I've described Luffy to my mom. That he's a carefree guy who loves his friends, meat, freedom and dreams, that he's incredibly selfish in a very none selfish way and she loves him. She has never seen him or even heard him, all she knows is that description and she loves him. There's something so incredible in the way that everyone or anyone can love him so easily without ever having seen him and it reminds me of how Fujitora reacted to him. "I bet you look kind. I wish I hadn't blinded myself". The fact that he said "kind" and not *nice* just hits differently.
I like to pick apart when people say a series is great, not in a negative hater way, i still acknowledge the work and effort. But just saying how luffy never has thought bubbles (kinda lost on live action but that's okay to appeal to west their used to more told stories) made me realize how much the author loves his story. I dont think loving a story = best story ever like others. One piece is great but has obvious issues to get into for many but that also doesnt mean it's bad. You have to get into the art style, shonen, characters, etc like any story...but it's still a good series and I hope people still continue to enjoy it after one piece is revealed.
@@nichescenes I agree like a good example would be My Hero Academia. It has issues and flaws yes but something I really love with the manga is how expressive Horikoshi is with speech bubbles. There's someone on Twitter who made a post chain of various speech bubbles and how they suit the characters or blend into what is going on. Similar to how Oda loves adding details for us to observe even without the characters talking about it. Each show has flaws but they also have something that they excel at and I love that.
What's remarkable is that given how many stories I've heard online of One Piece acting as a light for people in their darkest moments and giving them hope and strength to keep pushing, Luffy doesn't just have that effect in the world of the story. He has it in our world too. His character is so powerfully rendered and imagined that his light and optimism and love of freedom bleeds off the page and into the real world. And that's what makes this such an amazing story.
Arlong Park was really something special. He had NO idea what was going on. none. He had barely been on the island two hours when he sees Nami crying. "Which one of you is Arlong" is among the coldest lines in the series.
@@Hellsing7747 they all talked to eachother about it, except for Luffy who flat out said he doesn't care and then took a walk. If that doesn't make sense to you then I've got nothing else to say
People thought Luffy is a one-dimensional character when it's actually complex. One of the earliest examples would be during the Arlong Park. If he's one dimensional, he'll do the usual approach like "tell me what happened, and I'll protect you from the bad guys" or will deliver an inspirational speech. Luffy didn't try to convince Nami, he didn't need to know the details, instead he let Nami cry, he's just standing there and wait for Nami for him to finally help her. His emotional intelligence is so high that he knows exactly how to act during emotional moments.
@@mannythegrandfather2291 how can he be not complex and not one dimensional? Then what is he? Edit: let me add more example why he is a complex character, when Vivi and Momonosuke asked for help, Luffy didn't accept it right away, he didn't totally decline them either which made his crewmates got mad, but then we realized what Luffy wants to hear are their convictions.
@j.b.5422 Luffy as being unusual makes him a complex character. Here's what I found on google: One-dimensional characters are also known as flat characters or characters in fictional stories that do not change much from the start of the story to the end. It is thought that these type of characters have little to no emotional depth. By that definition, one of example of a one-dimensional character are NPCs, that definitely doesn't describe Luffy.
@@D__634 Luffy is like 1.5 dimensional in that he doesn't change much except in strength or in new abilities. Also his emotional intelligence isn't really all that good especially when he fell asleep during Jinbe's backstory
Luffy is the perfect blank canvass that I feel allows the remaining straw hats to shine. He really elevates everyone around him making him in many ways one of the greatest primary and support protagonists ever.
I love how Nux puts it, One piece isnt about how Luffy's character changes due to the world, but its about how the world changes because of Luffy. (Or something along that line)
Something I love about Luffy is that he has a consistent fear that is often expressed but never said out loud. He's scared to death of being alone, and I think that plays a major part in alot of his motivations.
Didn’t he say it out loud when he was talking to Sabo and Ace as to why he didn’t give up the location of the treasure his explanation was being dead was better than being alone
There is one little vegapunk- luffy moment from egghead where vegapunk was going blah blah about his dream of giving energy free of cost to everyone . luffy said " i get it you want to give SOMETHING to everyone but I have no interest in being a HERO but I admire that you want to make everyone HAPPY". while picking his booger. He still thinks that giving something to EVERYONE makes him a HERO. He didn't understand anything about punk's dream but he respects his dream. But he simply said kaido to STFU because kaido's dream made wano suffer for 20 YEARS. I really really get mad when people call luffy a one dimensional character. he is more than that 🙂.
I dislike Luffys whole “I’m not a hero” attitude so much because he *literally is a hero* Dude actively dethrones tyrants just because they made his friend cry. But I can see how it’s probably gonna tie into the whole “I’m Luffy, not Nika” thing….and in some ways, I guess it’s just Luffy being dumb/childish and not being able to see *how* he’s a hero
@@doyouhaveaminute281 Iron Man? Booster Gold? Kaine Parker? Id say being selfish/selfless isn’t what makes a hero….granted, it’s part of the equation (a selfless hero will be seen as more heroic than a selfish one) but, Luffy being selfish doesnt just *negate* the worldwide heroics he engages in To quote Prof. X……”how often must a scoundrel prove himself a hero, before he believes it himself?”
@@Kurotama11 He gave no thought to the slaves from the human house while looking for camie . a hero wouldn't do that? I don't think I have to mention about him working with croc and releasing countless criminals into the world. Croc literally enslaved his friend's country. His definition of hero is totally different from what he is doing and he knows that.
@@doyouhaveaminute281 I wrote out a response to what you originally said, so that first Like I said, I understand that selfish/selflessness is part of the equation. Iron Man is less generally heroic than say, Captain America or Spider-Man…..all three would be more heroic than someone like Hulk. That’s based on selflessness of each character. But, Booster Gold becomes a hero for the *sole purpose* of being famous. All that to say, being selfish doesn’t make you “not a hero” Luffy is by all intents and purposes a hero, even if he doesn’t recognize it. Unintentional heroism is still very much heroism.
I love Luffy so much. He pushes his friends to pursue their dreams. They're like "maybe one day I'll go to sea" and he is like "why wait. Let's go now"
@@daymare0 That's what a friend should be, encourage you without belittling you. No fake sure do it, but support cause you believe they can. I see this a lot with people who say, i wanna write a book...or make a movie...response sure do it. Later...why didn't you do it already why are you brining this up...luffy would say do it...and wouldn't ask why aren't you, he'd assume your still working on it and smile cause dreams aren't accomplished easily (short cut episode in one piece) they are worth the journey.
Luffy doesn't want you to judge him based on his own word. You witness him and decide for yourself the sort of person he is. Easy to do with someone so impulsive and honest.
Luffy is basically a fully grown man that his preserved his child-like innocence. He's been mature enough to act when action is needed, all the way from the start of the series, but he's also managed to stay innocent despite all he's gone through. That purity is what I feel makes it thematically sound for him to be the Sun God. Great vid as usual, and day 62 of recommending the Bleach manga
As Merphy herself said in the video that she just conveyed Luffy's character from the broader perspective and didn't dove deep into it because there is too much to analyse from the entirely of the Story for Luffy's character. And as a lot of other people are saying in the comments, I'm sure people need to realise that Luffy's character arc or his growth is really nuisanced, and u won't be able to notice the character progression if u just watch the show, for Luffy u need to analyse his character separately, cause the growth occurs in the most random things which are displayed in a really subtle way. Luffy isn't the most complex character, but he isn't One dimensional either. He is a character with a lot of layers. And you'll only see those layers by analysing his interactions with other characters, as well as analysing his actions. I'll give an example: In Drum island Vivi told Luffy that not everything can be solved with violence. She told Luffy to bow his head and plead for help from drum people instead of just fighting them. (Luffy obviously didn't knew this quality because he was raised by bandits) Later in Amazon Lily, what does Luffy do. In face of Boa Hancock, he bows his head and sacrifices his pride, and requests Boa to spare the other amazon girl that helped him. Its things like these that shows his growth in character...👍🏻
My absolute favorite part of Luffy is that he doesn’t judge people or hold prejudices, and will make friends with anyone who wants to. He’ll call people like Chopper and Bon Clay monsters or weird, but that’s a positive to him
I've always thought that one piece isnt a story where the world changes the protagonist, it's a story where the protagonist changes the world. Some will criticize luffy's writing, saying he has meager character development, and others will rush in defense and deny it, but I actually agree. I just happen to think that it isn't a weakness in his writing, but rather his greatest strength. Luffy isn't meant to be this deeply relatable, deeply humanized character wrought with inner conflict who needs to confront himself to process and grow from his trauma. That's a fine way to write a character, but that's not what Oda chose to do with Luffy. He's meant to inspire, to be the catalytic agent that provokes change in others. Side characters shine so much in one piece because in a way, they're the real protagonists. Each arc is centered around the character arc of a different side character. They're the ones who grow, change, and who the readers relate to. In a way, luffy doesn't even really fulfill the traditional role of a "character". He's less a way for Oda to depict some aspect of human experience in his story, and more an embodiment of the story's themes. Luffy is freedom anthropomorphized. Oda's decision to not give luffy thought bubbles and make him a "man of action" is, I think, reflective of this. He's not meant to feel like a person with deep interiority, he's meant to feel like a force of nature, an idea, a symbol, maybe even a god. This is why G5 is so brilliant, because it's a literal adaptation of what luffy has always been: a character who doesnt feel like a real person most of the time, because he transcends that very idea. It pushes even further the idea of luffy as embodied abstraction. Now of course its not so black and white. Many times during the series, Luffy displays profound humanity and experiences mortal struggle, especially in marineford and post war, but thats why those moments are so special, because they remind us that despite all this, Luffy is human after all. He too can hurt. He isn't ACTUALLY a god, he just ate the fruit of one. He doesnt only exist to support his friends. He needs their help too. He isn't REALLY the embodiment of his ideals. He just refuses to let anyone or anything corrupt them. And thats why despite not being written with the most overt relatability, inner turmoil, or "character development," the way other great manga protagonists like Thorfinn or Naruto might be, Luffy's humanity is still the most precious to me.
Nice. Although I will say most protagonists embody themes of their respective stories well, so Luffy isn't really that different in that regard. But as you said, he feels like a completed character from the start with strong focus on what he wants, which is different from other battle shounen MCs.
@@chasinghaze0962 The difference, to me, is how one uses the word "embody", though. Most protagonists "embody" themes by being depicted as people adopting or espousing those ideas, and their human struggle in applying or maintaining them. This, I think is what you're referring to. Luffy "embodies" themes in a much more literal sense, like the very ideas themselves grew legs to walk with, hands to punch, and a mouth to talk. He often doesn't feel "human" at all. An idea doesn't have to grow or change or struggle against itself. It doesn't even really need to have thoughts. It just is. Again, there's actually more nuance than this and Luffy IS human, but imo that part of how he gets depicted is his trademark.
I love that the core of Luffy and who he is fundamentally never changes, and almost never wavers, but at the same time, he still grows and learns as he progresses on his adventure. Vivi teaches him to better de-escelate tense situations and better ask for help when he needs it, the trials of Water 7 challenging his competency as a leader when his crew faced their first real breakdown, Jinbei pulling him back from the brink after he lost Ace, the one time he almost wavered, and being able to bounce back from that, and generally evolving into a genuine captain that can make actual tactical calls when needed for his crew.
Luffy is such a well written protagonist. I don’t usually love protagonists so much but Luffy is something else. He feels real, with a soul and charisma that is so infectious.
God, Luffy is such a fantastic character. He has a pretty simple outlook on life and his actions are just as simple. But he never bores you, he's just fun to watch.
Something that I've heard about Luffy and his brand of heroism is that he isn't the one who creates change or facilitates change. Instead, he is the one who removes the obstacles and barriers that are preventing others from creating the change they want. Or, to put it another way, he is the breaker of chains, the one who breaks down walls, and yes, the bringer of liberation. He wants no part in actually shaping the world into what it will become: that's for those who dream of doing such to do. Luffy, instead, sees what is preventing those people from pursuing those dreams and ... well, punches it.
You know the old saying, "give a man a piece of meat, you feed him for a day, teach a man to hunt his own meat, and you feed him for a lifetime." Or something like that. That's Luffy's version of heroism.
This video did NOT suck. I love Luffy so much. His character inspired me when I was little to keep going and to pursue dreams. Super related to him not know his dad and having adoptive brothers. As far as I'm concerned he's one of the best characters in anime/manga.
I love seeing how Luffy responds to meeting Tama, how he carries Ace's legacy/promise to her bye saying the same words Ace once did. It shows that, even without knowing that Ace made that promise to Tama, Luffy does as well, because that's who he is. The town where Luffy takes Tama to get her medicine, Okobore Town, reminds me a lot of Grey Terminal. Both being places where the rich discard all they view as leftovers.
I love that luffy never cares about what other people say about people, he waits and sees for himself what people are like. aka he doesnt instantly judge people based off of their reputation
Merphy trying to get this vid out before Melonteee can get her video on Luffy out so she doesnt have to give her a shoutout like with her video on trauma which dropped like a week after Melontee''s video on trauma, thus proving that these two are secretly the same One Piece fan inhabiting two bodies. For real though, I feel like a lot of people think characters can only develop if they have an arc where they begin as a completely different person than they end as. I really appreciate that Luffy hasnt done that. He's just become more of what he is at his core. He began as a goofy young man from the East Blue and 25 real world years later he's the goofy young Emperor from the East Blue and i woudn't have it any other way.
Great video! Luffy is a character of nuance lost on most people. I will definitely be pointing to this video for a few of my friends that don't quite understand his motivations.
No, this was so good and refreshing. I read so many glib descriptions of Luffy and i needed something appreciative and in depth to make me feel like im not the only one who gets why he’s amazing
That why I love luffy, I love characters who just wanna be free, and let other be free ND willing to fight for that. Luffy ,Sonic. In those veins are refreshing
This is why, what Luffy told Arlong hit me so much, "I can't use a sword (Zoro), I can't sail the oceans (Nami), I can't cook (Sanji), I can't lie (Usopp, this bit really funny---- If he quote this again, probably with addition of--- I can't heal someone (Chopper), I can't understand history (Robin), I can't repair a ship (Franky), I can't play a music instruments (Brook), I can't sail a Ship (Jinbe), I'm confident that I can't live without help, ---what you can do as a Captain (Arlong)---- I CAN DEFEAT YOU"".
I love your video! Thanks for your hard work!! Btw, what I like about Luffy is about how he embrace his weakness. He admit that he can't do everything on his own so that's why he need his crew. That's also why I think he helped his people to be free because that's the thing he can do for them in return 😊
His quote in Arlong Park is such a great example of this Luffy: I know that I need every member of my crew! I can't use swords, or navigate the seas, or cook, or lie! I need them all! Arlong: Then what can such a useless captain do? Luffy: I can beat you!
I think Luffy's true dream might change very little about what we understand about him and instead explain his entire character better and his mindset perfectly. It will probably be a "That makes so much sense moment" after we learn of it. To me, that's one of those things I want to know as bad as discovering what the One Piece truly is.
This video didn't suck at all! I really enjoyed how passionate you were while talking and analyzing his character, because it made me feel that he is a really inspiring character to you, as he is to me. Luffy is just such a special character, there's really no one like him! ❤
To some degree Luffy is like an embodiement of the "teach a man to fish" saying. He could liberate them and leave, but by having the person be an active component of the liberation the freedom that results can continue.
Many people want in depth character progression arcs, and I'm not going to say Luffy doesn't change a single bit, but keeping his core the same allows a different sort of storyline. How do other characters, and the world at large, change in the face of Luffy's indestructible personality?
When I first watched Onepiece as a teenager, Zoro definitely was my fav. but the more I rewatch Onepiece, Luffy became my number one. Freedom and dreams are hard to find nowadays, especially after being an adult. Love his passion, honesty, and his emotional intelligence
Totally Not Mark is currently going through character studies of all the straw hat individually and I think his Luffy video would pair really nicely with this one. Give me all that deep diving into fictional pirates. 🙂
As much as I agree that Luffy is a character with a "static character arc" in the narrative, not changing considerably through the story, I do believe he changes slightly as he grows and matures. Some of the things he goes through does teach him important lessons he takes with him as he journeys forward. Such as Vivi's lessons on avoiding conflict if a dialogue/diplomatic solution can still be feasible, or his lessons on listening to his friend's perspective if they are going under internal crisis (Usopp's fight got him to change his ways later on, and he does show his development as a captain in Whole cake Island and how he dealt with Sanji's crisis). However, those slow changes didn't change him in his core. Just made him into a better, more knowledgeable version of himself, and I love that for him. All the things he went through could have fundamentally broken him, but they didn't. All the changes he's gone through only serves in his favor. I love Luffy so much! He's such a great protagonist.
Luffy is dumb, but it's not a defining trait of his. I liked how you pointed out that him punching the celestial dragon was a choice. A calculated choice. He didn't do it without thinking about the consequences. It was impulsive sure, but it wasn't stupidity. And Oda refusing to draw thought bubbles for him reinforces that. Luffy is impulsive. He's stupid too, but he never makes big choices like that because of his stupidity. He knows what he's doing when he burns flags and punches celestial Dragons. He knows the consequences and he faces them head on.
I don't read or watch One Piece but seeing how excited you get about the arcs and characters and how it seems like there's always more to talk about and experience is really inspiring!
Its so much fun to do a character analysis for One Piece because you can just go back and rewatch from the POV of a different characters and it will give a whole different perspective on the scene
Bro I’m literally at the end of Wholecake and………I am floored so far. My friend says Wano is even better somehow and I couldn’t be more excited to get there. I don’t know how people dislike Luffy. Maybe in the beginning because he’s such a goober but I’ve absolutely adored him through the whole ride.
Luffy has the habit of calling other people wrong name, many thinks that Luffy just don't remember their name but I think Luffy intentionally called them wrong .For example, Luffy called hancock "hanmmock" at first but later when hancock give him the key he called her the right name. That's why I think even tho he remember their names he would still call them wrong name if he don't like them or he simply likes the nickname he gave them.
Really great analysis video of Luffy Merphy. One of my favourites. I see so many people complain about the series that luffy doesn't go through development without realising that he doesn't have to and that's the point of his character.
Maybe a bit unrelated but another indication of Luffy always thinking of protecting his loved ones is a scene in a relatively recent chapter where we had that small flashback of a younger Luffy training alone in Mount Corvo, after Sabo's apparent death and Ace's departure. It's the moment he invented "Gomu Gomu no Battle Axe": Luffy: "Oh, what a powerful attack! I will use it when they try to take my friends away from me" 😭 (Probably thinking about how the "world" took Sabo away from him) The first time we see him use this attack was when Arlong tried to take Nami away from them.
I feel like some aspects of Luffy has changed, but not the larger parts, and I think that's like real people. We say we want a person to "change" and most people do, but they still are themselves for the most part, and might not be able to change in the way you want. Still this topic made me think about Shanks, and how I now have a theory that Luffy is the person Shanks wants to be... because we know Luffy looks up to Shanks, a lot, but we kind of see how they differ... because Shanks is that protector hero. Remember Shank's Alliance is known for being weak and relying on Shank's power to protect them. He goes out of his way to protect Luffy more than Dragon Has, even when it's not really necessary! I mean, yes he went and saved Luffy and many others by stopping the war of the greatest, but he also went to give Luffy and his crew a rest after Wano by scaring off the Admiral. We saw that Momo might have been starting to get in trouble, but we had a recovered Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Jinbei waiting to back him up immediately, then you hear why Shanks does it and he says it's more to not spoil their victory. The contrast is that Luffy's alliance comes to his rescue and kind of spreads the ideals of luffy as they go off on their own. It's interesting in that you can argue some of those aspects of Luffy were developed by Shanks... even though Shanks doesn't have them himself. We hear Shanks talk about the values Roger has that he doesn't, but as a reader we can question if some of those values Roger had that Shanks is critical of, are values that could have made the difference between being a Yonko and being a Pirate King. Those are values Ace showed, but we are kind of seeing them with Luffy as well in that he will sacrifice himself for others, he will let his friends go on while he stays behind to fight, even if he thinks he can't win. (But you know, Luffy still has differences)
Luffy is the definition of "beauty in simplicity". He is not a very nuanced character, but he is lovable, straightforward, supportive of his friends, and brave. He is truly a great captain and an even better MC.
Someone on one of Philip Chase's videos commented that Luffy and Carrot are very similar in a way, both are Simple, not Stupid. Luffy's wilful innocence and Carrot's literal nature are unclouded by the silliness surrounding them. They both have an unbending way of viewing the world, which causes the world to bend around them instead. Both are inevitably going to be King and the world is trembling in their wake.
One thing I've noticed about how Oda handles characters is that, rather than changing his characters through a traditional character arc, he changes the setting around the character to make certain aspects of them we are familiar with manifest differently
How about a video about Luffy's Character development? Itmore of a tricky subject because he doesn't overtly seem to have a character development he is a pretty straightforward character....byt everyone know that it is there. Throught the story he see him making more intelligent decisions, evolve his fighting style, taking more command as a captain when he needs to, listen more to others than himself....I would like to see a video about how Luffy has progressed over the adventure
It's like being brave. Can't be brave if you're not afraid. But if you are compelled by nature to to do good you can't be moral. And to not be a figurehead really works to push against the "Great Man" problem that heroes reinforce. Makes us think real life should be like that and we forget the uncounted masses around them. We forget our own part in history because of this and see ourselves as disconnected from the world around us because we have no power. Luffy shows us we have power when we fight together.
I had an idea recently that may have some weight. What if Luffy’s dream isn’t to have a party with everyone in the world, but rather to take a picture with everyone in the world. That way Oda can end the series with a giant color spread of all the characters in the series smiling.
Btw this is such an amazing video that you made! We love it! Luffy’s birthday is on the way coming up so it makes me even more appreciative and happy ❤Keep up
I dunno, I think you've managed a fairly thorough and accurate high-level overview of who Luffy is. I don't have much to add, you included some points that didn't occur to me. Also, I'm glad you recognize Luffy is not stupid. That's one characterization that drives me nuts, that he's not intelligent. There's a lot of stuff he doesn't know and a lot of things he's not interested in, but he's not stupid.
My big question mark for awhile has been "Luffy doesn't want to be a hero. So it doesn't seem like "defeating the World Government and saving the world" would be on his list of goals. So what would make him change that? Well, with what's going on recently, depending on how damning the information Vegapunk's about to release is, it could well be enough to make Luffy think that its enough of a slight against freedom that he does get at it. But, its not like Luffy doesn't already know that the World Government hurts innocent people and allows slavery and all that, so I'm still not sure what Vegapunk could add that would motivate Luffy. But also in this arc, you have the Straw Hats starting to be brought up to speed and reckon with what Luffy really is. If someone he's close friends with - maybe even the entire crew - asked Luffy to help, that might be seen as a "shallow" motivation, but it would be pretty in character for Luffy for that to be a reason. He'd already challenge the world for anyone he cares about, he's done it multiple times now. So this was another avenue I've thought of, and maybe a more likely one. Could even be part of meeting Vivi again whenever that finally happens. But the way things are going now, I could maybe see even Bonney being enough to motivate Luffy this way; Not that I think she's joining the crew, I think her story will take her to the Revolutionary Army. But Luffy does seem to have gained an affinity for Bonney in very short time, even learning her name properly fast. But all this might be overthinking it once we find out properly what Luffy's true dream is. If its something so big that people who hear it either laugh or are amazed - and people had the same reaction to Roger having this dream - Maybe it could be on the level of "saving the world?" (Although I doubt that's how Luffy puts it).
It’s amazing how contradictory Luffy Can be while at the same time we all have an extremely clear picture of what would or would not be out of character for him. Is Luffy dumb? Yes and no. Is Luffy hasty? Yes and no. Is Luffy kind? Yes and no.
I love Luffy soooo much that I asked my mom what he thinks of luffy plainly out of the blue who actually has no idea or any understanding of anime or Media literacy 😂😂 I have actually never asked about my my mom’s opinion on what I love when it comes to fiction movie characters but it just shows how much Luffy is to me tell her about him.
Luffy feels more like a force of nature than a character sometimes. Like, if he were in the Cosmere, there would be a Surge named after him. He would be the one holding the Dawnshard of freedom and happiness, with the command "Smile". Yes, I love Luffy, what gave it away ??
Luffy is one of my fav and most relatable characters in fiction hah I like the fact how he isn't flawless (even more - there are times it could be pretty hard to stand him xd) but at the same time there's so innocence of child in him, no matter what he is going through. Also I would say he is self-aware of his flaws and he knows, how much he need others. He acts dumb sometimes, but his emotional intelligence and battle IQ are pretty high. He doesn't inspire people just by talking, but taking an action and his influence could be really big (for example Mononosuke and Koby). That's why he could make so many alliances, even if there are a lot of temporary ones. I think that he don't want to be a hero cuz it's kind of restriction for him? He don't want to help people because he should, he want to do it on his own, with his own selfish freedoom. And thats more realistic in reality :p Most of the time he doesn't just risk his own life but also his nakama. If he (and they) want to fight in someone's case, he/they could dedicate completely to achieve goals.
This was wonderful and very well thought out. Luffy truly is an inspiration that kept me going at my lowest when I really needed and continues to be to this day when I need an extra shove. Luffy is the heart and soul of One Piece and what keeps the story so wonderfully hopeful in such a grim and dark reality.
A hero will kill 1 to save 100 a villain will kill 100 to save 1 that is Luffy that why he doesn’t want to be a hero but in Luffy case the 100 does be evil
Adding to your point that Luffy hasn't really changed in his core from how he was as a child: In episodes 1029-1030 is the youngest we have ever seen him. Back then, the moment he meets Shanks for the first time, Luffy's first reaction is to protect his village against this pirate "invasion". This is who Luffy has always been, ready to protect those he cares about no matter what. This is what Garp sees in Luffy and one of the reasons he's proud of him. That he still keeps his sense of justice no matter the label of "pirate" or "marine".
I know a lot of adults use the term "Black and white"..and they do tend to cling to a Grey character more.. How does a casual see Luffy..one-note? He is quite in the Grey..but that does not come up immediately right. A series with so much content, already daunting, plus this one-note perception on the protagonist..sometimes it hurts that its not more global due to this prejudice. Sanderson's vid discussion on the OPLA was hard to watch, just cz of his pal's take on the same.
It seems to me like alot of the main cast has generally been diluted in personality a bit….but that could be due to just the story no longer giving very many opportunities for separate characters personalities to shine like they did pre TS
Loved the video! I think a really nice layer of Luffy could be from another perspective. 👀 It made me think back on the One Piece Therapy video you did, but one of where the villains are ranting about Luffy. And what their perspective is of Luffy. Always two sides to a story right? Haha.
![The Ravings of a Mad Woman | Attack On Titan Part 4.3 [The Final Season Part 2]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OkjR6oaKU5c/mqdefault.jpg)
I've described Luffy to my mom. That he's a carefree guy who loves his friends, meat, freedom and dreams, that he's incredibly selfish in a very none selfish way and she loves him. She has never seen him or even heard him, all she knows is that description and she loves him. There's something so incredible in the way that everyone or anyone can love him so easily without ever having seen him and it reminds me of how Fujitora reacted to him. "I bet you look kind. I wish I hadn't blinded myself". The fact that he said "kind" and not *nice* just hits differently.
I like to pick apart when people say a series is great, not in a negative hater way, i still acknowledge the work and effort. But just saying how luffy never has thought bubbles (kinda lost on live action but that's okay to appeal to west their used to more told stories) made me realize how much the author loves his story. I dont think loving a story = best story ever like others. One piece is great but has obvious issues to get into for many but that also doesnt mean it's bad. You have to get into the art style, shonen, characters, etc like any story...but it's still a good series and I hope people still continue to enjoy it after one piece is revealed.
@@nichescenes I agree like a good example would be My Hero Academia. It has issues and flaws yes but something I really love with the manga is how expressive Horikoshi is with speech bubbles. There's someone on Twitter who made a post chain of various speech bubbles and how they suit the characters or blend into what is going on. Similar to how Oda loves adding details for us to observe even without the characters talking about it. Each show has flaws but they also have something that they excel at and I love that.
What's remarkable is that given how many stories I've heard online of One Piece acting as a light for people in their darkest moments and giving them hope and strength to keep pushing, Luffy doesn't just have that effect in the world of the story. He has it in our world too. His character is so powerfully rendered and imagined that his light and optimism and love of freedom bleeds off the page and into the real world. And that's what makes this such an amazing story.
Goda the best
Helped me through a gnarly depression spiral... binged through it all in a bit over a month, and I'm doing far better now a year down the way
True brotha 😭
I really like that Luffy barely knows any of his friends's backstories
Perfect reply. Luffy doesn’t care about your past. He cares about what kind of person you are
@@vernon2711 Yes! As great as the live-action was, it was rather disappointing that it had him learn about Nami's backstory.
Arlong Park was really something special.
He had NO idea what was going on. none. He had barely been on the island two hours when he sees Nami crying.
"Which one of you is Arlong" is among the coldest lines in the series.
I think it makes absolutely no sense. It's like the strawhats never talk to each other. It's ridiculous
@@Hellsing7747 they all talked to eachother about it, except for Luffy who flat out said he doesn't care and then took a walk.
If that doesn't make sense to you then I've got nothing else to say
People thought Luffy is a one-dimensional character when it's actually complex. One of the earliest examples would be during the Arlong Park. If he's one dimensional, he'll do the usual approach like "tell me what happened, and I'll protect you from the bad guys" or will deliver an inspirational speech. Luffy didn't try to convince Nami, he didn't need to know the details, instead he let Nami cry, he's just standing there and wait for Nami for him to finally help her.
His emotional intelligence is so high that he knows exactly how to act during emotional moments.
Luffy isn't a complex character, but he's not a one dimensional character either
@@mannythegrandfather2291 how can he be not complex and not one dimensional? Then what is he?
Edit: let me add more example why he is a complex character, when Vivi and Momonosuke asked for help, Luffy didn't accept it right away, he didn't totally decline them either which made his crewmates got mad, but then we realized what Luffy wants to hear are their convictions.
@j.b.5422 Luffy as being unusual makes him a complex character.
Here's what I found on google: One-dimensional characters are also known as flat characters or characters in fictional stories that do not change much from the start of the story to the end. It is thought that these type of characters have little to no emotional depth.
By that definition, one of example of a one-dimensional character are NPCs, that definitely doesn't describe Luffy.
@j.b.5422 you have absolutely zero clue about what complexity or multi dimensional means.
@@D__634 Luffy is like 1.5 dimensional in that he doesn't change much except in strength or in new abilities. Also his emotional intelligence isn't really all that good especially when he fell asleep during Jinbe's backstory
Luffy is the perfect blank canvass that I feel allows the remaining straw hats to shine. He really elevates everyone around him making him in many ways one of the greatest primary and support protagonists ever.
Ye
I love how Nux puts it, One piece isnt about how Luffy's character changes due to the world, but its about how the world changes because of Luffy. (Or something along that line)
Something I love about Luffy is that he has a consistent fear that is often expressed but never said out loud. He's scared to death of being alone, and I think that plays a major part in alot of his motivations.
Didn’t he say it out loud when he was talking to Sabo and Ace as to why he didn’t give up the location of the treasure his explanation was being dead was better than being alone
Luffys smile just brings me happiness
There is one little vegapunk- luffy moment from egghead where vegapunk was going blah blah about his dream of giving energy free of cost to everyone .
luffy said " i get it you want to give SOMETHING to everyone but I have no interest in being a HERO but I admire that you want to make everyone HAPPY". while picking his booger.
He still thinks that giving something to EVERYONE makes him a HERO.
He didn't understand anything about punk's dream but he respects his dream.
But he simply said kaido to STFU because kaido's dream made wano suffer for 20 YEARS.
I really really get mad when people call luffy a one dimensional character.
he is more than that 🙂.
I dislike Luffys whole “I’m not a hero” attitude so much because he *literally is a hero*
Dude actively dethrones tyrants just because they made his friend cry.
But I can see how it’s probably gonna tie into the whole “I’m Luffy, not Nika” thing….and in some ways, I guess it’s just Luffy being dumb/childish and not being able to see *how* he’s a hero
@@Kurotama11 He is selfish. heros are not selfish.
@@doyouhaveaminute281 Iron Man? Booster Gold? Kaine Parker?
Id say being selfish/selfless isn’t what makes a hero….granted, it’s part of the equation (a selfless hero will be seen as more heroic than a selfish one) but, Luffy being selfish doesnt just *negate* the worldwide heroics he engages in
To quote Prof. X……”how often must a scoundrel prove himself a hero, before he believes it himself?”
@@Kurotama11 He gave no thought to the slaves from the human house while looking for camie . a hero wouldn't do that?
I don't think I have to mention about him working with croc and releasing countless criminals into the world.
Croc literally enslaved his friend's country.
His definition of hero is totally different from what he is doing and he knows that.
@@doyouhaveaminute281 I wrote out a response to what you originally said, so that first
Like I said, I understand that selfish/selflessness is part of the equation.
Iron Man is less generally heroic than say, Captain America or Spider-Man…..all three would be more heroic than someone like Hulk. That’s based on selflessness of each character.
But, Booster Gold becomes a hero for the *sole purpose* of being famous.
All that to say, being selfish doesn’t make you “not a hero”
Luffy is by all intents and purposes a hero, even if he doesn’t recognize it. Unintentional
heroism is still very much heroism.
I love Luffy so much. He pushes his friends to pursue their dreams. They're like "maybe one day I'll go to sea" and he is like "why wait. Let's go now"
perfect description
@@daymare0 That's what a friend should be, encourage you without belittling you. No fake sure do it, but support cause you believe they can. I see this a lot with people who say, i wanna write a book...or make a movie...response sure do it. Later...why didn't you do it already why are you brining this up...luffy would say do it...and wouldn't ask why aren't you, he'd assume your still working on it and smile cause dreams aren't accomplished easily (short cut episode in one piece) they are worth the journey.
Luffy doesn't want you to judge him based on his own word. You witness him and decide for yourself the sort of person he is. Easy to do with someone so impulsive and honest.
Luffy is basically a fully grown man that his preserved his child-like innocence. He's been mature enough to act when action is needed, all the way from the start of the series, but he's also managed to stay innocent despite all he's gone through. That purity is what I feel makes it thematically sound for him to be the Sun God. Great vid as usual, and day 62 of recommending the Bleach manga
As Merphy herself said in the video that she just conveyed Luffy's character from the broader perspective and didn't dove deep into it because there is too much to analyse from the entirely of the Story for Luffy's character. And as a lot of other people are saying in the comments, I'm sure people need to realise that Luffy's character arc or his growth is really nuisanced, and u won't be able to notice the character progression if u just watch the show, for Luffy u need to analyse his character separately, cause the growth occurs in the most random things which are displayed in a really subtle way. Luffy isn't the most complex character, but he isn't One dimensional either. He is a character with a lot of layers. And you'll only see those layers by analysing his interactions with other characters, as well as analysing his actions.
I'll give an example:
In Drum island Vivi told Luffy that not everything can be solved with violence. She told Luffy to bow his head and plead for help from drum people instead of just fighting them. (Luffy obviously didn't knew this quality because he was raised by bandits)
Later in Amazon Lily, what does Luffy do. In face of Boa Hancock, he bows his head and sacrifices his pride, and requests Boa to spare the other amazon girl that helped him.
Its things like these that shows his growth in character...👍🏻
My absolute favorite part of Luffy is that he doesn’t judge people or hold prejudices, and will make friends with anyone who wants to. He’ll call people like Chopper and Bon Clay monsters or weird, but that’s a positive to him
I've always thought that one piece isnt a story where the world changes the protagonist, it's a story where the protagonist changes the world.
Some will criticize luffy's writing, saying he has meager character development, and others will rush in defense and deny it, but I actually agree. I just happen to think that it isn't a weakness in his writing, but rather his greatest strength. Luffy isn't meant to be this deeply relatable, deeply humanized character wrought with inner conflict who needs to confront himself to process and grow from his trauma. That's a fine way to write a character, but that's not what Oda chose to do with Luffy. He's meant to inspire, to be the catalytic agent that provokes change in others. Side characters shine so much in one piece because in a way, they're the real protagonists. Each arc is centered around the character arc of a different side character. They're the ones who grow, change, and who the readers relate to. In a way, luffy doesn't even really fulfill the traditional role of a "character". He's less a way for Oda to depict some aspect of human experience in his story, and more an embodiment of the story's themes.
Luffy is freedom anthropomorphized.
Oda's decision to not give luffy thought bubbles and make him a "man of action" is, I think, reflective of this. He's not meant to feel like a person with deep interiority, he's meant to feel like a force of nature, an idea, a symbol, maybe even a god. This is why G5 is so brilliant, because it's a literal adaptation of what luffy has always been: a character who doesnt feel like a real person most of the time, because he transcends that very idea. It pushes even further the idea of luffy as embodied abstraction.
Now of course its not so black and white. Many times during the series, Luffy displays profound humanity and experiences mortal struggle, especially in marineford and post war, but thats why those moments are so special, because they remind us that despite all this, Luffy is human after all. He too can hurt. He isn't ACTUALLY a god, he just ate the fruit of one. He doesnt only exist to support his friends. He needs their help too. He isn't REALLY the embodiment of his ideals. He just refuses to let anyone or anything corrupt them. And thats why despite not being written with the most overt relatability, inner turmoil, or "character development," the way other great manga protagonists like Thorfinn or Naruto might be, Luffy's humanity is still the most precious to me.
This might be one of the best descriptions of Luffy and his impact I've seen.
@@Baza_26 😊 thanks
Nice. Although I will say most protagonists embody themes of their respective stories well, so Luffy isn't really that different in that regard. But as you said, he feels like a completed character from the start with strong focus on what he wants, which is different from other battle shounen MCs.
@@chasinghaze0962 The difference, to me, is how one uses the word "embody", though. Most protagonists "embody" themes by being depicted as people adopting or espousing those ideas, and their human struggle in applying or maintaining them. This, I think is what you're referring to. Luffy "embodies" themes in a much more literal sense, like the very ideas themselves grew legs to walk with, hands to punch, and a mouth to talk. He often doesn't feel "human" at all. An idea doesn't have to grow or change or struggle against itself. It doesn't even really need to have thoughts. It just is. Again, there's actually more nuance than this and Luffy IS human, but imo that part of how he gets depicted is his trademark.
@@kianyt5804 I see what you mean
I love that the core of Luffy and who he is fundamentally never changes, and almost never wavers, but at the same time, he still grows and learns as he progresses on his adventure. Vivi teaches him to better de-escelate tense situations and better ask for help when he needs it, the trials of Water 7 challenging his competency as a leader when his crew faced their first real breakdown, Jinbei pulling him back from the brink after he lost Ace, the one time he almost wavered, and being able to bounce back from that, and generally evolving into a genuine captain that can make actual tactical calls when needed for his crew.
Luffy is such a well written protagonist. I don’t usually love protagonists so much but Luffy is something else. He feels real, with a soul and charisma that is so infectious.
God, Luffy is such a fantastic character. He has a pretty simple outlook on life and his actions are just as simple. But he never bores you, he's just fun to watch.
Something that I've heard about Luffy and his brand of heroism is that he isn't the one who creates change or facilitates change. Instead, he is the one who removes the obstacles and barriers that are preventing others from creating the change they want. Or, to put it another way, he is the breaker of chains, the one who breaks down walls, and yes, the bringer of liberation. He wants no part in actually shaping the world into what it will become: that's for those who dream of doing such to do. Luffy, instead, sees what is preventing those people from pursuing those dreams and ... well, punches it.
I feel like his actual dream does have something to do with shaping the world
@@pablobuquet2534 Nah, I bet the guy just wants to party like there's no tomorrow.
You know the old saying, "give a man a piece of meat, you feed him for a day, teach a man to hunt his own meat, and you feed him for a lifetime." Or something like that. That's Luffy's version of heroism.
FINALLY. A ONE PIECE UA-camR MAKING A VIDEO ABOUT THE DAMN PROTAGONIST
This video did NOT suck. I love Luffy so much. His character inspired me when I was little to keep going and to pursue dreams. Super related to him not know his dad and having adoptive brothers. As far as I'm concerned he's one of the best characters in anime/manga.
I love seeing how Luffy responds to meeting Tama, how he carries Ace's legacy/promise to her bye saying the same words Ace once did. It shows that, even without knowing that Ace made that promise to Tama, Luffy does as well, because that's who he is. The town where Luffy takes Tama to get her medicine, Okobore Town, reminds me a lot of Grey Terminal. Both being places where the rich discard all they view as leftovers.
I love that luffy never cares about what other people say about people, he waits and sees for himself what people are like. aka he doesnt instantly judge people based off of their reputation
Merphy trying to get this vid out before Melonteee can get her video on Luffy out so she doesnt have to give her a shoutout like with her video on trauma which dropped like a week after Melontee''s video on trauma, thus proving that these two are secretly the same One Piece fan inhabiting two bodies.
For real though, I feel like a lot of people think characters can only develop if they have an arc where they begin as a completely different person than they end as. I really appreciate that Luffy hasnt done that. He's just become more of what he is at his core. He began as a goofy young man from the East Blue and 25 real world years later he's the goofy young Emperor from the East Blue and i woudn't have it any other way.
Totally Not Mark already beat them both to the punch lol
@@lookatdemijipers troo
it's a good thing. melon tee's understanding of luffy is beyond awful and corrupted by her sanji bias.
@@goat5944 from what I've seen, she seems to have a pretty solid understanding of what he's about
Merphy is now slowly becoming a tekking, soon enough she will do a 30+ mins, or even an hour long discussion video of minor characters like gaimon. 👀
"Gaimon is important for the One Piece, i swear"
@@danzoomHE ISSSSS!!!! THE ONE PIECE IS A BUNCH OF SILLY ANIMALS
I hope so, but I think it's just the lack of content during this 'void month' haha
@@MayMoment_ i love this more than I should
@@vojtechtesar5767 I just think I'm jealous of gaimon tbh I wish I could just live among some silly critters
Thank you for this analysis ❤
i needed this "..refuses to be changed by it"
Great video! Luffy is a character of nuance lost on most people. I will definitely be pointing to this video for a few of my friends that don't quite understand his motivations.
No, this was so good and refreshing. I read so many glib descriptions of Luffy and i needed something appreciative and in depth to make me feel like im not the only one who gets why he’s amazing
That why I love luffy, I love characters who just wanna be free, and let other be free ND willing to fight for that. Luffy ,Sonic. In those veins are refreshing
Oh yay! It's funny how Melonteee is just about to release her Luffy video as well. Looks like you beat her to the punch this time lol
This is why, what Luffy told Arlong hit me so much,
"I can't use a sword (Zoro), I can't sail the oceans (Nami), I can't cook (Sanji), I can't lie (Usopp, this bit really funny---- If he quote this again, probably with addition of---
I can't heal someone (Chopper), I can't understand history (Robin), I can't repair a ship (Franky), I can't play a music instruments (Brook), I can't sail a Ship (Jinbe),
I'm confident that I can't live without help,
---what you can do as a Captain (Arlong)----
I CAN DEFEAT YOU"".
I love your video! Thanks for your hard work!!
Btw, what I like about Luffy is about how he embrace his weakness. He admit that he can't do everything on his own so that's why he need his crew. That's also why I think he helped his people to be free because that's the thing he can do for them in return 😊
His quote in Arlong Park is such a great example of this
Luffy: I know that I need every member of my crew! I can't use swords, or navigate the seas, or cook, or lie! I need them all!
Arlong: Then what can such a useless captain do?
Luffy: I can beat you!
That interaction between Jimbe and Luffy in the fishmen island was simbolic yet hilarious at the same time 🤣😁👊
I think Luffy's true dream might change very little about what we understand about him and instead explain his entire character better and his mindset perfectly. It will probably be a "That makes so much sense moment" after we learn of it. To me, that's one of those things I want to know as bad as discovering what the One Piece truly is.
Luffy will even beat up a cop who gave you a parking ticket.
This video didn't suck at all! I really enjoyed how passionate you were while talking and analyzing his character, because it made me feel that he is a really inspiring character to you, as he is to me. Luffy is just such a special character, there's really no one like him! ❤
To some degree Luffy is like an embodiement of the "teach a man to fish" saying. He could liberate them and leave, but by having the person be an active component of the liberation the freedom that results can continue.
Many people want in depth character progression arcs, and I'm not going to say Luffy doesn't change a single bit, but keeping his core the same allows a different sort of storyline. How do other characters, and the world at large, change in the face of Luffy's indestructible personality?
This was a great appreciation video on luffy, thank you for sharing! ^
Everyone should be like Luffy. The world will be a better place
When I first watched Onepiece as a teenager, Zoro definitely was my fav. but the more I rewatch Onepiece, Luffy became my number one. Freedom and dreams are hard to find nowadays, especially after being an adult. Love his passion, honesty, and his emotional intelligence
Totally Not Mark is currently going through character studies of all the straw hat individually and I think his Luffy video would pair really nicely with this one. Give me all that deep diving into fictional pirates. 🙂
This is one of my favorite videos you’ve made. Great analysis. We need more luffys in this world
I forget who said it, but rather than the world changing Luffy, Luffy changes the world around him
As much as I agree that Luffy is a character with a "static character arc" in the narrative, not changing considerably through the story, I do believe he changes slightly as he grows and matures. Some of the things he goes through does teach him important lessons he takes with him as he journeys forward. Such as Vivi's lessons on avoiding conflict if a dialogue/diplomatic solution can still be feasible, or his lessons on listening to his friend's perspective if they are going under internal crisis (Usopp's fight got him to change his ways later on, and he does show his development as a captain in Whole cake Island and how he dealt with Sanji's crisis).
However, those slow changes didn't change him in his core. Just made him into a better, more knowledgeable version of himself, and I love that for him.
All the things he went through could have fundamentally broken him, but they didn't. All the changes he's gone through only serves in his favor. I love Luffy so much! He's such a great protagonist.
Luffy is dumb, but it's not a defining trait of his. I liked how you pointed out that him punching the celestial dragon was a choice. A calculated choice. He didn't do it without thinking about the consequences. It was impulsive sure, but it wasn't stupidity. And Oda refusing to draw thought bubbles for him reinforces that. Luffy is impulsive. He's stupid too, but he never makes big choices like that because of his stupidity. He knows what he's doing when he burns flags and punches celestial Dragons. He knows the consequences and he faces them head on.
I think something important regarding heroes is that the only hero he personally knows is "garp the hero"
Luffy also wants his Nakama to be true to themselves. And always push them to that truth inside.
I don't read or watch One Piece but seeing how excited you get about the arcs and characters and how it seems like there's always more to talk about and experience is really inspiring!
Its so much fun to do a character analysis for One Piece because you can just go back and rewatch from the POV of a different characters and it will give a whole different perspective on the scene
You’ve got to do big news Morgan’s at some point he’s so underrated 😊
*Luffy will become the man who will become the king of the pirates*
Is the man
Bro I’m literally at the end of Wholecake and………I am floored so far. My friend says Wano is even better somehow and I couldn’t be more excited to get there. I don’t know how people dislike Luffy. Maybe in the beginning because he’s such a goober but I’ve absolutely adored him through the whole ride.
Luffy has the habit of calling other people wrong name, many thinks that Luffy just don't remember their name but I think Luffy intentionally called them wrong .For example, Luffy called hancock "hanmmock" at first but later when hancock give him the key he called her the right name. That's why I think even tho he remember their names he would still call them wrong name if he don't like them or he simply likes the nickname he gave them.
Really great analysis video of Luffy Merphy. One of my favourites.
I see so many people complain about the series that luffy doesn't go through development without realising that he doesn't have to and that's the point of his character.
Maybe a bit unrelated but another indication of Luffy always thinking of protecting his loved ones is a scene in a relatively recent chapter where we had that small flashback of a younger Luffy training alone in Mount Corvo, after Sabo's apparent death and Ace's departure. It's the moment he invented "Gomu Gomu no Battle Axe":
Luffy: "Oh, what a powerful attack! I will use it when they try to take my friends away from me" 😭 (Probably thinking about how the "world" took Sabo away from him)
The first time we see him use this attack was when Arlong tried to take Nami away from them.
I feel like some aspects of Luffy has changed, but not the larger parts, and I think that's like real people. We say we want a person to "change" and most people do, but they still are themselves for the most part, and might not be able to change in the way you want.
Still this topic made me think about Shanks, and how I now have a theory that Luffy is the person Shanks wants to be... because we know Luffy looks up to Shanks, a lot, but we kind of see how they differ... because Shanks is that protector hero. Remember Shank's Alliance is known for being weak and relying on Shank's power to protect them. He goes out of his way to protect Luffy more than Dragon Has, even when it's not really necessary! I mean, yes he went and saved Luffy and many others by stopping the war of the greatest, but he also went to give Luffy and his crew a rest after Wano by scaring off the Admiral. We saw that Momo might have been starting to get in trouble, but we had a recovered Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Jinbei waiting to back him up immediately, then you hear why Shanks does it and he says it's more to not spoil their victory. The contrast is that Luffy's alliance comes to his rescue and kind of spreads the ideals of luffy as they go off on their own. It's interesting in that you can argue some of those aspects of Luffy were developed by Shanks... even though Shanks doesn't have them himself. We hear Shanks talk about the values Roger has that he doesn't, but as a reader we can question if some of those values Roger had that Shanks is critical of, are values that could have made the difference between being a Yonko and being a Pirate King. Those are values Ace showed, but we are kind of seeing them with Luffy as well in that he will sacrifice himself for others, he will let his friends go on while he stays behind to fight, even if he thinks he can't win. (But you know, Luffy still has differences)
Luffy didn't have major character developement or change, instead he's the catalyst for other's developement
Luffy is the definition of "beauty in simplicity". He is not a very nuanced character, but he is lovable, straightforward, supportive of his friends, and brave. He is truly a great captain and an even better MC.
The second Luffy punched St. Charlos in the face was the moment I fell in love with his character.
Someone on one of Philip Chase's videos commented that Luffy and Carrot are very similar in a way, both are Simple, not Stupid. Luffy's wilful innocence and Carrot's literal nature are unclouded by the silliness surrounding them. They both have an unbending way of viewing the world, which causes the world to bend around them instead. Both are inevitably going to be King and the world is trembling in their wake.
I, for one, would like to see the in-depth video Merphy initially wanted to make.
One thing I've noticed about how Oda handles characters is that, rather than changing his characters through a traditional character arc, he changes the setting around the character to make certain aspects of them we are familiar with manifest differently
Luffy is the embodiment of Selfish Selflessness and I had no idea that was possible before meeting him
How about a video about Luffy's Character development? Itmore of a tricky subject because he doesn't overtly seem to have a character development he is a pretty straightforward character....byt everyone know that it is there. Throught the story he see him making more intelligent decisions, evolve his fighting style, taking more command as a captain when he needs to, listen more to others than himself....I would like to see a video about how Luffy has progressed over the adventure
Worried that this wasn't a good video but it was what I needed to hear today
It's like being brave. Can't be brave if you're not afraid. But if you are compelled by nature to to do good you can't be moral. And to not be a figurehead really works to push against the "Great Man" problem that heroes reinforce. Makes us think real life should be like that and we forget the uncounted masses around them. We forget our own part in history because of this and see ourselves as disconnected from the world around us because we have no power. Luffy shows us we have power when we fight together.
I had an idea recently that may have some weight. What if Luffy’s dream isn’t to have a party with everyone in the world, but rather to take a picture with everyone in the world. That way Oda can end the series with a giant color spread of all the characters in the series smiling.
Great video. I like looking back on the reasons we love Luffy
Btw this is such an amazing video that you made! We love it! Luffy’s birthday is on the way coming up so it makes me even more appreciative and happy ❤Keep up
Another great essay!
I dunno, I think you've managed a fairly thorough and accurate high-level overview of who Luffy is. I don't have much to add, you included some points that didn't occur to me.
Also, I'm glad you recognize Luffy is not stupid. That's one characterization that drives me nuts, that he's not intelligent. There's a lot of stuff he doesn't know and a lot of things he's not interested in, but he's not stupid.
My big question mark for awhile has been "Luffy doesn't want to be a hero. So it doesn't seem like "defeating the World Government and saving the world" would be on his list of goals. So what would make him change that? Well, with what's going on recently, depending on how damning the information Vegapunk's about to release is, it could well be enough to make Luffy think that its enough of a slight against freedom that he does get at it. But, its not like Luffy doesn't already know that the World Government hurts innocent people and allows slavery and all that, so I'm still not sure what Vegapunk could add that would motivate Luffy.
But also in this arc, you have the Straw Hats starting to be brought up to speed and reckon with what Luffy really is. If someone he's close friends with - maybe even the entire crew - asked Luffy to help, that might be seen as a "shallow" motivation, but it would be pretty in character for Luffy for that to be a reason. He'd already challenge the world for anyone he cares about, he's done it multiple times now. So this was another avenue I've thought of, and maybe a more likely one. Could even be part of meeting Vivi again whenever that finally happens. But the way things are going now, I could maybe see even Bonney being enough to motivate Luffy this way; Not that I think she's joining the crew, I think her story will take her to the Revolutionary Army. But Luffy does seem to have gained an affinity for Bonney in very short time, even learning her name properly fast.
But all this might be overthinking it once we find out properly what Luffy's true dream is. If its something so big that people who hear it either laugh or are amazed - and people had the same reaction to Roger having this dream - Maybe it could be on the level of "saving the world?" (Although I doubt that's how Luffy puts it).
I love luffies view of heroes even more when I realize his grandfather is garp the hero.
It’s amazing how contradictory Luffy Can be while at the same time we all have an extremely clear picture of what would or would not be out of character for him. Is Luffy dumb? Yes and no. Is Luffy hasty? Yes and no. Is Luffy kind? Yes and no.
When I said to my non one piece friends that luffy has layers and depths as a character they called me delusional.
I mean, if they haven't seen One Piece, their analysis doesn't mean much because they've never seen it.
I love Luffy soooo much that I asked my mom what he thinks of luffy plainly out of the blue who actually has no idea or any understanding of anime or Media literacy 😂😂
I have actually never asked about my my mom’s opinion on what I love when it comes to fiction movie characters but it just shows how much Luffy is to me tell her about him.
This is by far the best analysis of our future pirate king. Brilliant
Black Beard is also similar to luffy in terms of freedom.
Damn. This is exactly the video I needed during this OP break
Lovely analysis!
Usually a character arc is enforced by the state of the world..
But every once in a while the world is forced into an arc by the character.
Murphy releasing her Luffy analysis before Melonteee does. Yall planned this didn't you
Luffy feels more like a force of nature than a character sometimes. Like, if he were in the Cosmere, there would be a Surge named after him. He would be the one holding the Dawnshard of freedom and happiness, with the command "Smile".
Yes, I love Luffy, what gave it away ??
Amazing video as always. ❤
I got my pin over the weekend. I cannot believe how great it came out
that's what it's all about and so much more, it can be simple and it can not be, good vid
Luffy is one of my fav and most relatable characters in fiction hah
I like the fact how he isn't flawless (even more - there are times it could be pretty hard to stand him xd) but at the same time there's so innocence of child in him, no matter what he is going through. Also I would say he is self-aware of his flaws and he knows, how much he need others.
He acts dumb sometimes, but his emotional intelligence and battle IQ are pretty high.
He doesn't inspire people just by talking, but taking an action and his influence could be really big (for example Mononosuke and Koby). That's why he could make so many alliances, even if there are a lot of temporary ones.
I think that he don't want to be a hero cuz it's kind of restriction for him? He don't want to help people because he should, he want to do it on his own, with his own selfish freedoom. And thats more realistic in reality :p Most of the time he doesn't just risk his own life but also his nakama. If he (and they) want to fight in someone's case, he/they could dedicate completely to achieve goals.
This was wonderful and very well thought out. Luffy truly is an inspiration that kept me going at my lowest when I really needed and continues to be to this day when I need an extra shove. Luffy is the heart and soul of One Piece and what keeps the story so wonderfully hopeful in such a grim and dark reality.
A hero will kill 1 to save 100 a villain will kill 100 to save 1 that is Luffy that why he doesn’t want to be a hero but in Luffy case the 100 does be evil
Adding to your point that Luffy hasn't really changed in his core from how he was as a child:
In episodes 1029-1030 is the youngest we have ever seen him. Back then, the moment he meets Shanks for the first time, Luffy's first reaction is to protect his village against this pirate "invasion".
This is who Luffy has always been, ready to protect those he cares about no matter what.
This is what Garp sees in Luffy and one of the reasons he's proud of him. That he still keeps his sense of justice no matter the label of "pirate" or "marine".
the best MC 🤩
I know a lot of adults use the term "Black and white"..and they do tend to cling to a Grey character more..
How does a casual see Luffy..one-note?
He is quite in the Grey..but that does not come up immediately right. A series with so much content, already daunting, plus this one-note perception on the protagonist..sometimes it hurts that its not more global due to this prejudice.
Sanderson's vid discussion on the OPLA was hard to watch, just cz of his pal's take on the same.
15:28 What do you mean by that, you did great Napier, I LOVE Monkey D. Luffy, the future king of the pirates 💖🖤✨⚡🔥
It seems to me like alot of the main cast has generally been diluted in personality a bit….but that could be due to just the story no longer giving very many opportunities for separate characters personalities to shine like they did pre TS
great video. lots of stuff that will pop up when next i think "what would luffy do?"
Loved the video! I think a really nice layer of Luffy could be from another perspective. 👀 It made me think back on the One Piece Therapy video you did, but one of where the villains are ranting about Luffy. And what their perspective is of Luffy. Always two sides to a story right? Haha.
12:33 Usopp wasn't on Enies Lobby. You can't say your headcanon is true
This indeed, has been Luffy