Key Takeaways
- Smoker, Luffy’s early rival, is losing relevance as newer characters take center stage.
- Smoker’s last major role was on Punk Hazard, over 500 chapters ago.
- Koby, with ambitious goals and feats in the story, has surpassed Smoker as Luffy’s true Marine rival.
As One Piece delves deeper into its Final Saga, it’s interesting to look back at all the characters and locations that the Straw Hats have met and seen on their journey. Ranging from small temporary stops to two-year-long training arcs every moment, the Straw Hats and Luffy continue to build upon the amazing One Piece world. Every character in the story so far is like a puzzle piece, coming together to form the beautiful landscape of the story.
However, what happens when one of the pieces of the puzzle has been swept under the rug and seemingly forgotten by the story? With so many characters in the world of One Piece, it may seem impossible to keep track of them all. Sadly, one fairly important character, Smoker, seems to have been left behind entirely, disappearing from the story of modern One Piece almost entirely.
Related
8 One Piece Villains That Need Redemption Arcs
Sometimes villains get a second chance, and these particular villains in One Piece are certainly in need of a good redemption arc.
Smoker Is One of Luffy’s First Rivals
Navy Versus Pirates
Smoker acted as one of the Straw Hat Captain Luffy’s first major threats in the entire series. First appearing in the Loguetown Arc, Smoker succeeded in capturing Luffy, though was thwarted by Luffy’s father, Dragon. From here, Luffy’s and Smoker’s stories would intertwine, with Smoker often chasing Luffy in order to bring him to justice. Despite being a tough Navy Captain and an antagonist of Luffy’s, Smoker is a fairly kind-hearted person, showing that there are good Navy soldiers left.
Don’t ever think there’s any perfect society made by humans! – Smoker
After time skip and a few more run-ins with Luffy, the now Vice-Admiral Smoker would meet Luffy again on One Piece’s Punk Hazard, where the two would form an uneasy alliance to defeat Caesar, thwarting Doflamingo’s control over the base. After Punk Hazard, Smoker would seemingly vanish from the story, only showing a few brief reactions to the events conspiring in the One Piece world. However, so far, Punk Hazard was Smoker’s last important role in the series.
Smoker is Losing Relevance in Modern One Piece
Overshadowed By Plot
The last time Smoker was featured in a substantial role in One Piece’s lengthy story was well over 500 chapters in the past. While the character hasn’t been forgotten entirely, it seems as One Piece progresses closer and closer to its end, the Vice-Admiral is losing relevance. In fact, many characters have come about replacing Smoker in terms of both strength and story.
Related
One Piece: Hajrudin’s Role on Elbaf, Explained
Hajrudin was revealed to be a prince of Elbaf, so what could this role mean with the recent reveal and potential powers of Loki?
Now, with Luffy facing off against One Piece’s powerful Admirals and Emperors, a fight against the Vice-Admiral Smoker would seem like a bit of a one-sided matchup. Although the two were far closer earlier in One Piece, now, Luffy has far outgrown Smoker in terms of strength. Smoker would need to reach Admiral-level for a fair fight with Luffy, and although that seems impossible, the Plume-Plume Fruit could reach that level with proper training and willpower. As it stands, however, Smoker may just be too weak to keep up.
Koby Makes a Better Marine Rival Than Smoker
The Future Marine Admiral
In terms of story, other of One Piece’s Navy Soldiers have also taken the role of both Luffy’s rival and having a kind heart. The biggest example of this is Koby, who at times feels a bit like Smoker’s replacement in terms of storytelling. Koby is also a kindhearted Marine and is a rival for Luffy, though Koby himself has the additional drive to become a Navy Admiral and history with the Straw Hat Pirate.
Why don’t you do something besides crying about it try getting stronger. – Smoker
While both Smoker and Koby are great rivals for Luffy, Koby’s potential in One Piece’s Final Saga far exceeds that of Smoker. For example, while Smoker is only briefly shown in the current chapters of One Piece, Koby is shown performing amazing feats, fighting directly against Blackbeard and the pirate island of Hachinosu.
In the end, while Smoker hasn’t been entirely forgotten by the One Piece story, the character will need some changes in order to not be left behind. One Piece is progressing at a rapid rate, and without some sort of power-up or new goal, it’ll be hard for Smoker to keep up. Overall, it’s sad to see such an amazing character left behind. Hopefully, Oda has some hidden plans for Smoker that fans of the Navy Vice-Admiral will be ecstatic to see.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Seasons
- 20
- Story By
- Eiichiro Oda
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.71