‘Him being Roger’s son doesn’t really change much’: Oda Has Already Rejected the Chosen One Trope in One Piece With Ace That You’re Too Blind to See

SUMMARY

• Luffy was always known for his uniqueness as a main character in One Piece.
• However, with the introduction of Gear 5, fans believe Oda has subjected him to the Chosen One trope.
• But fans need to realize that Oda had already rejected the Chosen One trope years ago.

In the past few years, the biggest character development that Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of One Piece, has witnessed is definitely the Nika transformation that got unlocked during his battle with Kaido in the Wano arc. Luffy unlocked his biggest potential and went on to defeat the Strongest Creature in the One Piece world.

Luffy’s Nika Transformation | Credit: Toei Animation

While most of the fans of the series were happy that Luffy had got a new power, others were disappointed with the weight they put on Luffy. This weight is generally called the Chosen One Trope, which would not only remove the uniqueness in Luffy’s character as a protagonist but also disrupt the message that Oda has been trying to portray since the beginning.

However, what fans fail to realize is that Oda had rejected the Chosen One trope way before it became a part of Luffy’s character. In fact, he did it with Luffy’s brother Portgas D. Ace, who was the son of the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and was evidently destined to be the next Pirate King in One Piece.

The introduction of the Chosen One trope in One Piece

Ever since Luffy’s character entered the anime and manga world, he has been appreciated for his uniqueness as a protagonist. He is unlike any other main character and does not follow any typical stereotypes that would draw parallels between him and other anime protagonists. However, all of this changed when he unlocked Gear 5 (Nika transformation) in One Piece.

When Luffy was revealed to be the reincarnation of Joy Boy, it brought a responsibility upon him to save the One Piece world from the tyranny of the World Government. This meant that Luffy would have to carry the burden of being the protagonist of the story, which would question his carefree and goofy personality in One Piece.

The Protagonist of One Piece – Monkey D. Luffy | Credit: Toei Animation

Just like every other anime protagonist, Luffy also became the victim of the Chosen One trope, which meant that all of his powers and abilities were the result of him being a main character rather than his own hard work and efforts. Thus, it led to fans being disappointed in Luffy and Oda for binding Luffy’s character development to “destiny” in One Piece.

Eiichiro Oda has been rejecting the Chosen One trope since the beginning

While fans have questioned Eiichiro Oda’s judgment in giving Luffy the power of Sun God Nika, they need to understand that despite that, the One Piece manga creator does not care about the Chosen One trope at all. In fact, he proved this way earlier within the narrative with Ace’s storyline in One Piece.

Portgas D. Ace in One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

When Ace was introduced, he was portrayed as Luffy’s brother and Whitebeard’s apprentice who has a personality and goals of his own.

And while it was revealed that he was the son of Gol D. Roger, it didn’t really affect how he lived his life. He himself didn’t want anything to do with it, and most of his story was based on his struggles as an individual in One Piece.

Thus, in a way, Ace was destined to have the Chosen One trope as well, but Oda rejected it and gave Ace an identity and personality of his own. This is why it is safe to say that Oda won’t fall for the same Chosen One trope for Luffy and will give him the perfect development that he deserves in One Piece.

One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Written by Tarun Kohli

Articles Published: 2087

Konichiwa! With a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a 2-year experience in Digital media writing, I am on my way to becoming one of the biggest anime content writers in my country. My passion for writing and Anime has helped me connect with Fandomwire, and share my love and experience with the world.