Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus, One Piece has a variety of characters that have grown and outperformed their role during many instances. Be it a supporting character or someone who is only there for the plot direction, Oda knows how to perfectly portray a character and get him to relate to the One Piece audience.
One category of characters that have been appreciated a lot by One Piece fans is the antagonists of the story. Be it Doflamingo or Enel, One Piece has always given special mentions to its villains and they have proved time and time again that even though they are secondary characters they still hold equal importance to the story.
However, the one question of doubt is whether the villain the Straw Hats will face in the end, Blackbeard will live up to the expectations of fans. To achieve that satisfaction, Oda might have to model Blackbeard after one of the greatest anime villains ever created in history: Sosuke Aizen from the popular anime and manga franchise Bleach.
Sosuke Aizen is the Perfect Anime Villain
Aizen has reaffirmed his status as a legendary and mysterious anime adversary. Bleach’s Sosuke Aizen makes an unforgettable appearance as a character who subverts expectations in a compelling way. Aizen stands out due to his deliberate departure from the conventional villain stereotype, which frequently uses a tragic past to explain their actions.
Instead of lessening Aizen’s impact, his lack of background makes it stronger. His mysterious persona gives his character more nuance and a degree of complexity. Aizen deviates from this popular cliché with his persona, giving his evil essence further depth. His goals and current deeds have shaped his persona, which makes him a very fascinating and mysterious foe.
He stands out as an opposing force worth remembering thanks to his charm and sly tactics. There are very few villains in the anime industry who can reach up to the pedestal of Sosuke Aizen. He might be the only villain who had more charm and persona than the protagonist of the series and fans love him for it.
Eiichiro Oda Must Model Blackbeard After Aizen
While Blackbeard has his redeeming qualities and can very well be a good villain, if Eiichiro Oda wants him to have a major impact on the story and leave an impression on the audience he might have to learn a thing or two from Sosuke Aizen. If he manages to inspire and create the qualities of Aizen in the form of Blackbeard, his impact and popularity will grow tenfold.
In a manner, both Aizen and Blackbeard are placed quite far from the realm of a sad past element of antagonists. They both share a similarity as not much is known about their history and that in a way adds volume to their villainous nature. The only thing that Blackbeard lacks is the charm and complexity of Aizen.
Oda has to make sure that whenever he properly introduces Blackbeard against Luffy, he would need to develop his character in a way that doesn’t make him look inferior to Luffy, just like Aizen was developed against Kurosaki Ichigo.
You can watch One Piece on Crunchyroll.
