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One Piece, although it does have its darker moments, is a generally lighthearted show. More often than not, through the protagonist Luffy’s boundless optimism,One Piecekeeps its humor in some of the darkest situations. Although there are moments that are incredibly serious and are treated with respect, almost any other time in the series, the characters, especially the pirates, are just trying their best to have a good time.
However, although the endless joy that manyOne Piececharacters have is nice to see, sometimes this happiness spreads to some strange places. Most significantly, during fight scenes, rather than treating the moment as a potential battle to the death, most ofOne Piece’sstrongest charactershave the strange quirk of smiling in these dangerous scenarios. Many fans have wondered why these characters smile in such a bizarre circumstance, and, although it might seem simple at first, it actually shows off an important truth aboutOne Pieceas a whole.
Many One Piece Characters Smile While They Fight
Although It Makes Sense In One Piece It’s Odd To The Average Viewer
InOne Piece, compared to other anime, many fight scenes are treated with less gravitas than usual. Most of the time, rather than treating fight scenes as serious battles, manyOne Piecefight scenes are comedic and joyous, rather than dark and grim. This phenomenon is best exemplified by Gear 5. DespiteLuffy’s Gear 5 formfirst being introduced in one of the most desperate struggles for survival in the series, the battle against Kaido on Wano, this ability makes even the worst battle a hilarious encounter with its rubbery reality-warping effects.
Don’t start a fight if you can’t end it. - Sanji
However, Luffy isn’t the only character who smiles while fighting. Characters likethe former Pirate King, Roger, Garp, Oden, and many more all seem to revel in battle. While this may seem strange in the real world, as well as in other anime worlds, in the world ofOne Pieceit seems more common to smile in the face of danger.
One Piece Characters Simply Love To Fight
Fighting For These Characters Is Like A Hobby
The first and most obvious answer as to why One Piece characters smile when they fight is because they enjoy fighting. Characters likethe Navy Hero, Garp, and Roger relish testing their might against stronger opponents and long for the thrill of facing off against a strong foe. To them, this is their best form of entertainment and is incredibly fun, so it seems fairly obvious that they’re going to smile.
However, although this is the most apparent answer, there are other reasons whyOne Piececharacters smile in the face of battle. For someOne Piececharacters, the battlefield is the ultimate form of freedom, allowing them to fully unleash their full potential. This is especially true when these characters are fighting to make theirdreams inOne Piecea reality. In many ways, especially for someone like Luffy, fighting with a smile and a goofy arsenal of attacks is the ultimate expression of freedom. Plus, with the addition of Gear 5, it would be weird to not see Luffy’s smile while he’s fighting.
One Piece Characters Smile To Show Their Confidence
Acting Nonchalant In Battle Helps Inspire Confidence
Another reason that One Piece characters may smile frequently while fighting may just be a way that Oda conveys the confidence of characters in combat. By showing a character with a nonchalant and joyous attitude in some ofthe largestOne Piecefight scenesthat would be dangerous to many others, it shows that the character should be able to handle the threat before them. Although this isn’t always the case, oftentimes, when Luffy loses his smile while fighting, it tends to be around the same time when he loses the upper hand in combat.
There comes a time when a man has to stand and fight! - Usopp
In the end, although it may seem weird thatOne Piececharacters smile so much, their joy in the face of battle helps fight scenes from becoming too grim. Things like Roger’s massive smile andGear 5’s goofy anticsmake even the most dangerous of circumstances feel silly and fun. However, at the same time, the constant smiles ofOne Piececharacters set up more serious moments as well, rather than taking away from them. When the smile vanishes from a character’s face, that’s when the audience knows that things are going to take a much darker turn.
