The Hero’s Dilemma and The Illusion of Choice

“A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” – Aristotle

Whole Cake Island is in many ways a very personal arc for me. Ever since the announcement came about that it was going to be “The Year of Sanji” I was excited because it felt like we would finally get the answer to that one burning question: why does Sanji so strictly adhere to his “I won’t hit women” code?

Oda has always had a habit of introducing character quirks for the Strawhats and later using them as defining moments in their eventual backstories. We’ve seen it with Nami’s obsession with money, Usopp’s lying, and Robin’s nicknames. Sanji’s problems with women really came to the forefront back in Enies Lobby. In a battle where time was of the essence in a fight to save Robin, the love-struck chef was dicking around drinking tea with Kalifa and miserably failing to intimidate her into giving up her key. It was then he revealed that, even on the verge of death, he will not hit a woman. Ever since then it seems as though Oda relegated Sanji to the role of a gag character until the time was right to reveal his secondary backstory. Many years later we finally learned the reason behind Sanji’s “code”.

But should that be enough to make me dislike Sanji’s character? After all it’s only one character flaw among a host of other positives right? Well let’s dig a little deeper into that shall we. A couple of months ago I re-read the entire One Piece manga from start to finish and what struck me was how much more I liked Sanji in the beginning. He was a suave, charismatic, kind-hearted chef that occasionally forayed into espionage roles and he did it well. Around Enies Lobby his character started swaying more to the role of sex crazed pervert and all character growth seemed to stall. Much of my disappointment with “The Year of Sanji” stems from the backhanded explanation for his “code.” I am also disappointed with how Oda has presented us with the illusion of character growth and development, and it really stems from his misuse of what I like to call “The Hero’s Dilemma.”

It is one of the most prolific and valuable tools in a writer’s arsenal notable for its apparent simplicity. Essentially what it boils down to is this: the hero of any story must, at some point, face the choice to either change or die. The easiest way for the hero to be faced with a dilemma is to be confronted by a villain that possess two specific characteristics.

They must be powerful. As John Truby says in “The Anantomy of A Story”:

“Create an opponent…who is exceptionally good at attacking your hero’s greatest weakness”

To give you an example of this I would ask you to recall the interrogation scene from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the scene, Batman physically assaults the joker to try and get him to spit out the locations of Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes, but he is unable to do so. Neither intimidation or physical violence (two of Batman’s greatest weapons) are effective against the Joker because he doesn’t fear Batman. The only thing Batman could do to end his reign of terror is kill him and the Joker knows he won’t do that (hence Batman’s greatest weakness).

In the prelude to Whole Cake Island during the Zou arc Oda manages to set this up masterfully. Zou had just been ravaged by Jack’s forces and the Minks were in no condition to fight. Bege’s castle powers allowed him to outflank the Straw Hat’s and trap them in his “castle”. Sanji couldn’t refuse the wedding invitation because a) Capone was holding the other SH’s hostage and b) Vito whispered something to Sanji that caused him to grow pale and angry. This was the first step in forcing Sanji to at least go to Whole Cake Island and confront his family.

Step two takes place when they reach Whole Cake Island and, after a brief scuffle with his father, Sanji has exploding bomb cuffs locked onto his wrist. He is also told that should he attempt to flee or disrupt the wedding in any way, his father figure Zeff (whom Sanji literally owes his life to) would be killed. In a seemingly clever maneuver Oda manages to exploit two of Sanji’s greatest weaknesses (his love of cooking and Zeff) and in doing so sets up the scenario where the second characteristic comes into play.

Pressuring the Protagonist into difficult choices.

“TRUE CHARACTER is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure – the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character’s essential nature”

Throughout Whole Cake Island the decisions Sanji makes are pushing him down the path towards “death”. He is condemning himself to a lifetime of false happiness and misery in the mistaken belief that it is the best course of action. The moment a hero chooses death over change typically would be the moment when their story ends. But no path is ever set in stone and although Sanji may be walking down the path towards “death” that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t forks in the road. The first fork that Sanji comes to happened when he witnessed Pudding monologuing to Reiju about Big Mom’s plan to kill the Germa at the wedding (the Game of Thrones influence was strong on Oda). Thus we come to the tipping point of the arc and the moment at which Oda’s weaknesses as a storyteller become apparent.

Chapter 852: Germa’s failure was the point at which Whole Cake Island started becoming lacklustre. As a quick refresher this was the chapter in which Sanji reveals Pudding’s plans (and her memory powers) to Reiju and tells her that he’s conflicted because he doesn’t know what to do. Reiju then reveals that Sanji’s bomb cuffs are fake and that since Big Mom has no interest in Zeff, once Judge is dead, the threat to Baratie will be gone and Sanji can leave WCI without worrying.

I. Hate. This. Chapter. Oda had written himself into a catch-22 situation which meant that Sanji literally had no way of removing himself from the situation without an ex-machina scenario. He absolved Sanji of any responsibility and agency from the FIRST dilemma he faced regarding the cuffs and Zeff. He presented us with the illusion that Sanji would have to make a difficult choice and then he magicked himself out of the situation. Free from the restraints that kept him shackled to the island, Sanji goes to meet with Luffy so that we can set up the next “dilemma”.

At this point Sanji has a choice to make. He can either go and save his family from the wedding or he can leave the island. He admits that despite everything his family has done to him he still wants to save them. Given what we know of Sanji, the choice to abandon his family would signal his “death” because even though he would be “justified” in leaving them to their fate, as he later tells Judge, he couldn’t do it because he would feel like he was letting Zeff down.

This would have been an perfect moment except for one small detail. Remember chapter 852? Reiju reveals that she feels like she deserves death because Judge has “augmented” her and she cannot disobey him. She says that her hands are stained with blood and thus she too should be wiped out along with Germa. This is so problematic for reasons I won’t get into here, but I want to make it clear that this is another scenario where Oda presents us with the illusion that Sanji actually had a difficult choice to make. Why? There is no scenario in which deciding whether to rescue/abandon a “damsel in distress” would ever be a tough choice for Sanji. Given that Reiju was the only family that ever showed him an ounce of kindness or decency as child there was no way he was going to abandon her to her fate. Which brings me to the biggest failure of WCI and why I personally find this arc so lacklustre and disappointing: Sanji’s “chivalry”.

The Tragic Hero:

“A tragic hero is a person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. This person is fated by the Gods or by some supernatural force to doom and destruction or at least to great suffering. But the hero struggles mightily against this fate and this cosmic conflict wins our admiration. Because the tragic hero simply cannot accept a diminished view of the self and because of some personality flaw, the hero fails in this epic struggle against fate.” – Tragic Hero Definition

Whole Cake Island, more than any arc in One Piece, feels like the arc of some 1000 themes. Each time I sit down and consider the events that have and may possibly come to pass it appears a new one jumps out at me. But I’d like to focus specifically on two: Selfishness vs Selflessness and Heroes vs Villains.

With the help of an exceptional villain the Hero’s Dilemma is meant to force a hero to make a difficult decision that reveals their ESSENTIAL nature. Sanji’s actions in Whole Cake Island seem to be intended to give the reader the sense that his essential nature is that of selflessness. Oda has gone out of his way to remind us of this time and time again through various characters such as Reiju, Brook, and Luffy. Even the fans will be quick to point out how Sanji’s self-sacrificial nature has been alluded to by the events we see play out in his backstory (something to touch upon later). That being the case it becomes evident then that Judge, Big Mom, and Pudding are all meant to be contrasts to Sanji as most of their actions to date have been self-serving. In every arc the question is always brought up: who are the heroes and who are the villains? Given fan expectations that the Germa will be the “big bad” of the arc it then makes sense that Sanji will be the one to play the role of the hero. After all it is his arc. That being the case then the way this arc should play out is with Sanji’s selfless actions helping to redeem the villains and show them the error of their ways. Much like the comic, Sora Warrior of the Sea, it becomes a time-honored tale of good triumphant over evil. Case closed. However, much like the perceived simplistic nature of the Hero’s Dilemma, nothing is ever that black and white.

At their core human beings tend to be conflicted creatures. If I were to get philosophical I would liken it to the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang. Light and Dark. Good and Evil. Selfish and Selfless. Two sides of the same coin. And as much as Oda would like to have us believe that Sanji is a wholly selfless person that is far from the truth. Yes his actions on Whole Cake Island are somewhat selfless in that he is sacrificing his happiness to protect his friends and family. At the same time, he selfishly, foolishly, and somewhat arrogantly decided that he could solve every problem by himself and that the choices he made were not only the right ones but also the best ones. It’s assumed that this is the reason we’re supposed to believe that Pudding fell in love with him. Its also evident in his actions when saving Judge and his brothers from certain death and the reason he left Zou to protect the other SH’s. Oda has attempted to portray Sanji as a tragic hero but the singular area he’s failed in is in having him even consider or acknowledge that he has a fatal flaw. We’re supposed to assume that it is his kindness, but really that’s had the opposite effect where it’s dug him out of his terrible situation rather than condemning him to die for it. While the Germa and the others see it as a flaw, we are supposed to see it as a virtue. As I said, that has meant that Sanji really hasn’t changed/developed as as character. That being said there is still one fatal flaw Sanji has that remains to be exploited. But before we get into that permit me a brief digression.

I recently re-read Whole Cake Island to try and make sense of the mixed feelings I have towards the arc and there was one scene that jumped out at me. I’d heard several fans argue that Sanji’s actions on Whole Cake Island were motivated by self-esteem issues and at first I wanted to write them off because it was never something that’s been hinted at. Then something clicked.

As I’ve said this is a deeply personal arc in many ways. Especially because it deals with another important theme and that is the contrast between “good” parents and abusive ones. I live with a “Big Mom”. A person who is proud, arrogant, and forceful. Who believes that they knows the best for their children and that they has their best intentions in mind and thus they are the ones best equipped to make choices for them. As a shy child this meant I suffered from (and still do) massive self-esteem issues. I constantly had my flaws pointed out to me and was told that my work was never good enough and to do better. So trust me when I say I understand how Sanji felt under Judge’s displeasing gaze and how he always tried his best to impress him. I can also say that as a child like that you would do anything for validation. A kind word or gesture from anyone can mean more than words can say and so it makes sense why Sanji bonded so closely with Zeff. After living a life being told that you are worthless, having someone literally save your life by giving you food and learning that they chopped of their own leg so they could survive in turn is a singularly powerful expression of validation. So in some ways it makes sense why Sanji adheres so closely to the lessons that Zeff has taught him as problematic as they may be. But it’s problematic for other reasons.

When you’re a child it is your parent’s responsibility to teach you the difference between right and wrong so that you can establish your values. The easiest way to do that is to simply tell them “A is wrong, and B is right”. As much as its important to teach them WHAT is wrong it’s far more important to stress the WHY. And that is where Zeff’s teachings as a parent were woefully inadequate. So WHY does Sanji love women? Because of their strength? Resilience? Intelligence? Courage? Compassion? Or is his “love” for women driven by his lust because Sanji thinks with his dick? The problem with Sanji’s “respect” for women is the foundation for it is built on his respect for Zeff and nothing to do with his interactions with or relationship with women. He blindly follows and has internalized Zeff’s lessons because he desperately wants Zeff’s approval and validation because he’s Sanji’s hero.

When you’re a kid it’s easy to view the world in black and white. Stories like Sora Warrior of the Sea work so well because you know who the good guys and bad guys are and which side to root for. As an adult life is never that simple because you find the world is made up of shades of gray. So while Judge may be the “bad” guy and Zeff may be the “good guy” it’s hardly ever that simple. When we see father figures like Zeff or Garp abusing their children we laugh it off because of course its just “tough love” and we know they love their children so no harm done right? But as a child raised by parents who very strongly believed in “tough love,” I can tell you that its effects are harmful even if they leave no visible scars. It’s evident in how Zeff basically taught Sanji his lesson in chivalry by enforcing in him an idea that his worth as a man is determined by how he treats women. Oda likes to say that One Piece is a series about what it means to be a man, but he seems to be missing one of the key lessons that boys should be learning.

The basis for being a “TRUE” man lies in acknowledging and respecting others views and rights. That means things like respecting a woman’s rights to her body and not sexually assaulting her like Sanji did with Nami’s body on Punk Hazard. It means respecting their privacy by not trying to peep on them in the bath or revel in your dream of wanting to eat an invisible fruit so you can peep on them. Sanji needs to learn that he cannot take a “one size fits all” approach to women because by doing so he strips away their identity and uniqueness and reduces them to a shapeless mass.

Hero worshiping someone (like Sanji does with Zeff) can make you blind to their faults and mindlessly emulating them may lead you to hurt others whether knowingly or unknowingly. In Sanji’s case this is most evident during Enies Lobby where his refusal to harm Kalifa could have potentially put the rest of his crew in danger. Sanji is not perfect and he shouldn’t be held up as some paragon of virtue. He needs to learn from his mistakes and

grow and mold himself to become someone he would be proud of. He shouldn’t need Zeff’s approval to be a great man. He should be able to face him as a respectable peer. Sanji is not a kid anymore and so he needs to start acting like one and taking responsibility for his own actions. And he if claims to respect women that means he needs to start acknowledging that similarly they are responsible for their own deeds. Ill say it again, the purpose of the Hero’s Dilemma is to force a character to either change or die. I’d even go so far as to say the difference between a hero and a villian is that the former is able to acknowledge their weakness and learn and grow from it while the latter blames others for their own personal failings and refuses to accept responsibility for their actions. At it stands right now Sanji is standing at a crossroads where the choice he makes will determine how I feel about him going forward and it’ll also determine whether he really deserves to be seen as the hero he’s said to be. Oda has danced around the idea of forcing Sanji to be forced with a true dilemma that he can’t run away from or be magicked out of and time is running out in the arc. There is one final dilemma that Sanji could be faced with that will truly reveal his ESSENTIAL nature.

I have consistently stated/theorized that at some point during Whole Cake Island the cake Sanji/Pudding/Chiffon are baking for Big Mom will become poisoned. The two scenarios I imagine are either:

Judge would order Reiju to do it as revenge for BM’s betrayal of Germa. Since she has been augmented she can’t refuse his order and it would be easiest for her to get close to Sanji. Either Judge orders the cake to be destroyed (but doesn’t specify the manner) or Reiju takes the initiative herself to poison the cake

There are two codes that Sanji lives by: Food is important (and thus should never be wasted and anyone that is hungry should be fed) and never hit a woman. Throughout the series of One Piece Sanji has NEVER once held a woman responsible for her actions. He has always been willing to forgive them easily because he never doubts that they have had good intentions or have undertaken “evil” actions of their own free will. In fact all his previous interactions (Kalifa being the sole exception) this idea has been continually reinforced (see Robin in Water 7 and Violet in Dressrosa). So how will he react upon learning that a WOMAN POISONED a cake and thus ruined it? Especially if at least one of those women or the sole woman who undertakes the act is his sister.

Here is the scenario I imagine.

At some point Big Mom is going to eat a poisoned cake and start going on a rampage. She is already apparently losing weight and energy at an alarming rate and she will need to refuel on something soon. If she CANNOT eat that cake then there is only one other potential source of energy she can eat: Souls. BM is going to go on a rampage on WCI and she is going to be killing her children left and right and eating their souls if they DO NOT give her the cake. Sanji is going to confront Reiju and ask her why she poisoned the cake. Remember Chapter 852? It’s interesting to note that despite Reiju saying she CANNOT disobey Judge, she was able to switch out Sanji’s bomb cuffs for plain ones. So obviously there are loopholes around Judge’s “augmentation”. This means we could potentially face a scenario where Reiju had the CHOICE not to poison the cake but CHOSE that course of action. Sanji will then be forced to face the fact that his sister CHOSE to poison the cake because she didn’t believe in Sanji and she violated his CORE VALUE.

Now as much as I want Sanji to hit a woman during WCI I can acknowledge that it won’t happen. So, I want Sanji to pull back his fist or to at least ACT like he is going to hit Reiju. He’ll then stop and put it down and then coldly tell her that she is dead to him and he no longer considers her his sister before walking away. Here’s the kicker.

Above I suggested two potential scenarios that could potentially play out with the cake. In Scenario A Oda could once again give Sanji an easy out of the dilemma by having him place all the blame for the cake on Judge. But to me this would mean the death of Sanji’s character. Having him confront Reiju about the idea that she can choose her own fate and she should choose her own beliefs and values and not blindly follow orders should be a wake-up moment for Sanji. It should make him reconsider how he’s approached his “chivalry” and the lessons he’s learned from Zeff and how it makes him any better. He needs to make a moment towards deciding that he needs to stop looking for someone else’s approval and instead become a man he can be proud of. It would not only be an important moment for Sanji but also one for Pudding and Reiju as well. Both characters have absolved themselves of any responsibility for their own actions and by the end of the arc both of them need to acknowledge the consequences of their actions.

Sanji may have had good intentions but his actions on WCI will have led (at least temporarily) to him hurting his captain, hurting his crew, the (temporary) death of Pedro and the potential deaths of countless Charlotte family members and WCI citizens. Big Mom is also part of this but I think you get the point.

I think by now all One Piece fans can acknowledge that the cake is important but I don’t think they realize exactly how important it is. The actions Sanji takes upon learning what happened to the cake will show us his “essential nature”. It will also show us whether we’ve seen the limits of Oda’s storytelling. As they say, the proof is in the Pudding. Or at least the cake in this case.