The One Piece world has a lot of characters that despite not being the main character, have developed a sizable fanbase. Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece has shown his exceptional skills in developing a vast world and also the characters that not only fit perfectly in the One Piece world but also leave an impression on the fans.
One such character that has been a fan-favorite for the longest time is Boa Hancock. She was the sole female Warlord of the Sea until the organization was disbanded. Together with her two younger sisters, Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold, she is the current empress of Amazon Lily and is referred to as the “Snake Princess.” She governs the Kuja tribe.
However, many fans believe that Boa Hancock might be one of the worst-written characters in the entire series which raises suspicion on Oda’s casual sexism. Her character creation and development have resulted in the series getting bashed with sexism allegations. But Oda is not the only one who was targeted because of this.
Boa Hancock’s Character Design And Development
Boa Hancock, a member of the Kuja Pirates, is renowned for her unmatched beauty both inside and outside of One Piece. Along with being the empress of Amazon Lily and captain of the Kuja Pirates, Boa Hancock is undeniably powerful. Typically, she will utilize her attractiveness or her devil fruit skill to resolve a conflict or argument, but she is not afraid to use physical strength as well.
Hancock is an extremely complex woman. She seems conceited, self-centered, spoilt, and accustomed to getting her own way at first impression. But when Luffy appeared and showed that he was immune to all of her charms, at first she thought someone couldn’t exist who was immune to all of her powers and would crumble at the slightest slight.
However, she later falls in love with Luffy a little too much, which results in the character losing her initial arrogant but powerful stance in One Piece. She lost her touch too soon which was not at all appreciated by the fans as she became a side character who is madly in love with the protagonist, thus becoming a problem for Eiichiro Oda.
Boa Hancock’s Character Raises Suspicion on Eiichiro Oda’s Casual Sexism
When the plot thickens, Hancock meets Luffy and falls in love with him, which quickly turns her into a one-note comedic character. Many believe that her overwhelming obsession with Luffy served as the sole reason for her existence in the narrative, depriving readers of an exceptionally outstanding and strong female character.
This led to the allegations against Oda for introducing sexism in the story. However, Oda might not be the only one who follows this path of character development for female characters. Ideally, almost every other Japanese anime or manga follows a similar protocol regarding female characters despite their importance to the story.
Taking a look at her strength, power, and character introduction, Boa Hancock could have been a great character who could have held much more importance in the series during the conclusion. But her character change might have been a grave mistake which was not at all appreciated by One Piece fans.
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