User blog comment:UndeadHero/9/30/XX12 - WHO INSPIRES YOU?/@comment-4080028-20121002064104

I haven't said anything till now, mostly because I couldn't choose the #1 One Piece character that inspired me the most. But seeing as people are listing multiple characters, I guess i'll do the same. Starting with...

Luffy: Yes, this was pretty predictable of me, huh? Well, who else than the leading main protagonist to inspire the reader to follow the hero's same ideals? Luffy seems to have everything I could ever want out of life, and then some. He made being made out of rubber something cool for me, which I can't exactly say for anyone else with rubber-like powers (no offense to characters like Mr. Fantastic, mind you.) But it's more than that. Luffy's a simple-minded idiot, and I love him for that. I hear talk of Shounen heroes "needing" to be smarter and more cynical to be cool. Luffy's far from that. He's somewhat spacey, and highly idealistic. He's my ideal hero. He's very straightforward about almost everything, and he isn't afraid to dream big, which is something I tend to shy away from, due to being afraid of dissapointment or rejection.

He's also strong, fearless, and isn't afraid to be true to himself. I can't exactly say "noble," since he admits he's selfish at times, but that's just another reason why Luffy's so cool to me. He's selfish, and isn't ashamed of it, something that i'm not and would be ashamed of myself. He is very loving and loyal to his friends and brothers, and even when he was trying to get past Garp at Marineford, he refused to use lethal force to get by him. Luffy isn't only amazing when he's in serious situations, but he's undoubtedly hilarious to see when he's being funny too. He isn't afraid to fight dirty at times, like when he used Buggy as a human shield, and is also willing to point out the imperfections and strange traits of others. He even doesn't mind making light of dangerous situations he was previously in, such as when he imitated being frozen by Aokiji. Personally, I can't believe I never knew of a character like Luffy until I started reading the manga and watching the anime. And now, I can't imagine ever hating the guy, even if someone forced me to say so.

I connect with Luffy on such a scale, I sometimes wonder if i'm slowly turning into him. lol Even if i'm not Luffy, I don't mind. Because he's a true hero in my opinion, even if he doesn't want to be one himself. And in the end, a true hero deserves absolute respect and admiration. Not only that, but Luffy has shown me that there's nothing wrong with being a little selfish at times, and that if you dream big, then you're truly living your life to its fullest. Thus, my dream to become a great manga-ka, that one day I might even have an anime adaptation for it, lives on. Thanks to our #1 favorite rubber man. (At least, he's my #1 favorite. :P)

Usopp: Surprisingly, yes, I ended up skipping Zoro and Nami, and went straight to Usopp. Now i'm not undermining everything the other Straw Hats went through, but Zoro has superhuman strength and impressive swordsmanship, Nami has the courage to live on in the face of adversity, and the others are all either superhuman, or downright monsters, take your pick. (And I mean monsters in the endearing sense, if there is one.) But Usopp... For the most part, he's cowardly and reluctant to put up much of a fight. He puts more energy into complaining and thinking up excuses and ways to get out of tight spots, than he does at actually getting things done. But it's that special moment, when Usopp finally grows tired of running, whether literally or metaphorically, that really impresses me the most.

This lieing, cowardly young man, when pushed up against a wall and with no other way out, shows that you don't need Devil Fruit, Haki, superhuman strength/speed/endurance, or even advanced weaponry or cyborg modifications to save the day. True strength comes from the courage to face your fears, and overcome them. And even then, after taking beatings that should clearly kill him (such as taking Mr. 4's horribly heavy metal bat to the face,) Usopp still refuses to stay down. Then again, when your dignity is on the line, or when a friend is mercilessly mocked at, why should you stay down and accept such a thing? And even more so, is that Usopp clearly understands his limits and strengths, which makes his actions even more inspiring to see. Even after leaving the crew after his dispute over the Going Merry with Luffy, Usopp, with the feeling that he's still an expendable weakling to his friends, couldn't turn his back on Robin when he found out what was to become of her. And thus, we ended up seeing what would and can happen, when Usopp sets aside all his fears and complaints, and shows just what a skilled marksman can do. After all, his alter ego is Sogeking, is it not? He is indeed, the sniper king.

True courage, clever ingenuity and resourcefulness, an unyielding spirit, and a truly big heart for those that he loves... How and why isn't Usopp more well liked? You don't need to take Luffy's pain to be a true badass, like Zoro did. Nor do you need to act like a tough guy, like Sanji. You don't need to be Luffy, Nami, Chopper, Robin, Franky, or Brook. You can still be amazing, even if you are the wimpy weakling of the group. After all, a group is only as strong as its weakest member, and with someone like Usopp to represent that margin, it truly shows just how powerful the Straw Hats are as a group. This is what inspires me the most about Usopp, and, in spite of the jokes I make about him and his strength and shortcomings, is why he is as cool to me as even the Monster Trio themselves. If anything, let Usopp be the standard that all techy gadget characters in fiction be set up to. If they don't meet the same standards as Usopp, they're clearly missing something in my opinion.

To be strong when you need to be... To be faithful to those who've hurt you... To be skilled and not strong, and still win your battles... And to improve yourself, so that you can become the person you wish to be... This is what inspires me the most, and this is why Usopp deserves to be mentioned.