One Piece Week 1: Straw Hat Pirates
Ever since high school, I have been a fan of One Piece, a Japanese manga, by Eiichiro Oda. In the next couple of weeks I will go over what makes me love the series and what the world is all about. To kick off this series of posts, I feel that there is no better way than to begin with the characters that helm the series known as the Straw Hat Pirates. For the most part, I will be looking to avoid spoilers as much as I can. So let's get this show on the road.
Monkey D. Luffy
To be honest, when I started watching One Piece I was not a fan of Luffy because of his stupidity and ridiculous behavior that would put the crew in a bind at times. After seeing Luffy become serious and develop throughout the earlier parts of the series, I found a new respect for the beloved captain. While our young, fearless leader may not look dependable, his command and personality have shaped the series and the characters into believing the abilities of him and his crew. So, there are several moments that send shivers down my spine and goosebumps on my arms whenever I see Luffy interact with something that he does not particularly agree. Overall, Luffy instills hope and emotion into the world of One Piece as well as the audience watching or reading. The next character on the list is Roronoa Zoro.
Roronoa Zoro
The first member of the Straw Hats after Luffy is the swordsman named Roronoa Zoro. As a person who enjoys swords and samurai, I ave always had a soft spot for Zoro. In terms of strength, he may be the strongest member in the crew rivaling the Luffy. For me his dedication to Luffy and the crew is one of the strongest as they are all willing to die for each other at the drop of a feather, but Zoro's moments have stood out when the situation was dire. His dependability to get the job done make stand out above the rest as a top fighter in the Straw Hats called The Monster Trio - includes Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. Up next in the crew is Nami.
Nami
The second member of the Straw Hats is the navigator Nami that makes sure the crew does not get lost at sea. Her strong affinity for weather along with her intelligence makes her one of the most vital components in the crew. So, her strength does not come from winning battles against strong opponents. Nami comes through best when she is strategizing and trying to think ahead of the enemies that they are facing. But when called upon to take on an enemy, she is usually able to handle the hurdle. Our next member in line is Usopp.
Usopp
The third member of the Straw Hats is the sniper Usopp who also specializes in crafting weapons and other technology. Easily my least favorite member of the crew for a long time as Usopp's worth not present in the early goings. Like Luffy, Usopp developed into someone that empowered the crew to push forward. Even though Usopp tries to avoid conflict as much as possible, he can be depended upon to at least stall until help arrives. So, Usopp handles many situations from afar with his keen eyesight that proves to be a strong tool for his crew. Halfway down the list we come to Sanji.
Sanji
The fourth member of the Straw Hats is the cook Sanji that also specializes in fighting and reconnaissance. Sanji is my personal favorite Straw Hat because I enjoy his personality and fighting in general. While the cook is most certainly known for his culinary prowess, he can really dish out the pain. Sanji as a character might be the oddest as he refuses to hit any woman in the series friend or foe because of his former guardian. Throughout the series Sanji has been like Zoro and Luffy in that they can be trusted to get a job done when called upon. Whether that is saving the crew from destruction or thinking ahead, Sanji is someone that can inspire an audience through action and emotion. Next in slot is Tony Tony Chopper.
Tony Tony Chopper
The fifth member of the Straw Hats is the doctor Tony Tony Chopper who also happens to be a reindeer. As you can tell, Chopper's main job is to treat the wounds of the crew. When he is not healing the crew, Chopper is on the front lines fighting. Other than that Chopper does not do much outside of treating others regardless of their affiliation. This compassion is shared throughout the crew because of their experiences with loss. But with Chopper this idea is more visible as he saves others with his prowess in medicine. In the spotlight next is Nico Robin.
Nico Robin
The sixth member of the Straw Hats is the archaeologist Nico Robin who also does reconnaissance for the crew. An archaeologist may sound a bit weird in a pirate crew, but trust me she is vital to the operation. With her knowledge of the world and useful information network, Robin is easily the most knowledgeable person in the crew. As my second favorite Straw Hat, Robin is at the center of one of the most important arcs in the series. Alongside her development as a character, I would say that Robin is my second favorite character in the series. Our next crew member is Franky.
Franky
The seventh member of the Straw Hats is the shipwright Franky who is also the maker of their second ship, Thousand Sunny. Franky is a cyborg with a heart of gold and is about all things manly. So, Franky is expected to keep the ship intact while also participating in the fighting like everyone else. A large appeal to Franky as a character is that everything about him is odd much like the series in general. While Franky is made up mostly of machinery, his emotions make him more human than some of the crew as he is the quickest to get emotional over an event in the series. Next in the rotation is Brook.
Brook
The eight member of the Straw Hats is the musician Brook who is a skeleton. While many of the characters do make jokes from time to time, I have always thought that Brook was more comedic than most including Usopp. While Brook also does reconnaissance for the crew like Robin and Sanji, his situation is on a different scale given his own abilities. When he is not playing music for the crew, Brook is either fighting or searching for information. But going back to his comedic prowess, I would say that many of his jokes are bad as they are puns or a running gag. When Brook says them I feel that they fit with his character and are very on-brand. Lastly, we come to the newest crew member Jinbe.
Jinbe
The ninth member of the Straw Hats is the Fishman Jinbe who recent left his own crew to join Luffy. Jinbe for a long time was a character that was talked about in passing in One Piece. When he first met Luffy, Jinbe did not think too much of him. After spending time with Luffy ,like every other character in the crew, he grew fond of the lovable idiot. For me Jinbe is like the father of the group as he has wisdom and age while keeping everyone in check. So, Jinbe has become a trusted character in the crew given their past outings with the former pirate captain.
Last Note
The Straw Hat Pirates are an amazing crew to focus on for the story of One Piece and I could not imagine a different set of weirdos to use at this point. The values of the crew are very relatable as they focus upon issues that occur in the real world like politics or social injustice. The ability to not evaluate someone by the actions of their parents or rumors, but to judge someone's worth based on their character. Next week will focus on the competing factions in One Piece that include the Navy, World Government, and Revolutionary Army.
Going Merry (First Ship)
The Going Merry came along with Usopp when he joined the crew and lasted longer than many expected because the ship was more not made to traverse the world. Despite the crew lacking Franky before the loss of Merry, the attchment to the ship was felt when travelling together. Honestly, I never thought losing a ship could be so sad before seeing One Piece.
Thousand Sunny (Second Ship)
The current ship of the Straw Hats is the Thousand Sunny made by Franky. A definite upgrade from Merry that has saved the crew from countless encounters on the high sea. While the crew never wanted to leave Merry behind, the Sunny has become just as loved and is built to carry the crew to the promised land.
Straw Hat Pirates:
The crew is currently made up of ten members that all have different goals in mind, but the quality that stands out above the rest is their willingness to trust and stick with each other through the toughest of battles. These battles come often as they are technically criminals because of their choice to be pirates. As I have understood the series, I would say that freedom is a major quality that separates the pirates from a law abiding citizen. Specifically the Straw Hats will only thrust themselves into a situation if antagonized or asked to step in as there job is not save a country from civil war. While the characters obviously understand that there are injustices throughout the world, there is a time and place to act. The first character that we are going to look at is the captain, Monkey D. Luffy.
Monkey D. Luffy
To be honest, when I started watching One Piece I was not a fan of Luffy because of his stupidity and ridiculous behavior that would put the crew in a bind at times. After seeing Luffy become serious and develop throughout the earlier parts of the series, I found a new respect for the beloved captain. While our young, fearless leader may not look dependable, his command and personality have shaped the series and the characters into believing the abilities of him and his crew. So, there are several moments that send shivers down my spine and goosebumps on my arms whenever I see Luffy interact with something that he does not particularly agree. Overall, Luffy instills hope and emotion into the world of One Piece as well as the audience watching or reading. The next character on the list is Roronoa Zoro.
Roronoa Zoro
The first member of the Straw Hats after Luffy is the swordsman named Roronoa Zoro. As a person who enjoys swords and samurai, I ave always had a soft spot for Zoro. In terms of strength, he may be the strongest member in the crew rivaling the Luffy. For me his dedication to Luffy and the crew is one of the strongest as they are all willing to die for each other at the drop of a feather, but Zoro's moments have stood out when the situation was dire. His dependability to get the job done make stand out above the rest as a top fighter in the Straw Hats called The Monster Trio - includes Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. Up next in the crew is Nami.
Nami
The second member of the Straw Hats is the navigator Nami that makes sure the crew does not get lost at sea. Her strong affinity for weather along with her intelligence makes her one of the most vital components in the crew. So, her strength does not come from winning battles against strong opponents. Nami comes through best when she is strategizing and trying to think ahead of the enemies that they are facing. But when called upon to take on an enemy, she is usually able to handle the hurdle. Our next member in line is Usopp.
Usopp
The third member of the Straw Hats is the sniper Usopp who also specializes in crafting weapons and other technology. Easily my least favorite member of the crew for a long time as Usopp's worth not present in the early goings. Like Luffy, Usopp developed into someone that empowered the crew to push forward. Even though Usopp tries to avoid conflict as much as possible, he can be depended upon to at least stall until help arrives. So, Usopp handles many situations from afar with his keen eyesight that proves to be a strong tool for his crew. Halfway down the list we come to Sanji.
Sanji
The fourth member of the Straw Hats is the cook Sanji that also specializes in fighting and reconnaissance. Sanji is my personal favorite Straw Hat because I enjoy his personality and fighting in general. While the cook is most certainly known for his culinary prowess, he can really dish out the pain. Sanji as a character might be the oddest as he refuses to hit any woman in the series friend or foe because of his former guardian. Throughout the series Sanji has been like Zoro and Luffy in that they can be trusted to get a job done when called upon. Whether that is saving the crew from destruction or thinking ahead, Sanji is someone that can inspire an audience through action and emotion. Next in slot is Tony Tony Chopper.
Tony Tony Chopper
The fifth member of the Straw Hats is the doctor Tony Tony Chopper who also happens to be a reindeer. As you can tell, Chopper's main job is to treat the wounds of the crew. When he is not healing the crew, Chopper is on the front lines fighting. Other than that Chopper does not do much outside of treating others regardless of their affiliation. This compassion is shared throughout the crew because of their experiences with loss. But with Chopper this idea is more visible as he saves others with his prowess in medicine. In the spotlight next is Nico Robin.
Nico Robin
The sixth member of the Straw Hats is the archaeologist Nico Robin who also does reconnaissance for the crew. An archaeologist may sound a bit weird in a pirate crew, but trust me she is vital to the operation. With her knowledge of the world and useful information network, Robin is easily the most knowledgeable person in the crew. As my second favorite Straw Hat, Robin is at the center of one of the most important arcs in the series. Alongside her development as a character, I would say that Robin is my second favorite character in the series. Our next crew member is Franky.
Franky
The seventh member of the Straw Hats is the shipwright Franky who is also the maker of their second ship, Thousand Sunny. Franky is a cyborg with a heart of gold and is about all things manly. So, Franky is expected to keep the ship intact while also participating in the fighting like everyone else. A large appeal to Franky as a character is that everything about him is odd much like the series in general. While Franky is made up mostly of machinery, his emotions make him more human than some of the crew as he is the quickest to get emotional over an event in the series. Next in the rotation is Brook.
Brook
The eight member of the Straw Hats is the musician Brook who is a skeleton. While many of the characters do make jokes from time to time, I have always thought that Brook was more comedic than most including Usopp. While Brook also does reconnaissance for the crew like Robin and Sanji, his situation is on a different scale given his own abilities. When he is not playing music for the crew, Brook is either fighting or searching for information. But going back to his comedic prowess, I would say that many of his jokes are bad as they are puns or a running gag. When Brook says them I feel that they fit with his character and are very on-brand. Lastly, we come to the newest crew member Jinbe.
Jinbe
The ninth member of the Straw Hats is the Fishman Jinbe who recent left his own crew to join Luffy. Jinbe for a long time was a character that was talked about in passing in One Piece. When he first met Luffy, Jinbe did not think too much of him. After spending time with Luffy ,like every other character in the crew, he grew fond of the lovable idiot. For me Jinbe is like the father of the group as he has wisdom and age while keeping everyone in check. So, Jinbe has become a trusted character in the crew given their past outings with the former pirate captain.
Last Note
The Straw Hat Pirates are an amazing crew to focus on for the story of One Piece and I could not imagine a different set of weirdos to use at this point. The values of the crew are very relatable as they focus upon issues that occur in the real world like politics or social injustice. The ability to not evaluate someone by the actions of their parents or rumors, but to judge someone's worth based on their character. Next week will focus on the competing factions in One Piece that include the Navy, World Government, and Revolutionary Army.
Going Merry (First Ship)
The Going Merry came along with Usopp when he joined the crew and lasted longer than many expected because the ship was more not made to traverse the world. Despite the crew lacking Franky before the loss of Merry, the attchment to the ship was felt when travelling together. Honestly, I never thought losing a ship could be so sad before seeing One Piece.
Thousand Sunny (Second Ship)
The current ship of the Straw Hats is the Thousand Sunny made by Franky. A definite upgrade from Merry that has saved the crew from countless encounters on the high sea. While the crew never wanted to leave Merry behind, the Sunny has become just as loved and is built to carry the crew to the promised land.
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