One Piece doesn’t have a deuteragonist, and here’s why

One Piece fans may sometimes wonder if there is a clear deuteragonist in the series.

The term "deuteragonist" refers to the second-most important character in a narrative. One Piece has been a long-running manga for over 25 years now. Luffy is obviously the main protagonist of the series. However, figuring out the deuteragonist is much trickier.

One Piece has a very large ensemble cast, along with multiple arcs that break up the story. That's what makes it difficult to find a deuteragonist. It's easier to say there isn't one, at least in conventional terms.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's personal views.

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Why doesn't One Piece have a traditional deuteragonist?

Everybody's importance changes with every arc

With the exception of the Levely arc, Luffy has constantly been the main character in the One Piece series. However, the second-most important character always changes. It usually depends on the context of the arc.

For example, Blackbeard was the main source of conflict in the Paramount War saga. He's responsible for getting Ace and Whitebeard killed. With that said, Blackbeard is also largely absent from the story after the timeskip. For the most part, he always lurks in the shadows.

One Piece has been going on for a very long time. With such a large cast of characters, Eiichiro Oda likes to keep his story fresh. That's why different Straw Hats are given the spotlight in different arcs.

A deuteragonist needs to be consistent, but that cannot happen with Oda's writing style.

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Zoro cannot be a deuteragonist for the main story

Many would argue that Zoro is the deuteragonist for Luffy. He always fights the second-most powerful threat of any particular arc.

Zoro has always been there for Luffy since the beginning of the story. However, the swordsman never drives the main plot himself. Instead, he reacts to everything that happens around him. Sometimes, he isn't even around for a particular arc, such as Whole Cake Island.

The second-most powerful fighter isn't always the second-most significant character. Instead, Zoro shares a similar importance to his fellow Straw Hats. They all played a major role in Luffy's development.

It's unfair to say Zoro is more important to his captain than Nami or Usopp.

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It can be argued that every arc has their own deuteragonist

One Piece doesn't have a traditional deuteragonist for the whole story. It is simply not possible with the current format because each character's importance varies every few years. Instead, it's easier to find a deuteragonist for individual arcs since they are much smaller in scale.

For example, Sanji is clearly a major driving force in the Whole Cake Island arc. He is the main reason why Luffy was there, to begin with. The Straw Hat wanted to save his crewmate from being forcibly married to another family.

Sanji could be considered the deuteragonist of the Whole Cake Island arc but not the main story itself.

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