One Piece, by Toei Animation, is one of the most successful and longest running anime series of all time. And even though it has been a faithful adaptation of the source material byEiichiro Oda, it still has some glaring differences, as is expected from this industry.
While there have obviously been someOne Piececharacters that were better in the manga, the opposite is also true. With the assistance of key elements like music, voice acting, animation and even some filler, Toei managed to improve some of the characters from the manga and eventually turned them into some of the audience’s favorites.
10Kine’mon & The Red Scabbards
More Intense Fight Scene
TheWano Arcof theOne Pieceanime has shown a remarkable improvement in terms of fight choreography and animation. Pretty much every character involved in the Raid of Onigashima was improved, butKine’mon& the rest of theRed Scabbardswere one of the highlights.
In the manga, Kine’mon and company ambush Kaido in a single panel. Whereas in the anime, the ambush is preceded by a stylized black & white fight scene set in a corridor, that shows off their determination and strength in a way that better fits the tone of the arc, and makes Kine’mon and the Red Scabbards feel like a much bigger threat to Kaido.
9Shanks
Bigger Presence
Red Hair Shanksisone of the most important charactersin the series, so it’s weird to think how little screen time he has had in the overall story. The anime managed to mend this in a clever way, by constantly featuring Shanks as one of the series’ iconic figures in several Openings, Endings, Recaps, etc.
This has helped Shanks feel like a constant presence of theOne Pieceworld, which is something that can be forgotten when reading the manga. Not to mention that he also had a key role in the movieOne Piece Film: Red, including his very first animated fight scene.
8Yasopp
Expanded Backstory
As a member of the Red Hair Pirates, Usopp’s father,Yasopp,has also benefitted from being heavily featured in the anime’s imagery. And he also had a big role inOne Piece Film: Red, with the movie featuring one of the very few interactions he had with his son.
But the anime also improved Yasopp with a canonical filler episode set during the Loguetown Arc, when Usopp has to defeat one of his father’s longtime rivals,Daddy Masterson, in a sniping competition. This let audiences know moreabout Yasopp’s pastand his skills as one of the best snipers in this world.
7Charlotte Katakuri
Introduced Earlier
It is often said that hindsight is 20/20, and this is often true for Toei Animation.Charlotte Katakuriended up beingone of the most beloved & important charactersof theWhole Cake Island Arc, so they were clever enough to actually introduce him earlier, highlighting how much of a menace he was going to end up being.
But Katakuri’s improvement didn’t end up there, since the anime is partially responsible for making his fight against Luffy one of the best in the show. This version of the battle was extended, and it even added some brand-new attacks for Katakuri that made him feel even more powerful.
6Arlong
Easier To Hate
Arlongis one of thebest villains in the earlier parts of the series, and the anime made it way easier to hate him. This is in part thanks to the music and voice acting used for Nami’s heart-wrenching backstory, which helped audiences empathize with her even more.
But credit has to be given toJūrōta Kosugi’s amazing performance as Arlong. His iconic laugh is one of the most memorable in all of One Piece, and it gets the job done, seeing as audiences really want to see Luffy defeat him every time the fishman pirate laughs maniacally.
5Buggy The Clown
Better Comedy
Comedy is one of the key aspects ofOne Piece, and while Eiichiro Oda excels at writing funny gags in the manga, his work is greatly improved by the anime.Buggy the Clownis the perfect example of this, seeing as he’sone of the funniest characters in the entire show.
While some of Buggy’s hilarious gags are reduced to one simple panel in the manga, the anime expands them in just the right amount, adding funny imagery and silly sound effects that elicit a bigger reaction from the audience. Not to mention that Buggy is often featured in filler arcs where he has even more opportunities to make viewers laugh.
4Roronoa Zoro
Animated Sword Fights
Sword fighting is not always easy to convey in an illustrated medium, since audiences need to be able to see every minute detail and movement. And this is something that theOne Pieceanime understands perfectly when showcasing the epic clashes of the Straw Hat Pirate’s swordsman,Roronoa Zoro.
Zoro’s battles in the manga are amazing, sure, but the anime takes them to another level. From his earlier fight againstMihawkto the spectacle of his recent fight againstKing, the animators at Toei managed to show how complex, yet preciseZoro’s techniques truly are.
3Vinsmoke Sanji
Cooking Scenes
Just like his rival Zoro,Vinsmoke Sanjialso benefits from the animated fight choreography of the adaptation, seeing as his battles are always an excellent showcase of incredible martial arts. Regardless, there’s another element to his character that is improved by the animation: his cooking skills.
As the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates, Sanji is always cooking meals for his crew, but this is hardly seen in the source material. The anime, however, has several scenes that show Sanji cooking delicious looking dishes, with enough detail and care that it can make viewers feel like they’re watching an actual cooking show.
2Portgas D. Ace
More Screentime in the Anime
Portgas D. Aceis infamous for being one of the first (and few)One Piececharacters to die and actually stay dead. And while his demise is certainly a tragic one, some manga readers may feel like they didn’t spend enough time with Luffy’s brother to actually feel sad about him. But this is different in the anime.
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Ace is first introduced in theAlabasta Arc. In the manga, his appearance is very brief before he takes off. But in the anime, he actually travels with the Straw Hat Pirates for a few filler episodes. This not only lets viewers see Ace interact with Luffy and his friends way more, but it also makes them grow even more attached to him, making his imminent death even more shocking.
1Brook
Music
Just like comedy, music is an important element ofOne Piece. And it’s also something that sadly cannot be conveyed in the medium of manga. That’s exactly why the musician of the Straw Hat Pirates,Brook, has a much bigger impact in the anime. Brook is both funny and talented at music. Similar to Buggy, his visual gags are just funnier with animation,but music is truly where he stands out.
The iconic song,Bink’s Brew,is just not as memorable when it is being read. The real instruments andCho’s singing voice are what made this song such a beautiful and charming piece of art. And the same can be said about every subsequent song sung by this funny skeleton. Brook wouldn’t be the same without real music, and Toei understood this assignment perfectly.
