chopper one piece pre and post timeskip

Highlights

One Piece characters have tragic stories, but Tony Tony Chopper’s story is truly moving.
Chopper, born as a reindeer with notable defects, overcame ostracism and found true friendship in Dr. Hiriluk.
Chopper’s journey on Drum Island led him to fulfill his dream of becoming a pirate with a new family and friends.

One Piece is a series that knows tragic stories. Of the over 1000 characters introduced since the series began publication, some of them have had pasts that are truly heartwarming, as these characters have faced adversity from a very young age, and often, some characters don’t make it until they get a peaceful resolution in the end of your journey.

However, no backstory in One Piece has the same emotional impact as the Straw Hat crew’s resident doctor, Tony Tony Chopper.

Born as a reindeer with some notable defects, he spent his entire life being ostracized by most of the people he tried to befriend.

Although his story is one of tragedy, the ending is very beautiful, so let’s look at Chopper’s story and see how he got to where he is now.

Who is Tony Tony Chopper?

One Piece: Why Chopper's Story Is the Saddest in the Series

First appearance
One Piece Episode 81, “Are You Happy? The doctor who is called a witch!”

Premiere date
September 16, 2001

Story arc
Tambor Island Arch

Born in the icy biomes of Drum Island in the Grand Line, this adorable reindeer was born into a herd of few of her own kind.

However, due to the blue nose he was born with, he was always treated as an outcast, forced to travel alone at the back of the herd since he was a child, meaning that no other member of his herd ever cared for him in any way.

Furthermore, the rest of the reindeer also called him names and made fun of him to his face, which caused Chopper to always spend his time alone.

At some unspecified point, Chopper eventually ate the Hito Hito no Mi Devil Fruit – also known as the Human Human fruit.

This fruit had the power to make those who ate it more human-like and increase their intelligence to human levels. Essentially, this would hardly do anything for normal people.

I realized at that time that the reason I wanted to become human was that I really just wanted to have friends.

After eating the fruit, Chopper’s appearance changed and he also gained the ability to transform into other forms.

Because of this, he was completely kicked out of his fold, so he planned to go to the human villages where he felt he would be accepted.

In his human form, Chopper was excited to finally meet new people and finally be accepted for who he was, as he wanted to know the warmth of friendship above anything else.

However, due to his strange appearance, even in his human form, he was quickly labeled an outcast and a monster.

The people on Drum Island came to hate and fear someone who just wanted to be their friend, throwing rocks and weapons at him in an attempt to kill him or drive him away.

All this time, Chopper didn’t know what he had done wrong to deserve this kind of treatment from everyone, but he would remain in solitude for a while longer.

Come in or Dr.

One Piece: Why Chopper's Story Is the Saddest in the Series

Just as Chopper was more down on his luck than ever, he came across the crazy and eccentric Dr. Hiriluk. Hiriluk was much like Chopper, in the sense that he had been ostracized by everyone, being expelled for trying to cure people with his unorthodox medicinal procedures, which rarely worked, and made him a target for Wapol and his men.

Although the initial part of the encounter was shaky, as Chopper believed Hiriluk was just another person out to hurt him, the air turned funny when Hiriluk took off all his clothes in a freezing blizzard to tell the reindeer that he just wanted to heal. your injuries.

From there, the arc went on to show how Hiriluk managed to cure Chopper. For the first time in his life, Chopper had someone he could call a friend.

A man dies when he is forgotten!

The following year, the two were inseparable, as they lived and enjoyed many adventures together. However, Hiriluk reveals himself to be terminally ill, so he banishes Chopper in hopes of saving him from the sadness of seeing his only friend die.

However, Chopper would eventually return to Hiriluk’s life fighting tooth and nail to get a mushroom that was rumored to be the missing ingredient for Hiriluk’s cure-all medicine.

Hiriluk would thank Chopper for his efforts, but would later sacrifice himself in an attempt to rid Drum Island of King Wapol’s evil influence.

However, his sacrifice was in vain, as Chopper would witness the death of his best friend and not achieve what he set out to do. From here on, the reindeer would promise to keep Hiriluk’s memory alive by becoming a doctor under the tutelage of Dr.

A happy ending for Chopper

One Piece: Why Chopper's Story Is the Saddest in the Series

The final battle against Wapol and his henchmen at the end of the Drum Island arc remains one of the most thrilling conclusions of all time.

As the Straw Hats arrive on the island and free themselves from Wapol’s influence, they finally fight a final battle against the king outside his castle. As the villains mock Chopper, the reindeer exclaims that although he has no friends, he can still fight them alone.

Here, Luffy loudly proclaims to all who can hear that he is and always will be Chopper’s friend.

Not only does this combine the best of Luffy’s character traits of wanting to help those in need, but it also confirms to Chopper that even though Hiriluk is gone, he is lacking in friends.

From here, Chopper officially joins the Straw Hat pirates as their doctor, embarking on several adventures with his new family, who always make it clear that he will never be alone again.

Becoming a pirate brings Chopper full circle on Drum Island, as a previous conversation with Hiriluk revealed how it had always been Chopper’s dream to be a pirate.

So, your dreams come true by becoming a member of the Grand Line’s biggest crew and always being with your best friends.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

One Piece: Why Chopper's Story Is the Saddest in the SeriesOne Piece 

One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the Pirate King’s greatest treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king.

The manga’s popularity helped it grow into a larger media franchise, including an anime with over 1,000 episodes.