People have actually been discussing Sanji’s lack of self-worth and self-destructive tendencies for years. Here are a few examples:
Exhibit A: Arlong Park Forums (2016), reckless fighting, self-sacrifice and disregard for his own life.
https://forums.arlongpark.net/topic/40052/chapter-844-luffy-vs-sanji/292
Exhibit B: Arlong Park Forums (2019), Sanji’s tendency to resign himself to death without fighting back.
https://forums.arlongpark.net/topic/29711/theories-that-don-t-deserve-their-own-thread-v-2/12776
Exhibit C: Arlong Park Forums (2019), childhood trauma, self-hatred and unrealized potential.
https://forums.arlongpark.net/topic/29711/theories-that-don-t-deserve-their-own-thread-v-2/12798
Exhibit D: Reddit (2020), self-destructive behavior stemming from childhood abuse.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/comments/gzv5r3
Exhibit E: Crunchyroll (2021), self-worth and repeated attempts at self-sacrifice.
https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/fe...rful-meaning-behind-sanjis-hands-in-one-piece
Exhibit F: Reddit (2021), conditional love, low self-esteem and difficulty accepting help.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/comments/ovyrln
Exhibit G: Reddit (2022), in-depth analysis of Sanji’s self-sacrificial nature.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/comments/uox0vh
Exhibit H: Reddit (2023), discussion of his self-worth and repeated willingness to die.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/comments/12605wh
Exhibit I: Japanese fandom (2024), a 200+ page study dedicated to understanding Sanji’s self-sacrificial behavior.
https://note.com/swim_think/n/ne68d86b013fa
Exhibit J: Reddit (June 2026), Sanji’s character arc revolving around self-worth rather than strength.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/comments/1uf7a0n
The specific connection to his fighting style might be new, but the underlying characterization has been discussed for years.