Ever since the Chosen One trope was introduced in the One Piece story, fans have had very complex reviews about Luffy’s character development. This Chosen One trope was embedded within the narrative when it was established that Luffy is indeed the reincarnation of Sun God Nika, who will bring freedom and liberation to the One Piece world.
While it was a decent development considering his role within the story as the main character of the series, some fans didn’t agree with it for a major reason. This reason revolved around Luffy’s identity as the most unique protagonist in the history of the Shonen genre, which made him stand out and, in extension, popular.
However, the Elbaph arc might have brought the biggest twist in Luffy’s development as the Chosen One in One Piece. The storyline has introduced that more than one Nika can exist within the One Piece universe. This completely ditches Luffy’s identity as the Chosen One in One Piece.
Nika might not be a singular entity in One Piece
When the Sun God was first introduced in One Piece, he was portrayed as the warrior of liberation, whose goal is to help people of the One Piece world against the tyrants and spread freedom and laughter. He was the God who brought hope to some of the most beaten down characters within the series, and many races have different lores about him.
One such lore is passed down among the people of Elbaph about Nika that whenever the world has been destroyed in the past (twice), Nika has been present there. Thus, every giant has their own perception about the Sun God, which is mostly divided into two different groups: one believing that he is the warrior god of liberation, and the other believes that he is the god of destruction.
This new twist that Eiichiro Oda introduced has changed the entire development fans have witnessed for Nika’s character as a mythical entity in One Piece. While it can be argued that there is only one Nika Devil Fruit, fans need to understand that Devil Fruits are born from people’s wishes, and there is a possibility that someone has the destructive Nika Devil Fruit (most likely Loki).
Luffy might no longer be limited to the Chosen One trope
Sun God Nika’s introduction in One Piece brought a lot of concern for fans as it was hinted straight away that Luffy might be his reincarnation. Then, during the Wano arc, it was officially confirmed that Luffy was, in fact, the new Sun God Nika, and his Devil Fruit was the Hito Hito no Mi: Model, Nika, and this disappointed a lot of One Piece fans.
Since the beginning of One Piece, Luffy’s ability to stand out as a protagonist within the Shonen genre was the main contributor to the series’ success. Fans liked the idea that Luffy was different than everyone because he just wants to enjoy his journey and is not bound by any limitations like the Chosen One trope. This was a huge disappointment because all of his uniqueness was wasted.
However, now that the concept of two Sun Gods has been introduced in One Piece, this Chosen One trope might no longer hinder his development as a protagonist. While the duty of liberating the One Piece world still lands on his shoulders, he will not be bound by any kind of commitment that will put pressure on him as a protagonist.
One Piece is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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