal of a villain bc she survived one of his attacks. Matter of fact most people in the final battle of Skypiea survived even the native scouts.

Orochi - Onigashima *

- actually fuck this guy bro I hate him sm. At first when he died by King’s hand I thought that was it. Then he came back. And had all the heads that got chopped by Denjiro. Then he survived. And Hiyori waved the fan to kill him for good. At first I hated it bc he should’ve died in the beginning but then I was like no actually this is some pretty good stuff Oda’s making. But denjiro cutting him down should’ve been it, right? I thought that until Kiyori said that line “Kurozumi is charcoal (or wtv) bc it’s made to burn.” It was good bc he burned alive and it was a nod to Oden’s famous line ‘oden isn’t oden if it isn’t boiled/oden was made to boil.’ I just wish now that there was more fluidity thing in his multiple lives to his devil fruit. His serpent form has multiple heads so if Oda paired the heads with a life and made it explicitly shown like oh he died twice now he has like one life left I think it would’ve been a more satisfying and confirmed death for him yk. He isn’t worth all those deaths. Or lives.

Queen & King - Onigashima by Sanji & Zoro respectively **

I feel like when these two fell and Sanji and Zoro were both announced as the winner, the should’ve been the last time we saw them. Both strawhats did everything they could do to win and to see Queen & King hiding out in Wano during the feast before they were attacked by Ryokugyu was so annoying to me. HOWEVER, I do understand that it showed how much stronger the Beast Pirates were in comparison to the Strawhats and that the Strawhats shouldn’t have won and was also the display of Ryokugyu’s immense power and easily put into perspective how powerful he was.

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I do love Oda’s commitment to making OP seem like a bright thing as well as he can, it just stresses me sometimes

Mwah 😽