Eiichiro Oda is a master at creating a diverse array of characters. Luffy, the iconic protagonist of One Piece, exemplifies Oda’s genius. His slow and steady progression since consuming the Devil Fruit at the beginning of the series has left fans in awe.
While fans eagerly await Luffy’s final form, it is the training process and the challenges he has overcome over more than a thousand chapters of manga and anime that make One Piece so engaging.
Eiichiro Oda Compares Luffy to a Controversial Character in One Piece to Highlight the Drawbacks
In an article published in the Sound Recording magazine (2012), Eiichiro Oda commented on the nature of the main character in One Piece. Oda expressed that Luffy is the character he is most concerned about. The author explained that when creating a protagonist in a manga, it is crucial not to make him too powerful.
Oda noted that an overly strong main character could lead to the early collapse of an entire series. He firmly believes in developing characters over time rather than introducing an excessively powerful protagonist.
Indeed, if Luffy were as powerful as some other characters like Kuzan and Akainu, he would quickly ascend to the top ranks. In fact, some of the most interesting arcs in the series would never take place because Luffy would swiftly rise to the highest position.
For instance, if Akainu were to become the main character, he is so powerful that One Piece would conclude within a year. Besides being an influential Marine admiral, he has consumed the Magu Magu no Mi fruit, granting him the ability to create, control, and transform into magma. Fortunately, Akainu’s cruel personality is not suited for a protagonist.
How Eiichiro Oda’s Statement Was Distorted into a Legend
Eiichiro Oda stated that if Akainu were the protagonist of One Piece, the manga and anime series would conclude within a year.
However, His Words Were Distorted by Fans to Suggest That Oda Implied Akainu Could Find the One Piece Treasure in Less Than a Year.
In any case, Oda never claimed that Akainu would achieve the One Piece treasure sooner than anyone else. Instead, he wanted fans to focus on the fact that Luffy is the main character due to his gradual development. Rather than suggesting Akainu is a capable protagonist, Oda simply explained why Luffy is ideal to lead this franchise.
Akainu is undoubtedly a powerful character, but he is so strong that the gradual development of power could be challenging to portray. It is precisely Luffy’s “flaw,” along with the scenes of training and battles, that allows fans to think more deeply about this character.