Facebook
Reddit
Email
Explore the controversy surrounding Sanji’s personality and how One Piece proves that one gag can ruin a well-written character.
One Piece is a beloved series with a healthy dose of action, emotion, and comedy. As a part of the comedic sequences, gags often come into play. These range from Zoro’s tendency to get lost to the hilarious eye-popping expressions of characters.
Unfortunately, while audiences highly appreciate some gags, they heavily dislike others. At the receiving end of most criticisms regarding these is Sanji. Despite being one of the most complex characters with a story arc that displays the pinnacle of writing quality in One Piece, Sanji is a very divisive figure amongst fans.
This is mainly due to his gag as a pervert, which many feel was funny at first but has overstayed its welcome. Let us take a closer look at it and whether it ruins Sanji’s character.
The Complex Past of Sanji
One Piece excels at showcasing layered backstories, and the best example of this is Sanji’s. This is a unique case where an individual has two separate backstories, with each being important to understanding his facets, motivations, and relationships.
Originally, Sanji was raised in the Germa Kingdom with his siblings. This was far from a happy childhood, as Sanji faced constant abuse at the hands of his father, Vinsmoke Judge, for not showing the genetic enhancements of his siblings.
Sanji was persistently bullied by all his loved ones apart from his loving mother, who died early. His mistreatment continued until they eventually imprisoned and disowned him. Thankfully, his sister Reiju was the only one who showed him compassion. Noticing how depressed he was, she helped him escape from the ship and live life with freedom.
After this, Sanji’s other backstory with Zeff began. This displayed how the young boy was estranged on an island with Zeff following a storm. To survive, Zeff kept a large sack with him, allotting Sanji his food.
However, Sanji believed Zeff was eating most of the food and only gave him a smaller portion. To satisfy his curiosity, he opened the sack but was horrified to find it had no food. It revealed that Zeff had given all his food to Sanji and eaten his own leg for sustenance. Sanji was eternally grateful to Zeff for this, working in the Baratie with him.
Sanji’s Heroic Personality
Sanji’s past gives us a perfect understanding of his personality. Due to Zeff’s tutelage and nearly having starved, Sanji pays the highest respect to food. He hates seeing it wasted and never turns away those in need. This was best seen when the dangerous Gin was thrown out of the Baratie, but Sanji fed him later anyway, showing no animosity towards him.
Similarly, Sanji deeply respects women, a trait he inherited from Zeff. Raised by his mentor to never raise his hands against them, he has upheld this code ever since. No matter how dangerous the situation is, the cook has stuck to his morals.
While some fans may find it annoying how Sanji doesn’t recognize dangerous enemies who happen to be women, his strong ideals are the reason why he is such a formidable figure. He had never been shown kindness by his own family but was molded by the workers in the Baratie and the Straw Hats.
Sanji is a kind and compassionate person who will sacrifice himself before putting others in danger. Due to the danger of the Big Mom Pirates and the Germa Kingdom attacking Baratie and his crew, Sanji willingly went to Whole Cake Island to get married.
Despite his tragic past, he never hesitates to make a decision when threats endanger those close to him. His selflessness is undeniable, and his willingness to put others above himself is what makes him such a compelling character.
Sanji’s Important Role in the Straw Hat Pirates
Sanji is the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates and one of the crew’s prime fighters. Taught to never use his hands in battle, he develops the Black Leg Style and defeats several powerful opponents throughout the series.
As Luffy’s left-hand man, Sanji is extremely dedicated to him. He stays faithful to his captain’s decisions, firmly trusting him to become the next Pirate King. This involves touching moments of altruism from the chef.
When Luffy infiltrated Whole Cake Island to save his friend, Sanji realized the danger his captain was in. To prevent any harm from befalling Luffy, Sanji made the heartbreaking decision of insulting and beating him down. This showed they had broken their friendship, diverting the enemies’ attention from the Straw Hat Pirates.
However, Luffy realized Sanji was holding back and never gave up on him. This was a testament to the importance of Sanji in his crew. Luffy openly stated how he couldn’t become the King of Pirates without Sanji and was willing to starve for the sake of his friend.
Hence, Sanji is a multi-dimensional character who perfectly demonstrates the strong bond between the Straw Hat Pirates. He has consistently leveled up in strength to be of service to Luffy and break the shackles of his bloodlines. This eventually helped him reach a bounty of over a billion berries and defeat the likes of Jabra and Queen.
Sanji’s Controversial Gag in One Piece
As we have seen, Sanji is undoubtedly a hero in every sense of the word. He has a strong mentality, is loyal to Luffy, and refuses to fight women. Regrettably, he also has one of the most disliked gags in the fandom.
Sanji’s glaring flaw in One Piece is his extremely perverted nature. He may not fight women, but he has no problems in acting extremely inappropriately in front of them. He continuously tries to woo Nami and Robin throughout his time with them.
Making matters worse, Sanji follows the same pattern whenever the series introduces new female characters. This was most apparent in Fish-Man Island, where he nearly died after seeing all the mermaids. He became overwhelmed with pleasure upon seeing Shirahoshi, who was only 16 at the time, an act that disgusted most fans.
Furthermore, he has peeped on women during their bathtimes multiple times and expressed his excitement about visiting the brothels of Wano while the crew was there to free its people. Similarly, Sanji fainted due to blood loss and turned to stone whenever he was in the presence of an extremely beautiful woman. His antics are so extreme that he moved Viola to tears when she peeked into his thoughts.
Sanji’s obsession with women can be especially infuriating when it affects him in battle. During his fight against Bon Clay, he unnecessarily suffered a lot of damage simply because his opponent turned into Nami.
A “pervert gag” is not uncommon in anime, where we have seen several characters chase after women. However, most fans believe that it no longer fits Sanji’s character. We have experienced his tragic life, chivalrous nature, and selfless heroism.
His deep respect for women is a key part of his identity, yet his over-the-top reactions and objectification of them feel at odds with this trait. It contradicts his empathetic nature, making it seem as if he cares more about romantic match-ups than the well-being of the people he is trying to help.
Is Sanji a Well-Written Character in One Piece?
Sanji is undoubtedly a well-written character in One Piece, but his gag has significantly hurt his character. Most fans of Sanji ignore his perversions, only applauding his more serious development.
For a series of over a thousand episodes, it is certainly difficult to see a fan-favorite figure continuously engage in lust. If One Piece had handled this trait with more nuance, then it may have perhaps helped enrich his character. Unfortunately, its only purpose in the series is to serve as a tasteless joke.
Therefore, Sanji’s past, growth, and fights in the series feature some of the best aspects of One Piece. However, his gag feels out of place and stiff, while detracting from his intense moments. It may not completely negate the fact that he is a very well-written character, but it has ruined many fans’ opinions of him.
Conclusion
Sanji is an intricately written character with unparalleled kindness and compassion. However, his gag as a pervert prevents many from fully appreciating him. While it is unlikely for Oda to completely stop using the gag, most fans are hoping for him to tone it down, especially since we are in the Final Saga of One Piece.
Looking For More?
Thank you for reading the article. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, ARK Survival Ascended, and more. Also, watch Deltia play games on Twitch or visit his YouTube channel!