Summary
- One Piece conveys the importance of freedom and fighting for it through characters like Luffy.
- The series explores the concept of freedom and its ties to other important lessons and values.
- While promoting freedom, the series also highlights the dangers of oppressive forces like the World Government.
One Piece, despite being a goofy show about a rubber pirate, contains many important messages for those who watch it. Between the power of friendship and the strength of a found family, although it sounds cheesy at times, many of these messages radiate with the community that watches One Piece. Although One Piece never sets out to forcefully teach the lessons it has to offer, over time, it’s easy to see what values the characters, and by extension, Oda himself, see as admirable and heroic.
There is one lesson in One Piece that many fans believe to be the thesis statement of the series. Being free to live life to its fullest is arguably the most important lesson One Piece has to teach. However, this lesson, despite seeming simple at first, has many intricate details that make it so interesting in the context of the story. In fact, almost every character and detail in the series can be related to this concept in some way, thematically tying the wonderful world of One Piece all together.
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One Piece Is A Story About Fighting For Freedom
Freedom Is An idea That Is Throughout Every Chapter
Throughout the series, freedom has always been one of the key themes discussed in One Piece. With the extremely oppressive World Government in charge, being a pirate and sailing the open seas is the absolute freest a character can be. Additionally, Luffy himself strives for freedom, as well as the freedom of others, fighting to help anyone who has had their freedom restrained.
It’s just that the person with the most freedom in the world is the Pirate King – Luffy
Even since the beginning of the series, this idea of freedom has always permeated One Piece. From the moment Luffy freed Zoro from his prison on the marine base to Luffy freeing Nami from her servitude to the One Piece villain, Arlong, this concept is at the core of every scene. Even in the modern realm of One Piece, the idea of freedom is bigger than it ever has been, especially with the concept of the Sun God Nika, a powerful liberating deity. Ever since Luffy claimed that the Pirate King was the freest person in the world, it’s easy to see what lesson is at the core of One Piece.
Every Lesson In One Piece Relates Back To Freedom
Most Villains In One Piece Fight Against Freedom
- Freedom Is The Most Important Part Of One Piece
- Following Dreams Is The Truest Freedom
This freedom doesn’t just link all the characters in the series, but also many of the other important lessons the series has to offer as well. The freedom that One Piece touts also means the freedom to choose one’s family, without being tied by blood. This also means that everyone should have the freedom to follow their dreams, even if others feel they are childish and foolish. Many of One Piece’s lessons relate to this central idea that permeates the series.
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At the same time, the concept of “being free to live life to its fullest,” also shares a message about those who try to control freedom. One Piece teaches fans to look out for the signs of oppression that may stop people from living their lives the way they choose to. One Piece’s World Government is extremely cruel and oppressive, and although they aren’t doing the worst job of keeping the world running smoothly, the lack of freedom that they give their citizens is what truly makes them evil.
Freedom Sometimes Does Come With A Price In One Piece
Beating Evil Pirates Isn’t Destroying Freedom
While this may feel like a sign to live amorally, a message like this doesn’t mean anyone can step on the freedom of others. At the same time, being truly free doesn’t mean doing anything. Although it seems like Luffy is stopping the freedom of characters like the former Warlords, Doflamingo or Crocodile, since they are pirates looking to do as they please, these characters, at least before their defeats, are nearly as oppressive and cruel as the World Government itself. In this way, Luffy is once again the liberator that he was always meant to be.
As long as people continue to pursue the meaning of freedom, these things will never cease to be!
In the end, while One Piece has many important aspects, no lesson is as important as this lesson; live life freely and to its fullest. This simple lesson permeates the entire series, tying back to almost every character and theme the story has ever had. In many ways, this lesson is the core of One Piece, which ties the plot, world, and characters all together.
