Serial manga A piece often criticized for not killing his characters, but why Luffy not doing this is actually darker than the alternative. Mangaka Eiichiro Oda may have drawn One Piece in a cartoon style, but the series actually dealt with some extremely dark themes like slavery and oppression. So it’s no surprise that the seemingly immature decision to let One Piece’s villains live is also much darker than it first appeared.
One Piece’s villains are among the most despicable in the Shonen manga. Many of them have compelling plot stories that show why they became the way they are, such as Arlong, who has endured discrimination for being a Mermaid throughout his life. himself or the despicable villain Doflamingo whose family was persecuted for being a Heavenly Dragon. But this does not excuse the extremely heinous crimes they commit and the mass suffering they cause. Overall, they’re so obnoxious, that it’s easy for fans to expect them to die at the end of an arc. Instead, Luffy often lets them survive after brutally knocking them down. But one author’s comment actually implies that this could be a fate worse than death for these villains.
In One Piece Non-fatal failure is worse than death
In chapter 30 of SBS, a reader asked Oda why Luffy never killed his enemies. Oda replied that in the world of One Piece, where the characters live to fulfill their dreams, having their dreams shattered by Luffy defeating them is actually more devastating than death. This fits perfectly with the general theme of dreams that One Piece has pursued throughout its story, perhaps most eloquently expressed by Blackbeard, Luffy’s rival, when he states that Man’s dream will never die. Blackbeard might have claimed this as an aspirational phrase to live by, but Luffy’s defeat of many of the series’ villains almost always shatters their dreams, preventing them from becoming reality in any way. dire.
This rationale is rather dark, but it also has a practical consequence. Since Luffy’s enemies don’t actually die, they can return later in the series, usually with new dreams. For example, Luffy’s previous villains Buggy and Crocodile were defeated early in the series but now both are major players in the Cross Guild, one of the most influential pirate organizations. In the world. Usually, when these old villains return, they do so with new dreams, which Buggy himself shows when he’s in a position where he can pursue One Piece for a while. logically, and he is using his newly acquired influence to do so.
So while Luffy’s reason for killing his enemies may be surprisingly dark, it also elevates the whole story. One Piece is a series that has extremely dark moments and ideas but never in a edgy way just for the sake of it. Reason Luffy not killing one’s enemies is a perfect example of this as it aligns perfectly with the two A pieceits overall plot and its main themes.