Oda reveals why he doesn't resurrect dead characters.

This article contains spoilers for the Elbaf episode of One Piece.

Key Takeaways

• Oda killed a small number of characters before the time skip, but many more died after the time skip.
• Oda has strict rules about resurrecting dead characters in One Piece.
• Deaths increase in the final saga, but with a purpose rather than shock value.

Writer Eiichiro Oda one pieceThere are many rules for writing his comics. By following these rules, Oda created what can be considered the greatest manga of all time, and for many, the greatest story ever told. one piece It's special in many ways, and Oda made it that much more special by sticking to what appealed to him as a child. One of these is the idea of ​​refusing to resurrect characters in his stories.

As fans know, one piece We don't actually see the character being resurrected from the dead. There's a big reason for this, and Oda has gone into great detail about it before, and that's what's being discussed here.

Many dead characters in One Piece

• Oda killed off very few characters before the timeskip.
• More characters are starting to die in post-timeskip One Piece

between one piece Dear fans, the common belief is that Oda doesn't like killing off his characters. This is partly true, and Oda himself has spoken about the fact that he prefers not to kill off his characters at all. However, this doesn't mean that Oda doesn't kill off his characters, nor does it mean that One Piece lacks intensity in any way. For example, before One Piece's timeskip, two major deaths, Whitebeard and Ace, shook the entire world of One Piece forever. Oda's death is significant and the impact they have not only on the ongoing arc but also on subsequent arcs is incredible. That's why Oda only chooses to kill characters that affect the overall plot in many ways and shake up the world.

After One Piece's timeskip, Oda killed off several characters. This essentially breaks the idea that he doesn't kill his characters, and while there are fake outs in One Piece, a significant portion of the characters end up dying in one way or another. For example, fans saw Vergo and Monet die early on in Punk Hazard. In Whole Cake Island, Pedro eventually dies, and more characters continue to die in subsequent issues. In Wano Country, fans witnessed the deaths of people like Izo and Ashura along with Yasuie Shimotsuki. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Yonko Kaido and Big Mom after the Wano incident are still unknown.

In Final Saga, Oda goes one step further and kills off more characters than ever before. During the Egghead Island arc, Oda successfully killed the original Vegapunk body, Saint Donquixote Mjosgard, King Cobra of Arabasta, Vegapunk's satellite, and even Saint Saturn. Clearly Oda is more serious than ever about killing off his characters, and of course this will continue as the series becomes more intense than ever with the Elbaf Arc.

When we talk about killing off characters, the idea of ​​bringing them back to life also comes to mind. Often, fans find themselves deeply connected to many of the characters in a particular story. When they die, it feels like a big part of what made the series great is taken away from them, which is why so many people want the characters to return. However, in the case of One Piece, Oda strictly prohibits the return of characters. Characters whose fates remain a mystery may return later, as in the case of Saul, but characters who actually die do not actually return.

Oda reveals why he doesn't resurrect dead characters.

Oda doesn't want dead characters to come back

Oda has previously talked about the characters he has killed and said that while he will have to kill them off at some point, he doesn't like to do it too often. Ultimately, he wants to draw a big banquet according to each issue. one pieceAnd there's no need to throw a banquet if your characters die left, right, and center. Oda wants to end it one piece If all the good characters in a large party die, Luffy's journey will be completely useless.

At the same time, Oda said that character resurrection for those who eventually die is absolutely impossible, and here's why.

Question: Why didn't you make a comic like other comics artists do where dead characters are resurrected?

Oda: Human resurrection is not natural, is it? (Laughs) If a cartoonist is going to bring back a dead person, he shouldn't have killed that character in the first place. My character doesn't die even if he's thrown into a desperate situation.

Plus, ever since I was young, I hated seeing dead characters come back to life. I wondered, “Maybe the reason this cartoonist resurrected a character was because that character was popular…” I will not do the things I doubted when I was young and become the cartoonist I wanted to be. will do.

Although 10 years have passed since I started OP, the standard of satisfying my 15-year-old self has not changed. – come

Why are there more deaths in One Piece's final saga?

The final saga will feature more characters than before they died.

the last saga one piece It's officially begun, and as the Egghead Island arc makes clear, the death toll will now increase more than ever. Egghead alone has seen Oda kill more than five characters, which is unprecedented. This means that as the story continues, more characters will continue to die, and the series will also see more important characters such as characters of stature like Whitebeard and Ace die. That said, fans shouldn't get too excited. Because Oda still won't kill off the characters needed to lighten up the story.

By the end of the day, one piece It creates an incredibly exciting plot, and it does so without needlessly killing off characters. A significant number of fans tend to think that the deaths make the story more mature and consequently more suited to adult tastes. Of course, this childish way of thinking is completely absurd. Because death doesn't make a story good or bad. Whether a character doesn't die in a story, or dies more in a story, has little to do with whether the plot itself is good or whether the world itself is rich and engaging. one piece It will continue to follow the formula that Oda established years ago, and whether the character dies or not, in the end one piece As Oda previously said, the story will end with a huge banquet, keeping the atmosphere warm and positive. You will never die just because of that. one pieceRegardless of what many fans want.

One Piece can be read via Viz Media. The series is officially available for fans to read for free through the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus apps. The release date of One Piece Episode 1132 is scheduled for December 1, 2024.