Many Fans Are Unhappy With How Oda Uses Women As "Stepping Stones" For Male Characters
In the midst of all the excitement surrounding One Piece’s latest reveals, a growing part of the fandom is raising a serious concern about Eiichiro Oda’s writing: the way women are used as “stepping stones” for male characters. According to these fans, major female characters are too often put through intense suffering, sacrifice, or tragedy primarily to fuel the emotional growth, motivation, or power-ups of men, rather than being allowed to complete fully realized arcs of their own. It’s a criticism that isn’t entirely new, but the current storyline has brought it back into sharp focus.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu — creating a flashback that feels more like a grand historical epic than a side story. The arc dives deep into the power struggles that shaped the modern world of One Piece, revealing long-hidden secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the early days of piracy. For many, it’s a rare glimpse into the “true history” of the world, something fans have been waiting for since the manga’s earliest chapters.
But alongside the hype, some readers are pointing out how the women tied to these events often seem to exist mainly to push male legends forward. Tragic fates, sacrifices, and brutal consequences for female characters are frequently framed as the emotional fuel that drives men like Garp, Dragon, Kuma, or even future generations into action. This has led to heated debate: is Oda simply showing the cruelty of his world, or falling into a pattern where women suffer so men can grow?
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
Surprisingly, many readers say they don’t want to go back to the Straw Hat Pirates just yet. Social media platforms are full of fans expressing that this arc feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years — with its dark tone, intense storytelling, and lore-heavy revelations. While Luffy and his crew are the heart of the series, the God Valley storyline offers something entirely different: a look at the legends and events that shaped everything we know. One fan summed it up best on X (formerly Twitter): “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” The sentiment highlights a unique moment in the fandom, where the past has become more captivating than the present adventure.
At the same time, discussions about the Straw Hats themselves often circle back to the same criticism: fans feel that characters like Nami, Robin, and even Vivi or Boa Hancock have some of the strongest foundations in the series, yet are still occasionally sidelined or used as catalysts for Luffy’s development or the crew’s resolve. When a woman is kidnapped, injured, humiliated, or stripped of agency, it’s usually Luffy or another male character who gets the big spotlight moment of righteous anger and growth. For many fans, it’s not that those scenes shouldn’t exist — it’s that women deserve equally powerful payoffs that belong to them, not just to the men fighting for them.
How “Stepping Stone” Moments Sparked a Wider Debate
The phrase “stepping stones” has become a kind of shorthand in the community to describe arcs where a woman’s pain feels like a narrative tool. Fans point to repeated patterns: a woman endures a brutal backstory so a male character’s conviction looks stronger, a female ally is sacrificed so a male mentor or captain can have a legendary moment, or a romantic interest’s suffering is used to show how serious a villain is before the real fight begins.
None of this means Oda can’t write great female characters — in fact, that’s part of why the debate is so intense. Nami’s trauma in Arlong Park, Robin’s longing for the right to “live,” and Hancock’s complicated pride and vulnerability are all beloved and iconic. The frustration comes from the feeling that too often, once their pain has served its purpose in the story, their future growth is limited, while male characters continue to stack up new milestones, fights, and transformations.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling – And a Call for Better Representation
The enthusiasm surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius as a storyteller. After more than two decades, he continues to surprise fans by revealing layers of history that connect generations of pirates, marines, and rulers. The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scope have reminded readers of One Piece’s golden era — a blend of mystery, world-building, and drama that few series can match.
At the same time, the criticism about how women are used in the story shows how passionate and attentive the fandom has become. Fans aren’t rejecting One Piece; they’re asking it to live up to its own potential. Many argue that if Oda can craft such intricate political structures, heartbreaking backstories, and legendary battles, he can also give his female characters more agency, fights, victories, and resolutions that don’t hinge only on how they impact men.
Whether the flashback ends soon or continues, the God Valley saga has already cemented itself as one of the most powerful and defining chapters in the series’ history. For a growing group of readers, the hope is that as One Piece races toward its final act, its women will be allowed to stand as legends in their own right — not just as the stepping stones that helped others get there.
