Summary
There have been countless great anime series over the years. Some of those series managed to rise above the rest and become global phenomenons, such asDragon Ball, Naruto, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer,andJujutsu Kaisen,just to name a few, and of course, the one anime series that is arguably the greatest of them all,One Piece.
One of the reasons whyOne Pieceis so great is that the story is centered aroundMonkey D. Luffy,one of the best, if not the best, anime protagonists of all time. This might sound like a bold statement, but don’t worry, we’ve prepared some solid points to support our argument. So here they are, theseven reasons why Luffy is the best anime protagonist ever. Keep in mind that this is a highly subjective topic and list, so it’s perfectly fine if to disagree with it.
Luffy Gradually Gets Stronger As The Story Progresses
He Is Not An Overpowered Character
There has been a trend in recent years of having a main character who is already strong at the start of the story. This trend is especially prevalent in the isekai genre, with overpowered protagonists likeRimuru fromThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimeor Ainz fromOverlord.This type of character has its charms, but it has one glaring shortcoming: the lack of obstacles or challenges that eventually lead to character growth and development. After all, it’s hard to grow as a character if they can simply bulldoze through their enemies with ease.
That is not the case at all with Luffy. He started the series with a power level that was slightly higher than that of an average Marine Captain, and he gradually gets stronger as the story progresses. In fact, he rarely defeats the main villain of an arc on their first encounter. From Crocodile to Kaidou, it usually takes Luffy more than one attempt to defeat his enemies. Even then, he often walks away battered and bruised. But with each battle, Luffy grows stronger, making it all the more compelling to follow his journey as the protagonist.
Luffy Has A Clear Goal
He Eants To Be The King Of Pirates
One of the best things that a protagonist can do is set a clear target or goal at the start of their series. Crystal-clear goals likebecoming a Hokage,avenge the deaths of their family, or finding a way to turn their demon sister into a human again, are all instantly relatable. Then, of course, there’s becoming the King of Pirates. This serves not only as a clear motivation for Luffy as a character but also establishes a definitive endpoint for the story.
Without a concrete goal, a protagonist will only follow the flow and respond to what is happening around them, rather than actively driving the narrative forward. That’s why having a clear goal is one of the most important factors in crafting a great protagonist. While Luffy isn’t the only protagonist to state his ultimate goal from the start, the fact that he does instantly places him among the best.
Luffy Is A Good Judge Of Character
He Picked His Crews Well
Like most shonen protagonists of his time, Luffy is a bit of a musclehead, a headstrong young man who leaps into action before thinking things through. While that is certainly how it appears on the surface, there is more to Luffy than meets the eye. One of his most underrated qualities is his ability to judge characters, especially when it comes to choosing his crew.
The most obvious example was when Luffy accepted Nico Robin as a new member of the Straw Hats. Everybody else was against his decision at the time due to Robin’s role in the Arabasta arc, but Luffy stuck to his decision. Now,Robin is one of the most important members of the Straw Hats.Likewise, there are also times when Luffy can quickly determine if a person is bad even though they only have a short interaction. The best example of this was when Luffy met the World Noble Saint Charlos at Sabaody Archipelago and launched a punch heard around the world. It’s unclear how, but Luffy has always been a good judge of character, which is one of the things that makes him so great.
Luffy Is A Flexible Thinker
Luffy Doesn’t Mind Changing His Mind
This one is still related to the previous point, but it’s worth expanding upon. One of the perks of being a good judge of character is that it helps Luffy be a more flexible thinker. He may be stubborn, but he doesn’t mind changing his mind if he thinks it’s the best course of action for him and his crew. The best example of this is when Luffy worked together with Crocodile and his crew at Impel Down.
Luffy hates Crocodile, but he knew at the time that teaming up with Crocodile would increase his chances ofescaping the Impel Down prison.He also dislikes Hatchan, who used to be part of the Arlong Pirates, but when Luffy saw him at the Sabaody Archipelago and realized that he had changed for the better, Luffy forgave Hatchan, and they became good friends. His open-mindedness and willingness to change his opinion to adapt to the situation are part of what makes him such a great character.
Luffy Is A Great Leader
He Led His Crew To Victory
One of the marks of a good leader is the ability to confidently make big decisions that can affect the future of the crew, and asOne Piecefans all know, Luffy has made plenty of those throughout the series. His decision to add Robin to the crew enabled the Straw Hats to decipher the Poneglyphs, which are crucial to finding the One Piece. His decision to join forces with Law and Kid enables them todefeat both Kaidou and Big Momsimultaneously. Beyond that, there are so many other crucial decisions that greatly affect the Straw Hats as a whole.
As a captain, Luffy often lets his crew do their jobs independently. He is not someone who likes to micromanage his people. However, he is still the one who decides where to go and who to fight, which usually means going to the most dangerous places and fighting the most dangerous opponents. The crew may disagree or feel reluctant to execute those orders, especially the scaredy-cats of the group (Nami, Usopp, Chopper), but they all believe that Luffy, as the captain, has their best interest in mind. Luffy has his flaws, but he has been a great captain and leader for his crew.
Luffy Seeks Challenges
The More Difficult, The Better
Apart from finding the One Piece and becoming the new King of Pirates, the biggest reason why Luffy decided to be a pirate is to enjoy boundless freedom and adventure. As such, he always seeks the path that offers the most challenge, even when a much safer passage is available. There are a couple of instances in the story that perfectly showcase this unique side of Luffy.
When Luffy first heard that the New World Log Pose can point to three different destinations and determine the danger level of those destinations based on the erratic movement of the compass needle, he immediately picked the one that points to the most dangerous location of the three. There’s also the time when Luffy immediately disagreed with Usopp’s suggestion to stealthe Poneglyphs from the Emperorsrather than fighting them head-on. After all, Luffy actually looks forward to infiltrating the Emperors’ territories and fighting them. His tendency to always seek challenges is one of the reasons why it’s so interesting to follow Luffy’s journey, which is also what makes him so great.
He Is A Pirate, Not A Hero
The following is one of Luffy’s most famous quotes:
“Hero?! No way! We’re pirates! I love heroes, but I don’t want to be one! Let’s say there’s a bunch of meat. Pirates have feasts and eat meat, but heroes give the meat to other people! I want to eat the meat!” ~ Monkey D. Luffy, Chapter 634
Luffy is aware of his status as a pirate. In other words, he knows that he’s an outlaw. He is not a hero and never intends to be one. He’s had countless heroic moments and performed many good deeds that greatly helped many people, but everything he did stemmed from his desire to help his friends, rather than a selfless calling to save other people.
Luffy freed Arabasta to save Vivi,waged war with the World Governmentto rescue Robin, punched a World Noble to protect Hatchan and Camie, liberated Dressrosa to help Rebecca, and overthrew the ruler of Wano to aid Momo, the samurai, and the Minks. He may be considered a hero to many, but he will never claim that title for himself.
Many protagonists find themselves in the position of the hero of justice and feel burdened by that heavy responsibility. Not Luffy, though. He knows who he is. He knows he’s a pirate, and he’s more than happy to be on the wrong side of the law, because in the world ofOne Piece,that’s where true freedom and adventure lie. He stands with quiet certainty, fully assured of his place in the world. That’s why he is the best anime protagonist ever.
