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AlthoughOne Pieceis a generally lighthearted series, some moments are full of incredibly heart-wrenching moments. Between Nami’s heartbreaking plea for help in Arlong Park and Hirilurk’s inspiring speech about what it means to truly live, there are plenty of moments inOne Piecethat can drive even the most stone-faced fans to tears. There are so many characters inOne Piecethat deserve more than the tragic lives they live, and many fans hope for a happy ending by the end of the series.
One character, in particular, is often overlooked by fans despite going through more suffering than many other characters in the series. This member of the Big Mom Pirates, Brûlée suffered greatly throughout the entirety ofOne Piece’sWhole Cake Island Arc. However, throughout most of the arc, the character is viewed simply as a minor antagonist who’s simply around for comedic value. However, by the end of the arc, most fans agree that Brûlée didn’t deserve the pain she endured, both in the arc and in her past.
Brûlée Is A Minor Antagonist Of Whole Cake Island In One Piece
The Charlotte Family Member Is There As A Plot Device And For Comedic Value
First introduced inOne Pieceduring the Whole Cake Island Arc, Brûlée is the 19th child of the Charlotte Family and a member of the Big Mom Pirates. Possessing the Mirror-Mirror Fruit, Brûlée has access to a dimension that links the mirrors around Totto Land. Due to this,while on Whole Cake Island, Luffy ends up kidnapping Brûlée, using her abilities to his advantage multiple times in the arc. Of course, this kidnapping is played for comedic value, with Luffy and Brûlée bickering over abducting her, and her unwillingness to help the Straw Hat pirate.
Thank you, Branch! - Luffy using his nickname for Brûlée
However, after Luffy defeats Katkuri, it is later revealed that there is more to Brûlée than most fans had anticipated. As children, the Charlotte family wasn’t in the greatest standing throughouttheOne Pieceworld. A group of bullies, who Katakuri had beaten up for insulting him earlier, took revenge by cutting Brûlée’s face. This enraged Katakuri, who then attacked them again, leading him to cover his face to not call negative attention to the family again.
Brûlée’s Backstory Made It Easy To Empathize With Her
This moment was enough to help fans empathize withtheOne Piecevillain, showing that Brûlée and many members of the Charlotte Family are more human than they originally anticipated. At the beginning of the arc, it was funny to watch Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew torment Brûlée since she was a villain of the series. In fact, the character looks like a stereotypical witch, who even tried to boil and eat Carrot.
However, after seeing the emotional relationship that she has with her brother, one that echoesthe relationship between the Straw Hat Crew, or even Ace and Luffy, all of Brûlée’s suffering on Whole Cake Island is entirely recontextualized. Rather than Brûlée’s utmost confidence in her brother that she shares with Luffy feeling like a prideful boast, after seeing her history with her family, these moments feel more like Brûlée looking up to someone who makes her feel safe in the dangerousOne Pieceworld. Due to this, the moments that were once funny now feel a bit like tormenting an undeserving character.
Brûlée Was Innocent Compared To Other Characters
Seeing Brûlée Suffer As A Child Was Heartbreaking
At the same time, the moment where Brûlée is cut as a child is an incredibly emotional moment forthe relatively smallOne Piececharacter. Seeing a young Brûlée attempting to shrug off a fairly serious wound, in order to protect her brother from thinking it was his fault, is extremely admirable. In many ways, Brûlée was the only innocent person in the situation.
It doesn’t hurt at all. - Brûlée as a child to Katakuri
Although she wasan antagonist inOne Piece, Brûlée definitely didn’t deserve to suffer the way she did. Being a relatively caring person when it comes to her family, Brûlée feels more human than most villains in the show. At the same time, the character was relatively innocent, especially as a child, and helped Luffy on hisOne Piecejourney more than hurt.
