Does Masashi Kishimoto write better villains in Naruto than Eiichiro Oda does in One Piece? Explored

Comparing the villains written by Kishimoto and Oda (Image via Studio Pierrot and Toei Animation)
Comparing the villains written by Kishimoto and Oda (Image via Studio Pierrot and Toei Animation)

Naruto and One Piece fans are often at war against each other on platforms like X. The reason for this is their passion for their respective shows, attempting to convince people why their favorite show is better than others.

One topic seems to have sparked another among such fans, and it revolves around antagonists. The question that started the debate was: Does Masashi Kishimoto write better villains in Naruto than Eiichiro Oda does in One Piece? While the answer isn’t quite simple, fans have reason to believe that Eiichiro Oda writes better villains in One Piece than Masashi Kishimoto does in Naruto.


Understanding why villains in One Piece are better written in comparison to Naruto

Comment byu/The_White_Phantom from discussion inOnePiece

There is no doubt that Masashi Kishimoto has created some of the most interesting and iconic villains in the series. They are well-written since most villains have managed to elicit some sympathy from the audience as they are just victims of bad situations. For example, Pain is one of the most iconic villains in the series, and he is beloved by many.

Pain also highlighted the effect of hatred. He not only believed but also showed Naruto how the cycle of hatred and suffering was a constant. His ideologies were such that they blurred the line between good and evil.

However, the villains in One Piece seem much more fleshed out. A large reason for that is the sheer length of the series. The anime and manga series have been going on for decades. This gave Eiichiro Oda the ability to explore the characters thoroughly.

Comment byu/The_White_Phantom from discussion inOnePiece

Additionally, the comparison between villains in the two series isn’t particularly fair since only one of these shows has completed its course. This means villains in Naruto feel a lot more complete since they have shown moments of redemption. The villains also have certain goals, and whether or not they realize it plays an important role in how they are perceived.

Comment byu/The_White_Phantom from discussion inOnePiece

On the other hand, while Oda's villains are seemingly fleshed out, they aren't complete characters and are still in pursuit of their goals. Fans also believe that One Piece villains are far more nefarious. Some of these villains are evil for the sake of being evil, and such characters do a good job playing the antagonists.

Blackbeard as seen in the anime series (Image via Toei Animation)
Blackbeard as seen in the anime series (Image via Toei Animation)

Blackbeard is a greedy and selfish character who would do anything to achieve his goals. He elicits strong negative emotions from viewers, and Oda seems to have perfected this approach. At the end of the day, the two series have vastly different characters, and both writers have taken a different approach to writing villains.

Oda’s characters are fleshed out and nefarious, whereas Kishimoto’s characters are victims of circumstances. Both writers are extremely good at their craft, but fans believe that One Piece villains are slightly better than the ones in Naruto.


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