One Piecehas been ongoing for over two decades, and several characters have been altered due to the evolution of author Eiichiro Oda’s artwork. However, none of them has changed as much as Gol. D Roger.
Although there are fans who prefer how the legendary King of the Pirates was depicted earlier in the series than how he was introduced during the Wano flashbacks and vice versa,the change in appearances serves the narrative. Moreover, Roger’s look plays a vital role in his eventual health problems and reflects his narrative arc from a pirate to a mythological figure.
Why Gol D. Roger Has a Different Look Post Timeskip
There’s a Literal Reason For Roger’s Design Change as Well as a Figurative One
It is well known thatRoger contracted an incurable illnessthat sapped away his health to the brink of death. As such, he allowed the Marines to capture and execute him in Loguetown, where he would eventually make a speech that would launch the golden age of piracy. In the Wano flashbacks, which depict Roger earlier in his career as a pirate at the peak of his strength, Roger looks much different than how we’ve seen him until this point. He’s healthy, slightly younger (he was 53 when he died), and the illness hasn’t sapped away his power yet.
By the time Roger makes it to the gallows in Loguetown, where audiences are first introduced to the character, his body has already been whittled away by the illness. More importantly, at the time, we only knew Roger as the great King of the Pirates and had no idea who the man was. So, his hollowed, shadowed, and mysterious design preceded his infamy before fans got to know his character decades later.
The Difference Between Gold Roger and Gol. D Roger Is in the Design
Roger’s Change In Appearance Reflects What’s Learned About Him Thus Far
The difference in his appearance works in the same narrative structure as his name, which is revealed to not be Gold Roger but Gol D. Roger. Although the name change came from the World Government to hidethe Will of D initial, Gold Roger represents the myth, the legend, the King of the Pirates. Gold Roger is the figure to whom audiences and the public were introduced.Roger was an idea of a manpeople have heard all these stories about but never really met. His sickly appearance at the gallows lends itself to Roger’s old mystic.
However, during the Wano flashbacks, Roger and his personality are showcased for the first time. He’s not this stoic figure whose reputation proceeds himself;Roger’s just a goofy, strong guy like Luffy. In actuality, he has a silly dynamic with his crew, loves kids, and enjoys laughing. From the start of the series until now, Roger goes from an enigmatic figure to an actual character named Gol D. Roger, and his change in design juxtaposes this. His new design also reflects the revelation that Roger is Ace’s father and looks just like him when he is healthy.
One Piece’s Themes of the Man vs the Myth
Eiichiro Oda Has Been Trying to Showcase This Theme in Several Characters
One of the constant themes in Oda’s writing is howthe legend often proceeds the man. Although it takes keen observation to notice it in Roger, it can beseen in Shanks and Luffy. Shanks is portrayed one way when it comes to his crew, friends, and fleet. However, when the flip is switched, Shanks is fierce, loyal, protective, and downright scary in the eyes of the opposition. Likewise, Luffy, despite his scary reputation at the hands of the World Government and Big News Morgans, gets beat up by Nami on his ship after becoming a Yonko.
Althoughthe man eventually dies, his legend lives onthrough his myth. Despite falling ill, Roger told his First Mate, Silvers Rayleigh, that he would never die. Maybe Roger didn’t know his last words would spark a new era of piracy. Perhaps all Roger attempted to do that day in Loguetown was leave his definitive mark on the world by cementing his myth, thereby living forever, even after his fated execution, and this idea remains a key theme inOne Piece’s narrative.
One Piece
Cast
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure “One Piece.” Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.
