Shiki_Dance
September 14, 2010, 06:01 PM
Crazy-long post coming up. Mitigated with spoiler tags. Ye have been warned.
Ok, I see a lot of people talking about “tactics” or “intelligence” within the Strawhats, but it many times seems improperly considered to me. Certain obvious examples are brought to the fore while more subtle examples go unnoticed. Or situations that don't at first seem like traditional “tactics” are ignored. I decided to go down the list of Strawhats and give my view about each character – just as I personally see it, others can agree or disagree. I'll note that often my viewpoint comes from an experienced writer's perspective, so there may be points made that come from an understanding of how a situation arises out of necessity for the plot and character balance. I will write mostly from the stand point of battle, but other aspects may be included if they are needed to make a point. Because of this battle focus, this likely means there will be more written about the characters we see fight the most.
Luffy:
This is the one character that I can never see actually using any sort of strategy. But rather than just being out of stupidity (or IS it?), it is an essential character point – he relies heavily on his instincts, which are very, very, good. So to start using strategy seems like it would only hinder his instincts.
But that's not to say that he doesn't have some level of knowledge or understanding. He demonstrated some knowledge of mushrooms on Amazon Lily (and then promptly proceeded to eat ones he knew nothing about), he knew how to use the gold on this arm to disperse the giant storm cloud Enel(Eneru?) made over Skypiea (or was he just thinking “punch it and it will go away”?). How deep his understanding goes is questionable. How much is instinct and how much does he really know? Aokiji once summed it up nicely when Luffy challenged him to fight one one one. Was it to prevent Aokiji from attacking his crew mates out of honor (the same way Zoro prevented Kuma), or did Luffy actually think he could win?
It should be noted that Luffy is usually fighting someone stronger than he is, and must use uncommon tactics and lateral thinking to defeat them. His unpredictability is his strength. Though again, this is probably more instinctual than actually thinking, but its hard for us to know exactly.
Zoro:
I feel Zoro is getting the shortest end of the stick (so his comments will likely be the longest). A lot of people place him extremely low on their intelligence rankings, which always seemed strange to me because, next to Robin, he is most likely to make calm, insightful and mature comments and situation summaries, and one of the first to understand what needs to be done. He was the first to accept Merry's critical condition, making the comment that, while people get stronger over time, ships' wounds simply pile up until they can no longer sail. On Thriller Bark, while other characters questioned why the heck he wanted to fight Oars(Oz?) thinking he just wanted a fight, he explained very succinctly why it was implicitly important to fight him: Many of the enemies use trickery in their tactics, which Luffy may not be able to overcome. If he can't by sunrise, they're all in trouble. However, if the rest of the crew can at least get Luffy his shadow back, then Luffy can continue to fight. Even Robin seemed as though she hadn't thought of this.
Maybe it goes overlooked because the comments are often short and subtle in the long run (I only listed a couple of the numerous examples). Maybe the comedic “getting lost” aspects overshadow the meatier ones (this is especially true for the anime, which tends to overplay all the characters' faults). There is also the fact that, as a front-line fighter, he is needed to support Luffy, charging down the strongest enemies, giving other characters the ability to accomplish other tasks. In my opinion, Zoro is an extremely tactical fighter, but it's subtle and more a “within the battle” sort of tactics. But that's not to say he hasn't displayed other insights, the most blatant example being the double-mark on Alabasta. As opposed to Luffy's instinctual fighting style, Zoro's seems more based on knowledge and skills he's acquired throughout their journey. The biggest turning point being after his battle with Daz Bones (Mr. 1). Previously, he fought by “using all his strength.” After, he understood more what it means to be subtle in his fighting style, and his personality seems to be reflecting that calmness. Though he obviously loves to fight, his emotions never take over to the point where he blindly attacks. He is always in control of himself.
Like Luffy, his fights are often either against someone of equal or greater strength, so he must grow his skill within the battle, or think laterally to get around his disadvantages. Unlike Luffy, he usually seems to actually think about how to do this rather than rely on instincts.
He also displays leadership qualities when Luffy isn't around (and sometimes being an important advisor when he is around). Again, the fight with Oars is a good example (directing attacks in order to bring Oars down), and another at Enies Lobby after Luffy ran off on his own (prompting other characters to question why Zoro isn't the captain). Though it may not have technically been stated in the manga that he is officially the crew's first mate, he takes his position seriously. Recall that, when Luffy recruited Zoro, Zoro's condition was that if Luffy did anything to get in the way of Zoro's goal, he would make Luffy apologize being spilling his guts. But what really happens? Zoro, for Luffy and the rest of the crew, gives up his dream and his life to protect them. He later gives up his pride (which might be considered even worse than his life for a person like him) in order to aid his captain. I bring this up because it is a sort of tactics – calmly deciding the best way to aid the crew and then acting on it.
In summation, while he may not possess Robin's knowledge or Nami's intelligence, Zoro easily displays the greatest level of insight (maybe even a kind of practical wisdom) within the entire crew and utilizes it effectively both within and without battle. If Luffy is the heart and soul of the crew, Zoro is the sword and shield.
Sanji:
Sanji displays the most easily recognizable tactics, something other readers have picked up on and thrown him near the top of their IQ ranking lists. Personally, I think he's getting a bit too much credit. But I do not deny that he definitely uses extremely effective tactics and uses them well. Unlike Zoro, rather than tactics within battle, he is often off to the side accomplishing tasks that benefit the crew that don't involve front-line fighting. Sometimes these tactics are intentional (following Robin onto the sea train), sometimes it is more about him finding himself accidentally in a situation but being able to take advantage of it (Mr. Prince was only born out of Crocodile mistaking him for Mr. 3 plus Bon Kurei not seeing him on the Merry).
A note that I feel must be made: Sanji's style of tactics are NOT battle tactics. These examples people are using are sideways goals. If someone were to be responsible for making a battle plan, it would not be Sanji (more likely it would be Nami, but they all have different strengths and insights and would likely work together). Unlike Luffy and Zoro, his fights don't often involve any sort of lateral thinking, and just need him to be stronger than the other guy. Therefore, we have not seen much of Sanji even needing to use tactics within battle. Recall his position is the cook, while Zoro's only clear purpose is to fight. Even though he is clearly the crew's third strongest fighter, there is definitely a gap that has been widening between he and Zoro. What is made of this post time-skip remains to be seen. It depends on what Oda, as a writer, wants to do with him.
Sanji is also a very emotional person, in that he lets his emotions get to him both while he fights, and also outside of them (like picking a fight with Zoro, blaming him after Usopp left the crew for not permanently putting down the Franky Family while they were attacking Zoro on Merry). This gets him into trouble sometimes, but also gets him out of it sometimes. He seems strongest when he's pissed off.
Nami:
In an SBS, Oda stated that of all the characters we met in East Blue (not out of all East Blue, just of who we met), Nami has the third highest IQ (first being Ben Beckmen, second being Kuro). Her intelligence also seems to get overshadowed sometimes by the comedy aspects of her character, but they do come out. Her use of the Clima Tact is the most obvious example. She is able to think of what it can do and how to use what it can do to her advantage. Of course her navigation of the ship, and her unofficial position as Quartermaster account for a lot of this (for those who don't know, on a traditional pirate ship, a member of the crew was elected by other members to be in charge of distributing loot. It was important that this person was neither the captain nor his first mate so that neither could be accused of unfair favoritism and undermining their authority). Though Luffy ultimately has say in where they go and what they do, Nami's considerations are definitely taken seriously and the other crew members unquestionably follow her directions when it comes to the ship and navigation.
Usopp:
Like Nami, Usopp's fights require tactics because he doesn't have the physical strength to do otherwise. I would consider him clever, but not necessarily a particularly wise person. He builds tools that suit him and can use them to his advantage. He also has a practical side to him that none of the other guys show. But I think this is in part from his being cautious rather than confident. If he has foreknowledge, we've seen what he can come up with (Usopp vs. Luffy). But foreknowledge is rare, and he can't take advantage of that ability. Personally, I would like to see a bigger focus on his sniping skills after the time-skip. We'll see.
Chopper:
Chopper's smart. He is a doctor after all. He has his brain point “scope” ability that he doesn't use nearly often enough in my opinion. Except for the fight against Oars, we don't really see him use his knowledge in his fights very often. This is probably partly due to his naiveté and youth. A lot of people talk about him controlling Monster Point, but I would like in the future to see Chopper fight using his skills and knowledge rather than brute strength. Maybe something like Dr. Indigo, but with Chopper's own unique flair.
Robin:
Easily the most knowledgeable of the crew. She uses her experiences and knowledge to aid herself and the rest of the StrawHats. She can also use her intelligence to her advantage during battle. She is not physically very strong. The arms she sprouts are no stronger than her real arms. So she uses tactics to turn her abilities to her advantage. I'll be honest and say that I'm a bit disappointed with Robin – since joining the crew, she's been getting less and less formidable as an opponent. Her strengths are not about her ability to fight, it's her knowledge, sure. But when she was still an enemy, she was very hard to beat. Where did that go?
Franky:
Franky seems like he must be a smart person on some level, right? I mean, he's like an engineer. Somehow this doesn't extend to his personality much, nor to anything outside of shipbuilding/construction in general. Maybe it's because Franky is still relatively new to the story, or because of the sheer comedic level to his character, but I don't really have much to say about him. I kinda think of him like Usopp with confidence – he is clever and uses his weapons to his advantage, but he doesn't strike me as wise.
Brook:
I honestly can't think of anything to say about Brook. He is simply too new to the story to have any real examples of anything.
Still here? Haha, I'm impressed.
I wanted to bring this up, not because I wanted to claim that so-and-so is smarter than what's-his-face, but because I wanted to illustrate the differences between the characters and how I view them. Not in a ranking of intelligence, but rather to show that they are for the most part equal, just different. They all have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Essentially, this post came about because I was getting annoyed with seeing things like “Zoro's a moron” or “Sanji is the best at battle tactics." It is perfectly fine for people to have those opinions, it was just interesting that they were so different from my own reading even though the source material is the same. I will note that Oda probably said it best: "They're all idiots."
Thoughts? Additional opinions? Alternate interpretations? I ask that because this is based on how individuals may interpret things differently, this may be quite opinionated, therefore please remain respectful. You can help your position by providing manga examples as evidence (I don't put much stock into anime-only situations).
Apologies for any grammatical and/or spelling errors, post is too long to effectively go over everything easily.
Ok, I see a lot of people talking about “tactics” or “intelligence” within the Strawhats, but it many times seems improperly considered to me. Certain obvious examples are brought to the fore while more subtle examples go unnoticed. Or situations that don't at first seem like traditional “tactics” are ignored. I decided to go down the list of Strawhats and give my view about each character – just as I personally see it, others can agree or disagree. I'll note that often my viewpoint comes from an experienced writer's perspective, so there may be points made that come from an understanding of how a situation arises out of necessity for the plot and character balance. I will write mostly from the stand point of battle, but other aspects may be included if they are needed to make a point. Because of this battle focus, this likely means there will be more written about the characters we see fight the most.
Luffy:
This is the one character that I can never see actually using any sort of strategy. But rather than just being out of stupidity (or IS it?), it is an essential character point – he relies heavily on his instincts, which are very, very, good. So to start using strategy seems like it would only hinder his instincts.
But that's not to say that he doesn't have some level of knowledge or understanding. He demonstrated some knowledge of mushrooms on Amazon Lily (and then promptly proceeded to eat ones he knew nothing about), he knew how to use the gold on this arm to disperse the giant storm cloud Enel(Eneru?) made over Skypiea (or was he just thinking “punch it and it will go away”?). How deep his understanding goes is questionable. How much is instinct and how much does he really know? Aokiji once summed it up nicely when Luffy challenged him to fight one one one. Was it to prevent Aokiji from attacking his crew mates out of honor (the same way Zoro prevented Kuma), or did Luffy actually think he could win?
It should be noted that Luffy is usually fighting someone stronger than he is, and must use uncommon tactics and lateral thinking to defeat them. His unpredictability is his strength. Though again, this is probably more instinctual than actually thinking, but its hard for us to know exactly.
Zoro:
I feel Zoro is getting the shortest end of the stick (so his comments will likely be the longest). A lot of people place him extremely low on their intelligence rankings, which always seemed strange to me because, next to Robin, he is most likely to make calm, insightful and mature comments and situation summaries, and one of the first to understand what needs to be done. He was the first to accept Merry's critical condition, making the comment that, while people get stronger over time, ships' wounds simply pile up until they can no longer sail. On Thriller Bark, while other characters questioned why the heck he wanted to fight Oars(Oz?) thinking he just wanted a fight, he explained very succinctly why it was implicitly important to fight him: Many of the enemies use trickery in their tactics, which Luffy may not be able to overcome. If he can't by sunrise, they're all in trouble. However, if the rest of the crew can at least get Luffy his shadow back, then Luffy can continue to fight. Even Robin seemed as though she hadn't thought of this.
Maybe it goes overlooked because the comments are often short and subtle in the long run (I only listed a couple of the numerous examples). Maybe the comedic “getting lost” aspects overshadow the meatier ones (this is especially true for the anime, which tends to overplay all the characters' faults). There is also the fact that, as a front-line fighter, he is needed to support Luffy, charging down the strongest enemies, giving other characters the ability to accomplish other tasks. In my opinion, Zoro is an extremely tactical fighter, but it's subtle and more a “within the battle” sort of tactics. But that's not to say he hasn't displayed other insights, the most blatant example being the double-mark on Alabasta. As opposed to Luffy's instinctual fighting style, Zoro's seems more based on knowledge and skills he's acquired throughout their journey. The biggest turning point being after his battle with Daz Bones (Mr. 1). Previously, he fought by “using all his strength.” After, he understood more what it means to be subtle in his fighting style, and his personality seems to be reflecting that calmness. Though he obviously loves to fight, his emotions never take over to the point where he blindly attacks. He is always in control of himself.
Like Luffy, his fights are often either against someone of equal or greater strength, so he must grow his skill within the battle, or think laterally to get around his disadvantages. Unlike Luffy, he usually seems to actually think about how to do this rather than rely on instincts.
He also displays leadership qualities when Luffy isn't around (and sometimes being an important advisor when he is around). Again, the fight with Oars is a good example (directing attacks in order to bring Oars down), and another at Enies Lobby after Luffy ran off on his own (prompting other characters to question why Zoro isn't the captain). Though it may not have technically been stated in the manga that he is officially the crew's first mate, he takes his position seriously. Recall that, when Luffy recruited Zoro, Zoro's condition was that if Luffy did anything to get in the way of Zoro's goal, he would make Luffy apologize being spilling his guts. But what really happens? Zoro, for Luffy and the rest of the crew, gives up his dream and his life to protect them. He later gives up his pride (which might be considered even worse than his life for a person like him) in order to aid his captain. I bring this up because it is a sort of tactics – calmly deciding the best way to aid the crew and then acting on it.
In summation, while he may not possess Robin's knowledge or Nami's intelligence, Zoro easily displays the greatest level of insight (maybe even a kind of practical wisdom) within the entire crew and utilizes it effectively both within and without battle. If Luffy is the heart and soul of the crew, Zoro is the sword and shield.
Sanji:
Sanji displays the most easily recognizable tactics, something other readers have picked up on and thrown him near the top of their IQ ranking lists. Personally, I think he's getting a bit too much credit. But I do not deny that he definitely uses extremely effective tactics and uses them well. Unlike Zoro, rather than tactics within battle, he is often off to the side accomplishing tasks that benefit the crew that don't involve front-line fighting. Sometimes these tactics are intentional (following Robin onto the sea train), sometimes it is more about him finding himself accidentally in a situation but being able to take advantage of it (Mr. Prince was only born out of Crocodile mistaking him for Mr. 3 plus Bon Kurei not seeing him on the Merry).
A note that I feel must be made: Sanji's style of tactics are NOT battle tactics. These examples people are using are sideways goals. If someone were to be responsible for making a battle plan, it would not be Sanji (more likely it would be Nami, but they all have different strengths and insights and would likely work together). Unlike Luffy and Zoro, his fights don't often involve any sort of lateral thinking, and just need him to be stronger than the other guy. Therefore, we have not seen much of Sanji even needing to use tactics within battle. Recall his position is the cook, while Zoro's only clear purpose is to fight. Even though he is clearly the crew's third strongest fighter, there is definitely a gap that has been widening between he and Zoro. What is made of this post time-skip remains to be seen. It depends on what Oda, as a writer, wants to do with him.
Sanji is also a very emotional person, in that he lets his emotions get to him both while he fights, and also outside of them (like picking a fight with Zoro, blaming him after Usopp left the crew for not permanently putting down the Franky Family while they were attacking Zoro on Merry). This gets him into trouble sometimes, but also gets him out of it sometimes. He seems strongest when he's pissed off.
Nami:
In an SBS, Oda stated that of all the characters we met in East Blue (not out of all East Blue, just of who we met), Nami has the third highest IQ (first being Ben Beckmen, second being Kuro). Her intelligence also seems to get overshadowed sometimes by the comedy aspects of her character, but they do come out. Her use of the Clima Tact is the most obvious example. She is able to think of what it can do and how to use what it can do to her advantage. Of course her navigation of the ship, and her unofficial position as Quartermaster account for a lot of this (for those who don't know, on a traditional pirate ship, a member of the crew was elected by other members to be in charge of distributing loot. It was important that this person was neither the captain nor his first mate so that neither could be accused of unfair favoritism and undermining their authority). Though Luffy ultimately has say in where they go and what they do, Nami's considerations are definitely taken seriously and the other crew members unquestionably follow her directions when it comes to the ship and navigation.
Usopp:
Like Nami, Usopp's fights require tactics because he doesn't have the physical strength to do otherwise. I would consider him clever, but not necessarily a particularly wise person. He builds tools that suit him and can use them to his advantage. He also has a practical side to him that none of the other guys show. But I think this is in part from his being cautious rather than confident. If he has foreknowledge, we've seen what he can come up with (Usopp vs. Luffy). But foreknowledge is rare, and he can't take advantage of that ability. Personally, I would like to see a bigger focus on his sniping skills after the time-skip. We'll see.
Chopper:
Chopper's smart. He is a doctor after all. He has his brain point “scope” ability that he doesn't use nearly often enough in my opinion. Except for the fight against Oars, we don't really see him use his knowledge in his fights very often. This is probably partly due to his naiveté and youth. A lot of people talk about him controlling Monster Point, but I would like in the future to see Chopper fight using his skills and knowledge rather than brute strength. Maybe something like Dr. Indigo, but with Chopper's own unique flair.
Robin:
Easily the most knowledgeable of the crew. She uses her experiences and knowledge to aid herself and the rest of the StrawHats. She can also use her intelligence to her advantage during battle. She is not physically very strong. The arms she sprouts are no stronger than her real arms. So she uses tactics to turn her abilities to her advantage. I'll be honest and say that I'm a bit disappointed with Robin – since joining the crew, she's been getting less and less formidable as an opponent. Her strengths are not about her ability to fight, it's her knowledge, sure. But when she was still an enemy, she was very hard to beat. Where did that go?
Franky:
Franky seems like he must be a smart person on some level, right? I mean, he's like an engineer. Somehow this doesn't extend to his personality much, nor to anything outside of shipbuilding/construction in general. Maybe it's because Franky is still relatively new to the story, or because of the sheer comedic level to his character, but I don't really have much to say about him. I kinda think of him like Usopp with confidence – he is clever and uses his weapons to his advantage, but he doesn't strike me as wise.
Brook:
I honestly can't think of anything to say about Brook. He is simply too new to the story to have any real examples of anything.
Still here? Haha, I'm impressed.
I wanted to bring this up, not because I wanted to claim that so-and-so is smarter than what's-his-face, but because I wanted to illustrate the differences between the characters and how I view them. Not in a ranking of intelligence, but rather to show that they are for the most part equal, just different. They all have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Essentially, this post came about because I was getting annoyed with seeing things like “Zoro's a moron” or “Sanji is the best at battle tactics." It is perfectly fine for people to have those opinions, it was just interesting that they were so different from my own reading even though the source material is the same. I will note that Oda probably said it best: "They're all idiots."
Thoughts? Additional opinions? Alternate interpretations? I ask that because this is based on how individuals may interpret things differently, this may be quite opinionated, therefore please remain respectful. You can help your position by providing manga examples as evidence (I don't put much stock into anime-only situations).
Apologies for any grammatical and/or spelling errors, post is too long to effectively go over everything easily.