Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates and one of the strongest fighters in the series, has often been a controversial character in the One Piece anime. Even though he’s an important member of the crew, the anime often makes him look silly with too many jokes, poor fight scenes, and inconsistent character moments.
In contrast, the manga usually shows a more serious and well-rounded version of his character, but the anime often makes him seem less important or immature character.
Recent episodes from the Egghead arc have brought this problem back into focus. While Toei Animation is now trying to fix some of the bigger mistakes, especially how Sanji acted around Bonney and Stussy, many fans are left wondering: is it too late to fix the damage?
How One Piece Animation made Sanji Look even Worse
Sanji is known for flirting with girls, a lot, but in the anime, this trait has been made too extreme. In the manga, his kind heart, loyalty, and sense of right and wrong often balance out his flirty side.
But in the anime, these deeper parts of his personality are often left out, and he’s mostly used for jokes. These over-the-top moments sometimes happen at serious times, which ruins the mood and makes him seem less important in those serious moments.
A clear example of this is how the anime shows Sanji’s interaction with Jewelry Bonney in the Egghead arc. In the manga, he doesn’t flirt with Bonney, even though she looks like an adult, showing that he respects her. But in the anime, he reacts with hearts in his eyes, like he usually does with women. This change made things awkward because Bonney is actually a child, and fans were quick to criticize it.
Sanji’s Improvement in the Egghead Arc
Luckily, the anime is starting to fix how it shows Sanji’s character. In episode #1127, there’s a small but important change, when Vegapunk calls Bonney a child, he looks surprised, showing he didn’t know her real age. This moment helps make his character to look better, suggesting his earlier behavior wasn’t on purpose but due to not knowing the truth.
Things get even better in episode #1128, where he saves Bonney from danger. In this scene, he acts more like a caring older brother, without any flirting. This is much closer to how the manga shows him and gives fans hope that the anime is starting to take his character more seriously.
Even if this change wasn’t made because of fan complaints, since anime takes a long time to make, it shows the team behind the anime might understand they need to be more careful and consistent with a deep character like Sanji.
Why Fans Are Still Upset About Sanji
Even though the anime is now trying to fix things, the bigger problem with how Sanji is treated hasn’t gone away. For a long time, the anime has made him look weaker in many fights, ignored his important actions, and kept using the same old jokes.
At the same time, characters like Zoro get cooler fights and more serious moments and because of that he gains more attention of fans. Because of this, many fans feel like he is seen more as a joke than a real hero.
The scene with Bonney, even if it’s now being explained better, still left fans uncomfortable. When a popular and important character like Sanji is treated badly for so long, it’s hard to fix that quickly. Many fans are already unhappy with how the anime shows him, and just one or two good episodes might not be enough to make up for years of poor treatment.
What the Anime Should Improve About Sanji
For his character improvement in the anime to feel real and lasting, the creators need to do more than just fix things in one story arc. In the future, Sanji should be shown with the same importance, emotion, and high-quality animation as Luffy and Zoro. That means giving him meaningful fights, showing his smart thinking and strong values, and not using too much silly humor at the wrong times.
The Egghead arc might be the start of a better path, showing that the anime team understands past mistakes. But if they don’t continue to treat Sanji with care and respect, the anime version of his character may still feel far from what the manga’s creator, Eiichiro Oda, originally meant.
But is it too Late Is It Too Late To Fix One Piece’s Sanji Problem?
Is the Damage Already Done?
Sanji’s journey with Straw Hats crew in the One Piece anime has had its ups and downs. While recent episodes show an effort to fix things, it might be a little too late for some fans. The way his character has been treated, especially in important moments, has already affected how people see him. However, it’s still possible to improve his image with time, consistency, and attention to detail.
It’s uncertain if Toei Animation can keep this positive change going. For now, Sanji’s fans can only hope that the cook will finally get the respect he deserves.