One Piece Characters Who Earned Sanji’s Respect

Summary

• Sanji respects those who show courage and selflessness, like Pedro sacrificing himself for the crew.
• Over time, Sanji’s respect for Usopp and Zoro has grown due to their bravery and loyalty.
• Sanji values fellow chefs, like Chiffon, who show passion and skill in their craft, earning his respect.

Earning the respect of the legendary Black Leg Sanji is no easy task. Though Sanji is known for being a kind and considerate member of the Straw Hat crew, he also has a very strict set of personal morals which can play a big part in how he views someone, no matter whether they’re friend or foe. However, if they respect these ideals, and even act them out themselves, such as by showing off excellent cooking skills or saving a woman in need, it can be a proven method to gaining the respect of One Piece’s most beloved chef.

Over the course of the story, Sanji has warmed up to numerous characters for a variety of reasons, but most of the time, it’s because they decided to assist him and the Straw Hats in pursuing their dreams, even if it means putting themselves in danger. On other occasions, though, it can simply be someone’s grit and determination that causes Sanji to view them in a different light. Either way, it’s time to take a closer look at these characters who Sanji eventually came to harbor much respect for over the course of One Piece’s story.

8

Pedro

Sanji Shows Remorse For Pedro, Who Made The Ultimate Sacrifice To Help Him Escape

• First Appearance: Episode 754

After Sanji was forced against his will to visit Whole Cake Island as part of an arranged marriage to Big Mom’s daughter, Pudding, he didn’t expect his entire crew, including a group of powerful Minks, to follow in his tracks. Despite Sanji trying to convince his friends to leave him be, in an attempt to avoid putting them in danger, they would all go above and beyond to save him from Big Mom and Germa’s clutches, especially Pedro.

This loyal Mink, who holds a large grudge towards Big Mom, heroically sacrificed his own life and set alight multiple sticks of dynamite to help Luffy and the others continue on with their rescue mission. In the immediate aftermath of the Whole Cake Island arc, Sanji is the first one to mention Pedro’s demise, and while Sanji shows some guilt since he was the one Pedro was trying to save, he also explains to Carrot that he has the utmost respect for the legendary Mink too.

7

Usopp

Usopp’s Determination To Become A Brave Warrior Has Not Gone Unnoticed By Sanji

• First Appearance: Episode 8

Usopp has been ridiculed by Sanji on more than a few occasions due to his cowardly behavior. One such example of this came in Thriller Bark where Sanji blew his top at Usopp for failing to protect Nami, and though Sanji still always has Usopp’s back, and cares for him deeply, his overall respect for the sniper’s abilities on the crew was questionable.

Since the timeskip, though, this relationship seems to have deepened a lot more, with Usopp’s signs of bravery in turn encouraging Sanji to show a lot more respect towards his fellow crewmate. During the Wano arc, for example, Sanji makes the decision to entrust Usopp with protecting Nami while the gang try to avoid Ulti and Page One, knowing that, because of how far Usopp has come since the early days, he’s now become a reliable member of the crew who is more than capable of holding his own and protecting others.

6

Charlotte Chiffon

Sanji Always Has Respect For A Fellow Chef, Especially One With As Much Passion As Chiffon

• First Appearance: Episode 859

When Big Moe entered a hunger-induced frenzy near the end of the Whole Cake Island arc, it became clear the only way to calm her down would be to whip up a gigantic cake that would be tasty enough to satisfy the Yonko’s cravings. Though Sanji was already hard at work on this, he receives a surprise visit from Chiffon; one of Big Mom’s children who had acted fairly hostile towards Sanji up to that point in the arc.

With a whole swarm of chefs behind her, Chiffon was more than willing to help Sanji create the perfect cake. Even when her fellow chefs seemed intimidated by the weight of the task, Chiffon was the one to encourage them all to play their part, and when paired with her impressive cooking skills, it caused Sanji to view the former enemy as a helpful companion.

5

Pudding

Sanji’s Bride-To-Be Turns On Her Family To Help Him Escape

• First Appearance: Episode 571

Pudding may have seemed fairly nice and innocent at first, but it’s not long before Sanji comes to find out about her true nature. While standing outside his bride-to-be’s house, Sanji overhears Pudding talking about how pathetic Sanji is, and how she can’t wait to see his silly face when she turns on him during the wedding ceremony. Understandably so, this breaks Sanji emotionally, and causes him to view Pudding in a very different light, at least for a while.

When Big Mom starts rampaging across the island, Pudding decides to help Sanji bake the cake, as if her personality has completely changed. After the whole ordeal, when she and Sanji are flying away, Sanji says how much he appreciates Pudding’s help, and the fact she would go so far to assist him, considering how dangerous her mother is.

4

Zoro

Sanji’s Respect For ‘Moss Head’ Shows Itself On A Few Rare Occasions

• First Appearance: Episode 1

On the surface, it can be easy to assume that Sanji and Zoro hate each other’s guts, but the truth is, their relationship runs a lot deeper. Though they don’t like to admit it often, Sanji and Zoro have an immense level of respect for one another, and there are a few examples that demonstrate this. When Kuma arrives at the end of Thriller Bark, for example, Zoro is the one to push Sanji aside so that he can take the full force of Kuma’s attack in his place, which almost kills him.

Another small example of this comes during Water 7, where Zoro stands up to Luffy for letting Usopp walk all over him. In a rare show of respect, Sanji says he agrees with Zoro, and even aligns himself with the swordsman during the intense confrontation between the crew. It’s not always easy to see, but Sanji has a deep respect for Zoro which has only grown since the two first met.

3

Bon Clay

After An Epic Duel, Sanji Begins To See Bon Clay As An Equal

• First Appearance: Episode 78

One of Sanji’s first major fights in the story is against the mischievous Bon Clay, who shows up halfway through Alabasta to stop the Straw Hat in his tracks. Thanks to his shape-shifting abilities, Bon Clay is able to transform into Nami numerous times throughout the fight to stop Sanji from attacking, since one of Sanji’s personal rules is to never harm a woman. Despite that, Sanji manages to outsmart Bon Clay and eventually beat him down, but not before admitting that, if Bon Clay turned into Nami one more time, he would be unable to do anything.

Surprisingly, Bon Clay decides to call it a day, saying that he’s been beaten fair and square, and is going to be executed by Crocodile for failing in his mission. While Bon Clay may have played a little dirty, Sanji explains that it was a good fight, and even helps his new friend up from the ground, highlighting his newfound respect for the humorous Baroque Works member.

2

Luffy

Sanji’s Respect For His Captain Has Encouraged Him To Support Luffy, No Matter How Hard Things Get

• First Appearance: Episode 1

When Luffy and Sanji first meet aboard the Baratie, the latter reluctantly accepts to join the crew in the hopes of one day reaching the All Blue. However, while Sanji accepts Luffy as his captain, he also sees him as little more than a knucklehead, which he openly admits to Luffy’s face early in the story. As time has gone on though, Sanji has witnessed just how determined Luffy is to not only become pirate king, but also protect his friends.

Despite how much Sanji tried to drive Luffy away from Whole Cake, for example, the quirky captain never once thought about abandoning his friend, and was ultimately the one who convinced him to think for himself for once in his life. Luffy’s strength has also been a big reason why Sanji would come to respect his captain, knowing full well that Luffy is more than capable of taking down even the most fearsome of foes after seeing him beat the likes of Doflamingo, Rob Lucci, and Kaido.

1

Zeff

The Man Who Taught Sanji Everything He Knows Didn’t Initially Get Along With The Young Squirt

• First Appearance: Episode 20

Zeff and Sanji have had a pretty complicated relationship. Sanji initially hated Zeff due to him being a pirate captain, but everything changed once the two found themselves stranded on a desert island. While Sanji had been given a small bag of rations, he assumed that Zeff’s much larger sack was packed full of food that he was hogging for himself, only to find out later that it was actually treasure, and that Zeff had eaten his own leg so Sanji could have the food instead.

Since that day, Sanji has had nothing but unwavering respect for Zeff; the man who would teach him everything he knows, from his chivalrous persona to his immaculate cooking skills. No matter how much Zeff may scold him, Sanji’s unwavering loyalty and admiration for the top-chef will never disappear.