Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! The debate regarding Zoro and Sanji’s powers may never be settled among fans, but One Piece‘s creator has his own plans regarding the characters. As the Wings of the Pirate King, there’s no denying that Zoro and Sanji are not only Luffy’s most powerful allies, but they also have a huge role in the story. While Zoro is the first mate and a swordsman, Sanji is the cherished chef of the crew, on top of being an incredible fighter. Zoro and Sanji have been neck and neck with each other in terms of powers and their contribution to the story.
There’s no denying that Luffy needs both of them to become the pirate king. Even so, every fan has their favorite among these two, and the fan discourse often becomes as heated as their rivalry. However, after almost 30 years of serialization, it’s becoming evident that not only fans but even the creator, Eiichiro Oda, has a favorite among these two. Sanji is often considered one of the best-written characters in Shonen, and it’s all thanks to the effort Oda has put into him throughout these decades. Now that the Elbaph Arc is nearing its end, it’s more evident than ever that Oda has favored Sanji on multiple occasions.
Sanji’s development happens over the decades, and it continues on even now. Ever since his introduction, he stood out as someone with strong morals. He was unapologetically kind, caring, and even goofy, which is why he immediately became a fan-favorite character. However, it didn’t take long for the story to reveal a part of his backstory when he met Zeff as a child and survived after being stranded on an island for weeks. This experience taught him the value of food, and he never spent a day wasting anything for the rest of his life. However, that tragic backstory only scratched the surface since Sanji’s life had been extremely difficult long before he came to the East Blue.
The story continues to feature his journey ever since his introduction in the Baratie Arc as he gets more powerful over the years. While the story also dropped subtle hints about his origins, especially in the Skypiea Arc when he mentioned he was from North Blue, the series didn’t give a concrete hint about his true past. It wasn’t until the Whole Cake Island Arc that the series revealed his origins and his horrible childhood when he suffered abuse from his family. Coming from a family of elite fighters who relied on genetic modifications, Sanji was discarded when he failed to meet his father’s expectations.
The trauma and struggles he faced during his childhood shaped him into the person he is today and guided his actions throughout his life. The arc was solely dedicated to him and his development, where he not only came to terms with his past but also completely broke ties with his family after saving them from Big Mom. Without the burden of his past, he reached new heights of power, especially after awakening his Germa 66 powers. The series has been progressing his story over the years, and every minor development comes together in the Elbaph Arc where he awakens his Conqueror’s Haki.
At this point, it’s pretty evident that Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki is the result of his journey over the years. Sanji’s development doesn’t stop in the Whole Cake Island Arc when he severed ties with his family, but that was only the beginning of what we were going to see from him. Everything he faced in the Whole Cake Island Arc helped him overcome his past traumas and accept himself for who he is. Although he never showed it, he dealt with self-loathing and lack of self-worth. His self-sacrificial nature allowed him to even risk his life for his friends, but he would never want to rely on them. Even though he became stronger after escaping his family in childhood, the idea that he was worthless was deeply ingrained in Sanji’s mind, which led him to believe he shouldn’t ask others for help.
However, this all changed in the Wano Country Arc when he faced Black Maria, an opponent he could have easily defeated if she wasn’t a woman. Sanji would rather die than actually hit a woman, which is why he asked Robin for help. He not only trusted her abilities but also relied on her since he had nowhere to escape. This is a stark contrast compared to Enies Lobby when he couldn’t fight Kalifa and Nami had to interfere. He never asked her for help, but she decided to save him anyway. Not only that, but his experience on Ivankov’s island also taught him self-love, which was more important than any ordinary training.
He always had the potential to awaken his Conqueror’s Haki sooner if only he wasn’t held back by his own inner demons. In Chapter 1197, he finally overcame his long-standing self-loathing, which is the biggest reason he was able to tap into this power. The awakening seems even more meaningful because it is proof of his self-acceptance. He remembered Ivankov’s words and finally understood that the love he felt for his crew and those he cared about is worthless if he keeps treating himself as disposable. This is why his awakening is one of the most memorable moments in the series. His journey is far from over, and there’s no telling how much further he will go now that he has the one power he needed the most.
There’s no denying that Zoro will always be one of the most beloved Shonen characters, but when it comes to character writing, he always falls behind Sanji. Not only does has one of the most underwhelming backstories in the series, but he never got an arc solely dedicated to him. Fans had high expectations for his character writing in Wano, but the series only glossed over his true lineage without revealing much about his past. It was so underwhelming that at this point, the story wouldn’t change much even if fans forget he belongs to a legendary noble clan of Wano. Regardless, the main issue lies with the fact that he mostly shines in battles, but the story of One Piece is so much more than just cool fights.
This is why Sanji has the upper hand since he draws fans in with his emotional story and themes of self-love and acceptance. We also can’t forget that Zoro’s Conqueror’s Haki awakening, which was an anticipated moment, is considerably underwhelming when compared to Sanji. Instead of featuring his development, the series rand3omly showed him knocking down some of Kaido’s men during a conflict, and that was it. For the first mate to awaken such a legendary power, there’s no excuse as to why this scene was so underwhelming. When compared to Sanji, Zoro’s awakening scene feels even less exciting, and the difference will be even more evident in the anime series.
What do you think about Sanji’s development over the years? Does he overshadow Zoro in terms of writing and character depth? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
