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Depending on who in the One Piece community you ask about Sanji, you’ll get very different answers. Some fans love him, and like to say his “problematic aspects” are exaggerated by those in the fanbase who feel that way.
Others will argue that despite his positive aspects, Sanji is an inherently flawed character who should be treated as such. Regardless of what opinion One Piece fans take, there are times in the story where both sides have loved Sanji and other times when they strongly disliked him.
Here are four times where One Piece fans universally loved Sanji, and four more where fans couldn’t stand him.
Sanji’s childhood and 3 other moments show that One Piece fans really love Sanji
1) Clashing with Doflamingo
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During One Piece’s Dressrosa arc, some of the lesser combatants of the Straw Hat crew find themselves being targeted by Doflamingo. Thankfully, Sanji is able to make the save just in time, clashing with Doflamingo and holding the Warlord off long enough to allow escape. Fans loved Sanji’s trademark, nick-of-time heroics being displayed in this scene.
2) Making up with Luffy
When Sanji and Luffy finally reunite and make up during One Piece’s Whole Cake Island arc, fans only had good things to say. The emotional moment highlights the depth of the bond the two have, as chef and patron, captain and subordinate, and even as friends. The moment perfectly wraps up why the two love each other in a heartwarming scene.
3) Sanji’s childhood
When Sanji’s childhood within Germa 66 was finally shown to fans, nearly everyone in the fanbase felt for him. The heartbreak he endured as a child endeared fans to him immensely, with a lack of backstory being Sanji’s number one criticism up to that point.
The epic buildup to Sanji’s escape and final confrontation with his father serve to establish why he reveres Red Leg Zeff so highly. Furthermore, it also perfectly explains the depth of his bond with sister Reiju. All in all, this is one of the most lovable Sanji scenes in all of One Piece.
4) Alabasta save
When all hope seemed lost in Alabasta, Sanji finally made an appearance to rescue his crew from Crocodile’s clutches. Donning the pseudonym Mister Prince, his cunning and devotion to his crewmates creates an incredibly endearing moment. It also establishes Sanji as not only smart and crafty, but clever as well, a uniquely important skill on the Grand Line.
Fighting Luffy and 3 other moments that made Sanji unbearable to One Piece fans
1) Fish-man Island
Being stuck in the Newkama Kingdom for the entirety of the time-skip, Sanji’s love for women was overplayed, to say the least, in the New World’s beginnings. Fish-man Island in particular saw Sanji almost dying from his trademark, infamous nosebleeds, a gag some fans felt was a step too far.
Regardless of how fans felt about the gag's offensiveness, almost every fan was sick of Sanji’s nosebleeds by the arc’s tenth episode. It simply didn’t hold the little comedic value it had to start with, especially with how overused the joke is during this One Piece section.
2) Fighting Luffy
When Sanji participates in a one-sided fight Luffy refuses to be a part of, he earned the ire of One Piece fans everywhere. Even if he was doing it for the good of his crew, fans didn’t feel this to be the case and at least disliked him for it at the moment. While Sanji eventually redeems himself, fans strongly dislike his actions as described here.
3) Left the crew
Speaking of his time outside the crew, his departure from the crew in the first place was another Sanji moment fans hated. Fans were left just as scared, sad, and confused as Nami, Chopper, and Brook were in the moment. The shared reactions of both fans and characters to the situation only served to create a bigger rift between fans and Sanji at the time.
4) Refused to fight Kalifa
Arguably the most frustrating Sanji moment for fans to endure was his refusal to fight Kalifa during One Piece’s Enies Lobby arc. With Robin’s life quite literally on the line, he elects to stop his kicks just short of Kalifa instead of actually fighting her.
She, on the other hand, takes full advantage of the situation and easily beats Sanji. While earning the respect of fans for dedication to his principles, he also earns the palpable frustration of fans everywhere considering what was at stake.
