Eiichiro Oda’s editor changed Luffy’s look forever for a compelling reason
Before Monkey D. Luffy set sail, the protagonist of ‘One Piece’ underwent numerous design revisions.
Luffy, the famous protagonist of ‘One Piece’, is now a manga and anime icon on par with heavyweights such as Goku and Naruto. And just like these popular characters, his appearance went through several stages before becoming what everyone knows today. So much so that Monkey D. Luffy underwent a truly significant change. Although Oda chose to draw Luffy with a fairly clean design, a young editor made a comment about his appearance that changed him forever.
The original Luffy was very different from the one we all know
Although his youthful face and large black eyes give Luffy a carefree and approachable appearance, this was not the original plan, as Oda’s first drafts made his editor uncomfortable due to Luffy’s terrifying appearance. As we know, Luffy is one of the easiest characters in the manga and anime to draw, thanks to his simple face and iconic outfit. As a result, Luffy is also one of the most recognizable faces in the industry, which has contributed to his widespread popularity.
However, what many people don’t know is that Oda deliberately simplified his face and overall design. This way, it wouldn’t be too difficult for him to draw Luffy’s simple appearance, making it easier for him to convey his wide range of emotions. In addition, thanks to his easy-to-draw features, it wouldn’t take Oda as long to draw Luffy for the numerous autographs. Even so, Luffy underwent several redesigns, to the point that Oda had to change Luffy’s appearance due to comments from a young editor.
Apparently, the young editor told Oda that Luffy’s facial expressions were “too scary” when he saw his sketches. This prompted Oda to adjust Luffy’s design, probably giving him a friendlier and more cheerful appearance without losing his imposing and bold personality. Thus, Oda modified Luffy’s design based on this editor’s suggestions. Without this candid comment, fans might have had a different Luffy, one who was less approachable and youthful. However, it would have been interesting to see an alternate version of Luffy, where he was intimidating and slightly threatening, even when he wasn’t angry.
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