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Since its release in 1997,One Piecehas changed drastically over the years. With a different tone, intensity, and scale, it hardly feels like the same goofy pirate adventure it once was. This is especially true for many characters of the show, who have changed in some way to better fit whatOne Pieceis, rather than what it was.
While some members of the Straw Hat crew, like Brook or Luffy himself, have gone through minimal post-time skip design changes, others, such as Chopper and Franky, look completely different compared to their original appearances in the series. Additionally, their personalities have also gone through some small, but noticeable adjustments as well. While many are disappointed with the changes of Chopper,theOne Piececommunityseems to be split on whether time skip ruined Franky’s character.
Franky Went From Humanoid Cyborg to More Robot Than Man
Robotics Overdrive
Franky the cyborg is the shipwright of the Straw Hats, joining the crew after the events ofOne Piece’sWater 7 Saga. During his introduction, Franky is revealed to be a tough, but emotional crime boss with a dark past and a major love for both inventions and musical flair. His over-the-top personality and penchant for invention also paired well with his appearance. In the beginning, although he looked like any other human, certain cyborg elements of the character made for fun surprises. Plus his iconic shirt and Speedo tied up the design very nicely overall.
Super! - Franky’s Catchphrase
AfterOne Piece’stime-skip, Franky upgraded himself in many key ways, though in the eyes of some fans, this was a major downgrade. Now, Franky doesn’t resemble a human with hidden cyborg parts. Instead, he is a hulking machine that is more robot than man. Although this is arguably the natural progression of Franky’s ingenuity, for some fans, it was just too big of a change. Additionally, the character now feels a bit more one-note in terms of his personality, with most of his interests being geared towards machines and building.
Franky’s New Design Is Bulky and Strange
But It Does Fit His Character
Overall, Franky’s design, may not be as much of a downgrade asmostOne Piecefansthink. Looking purely at Franky’s visual design, before, Franky had an excellent design, fusing his toughness, ingenuity, and emotional nature all in one cyborg package. However, when it comes to the new design, although less visually appealing, it still hits the three major points of Franky’s character.
Plus, with the amount of added physical changes and visual gags thatthis design change inOne Piecebrings, Franky is more distinct than he ever was before. While the design may be ugly, it definitely stands out way more than it did before. On top of this, the design weirdly fits Franky’s personality. Franky is someone so unapologetically himself that he rarely cares what others think of him, especially regarding his looks. If Franky thinks being a big, hulking, cyborg is cool, he’s going to do it, no matter what anyone thinks.
Franky Lost Some of His Personality In One Piece
More Robotic Ingenuity Than Anything
Moving on totheOne PieceStraw Hat, Franky’s slightly adjusted personality, the character’s extreme love of robotics takes away some of the more diverse aspects that his personality once had. Maybe it’s because Franky has been sidelined in some recent arcs, but Franky seems to have fewer and fewer moments to show off his bombastic self. When Franky does have a comedic moment to shine as well, most of the time, it focuses on his love of robotics and strange inventions rather than any other aspect of the character.
If you wouldn’t ask a lion to put on underwear, why a man? - Franky
In the end, being such an iconic part oftheOne Pieceuniverse, it would be a very hard task to completely ruin Franky’s character. Although he lost some of his appeal in the visual and personality department, Franky’s character is far from being ruined. In fact, nowadays inOne Piece, Franky has given fans new reasons to love the character, distinct from anything the audience has seen before. With that being said, any Franky fan can agree that maybe a new amazing Franky moment is the best thing for the character at this point in the story.
