Introducing Ace in the Alabasta Arc only to kill him off later was devastating, to say the least. One Piece fans, including me, will never forget how premature his death was. I wanted to see more of his brotherly dynamic with Luffy while he was alive.
The Post-War Arc showed their shared childhood, including their long-lost brother, Sabo. It was one of the purest brotherhoods in anime, and there was nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. Seeing this felt like being stabbed in the heart, knowing Ace died protecting his little brother.
So imagine my surprise when Sabo, who was mourned and presumed to have died, was alive. Since he lost his memory, he couldn’t reunite with his brothers.
He gets Ace’s Devil Fruit and later on becomes the Flame Emperor, akin to Ace being Fire Fist. One Piece handles this well without making Sabo seem like the second version of Ace. It would be very easy to fall into this trap but Eiichiro Oda wrote a different arc for him.
Sabo is very distinct from Ace, despite having the same power
During their childhood, Sabo was the more patient elder brother of Luffy. He was kind and just wanted freedom from his parents, so I did tear up when they showed him die just as he escaped to the sea.
The Dressrosa Arc, however, reveals that he’s been alive all this time. He’s the Revolutionary Army’s chief of staff. When he found Ace’s Devil Fruit was the grand prize at the Corrida Colosseum’s tournament, he had to participate. There, he reunited with Luffy who had the same goal.
One Piece fans almost thought he would be an Ace 2.0 and honestly, so did I. Most plots would go this way, especially since Sabo now shares many similarities. However, Eiichiro Oda proved us wrong.
Comment
byu/Emergency-Law-2054 from discussion
inOnePiece
Sabo hasn’t changed much since childhood, retaining his kind personality, but I could tell he really was Luffy’s brother since he kept mispronouncing names. He’s also very protective of him, like Ace. Adding the Mera Mera no Mi made the Ace comparisons skyrocket.
Chapter 1085 proves that Sabo is the opposite of Ace. Underneath that kindness is a very pragmatic man. He tried to save Cobra but it was futile against Imu and the Five Elders. He escaped the battle instead of sticking around, something Ace never learned.
This solidified his character for many people as someone distinct from Ace.
He was also insanely powerful before his Devil Fruit and is even more invincible with it. He might be more proficient than Ace and I’m incredibly biased towards the Fire Fist.
Sabo is an unstoppable revolutionary
Sabo got the epitaph, the Flame Emperor, because of his sheer influence in the world of One Piece. It even overshadows Dragon, the Supreme Commander.
He’s also included in the visual of the top people who can find the One Piece in Vegapunk’s announcement. It’s evident that Oda is setting him up to be a major figure in the Final Saga.
Sabo hasn’t had enough screen time for my liking. The revolution rests in his hands more than Dragon’s at this stage. Sabo and Luffy also need more interactions, although it’s quite unlikely at the moment. Oda better not traumatize Luffy again by killing off another brother.
One Piece is available on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
