Summary
Ever since the beginning of post-time skipOne Piece,Chopper, the doctor of the Straw Hat Crew, has been struggling to find his footing. Taking on a more mascot-focused role than before, many fans have been displeased with the overbearing cuteness and lack of depth that the character has recently been facing. This change in the character is especially apparent when looking back on the complexity of the character duringOne Piecearcs like Enies Lobby and Drum Island, where Chopper had many moments to shine.
At the same time, many fans also miss Chopper’s old forms that he used to use in combat. Withmodern Chopper inOne Piecerelying on Kung-Fu Point far too often, older forms, like Horn Point and Heavy Point, have not only been overshadowed but scrubbed to look too cute. On top of this, one form, that used to be Chopper’s finishing technique, has all but disappeared from the series; Brain Point: Scope. DespiteOne Pieceand Chopper’s character evolving past the need for this power, it would be nice to see Brain Point return before the end of the series.
Chopper’s Brain Point in One Piece Was Used For Combat
Using Intellect in Combat
BeforeOne Piece’stime skip, Brain Point was one of Chopper’s forms that he would use in combat. First shown off in the Drum Island Arc, Brain Point has Chopper focusing his energy into his brain, as the name implies, giving him increased cognition and allowing him to use his Scope ability. By using Scope and analyzing the target for some time, Chopper was able to pinpoint the weakness of any enemy, allowing him to quickly dispatch his foe from there.
This will finish you. Scope!
The power of Scope has not been used at all since the start ofpost-time skipOne Piece, with Monster Point acting as the reindeer’s default finishing technique. Although many consider Chopper’s new default form to be Brain Point, due to the size of Chopper’s head post-time skip, the Scope technique has yet to make an appearance. Realistically, if Chopper was in Brain Point as a default form now, using Scope during the confrontation with Big Mom during Whole Cake Island would have been extremely helpful. Since he doesn’t, it’s safe to assume that the power has been discarded for his other abilities.
Brain Point Helps Flesh Out Chopper’s Character
Character Development Through Powers
Chopper’s strange Devil Fruit, with forms like Brain Point and Scope, has always helped the characters' fight scenes remain interesting. Before the drama and stakes of Monster Point, which was also subsequently changed for the worst post-time skip, Chopper’s fights used to rely on silly tactics and outwitting opponents. Despite being naive, Chopper is still incredibly smart, and using his intelligence in battles felt like a natural fit for the character.
At the same time, when comparing Chopper’s Brain Point to Monster Point, which made its first appearance duringOne Piece’sEnies Lobby Arc, the two forms act as a sort of Yin and Yang that balance out Chopper’s character. One side, Brain Point, represents Chopper’s intelligence and humanity, while the other, Monster Point, represents Chopper giving himself away to the monster he believes he is. Together, the two forms give Chopper a layer of complexity that he doesn’t seem to possess in modernOne Piece.
Brain Point Could Use an Update in One Piece
The Ability is Dated
Although there are plenty of reasons to reintroduce Scope to the series, handling it well in themodern world ofOne Piecemay be a difficult task. Scope feels a bit like an instant-win button for Chopper, allowing him to almost completely win every fight after using it. While it does create some interesting scenarios, it could make Chopper’s fights a bit formulaic and boring. However, if the fight combines Scope with the pure combat power of Monster Point, it may be a bit more interesting.
I always run away. Everyone’s always bailing me out. That’s why no one relies on me! It’s time I stepped up and raised the pirate’s flag!
In the end, as with any ofthe strongest characters inOne Piece,powers are sometimes used and never revisited. Plenty of the Straw Hats have techniques that were once their staple abilities but were never seen again post-time skip. Sadly for Chopper, while others were given cooler techniques to make up for it when Scope was removed fromOne Piece, Chopper was sadly left with a cuter form of Monster Point and the polarizing Kung-Fu Point.
