Why One Piece’s Final Saga Could Be Hard to Translate Into Video Games

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Why One Piece's Final Saga Could Be Hard to Translate Into Video Games

As an ardent gamer who has been sailing through the Grand Line with Luffy and his Straw Hat crew since the early days of One Piece, I must confess that the latest saga has left me scratching my head more than once. The Five Elders, these mysterious puppeteers behind the scenes, have proven to be formidable adversaries in the manga, but translating their enigmatic power into a video game format seems like a Herculean task.

Even though Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat pirate crew have vanquished numerous foes throughout their long-running series, the adversaries they encounter in the “Final Saga” are by far their toughest yet. Adapting this latest saga for video games might not be inherently challenging, but the immense power held by the Five Elders and their strategic patience over the first 25 years of One Piece create a formidable hurdle.

Major Spoilers for
One Piece
’s Final Saga (Egghead Island arc and onward) ahead

Throughout One Piece’s history, most video games based on the franchise have fallen into action-adventure, fighting, or role-playing categories.

One Piece’s Five Elders Might Not Fit Into a Video Game

Saint Jaygarcia Saturn

In contrast to the usual pattern, the primary villain during the Egghead storyline is none other than Jaygarcia Saturn, a former “Warrior God of Science and Defense.” Previously, he was one of the Five Elders who orchestrated the Marine attack on Egghead Island. This assault aimed to eliminate Dr. Vegapunk, a key scientist within the Marines’ Special Science Group (SSG). Unfortunately for Saturn and the Marines, their plans were foiled by Luffy and the Straw Hats. As a consequence of this failure, Imu – the current occupant of the Empty Throne and covert ruler of the World Government – stripped Saturn of his immortality.

The loss of his immortality results in Saturn’s demise, making him the only known way for the Five Ancients to perish thus far. Intriguingly, the Egghead Island arc is the initial instance where viewers witness Saturn displaying his full might, as well as observing one of the Five Elders engaging in combat – shedding light on their power levels relative to each other and potentially more powerful individuals yet unseen. Some abilities possessed by the Five Elders have been disclosed, such as mind-reading among themselves and Imu, the ability to create portals called “magic circles”, transforming into Zoan animal forms, and using specific types of Haki; however, the true extent of each Elder’s power remains undiscovered.

The Five Elders

Due to insufficient knowledge about how to defeat the Five Elders in a fight, turning them into video game characters might pose a significant challenge. Moreover, their immortality and ability to heal make them virtually invincible during battles. Luffy was able to vanquish the Five Elders by summoning Joy Boy’s Supreme King Haki, which was concealed on Egghead Island as a result of the Five Elders’ manipulation. Given that Luffy utilized Joy Boy’s haki, it makes sense to infer that only deities possess the power to harm the Five Elders. To complicate matters further, if one of the elders is injured in combat, the remaining four usually intervene, transforming what should be a single boss fight into a challenging five-on-one battle.

In video game terms, Luffy and the Straw Hats have been battling minor enemies (bosses and goons) up until now, preparing for the main boss fights, which are the Five Elders. Defeating them would supposedly allow them to complete the game by taking down Imu. However, considering that Imu is the only known method of killing one of the Five Elders, it seems implausible that he’d give up his minions so easily. Even if he did deprive more of the Elders of their immortality, they could always be replaced, similar to how Saturn was.

Engaging an almost unbeatable foe whose demise depends on someone else’s decision feels like tedious game design. Until we learn more about the Five Elders in the current One Piece story arc, Elbaf, it seems they may not be suitable for game development.

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2024-09-30 21:33