One Piece: Why does Sanji have two backstories?

In One Piece, Sanji was the only one after Luffy to have two backstories. The reason his backstory was split into two parts was due to Eiichiro Oda wanting to make his character more interesting and have depth.

This approach fit the narrative style of One Piece. Oda not only makes Sanji more complex but also explores important ideas in the series—like finding your identity, dealing with family, and fighting for your freedom.

Oda introduced the first backstory during the Baratie Arc, where he showed Sanji’s struggles with starvation and his bond with Red-Leg Zeff. Much later, he revealed the second one in the Whole Cake Island Arc, highlighting Sanji’s royal lineage and traumatic family life.

During the Baratie arc in One Piece, Luffy encountered Sanji as a cook in a floating sea restaurant. Sanji was shown to be a chivalrous chef who never lets anyone stay hungry. His principle of feeding everyone stems from an experience from his past.

As a child, Sanji worked as an apprentice cook on a ship until pirates attacked it. He nearly drowns, but Zeff saves him because they both share the same dream of finding the All Blue. After the rescue, they ended up stranded together on a rock in the middle of the ocean.

With almost no food available, Zeff rationed their resources and asked Sanji to stay away from him. Sanji learned that Zeff sacrificed his leg (in the anime) and gave all of the food to keep Sanji alive, surviving solely on his willpower and belief in Sanji's future.

After all the food was gone, Sanji and Zeff suffered for days, teetering on the brink of death and slowly losing hope of the dream of being rescued. This shared suffering forged a bond between them. Later on, after being saved by a passing ship, Zeff adopted Sanji and taught him everything about cooking and chivalry.

It was years later, during the Whole Cake Island Arc in One Piece, that it was revealed that Sanji is not just a simple cook but the third son of the Vinsmoke Family. They are a royal family that rules the Germa 66 army. This revelation showed Sanji in a new light.

We learn that his biological father is Vinsmoke Judge, a scientist and king. He tried to genetically modify his children into weapons and saw Sanji as a failed experiment. His brothers bullied Sanji during his time in the family, and his father heavily neglected him.

He was disowned by Vinsmoke Judge, who considered him unworthy of the Vinsmoke name. Eventually, with the help of his sister, Sanji escapes the tyranny of Germa 66 and finds refuge in the East Blue.

The end of his second backstory linked to the first one, giving new meaning to Sanji’s values. Now it became clear as to why he refused to hit women; his empathy for the weak and his intense desire to choose his own path are all rooted in his traumatic upbringing.

The Role of Zeff vs. Judge in Sanji's life in One Piece

Sanji’s two backstories have more depth than just giving clarity about his character. It also mirrors the influence of two very different father figures. For one, we have his adoptive father, Zeff, who is strict but loving and caring towards him. Zeff tried to provide everything despite having no blood relation.

On the other hand, Sanji’s biological father, Vinsmoke Judge, only traumatized him. He failed to be there for his son when he was suffering and chose to ignore it till Sanji could not take it anymore.

Zeff earns Sanji’s loyalty through sacrifice and care. Vinsmoke Judge demands respect with fear and control. Ultimately, Sanji honors Zeff by living by the values he taught him, while he rejects Judge by refusing to accept the Vinsmoke name.

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In conclusion, it was important to give Sanji in One Piece two backstories to capture the full complexity of his character. The first one gave the audience an idea about his personality and his struggles, and the second one reveals the pain he endured before that.

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