Summary
When it comes to character design, the implementation of scarring on a body is a genius technique to convey depth without using any words, as it implies that a character has gone through many physical hurdles.Eiichiro Oda is a master of character design, so it was quite clever of him to create multiple characters with scars for his masterpiece,One Piece.
This makes a lot of sense, seeing as most key figures in this series are either pirates or marines who are constantly clashing with each other. Some of the most important characters have scars so recognizable that they have grown to become an iconic part ofOne Piece’s visual identity. Furthermore, the stories behind these scars are usually fascinating, and add a lot to the characterization of their owners.
10Franky’s Body Scars
Caused By The Sea Train
Frankyisundoubtedly the most relevant cyborg in all ofOne Pieceand, as a result, his extravagant design reflects this aspect of his character. After failing to save his mentor Tom and getting run over by the Sea Train he helped build, Franky enhanced his body with some impressive cybernetic modifications.
His original design (before the time skip) didn’t really reflect his backstory, because he was trying to blend in more back then. But after the time skip, two huge scars similar to stitch marks can be seen running across his gigantic chest. That’s because Franky is not hiding anymore, and he’s the proud cyborg shipwright of the Straw Hat Pirates, so those scars show off who he really is now.
9Kuzan’s Neck & Chest Scars
Caused By Sakazuki
The fateful encounter between former admiralsKuzanand Sakazukiis one of the most intriguing off-screen battles in the entire series. Even though fans never got to witness this fight, their repercussions can still be felt to this day, since both characters involved came out incredibly scarred from it, with Kuzan presenting more damage to his body.
Because of his intense clash with Sakazuki, Kuzan now has large burning scars all across his neck, chest, and left arm, not to mention that he even lost an entire leg. He retired from the Marines after this humiliating defeat, and these horrible scars are a reminder that it doesn’t matter what morals he holds, he can’t beat his eternal rival when it comes to pure strength.
8Kid’s Face & Neck Scars
Caused By The Red Hair Pirates
Eustass “Captain” Kidis the perfect example of what’s wrong with the pirates from the Worst Generation. Because, no matter how fierce and powerful he was, he was bound to encounter an even more dangerous crew that would show him his place. And, at some point in the two years of the time skip, this is exactly what happened when he faced the Red Hair Pirates and their captain, Shanks.
When comparing both of Kid’s designs, it is immediately noticeable that he gained some gruesome scars on his face and neck. It was never explicitly stated who exactly made these scars, but it can be assumed that it was Benn Beckman, since he was also responsible for taking his arm. Although, it could’ve also been Shanks himself, seeing as how he immediately attacked Kid and his crew in their recent rematch.
7Issho’s Eye Scar
Caused By Himself
There are not many blind characters inOne Piece, so the fact that one of them,Issho AKA Fujitora, is one of the main Admirals of the Marines is quite inspiring. Despite his lack of sight, Fujitora manages to be a proficient fighter, mostly thanks to his impeccable Observation Hakiand his powerful Devil Fruit, the Zushi Zushi no Mi.
But what’s even more interesting than his fighting style is the fact that Issho admitted that he blinded himself, meaning that he’s directly responsible for that huge X-shaped scar across both of his eyes. His reasoning is that he decided to blind himself after witnessing true evil over the years, although it was never revealed what it exactly was that he saw that made him do that.
6Kaido’s Chest Scar
Caused By Kozuki Oden
Because of his resilient physique, ruthless personality, powerful Devil Fruit, and mastery of all types of Haki,Kaidois infamous for being one of the strongest beings in the world ofOne Piece. However, observant readers immediately noticed that, despite these attributes, he had a huge X-shaped scar on the right side of his chest.
An injury as big as that one could have only been done by a truly powerful person, and it certainly was, since it was caused by Kozuki Oden when both of them fought years in the past. For a very long time, he was the only person who could deal significant damage to the strongest creature in the world. Even after Oden’s death, Kaido kept looking for someone who could give him a fair fight,and that scar was a constant reminder of how lonely it felt to be at the top.
5Sabo’s Eye Scar
Caused By Saint Jalmack
The return ofSaboto the story – Luffy’s older brother who everybody thought was dead for years – was one of the most emotional moments in the series. But it certainly came with a price, seeing as he now has a prominent burn scar over his left eye, whichworks as a tragic memory of everything he had to go through.
When Sabo was younger, he tried to escape his harsh life in the Goa Kingdom by fleeing in a small ship, which was unfairly destroyed by the Celestial Dragon known as Saint Jalmack. However, Sabo managed to come out alive, and he was rescued by the Revolutionary Army. The fact that now he can wield the pyrokinetic powers of the Mera Mera no Mi while presenting a burn scar on his face is quite poetic.
4Shanks’ Eye Scars
Caused By Blackbeard
Red-Haired Shankshas been shown to have three linear scars that go across his left eye ever since Chapter 1 ofOne Piece. And since he eventually became one of the most recognizable characters in this series, these intriguing scars have become a distinctive part of his design. And fans wondered who was responsible for them for many years.
It was eventually revealed that it was none other than Marshall D. Teach AKA Blackbeard, who viciously damaged Shanks’ left eye, which made even more sense when it was revealed that Teach used to fight by wielding sharp claws in his hand. After this encounter, Shanks becomes more wary of Blackbeard’s whereabouts,and he’s constantly trying to stop this dangerous pirate from causing further chaos in the world. As a result, these scars work as a constant reminder of his mission.
3Zoro’s Chest Scar
Caused By Dracule Mihawk
Roronoa Zorowants to become the strongest swordsman in the world, something that is never going to be easy. But fulfilling this objective became even more difficult when he encountered the current holder of this title, Dracule Mihawk, in one of the early arcs of the series.
The gap between them became immediately apparent the moment they began fighting, as Mihawk could handle Zoro’s techniques and attacks with no real problems. The fight culminated when Mihawk dealt a devastating finishing blow with his sword, Yoru, which Zoro chose to receive on his chest because he claimed that “scars on the back are a swordsman’s shame.” The large scar that this Pirate Hunter now has on his chest is a memento of this fateful encounter, reminding Zoro that he has to get stronger if he wants to someday duel Mihawk for the title of strongest swordsman.
2Luffy’s Eye Scar
As the protagonist of this world-renowned series,Monkey D. Luffyisone of the most recognizable anime and manga characters ever created. His design played an important part in reaching this legendary status, partially because of the small stitched scar under his left eye. Who was responsible for such a striking part of his design? It was none other than himself.
Some fans may not be entirely aware of this moment, since it was initially omitted from the anime adaptation, but when Luffy was a kid, he stabbed his own eye to show Shanks and the rest of the Red Hair Pirates that he was strong and brave enough to become a pirate. While this was a questionable decision, the resulting scar not only showed people how tough he was at a young age, but it also ended up helping Luffy’s design stand out way more in the real world.
1Luffy’s Chest Scar
Monkey D. Luffy’s design was already quite iconic before the time skip, but Eiichiro Oda decided to significantly alter it at one point, which was quite an ambitious idea that, fortunately, ended up working well. After Luffy witnessed his brother, Portgas D. Ace, dying in front of him, the person responsible, Admiral Akainu, took advantage of his inconsolable sorrow to try and kill him as well.
Fortunately, Jinbe and other important allies helped him escape, but not before Sakazuki dealt a powerful fiery blow that would leave a prominent X-shaped scar on Luffy’s chest.Ace’s death was a life-changing event in the young pirate’s life: a sign that he needed to get stronger if he wanted to continue his journey and protect his crew. Because of this, Luffy begins wearing an open vest after the time skip to proudly display the scar on his chest. He wants to tell the world that he has grown stronger, and is now ready for the New World.
