One Piece: The Relatability of Characters Without Devil Fruits or Haki

Summary

One Piece evolved from casual beginnings to massive powers, losing some relatable elements.
Devil Fruits and Haki become prevalent, shifting the series towards unbeatable characters.
Characters like Nami show that relatable, weaker characters still exist in the overpowering world.

Initially, “One Piece” wasn’t the grand, high-stakes series we know today, filled with threats to global balance. Instead, it began as a laidback, casual adventure about a group of friends on a mission to become renowned pirates. Though the essence of the story remains unchanged, at times it seems that the early, pre-time skip feel gets lost amidst world-ending conflicts and extensive lore revelations.

Simultaneously, these characters who initially seemed quite ordinary have grown remarkably powerful. Although this power increase isn’t inherently a negative aspect, as they become more potent, particularly with unique abilities such as Haki and Devil Fruits, it becomes increasingly challenging for viewers to identify with them. In essence, the One Piece characters, especially those who wield Haki and Devil Fruits, are becoming so powerful that they may be growing less relatable to their audience.

One Piece Shifted More Towards Massive Powers As The Series Continued

Devil Fruits And Haki Became More Prevalent

In the early stages of the East Blue Saga in One Piece, Devil Fruits were scarcely found. During their journey through the East Blue, the Straw Hat crew met only four individuals with these special fruits. However, as they ventured into the Grand Line, this number significantly increased, making Devil Fruits seem less like a myth and more like a common occurrence before that point.

Only Haki can transcend all! – Kaido

In essence, Haki, though it served as a significant hint in the series One Piece, hadn’t been introduced yet as a concept within the storyline. Before its introduction, characters without Devil Fruits had no distinctive abilities other than their inventive techniques to counterbalance the apparent overpowering strength of users with Devil Fruits. The arrival of Haki made the competition more balanced, but before that, it was compelling to watch ordinary characters like Zoro or Nami challenge and defeat powerful Devil Fruit wielding adversaries, making for an underdog narrative.

Weaker Characters Without Power Are Much More Relatable

Zoro Is A Great Example Of Losing Relatability

Nami Is The Most Relatable Straw Hat
Zoro Was Once Relatable Before Becoming So Powerful

Although these characters may not possess immense destructive abilities, they are often more relatable because of their lack of such powers. For instance, while it’s thrilling to witness Garp demolish a mountain with just one punch, being a Navy soldier as powerful as him is hardly something the average person can relate to. Instead, characters like Nami from “One Piece,” who does not have a Devil Fruit or Haki, and is arguably the weakest in her crew, seem more like stand-ins for the audience.

Nami’s lack of supernatural powers and her clever use of available resources, such as exploiting other characters’ Devil Fruit abilities, create an image of a human struggling against overwhelmingly powerful adversaries, including her captain, Luffy. This portrayal of Nami makes her more relatable to viewers, as it mirrors our own experiences in dealing with challenges and obstacles.

An alternative perspective on this idea is to analyze the evolution of the sword-wielding protagonist, Zoro, throughout the storyline. Initially, Zoro was already quite potent, but his swordplay appeared more like ordinary bouts. Furthermore, in the initial phases of the series, many of Zoro’s battles were extremely close, making him a sympathetic underdog who barely edges out stronger adversaries. Post-time skip, however, Zoro’s proficiency with Haki has transformed him into an extraordinarily powerful character who encounters few difficulties in most of his major fights, frequently ending them with just one decisive blow.

One Piece Needed To Evolve From Its Small Beginnings

Battles And Fights Needed To Get Bigger

To maintain its momentum and continue its successful run, the saga of One Piece had to progress and change. If the series had remained at the power level of East Blue, it’s highly doubtful that it would still be going strong today. Consequently, making the Straw Hats characters increasingly powerful, bordering on being unbeatable, was almost essential for the show’s long-term survival.

If you think I’m just another cute girl, you’re dead wrong! – Nami

Ultimately, even though it’s enjoyable to reflect on the early days of “One Piece”, the storyline has evolved significantly past those times. The characters have become incredibly powerful now, leading to thrilling battles and tense conflicts. Yet, this growth seems to diminish a touch of humanity that the characters initially possessed. Nevertheless, there are still ordinary individuals like Nami in the series, demonstrating that it retains some relatable personalities despite their lack of Devil Fruits or Haki abilities.

2025-02-09 20:54