One Piece: Oda Reveals Why He Thinks This Character Is The Most Relatable Straw Hat

This article contains spoilers up to the Water 7 arc of One Piece

Every fan of *One Piece* has a favorite Straw Hat pirate, but their incredible power levels don’t always make them relatable. Characters like Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji have become unbelievably strong after countless battles. While they’re still human, their immense strength and mastery of Haki can make it difficult to connect with them on a personal level, though this isn’t true for all members of the crew.

Eiichiro Oda, the creator of *One Piece*, usually talks about Luffy when asked about his characters. However, during the Water 7 storyline, he shared the focus with another pirate, whom he believes is the most down-to-earth and relatable member of the Straw Hat crew. Let’s explore which character Oda meant, and why audiences might connect with them more strongly than the others.

Oda Feels That His Fans Relate To Usopp

He Made The Comment When Discussing The Well Known Argument Between Usopp And Luffy

Usopp is significantly weaker than most other Straw Hats
This became a major issue during Water 7
Oda believes this is why so many fans are drawn to the sniper

During the Water 7 and Enies Lobby arcs of *One Piece*, Eiichiro Oda shared that he was particularly excited to draw a specific scene between Luffy and Usopp. This scene involves Usopp angrily confronting and challenging Luffy after Luffy makes the tough decision to abandon the Going Merry, which had sustained significant damage. Oda explained that while writing the passionate speeches exchanged during this argument came naturally, he had a specific reason for choosing Usopp as the character to oppose Luffy in this moment. He felt Usopp was the ideal counterpart for this intense interaction.

When Luffy’s voice actor asked Eiichiro Oda if Usopp is a likable character, Oda responded that he thinks many fans relate to Usopp more than the other Straw Hat crew members. While this might seem surprising, Oda explained that it’s because the other Straw Hats were already much more powerful than Usopp, even before the two-year timeskip in the story.

Oda says his audience connects with the main character because he’s surrounded by such compelling and powerful supporting characters.

Luffy and Usopp’s fight centered around the Going Merry, but Usopp also admitted he felt excluded because he wasn’t considered one of the crew’s strongest fighters – the Monster Trio. He worried that if the ship was being discarded for being too weak, the same fate would eventually befall weaker members like himself, Chopper, and Nami. This raises the question of just how significant the difference in strength was between them and the Monster Trio at that point in the story.

Usopp Struggled To Keep Up

And It Took A Heavy Toll On His Confidence

From the moment Usopp joined Luffy’s crew in Syrup Village, he was often seen as the group’s comedian rather than a serious fighter, despite being the designated sniper. He frequently tried to prove his worth by either attempting to catch fish aboard the Sunny or exaggerating his past accomplishments to impress Luffy and Chopper.

After the Straw Hats successfully defended Alabasta, the challenges they faced began to escalate significantly. While Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro continued to grow stronger, Usopp found himself falling behind. This became particularly evident early in the Water 7 arc, when he was overwhelmed by the Franky Family and needed rescuing by the Monster Trio, highlighting his relative weakness at the time.

“Listen, Luffy! It’s not like everyone can live looking ahead like you do” – Usopp

Considering what Oda has said, it’s easy to understand why he feels Usopp is the most relatable character. Many people can identify with feeling insecure or like they don’t measure up to others, and we definitely saw that in Usopp’s fight with Luffy. However, Usopp isn’t the only Straw Hat that fans connect with on a personal level.

Can The Other Straw Hats Be Considered Relatable?

Another Member Could Also Be Considered “Normal” In The Eyes Of Fans

Many of the Straw Hats can be difficult to relate to
Nami is similar to Usopp in how “human” she seems compared to the other crewmates

Whether someone connects with a character is always personal, as it depends on their own life experiences. However, Usopp often feels more relatable to fans than some of the other Straw Hats. The ‘Monster Trio’ – Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji – are incredibly powerful, and their strength can make it hard for viewers to see themselves in those characters.

The Straw Hat crew is full of unique characters! Franky, Chopper, and Jinbe all have appearances that are far from ordinary, and Robin is a brilliant archaeologist with a strange power from a Devil Fruit that she uses in battle. Then there’s Brook, a living skeleton who was brought back to life by his Devil Fruit, making his backstory quite unusual and hard to fully understand.

Besides Usopp, Nami is one of the most relatable characters for fans. She isn’t overwhelmingly powerful, and her past is easy to understand, which is likely why the Arlong Park arc has been revisited so often. While Eiichiro Oda believes Usopp is the most relatable Straw Hat, Nami deserves to be considered as well.

2025-09-18 13:35