Despite occasional complaints about its pacing,One Pieceis often agreed to be one of the most well-written shōnen manga, not only in terms of its storytelling, but also its world-building, well-rounded characters, complex themes, and backstories. That said, one unexpected character best encapsulates thebeauty of Eiichiro Oda’s writing, and it isn’t one fans would expect.
Episode #1116 ofOne Piecesheds new light on Buggy, who, despite being a pathetic gag character for a majority of the series, is finally portrayed in an admirable light. The episodehighlights Buggy’s dreams and aspirationsas well as the hidden tragedy within his character, adding an unexpected layer of complexity to him while also making him seem almost respectable for the very first time in the series. More than anything, the episode portrays just how well Eiichiro Oda canrecontextualize and flip perceptions of a characterwith just a simple scene.
One Piece’s Final Saga Completely Recontextualizes Buggy’s Character
Chapter #1082 and Episode #1116 Highlight Buggy’s Most Admirable Trait
Despite being one of the first real antagonists of the series, Buggy the Clown has gradually devolved into one ofOne Piece’s longest-running gags. Through a series of hilarious misunderstandings, Buggy has continued to fail upwards, unwittingly keeping up with Luffy ever since the beginning of the series. His constant failures coupled with his cowardice make hima character that is difficult to take seriously,and he spends most ofOne Piecebeing a one-note pompous clown.
Buggy’s One Piece Future Means Netflix’s Season 2 Can’t Afford To Drop Him
Buggy is expected to have a smaller role in One Piece season 2, but his importance to future stories means Netflix’s show can’t drop him completely.
However, fans see a new side of Buggy in chapter #1082, when, even at his lowest, being utterly degraded by Mihawk and Crocodile, Buggy holds fast to his ideals of what piracy should be. This is one of the first instances that fans see the influence sailing with Roger had on Buggy. Chapter #1082 makes it clear that Buggy disagrees with Crocodile and Mihawk’s business-minded approach towards piracy. To him, piracy and setting out to sea are all about pursuing one’s dreams and aspirations, which are values strongly upheld by Luffy and the Straw Hats.
Not only does Buggy admirably defend his beliefs, but he even declares his intentions to become the King of the Pirates. His epic declaration inspires the members of Cross Guild as well as fans, who gaina newfound sense of respect for Buggy. In the anime, the scene even features the same music that plays whenever Luffy or any of the Straw Hats declare their dreams, further pushing the importance of the moment for Buggy’s character.
The music that plays at this moment is titled “To the Grand Line” and most notably appears as Luffy and the Straw Hats are entering the Grand Line and declaring their respective dreams with their feet on a barrel.
Buggy’s Character is Surprisingly More Tragic Than Fans Think
Ever since Buggy was first introduced, he has been known to possess a grudge against Shanks and while the grudge seemed shallow at first, the flashback in chapter #1082 expands onBuggy’s complex feelings about Shanks. Roger was known to be a father figure to both Buggy and Shanks, but as the flashback reveals, Shanks seemed to be the golden child from the start, who “shone with potential,” as Buggy puts it.
Buggy was forced to accept at a very young age thathe would never be able to compete with Shanksand easily the saddest part of the flashback is when Buggy is even seen looking at Roger and Shanks from a distance with a mixture of frustration and sadness on his face. As such, Buggy instead gave up on his own dreams and chose to live vicariously through Shanks and see his dream fulfilled through Shanks.
Judging by Buggy’s conversation withShanks at Roger’s execution, Buggy wholeheartedly believed that Shanks would become the next King of the Pirates. Buggy never makes any mention of taking his own ship to Laugh Tale which implieshe intended to be a part of Shanks' creweven before the latter could ask.
However,Shanks went back on his word, that too on the very day that Buggy’s entire world had fallen apart. As such, Buggy begins to resent Shanks for taking away his ability to swim, his treasure map, and even the chance of seeing his dream vicariously fulfilled. This is why, when Buggy is first introduced, he seen pathetically terrorizing helpless civilians at Orange Town. That is, until Luffy comes around and seemingly reignites the spark of ambition within him. This is why, it is all the more admirable when Buggy finally chooses to go after his dream again, and in doing so, he reignites the same ambition in his followers.
Overall, though he may not be the most likable or the most complex character inOne Piecejust yet, it is still pleasant to see Buggy finally elevated to more than a gag after all these years. Fans have long joked that Buggy could end up beating Luffy to Laugh Tale and now that he has so earnestly decided to chase his dream, Buggy could indeed end up being a serious competitor for the title of the Pirate King with more fans rooting for him than ever before.
One Pieceis available from Crunchyroll and Netflix.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
