To mark the beginning of this new blog I feel compelled to talk about my absolute favorite character in this entire series…Usopp a.k.a. Sniper King a.k.a. God Usopp a.k.a. Long-Nose (by Robin) a.k.a. the Sniper of the Strawhat Crew a.k.a. Usopp, A Brave Warrior of the SeaFor people who know me, this answer is obvious. I grew up playing Mario games and my favorite character has and always will be Luigi. From his bombastic personality in the Mario & Luigi series to the timid yet intrepid ghost hunter in Luigi's Mansion, Luigi really shaped what I like in a character so Usopp was love at first sight.
I love the trope of the brave yet cowardly character. It really just speaks to me as a person who has always been a coward, but still tries to be a better me, so the story of Usopp really spoke to me and has given me courage to push myself.
Beyond that Usopp also has great dynamics with the crew: Luffy, Chopper, and him always playing around and having a good time, the brotherly bond he and Franky share, the always hilarious pairing of him and Nami whose antics are just an absolute highlight whenever they happen, Robin taking every moment to scare the shit out of Usopp, and Sanji and Usopp's relationship is a big part of Water 7/Eneis Lobby as Sanji tries to help Usopp believe in himself as they both share similar feelings of wanting to be more for the crew. Usopp really is the heart of the crew in a way, and him being the coward he is serves as a good balance in a crew of idiots ready to dive in head first.
There's also his fighting style which is a mix of sharp-shooting and looney tunes hjinxs, that keep you on your toes whenever Usopp is matched up against an opponent. At first I wasn't a big fan of the Perona and Sugar fights because I wanted a badass Usopp, but after sitting on it I wouldn't have it any other way. There's also Usopp weapon of choice, a slingshot, in a world where guns are a tool used to oppress having the sniper of the Strawhats carry around a slingshot, a toy turned into a legitimate threat, really speaks to how different the Strawhats are. Pop Greens are a really fun idea, but Oda hasn't really used them to same extent as on Fishman Island, so I don't have much to say except that Bomb Grass did blow Gunko's body clean in half during Elbaph, so they're not useless as I've heard others claim.
Before I wrap this up, some of you might want to hear me talk about Sniper King but that's literally not Usopp????????? It's his friend from Sniper Island who is the King of the Snipers that came to help the Strawhats while Usopp was back in Water 7. Why would I talk about him on an Usopp post?