Creating a manga is a stressful process and no one knows it more than Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, one of the biggest manga series in the world. Oda has spent almost 30 years perfecting the narrative of the greatest pirate adventure in the manga world, and it is certainly reflected in the amount of success it has received over the years.
This process required him to change the storyline, add new twists, disclose some major mysteries, etc. However, one of the biggest factors that has helped One Piece gain attention and love from fans is the character designs that have upgraded continuously through every arc. These character designs help in refining the characters and making them suitable according to the story.
Fans might not know this, but the most insane evolution in terms of character designs has been received by Tony Tony Chopper, the doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates. Chopper is portrayed as a cute reindeer who has been a crucial part of the narrative, but he is not always like this.
The Evolution of Chopper’s Character Design in One Piece
Chopper’s character was introduced during the Drum Island arc, and he instantly became a fan favorite. It was revealed that he was actually a reindeer who ate the Hito Hito no Mi, a Zoan Devil Fruit that allowed him to transform into a human and a human reindeer hybrid. Chopper later joined the Straw Hat Pirates and is currently considered one of the most popular characters.
His character design evolution by Eiichiro Oda was recently shared by the popular One Piece fan page @PookiePiece on X, and it shows the drastic changes that the mangaka brought to his character.
Chopper’s design evolution by Eiichiro Oda. pic.twitter.com/cvKY7f4x2u
— Pookie Piece (@PookiePiece) November 23, 2024
According to the character designs, Chopper was never supposed to be a cute reindeer. Instead, he had stripes and also smoked a cigarette just like Sanji.
However, Oda understood the significance of Chopper’s character in One Piece and thus gave him multiple designs that were much more inclined towards him looking more fluffy and adorable. This worked in the favor of the series, and thus Oda finalized the design that fans currently see in the series.
Fans Debate About Chopper’s Character Design Evolution
Chopper being an important One Piece character is reflected in the fact that Oda had to go through so many character designs to finally select one that would stick. Even then, he had to keep updating these designs to keep up with the different storylines of each arc. Thus, every One Piece fan has their personal favorite Chopper design that they like.
Therefore, the recent revelation of the insane character design evolution of Chopper led to a discourse among his fans about which design of the many would have been the perfect one.
This discussion took place on Reddit, and while some fans went with the current cute Chopper, others preferred the initial designs where he looked more rugged and menacing.
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These discussions don’t change the fact that Chopper is one of the most loved characters in One Piece, and he will retain that title till the end of the series. He might get new upgrades in terms of power and abilities of his character, but it won’t change his personality, which is the most loved aspect about him in One Piece.
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
