One Piece has been going on for a long time. It's been running for 1000+ episodes, has gained many worldwide fans, and has become so popular that now, Netflix has developed a live-action One Piece series premiering on August 31, and taking on the challenge of adapting this beloved franchise. The series is incredibly popular – and you want to know who else is significant from the show? Usopp.
The character, who joined after the Syrup Village arc, has had his fair instances of insufferable nature, where he's made severe mistakes. Still, one scene left a particularly lasting impression on Sonny Strait, the English Dub voice actor of Usopp, and it involves a young girl named Toko, and a scam of Usopp's doing.
The scene occurs during the Wano Country arc, a beloved story where a shogun's oppressive rule hangs heavily over the citizens. Usopp sees this as an opportunity and decides to sell Toad Oil, saying that it was a miracle healer that could aid anyone, and not what it was – just regular oil with no unique properties.
But this starts to fall apart when Toko, a little girl, clings to the hope of using said Toad Oil to revive her executed adoptive father, and she tries to use it desperately on his wounds to heal him. Usopp himself tells her that it was just a lie, and the heartbreaking revelation forever changes the little girl.
Strait reflected on the scene as one of Usopp's most poignant moments, where he grapples with the depth of his mistake:
Yeah, I think that's his greatest mistake in the whole series. You know he's done a lot of things that he is still shamed for. But this one, I think, is the only one he really should have felt ashamed of, and I was like, 'No, no! Usopp, really? Oh, this is terrible!' I felt probably worse than he did…it seemed like a really good job for him at the time – he was born to be a snake oil salesman, or a toad oil salesman, in this case. But whenever you spread lies like that, sometimes there are consequences.
There are many great anime out there that feature scenes such as this that genuinely shake the viewer's core, but nothing has stood out in Usopp's story as much as this particular moment.
The scene highlights a lot of traits regarding Usopp's character. While he is known for his tall tales and elaborate stories, this moment forces him to confront the pain he inadvertently caused and makes him realize his biggest mistake of the series thus far.
One Piece is one of those shows that has run for years and years, with ever-changing characters. As new anime have come and gone like the best of 2022 or some bigger ones that have reached a current mainstream audience, like Attack on Titan, the famous story about the journey of the Straw Hat Pirates has remained a mainstay in the eyes of the anime community. And Usopp has been a big part of that.
It's what makes this moment that much more important. One Piece is a show that has constant action throughout its narrative. So when scenes such as this occur, where it shows powerful moments of emotional turmoil for characters that fans have known for years, it changes them immensely.
Strait's insight into Usopp's growth and regret sheds light on the depth of storytelling within One Piece, making it clear that the series isn't just about grand adventures but also the emotional journeys of its characters, and Usopp has joined that full-speed ahead with his journey, regardless of what fans may feel about him.
If you're not caught up with One Piece's English dub, check it out on Crunchyroll, before the Netflix series arrives.
