Eiichiro Oda learned the harsh way about how unnecessarily terrible Ace’s death was in One Piece.

SUMMARY

Eiichiro Oda knew of the popularity Portgas D. Ace had gained throughout the years.
Against his editor’s better judgement, Oda decided to kill off the character.

Eiichiro Oda has always been a master at making heartbreaking stories. Kuma, Jewelry Bonney, the Straw Hat Pirates, and sometimes even the villains get their saddest moments, making them more human. However, the one tale that stands out in One Piece is that of Portgas D. Ace. The moment he was introduced, he became a fan-favorite character, one that had an exponentially growing demand.
Portgas D. Ace from One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation
While his character grew in popularity, Oda seemed to have other plans for him. This caught the entire fandom off guard because no matter how much hope they kept in the mangaka, Ace was not to come back under any circumstances. This became worse when the manga chapter was later adapted into the series. However, Oda’s words changed things forever.

Eiichiro Oda’s Editor Was Against Ace’s Death

When Eiichiro Oda was first planning the Marineford arc, things were going in a smooth manner. Regarded as one of the best One Piece arcs, it had moments both thrilling and heartbreaking. Ever since Portgas D. Ace was introduced, fans had welcomed him with open arms. He was easily one of the top most popular characters if not the most for a brief time.
Portgas D. Ace Death | Credit: Toei Animation

Are you really gonna kill Ace? It isn’t a good idea.

When Ace’s story reached its conclusive ending, Oda had much to contemplate. People were begging him to spare the character’s life, letting go of the one fate that would have turned his tale into a tragic one. There seemed to be no exception to this desperation, including his editor.

As shared by Sandman on X, when the anime adaptation of that chapter came out, Oda revealed that his editor was hesitant about going forward with Ace’s death. His popularity wasn’t something that was common to come by or easy to achieve. So killing him off would have been a horrible risk.

Eiichiro Oda Made Things Worse

When the episode aired, Eiichiro Oda certainly had some things to state. While it is not uncommon to kill popular characters, the very act of doing so can get extremely controversial and if not treaded carefully, can lead to bigger backlash. In the wise words of Tatsuki Fujimoto, Kill your darlings.
Portgas D. Ace vs. Blackbeard | Credit: Toei Animation

I wonder why Ace had to be killed in such a harsh way.

Eiichiro Oda isn’t the first one to kill popular characters. Some of the most famous examples including Gojo Satoru, Light Yagami and L, Jiraiya, Kyojuro Rengoku, and many many more. The list is endless and it won’t get any shorter. So that begs the question, why did Oda in particular get so much hate?

When the episode came out, Oda commented on the fact that he couldn’t recall as to why Ace’s death had to be so brutal. While many had already been wondering if his death was necessary at all, his comment was only applying salt to a wound. The brutality and pain through which Ace went could have been avoided but the mangaka simply chose not to.