Multiverse General How Would You Rank Naruto,Goku, and Luffy in Terms of Character writing?
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Goku changed and matured the most. Early DB to post-Kami training to Saiyan Saga to Buu Saga represent four distinct stages in his character development. What Super and the internet did to him is both a crime and highly non-canon.
Pre-TS Luffy is the most mature and nuanced of the three MCs, and he arrives on the paper already formed, an almost static character. The iconic moments with Nami and the strawhat, with Hiluluk's flag, with Gaimon's treasure chests show a very unique personality, less the shounen archetype and more a 3D person.
Naruto, too, has a full arc: from loud extrovert veering on bullism in search of attention, to someone accepting his burden and responsability (and turning more introverted and prone to anxiety attacks), and becoming a guardian of his people but always prioritizing pacifism (talk no jutsu).
Goku > pre-TS Luffy > Naruto
But if we are to consider current Luffy, then he falls in last place. Everything the Marineford Saga had going on for his character got flanderized during the early post-TS arcs, then completely shat on in Wano, Egghead (VP's dead body scene), and now in Elbaf with the hissy fits about Shanks being badmouthed.
Pre-TS Luffy is the most mature and nuanced of the three MCs, and he arrives on the paper already formed, an almost static character. The iconic moments with Nami and the strawhat, with Hiluluk's flag, with Gaimon's treasure chests show a very unique personality, less the shounen archetype and more a 3D person.
Naruto, too, has a full arc: from loud extrovert veering on bullism in search of attention, to someone accepting his burden and responsability (and turning more introverted and prone to anxiety attacks), and becoming a guardian of his people but always prioritizing pacifism (talk no jutsu).
Goku > pre-TS Luffy > Naruto
But if we are to consider current Luffy, then he falls in last place. Everything the Marineford Saga had going on for his character got flanderized during the early post-TS arcs, then completely shat on in Wano, Egghead (VP's dead body scene), and now in Elbaf with the hissy fits about Shanks being badmouthed.
Objectively, Goku learns something every arc and evolves as a person up to him admitting to being weaker than Perfect Cell and later being willing to gamble every human life on the hope represented by Goten and Trunks.
You can see Naruto grow from a kid to a teenager to a young adult throughout the narrative. He never stagnates, dattebayo bullshit notwithstanding.
But Luffy? Luffy was a perfect character from the get-go, who started to grow with the conflict surrounding the Going Merry in W7 and then with Ace's execution at the apex of the pre-ts.
Then he stopped growing.
Then he began regressing even, forgetting most of the lessons the first half of the Grand Line were focused around.
What Toei has been doing to Goku's character for these past 20 years, Oda himself has done to Luffy from the Yonko Saga onward.
You can see Naruto grow from a kid to a teenager to a young adult throughout the narrative. He never stagnates, dattebayo bullshit notwithstanding.
But Luffy? Luffy was a perfect character from the get-go, who started to grow with the conflict surrounding the Going Merry in W7 and then with Ace's execution at the apex of the pre-ts.
Then he stopped growing.
Then he began regressing even, forgetting most of the lessons the first half of the Grand Line were focused around.
What Toei has been doing to Goku's character for these past 20 years, Oda himself has done to Luffy from the Yonko Saga onward.
