As far as anime adaptations go, One Piece is relatively faithful to the manga. It doesn’t go off the rails and change major parts of canon arcs, nor do any of its characters undergo radical changes. It does, however, suffer from fillers here and there, be it in the form of a full arc or unnecessarily padded out canon arcs.
Extending its fights is one of the few things that the anime does to differentiate itself from its source material. Luffy especially suffers from this, more than most characters — whether in terms of his accomplishments, traits, or even narrative development.
10 Luffy Can Control Gear Second In Only One Part Of His Body
Post-timeskip Luffy gains greater control of Gear Second in the manga, being able to maintain it in a single part of his body, be it his leg or his arm. It helps show Luffy’s progress in gaining control over his abilities, something the anime doesn’t feel is necessary. In fact, every time he goes Gear Second, he needs to use his whole body to maintain it. It’s a minor change — one that isn’t all bad as Luffy’s whole body emitting steam is a great visual for the anime.
9 His Relationship With Shanks Is A Bit Darker
Luffy and Shanks have one of the better-built relationships in the series, despite them sharing very little screen time beyond the first few episodes. While much of this has been rectified in more recent episodes, many of their interactions from the manga have been censored in the anime.
The anime still captures the gist of their relationship, although it cuts out some of the edge that comes with Luffy’s desire to prove himself to Shanks — and, conversely, some of Shanks’ antagonism towards the Strawhats captain.
8 Luffy Is More Brutal & Unphased By Atrocities In The Manga
The anime does a good enough job establishing Luffy’s willingness to fight and how combat never seems to phase him — except when someone close to him dies.
The manga has the luxury of having far more brutal events happen around him, such as decapitations and other gory events. It shows how Luffy has hardened over time, something that isn’t readily seen given how friendly and carefree he is.
7 He’s Smarter Than His Anime Counterpart
There’s no doubt that Luffy is a giant goofball in both mediums, borrowing several traits from Goku in Dragon Ball — a work that heavily inspired Oda. The anime tends to push it a little further than the manga does, making him the butt of the joke in a few episodes and downright idiotic in others.
This is especially true during the filler episodes, where the creators have the leeway to do whatever they want. It isn’t blatant enough that it completely ruins the character since Luffy isn’t a genius in the manga either, but it does undercut some of his intelligence.
6 The Anime Plays Up Luffy’s Struggle For Dramatic Purposes
Dragon Ball Z is a perfect example of stretching fights out far longer than they are in the manga. In most cases, this isn’t a bad thing, as it gives the combatants an opportunity to shine, not to mention making the fight more epic. In others, the fight can drag on interminably — the most notable example in the anime is the Luffy vs Doflamingo battle, in which the latter puts up more of a fight against Luffy’s King Kong Gun.
5 The Anime Minimizes Some Of His Feats
Luffy is far more powerful in the manga than in the anime, much in the same way that Whitebeard is. For whatever reason, the anime likes every fight to feel epic, even when they are meant to be inconsequential or show how strong Luffy has become.
One instance is his battle with Hody. In the manga, Luffy completely wipes the floor with him to show the current extent of his powers. In the anime, however, the two characters are evenly matched for most of the fight.
4 Luffy Is More Mischievous In The Anime
As with most changes to Luffy’s character in the anime, ramping up his personality is relatively minor since that facet exists in the manga, as well. In fact, he has always been the type to mess around with his friends. The anime just takes it a few steps further. During the Syrup Village arc, Zoro and Luffy tease Usopp, pretending to be pirates with evil intentions simply to mess with him. This scene doesn’t take place in the manga at all.
3 The Anime Gives Him More Admirers Than The Manga
Luffy has his fair share of admirers in the manga, most notably Boa Hancock, a fellow captain who becomes smitten with him rather quickly. The anime beefs that up considerably, giving Luffy a variety of women who either find him attractive or want to join his crew. In the Amazon Lily Arc, Luffy’s relationship with Marguerite is fleshed out to a far greater degree than in the manga. This feature has been added to the story through filler arcs or extended scenes.
2 Luffy Doesn’t Get Suckered Into Six Rounds Of Davy Back Fights In The Manga
The fact there were six rounds in the Davy Back Fights of the Long Ring Long Land Arc has everything to do with filling time — and preventing the anime from catching up to the manga. As a result, it makes Luffy look like an idiot, something the anime is already good at.
In the manga, it’s just three rounds and, after Luffy wins, he only frees Tonjit and Shelly, letting them return to their homeland. The arc is far more streamlined in the manga and, while silly, shows Luffy’s key characteristics.
1 The 4Kids Version Of The Anime Cuts A Ton Of Luffy’s Plot Development
While this isn’t true for the entire anime, 4kids has always been known for being extreme and heavy-handed with its censorship. One Piece is no exception to this, as the version is hardly recognizable from the source material.
Unlike other adaptations, which usually make small changes, 4kids flat out skips entire arcs. It makes Luffy seem even more rash than he usually is, jumping to decisions that make no sense — because the events that spark those decisions have been cut out.