Speculations How Much Has Oda Deviated?

[Blazing Lion]

We have heard that Oda has had the ending of OP decided upon from very early probably since the manga started. And we also have him saying that he creates stories for character designs and then just fits the characters into the story how he wants. This leads us to believe that there are some core characters that were designed and had a role set in the story from the beginning while there are others who just got shoved in the story because liked his own created design. We also know that characters that were not originally planned grew into more important role in the story. For example, the SNs are supposed to be a late edition, Kid was supposed to be one already planned but the rest were created later. Of all the SN we have had everybody play a role in the story to varying degrees of importance and Law has probably grown into one of the most central figures in the story from him randomly going to MF and saving Luffy to the whole Yonko saga. Bonney with the Nika shit seems to be relevant for times to come.

Then we also have things like Crocodile being introduced and defeated too early, the Warlords not being a thing from the start. And post Wano being called to where the real story starts. This leads to a quite a few questions:
1. How much has Oda deviated from the original plan?
2. Which characters were core/originally planned and which were not?
3. Which characters are important (regardless of when they were conceptualized)?
4. Which parts of the story are integral to the actual real story and which is just irrelevant?
5. Which character groups are fillers?

My personal opinion to the above is that:
1. The blueprint, the main concept is still there, but Oda will or has deviated from it or will deviate from it a little because of the story going on for much longer than he anticipated (his timeline towards ending is shit).
2. We know the Marines and Yonkos were part of the main thing, idk which Admirals though, Warlords not so much because they are abolished, SNs too are in the end side characters. Gorosei and Imu and Dragon and RA were always part of the story. Holy Knights are I think just addons.
3. Law, Bonney, new Admirals (idk if they were part of the original concept).
4. Long Ring Long Island is an example of an irrelevant arc imo. Wano seems pretty important though idk what the original plan was. Alabasta, Skypeia, TB, Egghead, Elbaf, MF saga are important ones imo. Yeah I know W7 and EL was pretty dope but how much relevant is it now (apart from crew members Robin, Usopp, Franky and Sunny). But again this is just personal opinion and pretty subjective and I dont remember much of those arcs. Wano, Skypeia, Alabasta, Egghead are tied to the history, Elbaf probably too. @Salah WG has me convinced that TB will serve as sort of a blueprint for the final saga, MF is MF. WCI and Zou are just there for the poneglyphs, FI has more ties to endgame (even though I hate it).
5. Scabbards, SNs, Holy Knights, CP0-9 (pretty cool but might be wrong), Warlords (important ones converged into Yonko).

 

[Salah WG]

East Blue Saga was always Planned imo
So you only need to check the Type of Roles that existed in this Saga to determine which Characters were always Planned

For example, First Arc was against Morgan (Villain obsessed with Power), followed by Arc against Buggy (Villain obsessed with Wealth), followed by Kuro (Villain obsessed with Fame)

So for Starters, Oda always planned for One Piece to have a Final "Power" Villain, Final "Wealth" Villain & Final "Fame" Villain
Kaidou was clearly our First Guy, WG Villain is also our Second Guy & Final Villain is Third, imo these Three were always Planned

In each of those Arcs, We had a Character who is Inspired by SHs to learn True Value of those Three (Power, Wealth, Fame)
They were Koby, Chouchou & Kaya

Koby learned that True Power comes from your Will
Chouchou learned that True Wealth can be anything that you Treasure
And Kaya learned that True Fame comes from your Dream

This is why Luffy is Next Pirate King, cuz it's Revealed that He has Will of D., his Treasure is Straw Hat & He has a Secret Dream
He shares all these Three with Roger (His Will, Treasure & Dream = Power, Wealth & Fame)

So this means, an Endgame Version of Koby, Chouchou & Kaya were always Planned
Momo was the First, Second and Third One are still a Mystery

We also had that Secondary Villain who tried to kill these Three, Helmeppo almost Killed Koby, Mohji almost Killed Chouchou & Jango almost Killed Kaya. That means Oda always planned Kaidou to have Orochi (Endgame Helmeppo) & there is an Endgame Mohji & Jango

There is that Leader Figure as well represented by Ripper, Boodle & Merry whose Role is to replace the Villains after They are Defeated
And ofc the Opponents of Zoro & other SHs ... etc

So just look at the Roles that Oda needed to create his Arcs & whoever fills those Roles in Final Arcs has always been Planned, it's that simple.

 

[nik87]

1. How much has Oda deviated from the original plan?

A lot, everything between the end of Alabasta and the end of Wano seems like expansion due to popularity.
However, the expansion in the middle doesn't change the beginning and the end.

2. Which characters were core/originally planned and which were not?

All current big shots in the end game were probably already in plan, Kaido probably too.
Not sure about others, WBPs and Oden probably weren't. Big Mom Pirates weren't either.
Warlords except Croc, Mihawk and Jinbe weren't.

3. Which characters are important (regardless of when they were conceptualized)?

East Blue trio are the most important.
Mihawk - individual dream.
Shanks - crew dream.
Dragon - world dream.
Add Imu, Blackbeard and the suspected final villain.

4. Which parts of the story are integral to the actual real story and which is just irrelevant?

East Blue matters.
Alabasta doesn't but it gives us a sneak peek of Void Century.
Egghead doesn't matter despite being in the final saga.
Elbaf, if not a place of huge Yonko/WG conflict also wont matter.

5. Which character groups are fillers?

Majority of those we saw until now, unless they have crucial roles in future.

 

[Albino 👑]

 

[Garp the Fist]

We can never really answer this because the series has been going on for so long and Oda’s plans can change from day to day. Even after one year of serialisation, which is around the time of Zoro vs Mihawk, we know that the “five year plan” had already changed, because that had involved the Strawhats all being together by that point. Instead there was only four of them, with Sanji yet to join.

So he has deviated massively, because a five year series (where remember, Oda was originally just a well thought of newbie author hoping that the series didn’t get axed after about 14 weeks) is now a thirty year one.

From the Strawhats alone, I think Oda has always known how to accomplish their dreams, which is how he can say he’s always known the ending. Even the Strawhats who changed a lot from concept to when they were introduced, we can still see the traces of to say their dream would have been there.

The only characters I would say have been there from the beginning would be

The Strawhats (in various guises)
Shanks, Coby, Buggy, Mihawk, Garp, Dragon, Blackbeard, Roger, Ray, Blackbeard (all appear in East Blue, Blackbeard with a different design)
Some version of the Yonko and Imu/Gorosei
Some version of Admirals and Fleet Admirals

Luffy‘s dream and the D in his name imply that the main plot was always there in some form, which is why Imu/the Gorosei were probably always there

It was set up early that Garp was a vice admiral, so I think it’s fair to say Oda would have had some plans for leadership above him.

Oda’s said the series was always about going against the Yonko, so they would be there in some form.

But more specific is very difficult to say. Take Doflamingo and what we know about things that were and were not planned and are related to him.

-he was meant to be on Wano
-the Warlords were a late addition
-the Supernovas were unplanned
-the Yonko were planned

So, when Oda said Doffy was meant to be on Wano, does that mean way back at the beginning Oda had a plan for an arc with Kaido as one of the Yonko, and that he would have a strong ally that was or became Doflamingo?

Or did he mean when he was making the Warlords a year or more into serialisation?

Was it after he came up with Law, who he was then going to tie heavily to Doflamingo? When was that decision made? I presume early given the jolly rogers.

And when did Oda change his mind about Doflaminho on Wano?

 

[NikaInParis]

We have heard that Oda has had the ending of OP decided upon from very early probably since the manga started. And we also have him saying that he creates stories for character designs and then just fits the characters into the story how he wants. This leads us to believe that there are some core characters that were designed and had a role set in the story from the beginning while there are others who just got shoved in the story because liked his own created design. We also know that characters that were not originally planned grew into more important role in the story. For example, the SNs are supposed to be a late edition, Kid was supposed to be one already planned but the rest were created later. Of all the SN we have had everybody play a role in the story to varying degrees of importance and Law has probably grown into one of the most central figures in the story from him randomly going to MF and saving Luffy to the whole Yonko saga. Bonney with the Nika shit seems to be relevant for times to come.

Then we also have things like Crocodile being introduced and defeated too early, the Warlords not being a thing from the start. And post Wano being called to where the real story starts. This leads to a quite a few questions:
1. How much has Oda deviated from the original plan?
2. Which characters were core/originally planned and which were not?
3. Which characters are important (regardless of when they were conceptualized)?
4. Which parts of the story are integral to the actual real story and which is just irrelevant?
5. Which character groups are fillers?

My personal opinion to the above is that:
1. The blueprint, the main concept is still there, but Oda will or has deviated from it or will deviate from it a little because of the story going on for much longer than he anticipated (his timeline towards ending is shit).
2. We know the Marines and Yonkos were part of the main thing, idk which Admirals though, Warlords not so much because they are abolished, SNs too are in the end side characters. Gorosei and Imu and Dragon and RA were always part of the story. Holy Knights are I think just addons.
3. Law, Bonney, new Admirals (idk if they were part of the original concept).
4. Long Ring Long Island is an example of an irrelevant arc imo. Wano seems pretty important though idk what the original plan was. Alabasta, Skypeia, TB, Egghead, Elbaf, MF saga are important ones imo. Yeah I know W7 and EL was pretty dope but how much relevant is it now (apart from crew members Robin, Usopp, Franky and Sunny). But again this is just personal opinion and pretty subjective and I dont remember much of those arcs. Wano, Skypeia, Alabasta, Egghead are tied to the history, Elbaf probably too. @Salah WG has me convinced that TB will serve as sort of a blueprint for the final saga, MF is MF. WCI and Zou are just there for the poneglyphs, FI has more ties to endgame (even though I hate it).
5. Scabbards, SNs, Holy Knights, CP0-9 (pretty cool but might be wrong), Warlords (important ones converged into Yonko).

Oda is a gardener, akin to GRRM. The difference being Oda has actual deadlines he has to meet and thus the story will continue to be published no matter how much money he has until it is either done or he can't draw anymore.
The story grows in the telling and he puts in stuff he didn't think of before or stuff his editors tell him would be good to see (like the Supernova at Sabaody). Just by introducing them he gained 11 possible new arcs he can explore down the line if he wants to. Not that all of them are important but the possibility is there.
I still think he has the very very final stretch of the manga ironed out but the road we'll take to it has probably changed a dozen times throughout the years

 

[kekaro]

This got debunked the moment oda said the characters have their own life and the initial scope he had planned was expanded decades ago
Not even the ending statement is true. Oda said he always in mind the scene where the crew will find the one piece and what it will be. However we already begin the final arc with a secret dream of luffys that goes beyond that


Also oda already deviated in the first 2 years into the the manga, by introducing 7 warlords before the yonko. And we have also the concept stage drawings of One Piece, Romance Dawn, and Monsters where the yonko are not mentioned once. So this idea had a MAXIMUM amount of life of 2 years, probably shorter

ANY long time piece fiction, be it a series of books or a manga and so on changes because the author changes and gets older and like oda and many others said the characters get a life of their own. Thats why the cope theories based on the first 5 years of the manga never came true

You will always get a higher probability of where the manga goes and where the author minds its reading the last 5 year of chapters than the first



I don't even buy that the original scope of how the dreams of the SH will be fulfilled didn't change because if you buy the 5 year thing, this would mean most of their dreams would be fulfilled while they are still in east blue (remember oda RUSHED through east blue because he wanted the grandline entrance to be the 100th chapter, his own words)