Despite occasional complaints about its pacing, One piece is often considered one of the best-written shōnen manga, not only in terms of narrative but also world-building, well-rounded characters, complex themes, and backstories. That being said, one unexpected character best sums up the beauty of Eiichiro Oda's writing, and it's not something fans would expect.
Episode #1116 of One piece sheds new light on Buggy, who, despite being a pathetic joke character for most of the series, is ultimately portrayed in an admirable light. The episode highlights Buggy's dreams and aspirations as well as the hidden tragedy in his character, adding an unexpected layer of complexity to him while also making him seem almost respectable for the first time in the series. More than anything, the episode portrays how well Eiichiro Oda can recontextualize and invert a character's perceptions with just one simple scene.
One Piece's final saga completely recontextualizes Buggy's character
Chapter #1082 and Episode #1116 Highlight Buggy's Most Admirable Trait
Despite being one of the series' first true antagonists, Buggy the Clown gradually transformed into one of the One piecethe oldest jokes. Through a series of hilarious misunderstandings, Buggy continued to fail, unwittingly following Luffy from the beginning of the series. His constant failures, along with his cowardice, make him a character difficult to take seriously, and he spends most of it One piece being a pompous one-note clown.
However, fans see a new side of Buggy in chapter #1082, when, even at his lowest level, being completely degraded by Mihawk and Crocodile, Buggy stands firm in his ideals of what piracy should be. This is one of the first cases where fans see the influence that sailing with Roger had on Buggy. Chapter #1082 makes it clear that Buggy disagrees with Crocodile and Mihawk's business approach to piracy. For him, piracy and going to sea are all about realizing dreams and aspirations, values strongly defended by Luffy and the Straw Hats.
Buggy not only admirably defends his beliefs, but even declares his intentions to become the Pirate King. His epic declaration inspires Cross Guild members, as well as fans, who earn a new sense of respect for Buggy. In the anime, the scene even features the same song that plays whenever Luffy or one of the Straw Hats declare their dreams, further increasing the importance of the moment for Buggy's character.
Buggy's flashback with Shanks reveals a sad side to his character
Buggy's character is surprisingly more tragic than fans think
Since Buggy was first introduced, he has been known to harbor a grudge against Shanks, and although the grudge seemed superficial at first, the flashback in chapter #1082 expands on Buggy's complex feelings toward Shanks. Roger was known for being a father figure to Buggy and Shanks, but as the flashback reveals, Shanks seemed to be the golden child from the beginning, who "shined with potential," as Buggy says.
Buggy was forced to accept from a young age that he would never be able to compete with Shanks and easily the saddest part of the flashback is when Buggy is seen looking at Roger and Shanks in the distance with a mixture of frustration and sadness on his face. As such, Buggy gave up on his own dreams and chose to live vicariously through Shanks and see his dream realized through Shanks.
Judging by Buggy's conversation with Shanks during Roger's execution, Buggy sincerely believed that Shanks would become the next Pirate King. Buggy never makes any mention of taking his own ship to Laugh Tale, implying he intended to be part of Shanks' crew even before the latter could ask.
However, Shanks went back on his wordthis was also the same day that Buggy's entire world fell apart. As such, Buggy begins to resent Shanks for taking away his ability to swim, his treasure map, and even the chance to see his dream come true vicariously. This is why, when Buggy was first introduced, he was seen terrorizing defenseless civilians pathetically in Orange Town. That is, until Luffy shows up and seemingly reignites the spark of ambition within him. That's why it's even more admirable when Buggy finally decides to go after his dream again, and in doing so, reignites the same ambition in his followers.
Overall, while he may not be the most likable or most complex character in One piece for now, it's still nice to see Buggy finally elevated to more than a joke after all these years. Fans have long joked that Buggy could end up defeating Luffy at Laugh Tale and now that he has decided so seriously to pursue his dream, Buggy could in fact end up being a serious contender for the title of Pirate King, with more fans rooting for him than never before.
One piece is available on Crunchyroll and Netflix.