Powers & Abilities Haki: A Bad Power System?

[SunnySapphire]

Sorry if this isn't formatted correctly but I've been having this thought that I'd want to dump somewhere given how unsure I am about it.

I used to really enjoy Haki as a power system, in fact some part of me still really does! It's got such an "aura" to it that a portion of me nods it's head to with absolutely no issue.
But as I've thought on it more, I've been looking back on things and realizing how DragonBall-esque things were in the fights that utilize it?
Not only does it make fights lean much more onto raw strength than they typically used to (not to say they never had that as an aspect to them), it's also pretty poorly explained at times?
So many arguments about who does or doesn't use ACoC for instance, because the visual language of it is so confusing and odd. I also feel that Conqueror’s is just a poorly thought out ability for a narrative in general, especially in the same series that showed Luffy destroying armies all on his own with no issue before ever even learning it existed (Enies Lobby).

So I want to ask: what do people think about Haki? Am I just going crazy or is it reasonable to be getting this disillusioned with it?

 

[JoNdule]

You're not crazy
Most of us here realised that haki is a bad system which Oda purposely leaves it ambiguous and doesn't establish everything fully cause he knows he won't be able to explain future bs he creates in the future

 

[Steven]

Oda makes new haki forms on the fly.

The system was fine at Post-TS but now its here to fix anything

 

[moreha9685]

Oda makes new haki forms on the fly.

The system was fine at Post-TS but now its here to fix anything

We are not ready for when haki is revealed to be the main ingredient of DFs.

 

[vikas]

There is no power system

 

[SunnySapphire]

Oda makes new haki forms on the fly.

The system was fine at Post-TS but now its here to fix anything

I really feel like maybe if Haki was more "spread out" it could have been a healthier system. Not entirely without flaw but a bit healthier?

Top-tiers needing to have EVERY form of haki, and mastered at that, really makes everyone feel samey besides Devil Fruit window dressing. Maybe some people could just straight up not have Observstion, or others have no Armament, so it requires specialization and role diversity. People doing recon with Obs. while people with Armament elicit feelings of 'oh fuck there's someone really dangerous'.
Instead we have people who have all of the skill trees unlocked at once and maxed out on all ends (yet for some reason surprise attacks or sneaks still happen because I guess Observation Haki isn't conducive to certain plot beats. I guess.)

 

[RiShin]

It is a bad power system because we know people have different versions of CoO but we don't know why. For example Usopp version of CoO is different from Luffy.

Also we don't know when a person is really using CoO to dodge because people reaction speed is already superhuman..

 

[Djordje]

I don't like the system at all.

- Free out of jail card against devil fruits now.

- All confusion if acoc was used or not

- No way to tell if swordsman is using haki with his attacks.

- No way to measure or compare strength of individuals Haki

- Impossible to tell if future sight was used unless Oda directly mentions it.

- Nothing unique and versatile like devil fruits just boring source of power available to everyone.

 

[gz89]

Haki as a power system is not bad, it's Oda's execution that sucks.

Too many next level Haki, too many lightnings etc etc
The reader is not supposed to find the difference between lightnings and sound effects, it's ridiculous.

 

[MonsterKaido]

The thing is oda simply creates and adds things with haki as the series progress. I mean why in the world characters like doffy or Kata won't have barrier coa when someone like sentomaru can?

Then add to new confusion of adv coc usage. Lots of times there is no way to tell if an adv coc user is using it or not prime example being luffy throughout egghead.

 

[Blax Blah]

I really feel like maybe if Haki was more "spread out" it could have been a healthier system. Not entirely without flaw but a bit healthier?

Top-tiers needing to have EVERY form of haki, and mastered at that, really makes everyone feel samey besides Devil Fruit window dressing. Maybe some people could just straight up not have Observstion, or others have no Armament, so it requires specialization and role diversity. People doing recon with Obs. while people with Armament elicit feelings of 'oh fuck there's someone really dangerous'.
Instead we have people who have all of the skill trees unlocked at once and maxed out on all ends (yet for some reason surprise attacks or sneaks still happen because I guess Observation Haki isn't conducive to certain plot beats. I guess.)

I think that the idea of someone strong needing to have all forms of haki is a fan made opinion, in my opinion haki is like ki, someone with invisible armament haki and nothing else can beat anybody, if they train it to be strong enough,

 

[Cherry Hilk]

One of the worst power systems I have ever seen in a comic, horribly written from the beginning to the end, if:
- in the majority of the fight is not even clear what haki are the character using.
- Two of those are basically indistinguishable (advanced CoC and advanced CoA)
- Character need to suddenly become retards and forget to use it when they should (I’m looking at you CoO) or for whatever nonsensical reason they don’t (I’m looking at you CoC in BM vs Kid and Law)
It means that whoever created it made a freaking awful job.

 

[Malio]

Wouldn't say it's bad, it's Oda not fully explaining it, because he intends to keep adding new categories to it.

 

[The DevilMaster]

He leaves it open without fully explaining it, so he always has an alternative to fall back on instead of being more creative or exploring something already established. He just keeps feeding this thing and making it even bigger.

Example: Why didn’t Luffy die to X? What happened? Oda goes and creates a new type of Haki or a new application, etc.

If you want to look at something well-established and monstrous, look at Kaido. I’m amazed that Oda created such a strong character.

You know, all power scalers are aware that One Piece is an inconsistent mess that doesn’t make sense to scale.


For example, when Kaido used Future Sight (FS) against Snakeman, that’s the only instance we have of him using it. We can't actually conclude that he kept using it throughout the entire fight.

• One confirmation =/= multiple confirmations.

 

[MonochromeYoru]

You're not haki

Dammit. I thought I was a haki

 

[Toryu]

Cheap ass power system, Oda don't explain to he can do whatever he wants with it.

ACOC being just turbo COA

Inconsistency of when characters are using haki or not

Haki came because Oda needed to deal with the overpowered fruits, but he went too far with it

We put much more time thinking about Haki than Oda will ever care

 

[JoNdule]

Dammit. I thought I was a haki

Typo mistake lol
I was saying he's not crazy

 

[BoaHancocksHusband]

Haki was good before Katakuri

Post automatically merged: Oct 24, 2024

Katakuri ruined Haki and Oda knows it

 

[NicoRobinIsQueen]

It’s not bad, it’s just not clear if someone is using it. With other anime’s such as dragon ball and hxh it’s obvious when someone is using it. Also all this advanced stuff is confusing, like I get the branches, but no advanced. Instead of advanced it should be like skill level branches in a video game (such as the game forspoken). As you train you continue building on your haki, branching it out into different trees for the more advanced haki. Like for armnament, first could be hardening, then it depends on which haki would fit your fighting style, internal destruction, barrier, or some other new ones, and yes you can unlock others but that would cause you to further advance your haki until you get the best version, some new ultimate power that allows you to create black blades or weapons out of pure armnament haki, like powers ability from chainsaw man except instead of blood to create weapons you use haki.

 

[Dettles]

I'd put it on par with Ki from DB or Spiritual Energy from Bleach.