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Yamato joining or not joining the Straw Hats has been the subject of fierce debate in the One Piece community. Before moving on, there will be manga spoilers from One Piece Chapter 1057. The current leaks suggest that Yamato will be staying behind in Wano Country, rather than leaving with the Straw Hats. This is a far cry from the commonly held belief that he would join.
Naturally, many readers are very unhappy with the recent developments. Of course, not everybody wanted Yamato to join in the first place. This One Piece article will also take a look at the reasons why that is the case. It's important to look at both perspectives for these arguments.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.
Here are reasons why some One Piece fans don't want Yamato to become a Straw Hat
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4) There isn’t much time left in the series
A common argument is that Yamato barely had any interactions with the Straw Hats. Remember, they are a tight-knit group with very close relationships to each other. Some readers believe that Yamato would feel out of place.
Jinbe only recently joined the crew, yet he also proved instrumental in Luffy's survival during Marineford. His contributions have been significant for the Straw Hats. Most importantly, he also got to know some of them back in the Fishman Island and Whole Cake Island arcs.
Detractors argue that Yamato hasn't been around long enough to develop relationships with the crewmates. His existence wasn't even known until the night of the Onigashima Raid.
3) Yamato doesn’t have a specific role in the ship
This is yet another common argument used against Yamato. All Straw Hat pirates have a specific role within their ship. A few examples include Sanji as the cook, Nami as the navigator, and Jinbe as the helmsman. By comparison, Yamato isn't known for any particular talents.
Yamato is a very strong fighter in the One Piece series, but he doesn't specialize in skills outside the battlefield. Detractors argue that he lacks a clear role in the crew. He would be very redundant if all he could do was fight.
While he could always write a logbook for the Straw Hats, it's already too late for that job by this point in their journey. One Piece is now entering the final saga.
2) The Oden persona can be grating at times
Yamato's character is almost entirely defined by his admiration of Kozuki Oden. That's the main reason why he identifies himself with the male gender.
However, some readers think Yamato has gone too far with the cosplay attempts. Luffy may look up to Shanks in the One Piece series, but he doesn't want to dye his own hair red. There is a major difference between inspiration and imitation.
A good number of readers simply want Yamato to be himself rather than somebody else. He spends a lot of time being a hype spokesperson for Oden. For that reason, they don't want Yamato anywhere near the Thousand Sunny.
1) Yamato is always the cause of controversy
Without question, Yamato is the biggest lightning rod of controversy within the One Piece series. Even now with the recent chapter, this character is still causing a lot of arguments within the community.
For over a year now, readers have made arguments concerning his gender identity and whether or not he should join the Straw Hats. Understandably, bitter discourse can get tiring very quickly.
A vocal minority of readers just want to move on from the character. Yamato always manages to split the fandom in half. These readers don't want to deal with drama on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, some One Piece readers argue that Yamato has to become a Straw Hat
4) Yamato not joining would be a complete waste of screen time
Eiichiro Oda has already spent a lot of screentime with Yamato. Several panels and chapters were dedicated to him during the Onigashima Raid. Many readers believe that if Yamato didn't join Luffy's crew, then all that was for nothing.
For the longest time, Yamato kept talking about sailing the seas and following Oden's footstops. It makes perfect sense for him to join the Straw Hats. This would parallel Oden's journey in joining the Roger Pirates. If Yamato ends up staying behind at the last moment, his entire arc will feel negated.
Many readers will be disappointed if he becomes nothing more than just a powerful ally. All that time with Yamato could've been spent on something like Zoro visiting Ryuma's grave or expanding on Kaido's flashback.
3) The Straw Hats could always use another strong fighter
Luffy has a very powerful crew behind him. With that said, the One Piece story is now entering its final stages. With so many obstacles ahead of them, the Straw Hats could use some help along the way.
Yamato is a really cool fighter with ice powers and a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. There is nobody else like him on the ship. Imagine if the Straw Hats fought the Blackbeard Pirates. Yamato would be the perfect opponent for Catarina Devon.
Some readers fear that Yamato could disrupt the power balance with the Monster Trio. However, there is no reason to believe that Zoro and Sanji can't get any stronger in the One Piece series.
2) Yamato would have a great dynamic with the crewmates
One Piece is built on fun character relationships. The Straw Hats all have diverse personalities, which is why no two interactions are the same. For instance, Zoro can act like a brotherly figure to Chopper, but he can also be a fierce rival to Sanji. Everybody stands out in their own unique way.
Yamato also has a lot of potential for character interactions. He loves fighting so he would get along with Zoro. Yamato also wants to explore the world, so he would definitely ask Nami about it. His childlike wonders could also extend to Franky or Brook. There's nobody quite like them in Wano Country.
Oda also wouldn't resist comedic gags based on his gender identity. Nami and Robin would have to make sure that Sanji doesn't try anything.
1) He doesn't need to stay in Wano Country any longer
Yamato has spent most of his life in Wano Country. His entire motivation was to free himself of the chains that shackled him. Yamato spent years waiting to sail the seas. Whether it was Ace or Luffy, he made his intentions very clear.
One Piece Chapter 1057 leaks suggest that Yamato wants to explore Wano Country before going anywhere. Keep in mind that it's been a full week since Kaido was defeated. Yamato had more than enough time already.
Readers might wonder if there was any point to his character if he just stays behind. Yamato literally asked the Straw Hats if he could join their ship, right before Luffy woke up from his injuries against Kaido. Staying behind just seems like a baffling decision.
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