A pivotal One Piece character was actually supposed to get a robot arm and a massive axe. There are pictures of this, which Netflix has also taken a very close look at.
One of the greatest strengths of the One Piece franchise is how terrific the heroes are with each other. Interestingly, author Eiichiro Oda originally had very different plans for many of the central characters. Nami (in the live-action film adaptation: Emily Rudd), for example, was supposed to have a mechanical arm and wield a gigantic axe. There are designs for this that Netflix also wanted to incorporate into its One Piece adaptation.
For One Piece heroine Nami on Netflix, there is a cyborg role model
As our colleagues at GamePro report, Oda had originally planned Nami as a cyborg, and had done a concept drawing showing the straw-hatted pirate with a metal arm and a giant gun.
Nami will wear one of her early designs in the One Piece Live Action! pic.twitter.com/pIp3YTR8Sq
– Artur – Library of Ohara (@newworldartur) August 8, 2023
As evidenced by the comparison on X, Netflix must have also seen the design and taken a liking to Nami’s outfit. The yellow and white striped stockings that Emily Rudd adopted from the cartoon do not exist as the character’s outfit in either the manga original or the anime adaptation.
The final version of Nami is perfect for many fans, whether manga, anime or Netflix adaptation. Oda’s drawing will still leave some pondering how casual the character would have been with a robot arm and giant axe.
