Is Luffy's fighting style bland?

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SupremeDragoon
There was a thread on the Soul Society thingy about Naruto and Ichigo's fighting style being bland and couple of people said that Luffy's fighting style was bland and all he has is punching/kicking. I think they also said that Naruto...has a better fighting style than Luffy.I was 0_o .... WTF! Is that true? IMO I think Luffy is the most creative and better fighter. Opinions please!
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Nephthys
Agreed. Luffy is constantly pulling out new, creative moves using his powers whereas Naruto and Ichigo just spam Rasengan and Getsuga Tensho constantly.

AuraAngel
Better fighter? Sure. But Naruto is more creative than him. Nothing against Luffy but there is only so many ways to be creative with being elastic. Naruto has clones and henge, which basically ensure he can be creative forever. That and Naruto's powerups tend to always allow for some creative boost(Sage Mode giving Naruto his first ranged attack and Frog Kata's and his KCM having chakra hands).

On the slipside, Luffy now has Haki, which allows him to be more creative. Wouldn't say he's more creative than Naruto though. Not yet.

Both are more creative and entertaining than Ichigo as a fighter. Hack and slash is basically his entire thing. If anyone can be called bland it would be him.

SupremeDragoon
Originally posted by Nephthys
Agreed. Luffy is constantly pulling out new, creative moves using his powers whereas Naruto and Ichigo just spam Rasengan and Getsuga Tensho constantly.

I agree!!!!! All they say is that He basically punch, kick, haki, Gears. Him making up different attacks are just the same attacks most times but different in size or shape or whatever.

But he is very versatile. He has the power of a devil's fruit and has created many attacks that are unique in its own way. Let's see, he has, Pistol, bazooka, Spear, Axe, Storm, Fireworks, Whip, rifle, Gattling, balloon, Bullet, Cannon, Rocket, Bow Gun, Tsuchi, kama or Sickle, ogama or Scythe, Bell, Windmill, Shield, Net, Stamp, Stamp gattling,marunoko or buzzsaw, Mikata Robo, rain and then a bunch of these moves can be used while Luffy is in Gear Second or Gear Third or using haki. FYI, all of the moves listed are all from the manga. The anime also has other moves but i won't list them. For naruto and ichigo... IDC.

AuraAngel
Well Ichigo only has one move that at one time came in two colors. But now I think he's back to one. Naruto has the following.

All Directions Shuriken
Big Ball Rasengan
Big Ball Spiralling Serial Zone Spheres (Manga only)
Clone Body Blow
Combination Transformation
Frog Kata
Frog Strike (Manga only)
Harem Technique
Mini-Rasenshuriken (Manga only)
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique
Negative Emotions Sensing
New Sexy Technique
One Thousand Years of Death
Planetary Rasengan (Manga only)
Rasengan
Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan
Sage Art: Many Ultra-Big Ball Spiralling Serial Spheres
Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan
Sage Mode
Sage Technique: Spiralling Serial Spheres
Sexy Technique
Shadow Clone Technique
Shadow Shuriken Technique
Spiralling Absorption Sphere (Manga only)
Spiralling Strife Spheres (Manga only)
Summoning Technique (Toads)
Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer Technique (Manga only)
Tailed Beast Ball (Manga only)
Tailed Beast Chakra Arms
Tailed Beast Rasengan
Tailed Beast Sonic Roar
Tailed Beast Sonic Roar
Torii Seal
Twin Rasengan (Manga only)
Typhoon Water Vortex Technique
Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan
Ultra-Many Spiralling Serial Spheres
Uzumaki Naruto Combo
Uzumaki Naruto Two Thousand Combo
Wind Release: Rasengan
Wind Release: Rasenshuriken

Of course, the question isn't really who has more abilities but who has the least bland fighting style. Subjective really but I go with Naruto.

Nephthys
Originally posted by AuraAngel
Better fighter? Sure. But Naruto is more creative than him. Nothing against Luffy but there is only so many ways to be creative with being elastic. Naruto has clones and henge, which basically ensure he can be creative forever. That and Naruto's powerups tend to always allow for some creative boost(Sage Mode giving Naruto his first ranged attack and Frog Kata's and his KCM having chakra hands).

On the slipside, Luffy now has Haki, which allows him to be more creative. Wouldn't say he's more creative than Naruto though. Not yet.

Both are more creative and entertaining than Ichigo as a fighter. Hack and slash is basically his entire thing. If anyone can be called bland it would be him.

Oh hell no. Naruto used to use clones creatively, he doesn't anymore of course, but even then Luffy far outstrips him. Luffy has dozens of attacks, as well as combos for using haki and gear 2nd and 3rd together. And if we're talking powerups then again, Luffy's powerups give him way more of a boost than Naruto's.

Naruto's big attacks are 'Rasengan', 'Really Big Rasengan' and 'Rasengan that he can throw.'

AuraAngel
Originally posted by Nephthys
Oh hell no. Naruto used to use clones creatively, he doesn't anymore of course, but even then Luffy far outstrips him. Luffy has dozens of attacks, as well as combos for using haki and gear 2nd and 3rd together. And if we're talking powerups then again, Luffy's powerups give him way more of a boost than Naruto's.

Naruto's big attacks are 'Rasengan', 'Really Big Rasengan' and 'Rasengan that he can throw.'

He recently just made a giant monster throw up by filling it up with clones. He also left one inside and did a short but effective plan to pwn Tobi. And having more attacks=/=more creative. And they don't actually.

Compared to Luffy, who's attacks go from Gomu Gomu Gatling to Really Fast! Gomu Gomu Gatling.

Of course, yeah this is all subjective. Just most Luffy fights feel the same to me. Sure, Luffy has a ton of moves that he makes up but they all effectively serve the same purpose. The difference between Axe and Bazooka is in the direction they hit the guy.

Which is not to say Luffy can't be creative. Using Haki to quickly get rid of a number of people, using water to defeat Crocodile, using random punches to get the better of Enel, using multiple shadows on Moriah, and the ice pole against the Admirals come to mind.

Nephthys
Originally posted by AuraAngel
He recently just made a giant monster throw up by filling it up with clones. He also left one inside and did a short but effective plan to pwn Tobi. And having more attacks=/=more creative. And they don't actually.

Compared to Luffy, who's attacks go from Gomu Gomu Gatling to Really Fast! Gomu Gomu Gatling.


Of course, yeah this is all subjective. Just most Luffy fights feel the same to me. Sure, Luffy has a ton of moves that he makes up but they all effectively serve the same purpose. The difference between Axe and Bazooka is in the direction they hit the guy.

Which is not to say Luffy can't be creative. Using Haki to quickly get rid of a number of people, using water to defeat Crocodile, using random punches to get the better of Enel, using multiple shadows on Moriah, and the ice pole against the Admirals come to mind.

It does imo, considering, as you yourself pointed out, how limited Luffy's powers are. All he can do is stretch, yet he's able to be creative enough to create scores of attacks based just off of that. He's able to manipulate his body in amazing ways like pumping blood faster to form gear 2nd or expanding a limb to create gear 3rd, all based just off of that one ability. Thats true creativity there.

Theres nothing more creative about Naruto using a bunch of different techniques than there is Luffy doing a bunch of different punches. Naruto was taught how to do all of those things, whereas Luffy just makes up these outlandish attacks as he goes.

AuraAngel
Originally posted by Nephthys
It does imo, considering, as you yourself pointed out, how limited Luffy's powers are. All he can do is stretch, yet he's able to be creative enough to create scores of attacks based just off of that. He's able to manipulate his body in amazing ways like pumping blood faster to form gear 2nd or expanding a limb to create gear 3rd, all based just off of that one ability. Thats true creativity there.

Theres nothing more creative about Naruto using a bunch of different techniques than there is Luffy doing a bunch of different punches. Naruto was taught how to do all of those things, whereas Luffy just makes up these outlandish attacks as he goes.

If you consider the differences between Pistol and Gatling all that creative, then I have to disagree. I think Luffy does have some creative moves(that rarely get used iirc) like Balloon and Net. But his best creative moments come from when he uses his body creatively(giggity), like when he filled himself with water or using his arm to pull his head out of the way of an attack.

But ultimately Luffy's fights will always end the same but more importantly always feel the same to me. And no, Luffy created the Gears for example offscreen. He says as much. And yeah, offscreen training is pretty terrible. So, given that, he makes them up offscreen more than at the moment(cept perhaps the Mizu Luffy/Shadow Luffy, which obviously can't be trained). And Naruto had to be creative to learn how to do several things dude, let's not get silly. Luffy gets points for being creative with the state of his body but think of how often Naruto would overcome something with creative use of his shadow clones.

I think the reason Luffy's fights feel samey to me probably has to do with the fact that he is always in the end just overpowering his opponent, either through sheer force or speed. Naruto often has to rely on more deception in his fights and often the goal isn't overpowering the opponent, more creating an opening.

Bentley
I say that Naruto fights tend to have more variety, but that doesn't really do wonders for Naruto's fighting style itself imo. He's not even the best user of tactics, deception and surprise, and many variations of his movements aren't that much better than Luffy's more random techniques.

Luffy's style is pretty creative and quite funny, he has several moments like using Aarlong's teeth, grabbing Mantra users and using weapons to fight in general. He however, keeps the same kind of violent/physical combat style, and you can actually say that most variations he uses are very incorporated into the same kind of fighting. He adapts quickly to situations, but he does rely consistently in his same strengths. Does that ability to take powerful enemies into his terrain means he's any less good? Hardly. You have seen him pulling much more versatile opponents into brawls in which he can actually win, that's a winning strategy since Luffy is a physical powerhouse. So why fix something that isn't broken? You cannot really hold against Luffy his ability to pull enemies into a situation in which he can overpower them. At most it would be his opponent's faults for falling into his taunts -Moria, Crocodile-, but there is nothing wrong with Liffy's style itself.

AuraAngel
Nah it works for him. But in the same vein, Ichigo's hack and slash also works for him. All three have fighting styles that work for them. Just if I was asked who had the most creative, it would be Naruto. Dunno if I'd call Luffy's bland but I think it can get old after a while. I mean, you just said his strategy was putting himself in a position to overpower them. I look at it like "If Luffy can hit you, he's not gonna stop hitting you until you're down or he's down. If he can't(Crocodile), he'll find a way to hit you and keep hitting you then." Sure he has a lot of creative ways to hit you but after a while I just get desensitized to it. I'm actually blanking on how his fight with Caesar went even though it literally just happened. Though oddly enough, not the Yeti Cool Brothers fight. Probably because I found it creative.

Naruto's fights basically all involve some strategy. Aim for the weak point or opening(Tobi, 3rd Raikage, Pain, Neji), using cheap attacks from behind(Zabuza, Kakuzu), and in general have a lot more memorable moments because of how they are deceptive. One could make the argument that his deception becomes predictable but even then I still remember it(and it's probably why one of the fights with the least tactics, Naruto vs Sasuke, is so memorable).

Q99
Originally posted by Nephthys
Agreed. Luffy is constantly pulling out new, creative moves using his powers whereas Naruto and Ichigo just spam Rasengan and Getsuga Tensho constantly.

? Ichigo sure, but Naruto uses misdirection regularly, comes up with new variants of his moves, and is the trickiest and most tactical fighter of the lot.

I think you're underestimating him a bit, he comes up with clever tricks and power usages a lot.



Naruto came up with most of his rasengan variants, and all usages of his chakra arms, on the fly.

The clone strategies are his too.

Consider the Pain fight- it was just one trick after another. Uses a thrown Rasenshuriken which looks like the trick- but the real trick is it suddenly expands. He uses rasengan to make a smoke screen, he gets eaten with one of the bodies by a toad so he can take it out in the dark, he lets one of them drain him, he uses shadow rasenshuriken against Deva... all in one battle.


Luffy may use a couple clever tricks in a fight, but he's never just rattled them out like that.



Gotta disagree there.

There was against 4-Tails, where he creativity used one of his clones being eaten to his advantage.

Or against Deva Pain, where he disguised them as rocks and used them to resist the push-back.


I say that Naruto fights tend to have more variety, but that doesn't really do wonders for Naruto's fighting style itself imo. He's not even the best user of tactics, deception and surprise, and many variations of his movements aren't that much better than Luffy's more random techniques.

One thing Naruto is very good at is making his opponent think he's using a different trick than he is, or one more trick than they think he is.

Bentley
Well, Naruto has definitively more trickyness into his style and he actually has a good variety of special moves in his weaponry. But his strongest suit is Talk-no-jutsu no matter what you say stick out tongue

Q99
Originally posted by Bentley
Well, Naruto has definitively more trickyness into his style and he actually has a good variety of special moves in his weaponry. But his strongest suit is Talk-no-jutsu no matter what you say stick out tongue

Agreed.

AuraAngel
Originally posted by Bentley
Well, Naruto has definitively more trickyness into his style and he actually has a good variety of special moves in his weaponry. But his strongest suit is Talk-no-jutsu no matter what you say stick out tongue

It's generally assumed by the greatest minds that talking is the best solution. awesome

dvampire
1. Pleasantly gentle or agreeable

socool8520
From what I have read, and mind you, that is only the first 150 chapters so far, Luffy doesn't seem to be that versatile. He does basically just kick and punch. not the he need to be that versatile as the elastic punches and kicks seem to do just fine against most of his enemies so far. Does it ever explain where his strength comes form?

Bentley
More or less, he trained before his East Blue saga, but that's about it.

Q99
Originally posted by socool8520
From what I have read, and mind you, that is only the first 150 chapters so far, Luffy doesn't seem to be that versatile. He does basically just kick and punch. not the he need to be that versatile as the elastic punches and kicks seem to do just fine against most of his enemies so far. Does it ever explain where his strength comes form?

Intense training, just like Zoro's.

socool8520
Originally posted by Q99
Intense training, just like Zoro's.

Hmmm..I guess I just haven't read about any of his training yet.

Q99
Originally posted by socool8520
Hmmm..I guess I just haven't read about any of his training yet.

Yea. One nice thing about OP is training is largely off-screen.

Even training that takes place during the story is glossed over.

Though we do eventually get some flashbacks as to his initial training.

AuraAngel
Originally posted by socool8520
Hmmm..I guess I just haven't read about any of his training yet.

You aren't either. The most we get from his childhood flashbacks consists of some hilariously abusive survival training and a few glimpses of him practicing his powers.

Luffy is just strong because most everyone in One Piece is strong. A character related to Luffy is the strongest character in the manga at the moment.

Originally posted by Q99
Yea. One nice thing about OP is training is largely off-screen.

Even training that takes place during the story is glossed over.


It works for a pacing I suppose, since it doesn't distract from the plot but honestly every time Luffy uses the Gears it bugs me. I really wish Oda would have just had him invent them on the fly(Like Mizu Luffy), rather than it being offscreen training. Offscreen training that I'll never see makes it all feel unearned. Unless it's a timeskip or in the case where the power just come naturally by instinct.

socool8520
Originally posted by AuraAngel
It works for a pacing I suppose, since it doesn't distract from the plot but honestly every time Luffy uses the Gears it bugs me. I really wish Oda would have just had him invent them on the fly(Like Mizu Luffy), rather than it being offscreen training. Offscreen training that I'll never see makes it all feel unearned. Unless it's a timeskip or in the case where the power just come naturally by instinct.

I agree. i like the way a lot of Naruto's training is shown on panel. It makes me believe he truly earned it. I feel the exact opposite about Sasuke, who just comes up with new stuff every time he's shown. Hell, even lesser characters like Lee, Neji, Hinata, and Tenten are shown training rigorously.

AuraAngel
In the case of Sasuke, it's instinctive. How does one go about training something while knowing every time you use it it makes you blind?

Trying to think of a good One Piece example of this. Luffy could stretch on instinct I guess but there really was no downside to practicing there.

socool8520
Originally posted by AuraAngel
In the case of Sasuke, it's instinctive. How does one go about training something while knowing every time you use it it makes you blind?

Trying to think of a good One Piece example of this. Luffy could stretch on instinct I guess but there really was no downside to practicing there.

It's not just the eye thing. It's everything. The lightning raiton, Kirin, etc. The only thing we have ever seen him train for was his giant fireball, and I respected the fact that his was better than Itachi's. He trained for it. We saw it. Everything else was just tacked on off-panel. Oh, and I guess that BS speed training that he obtained during the exams that made him comparable to lee.

AuraAngel
Originally posted by socool8520
It's not just the eye thing. It's everything. The lightning raiton, Kirin, etc. The only thing we have ever seen him train for was his giant fireball, and I respected the fact that his was better than Itachi's. He trained for it. We saw it. Everything else was just tacked on off-panel. Oh, and I guess that BS speed training that he obtained during the exams that made him comparable to lee.

That all occurred during a timeskip. There is no way that kind of training can be done on panel for everybody. Chidori was meant to be a surprise but I don't think anyone has ever had a problem with it. Copying Lee's speed? Well...yeah that was pretty freaking stupid. It kinda screws with the logic of the fights too since Naruto is later fighting on par with Sasuke though if the latter had Lee's speed it shouldn't have been much of a fight.

BloodRain
It would be sort of strange to watch the at-the-time antagonist going through a training sequence for a new technique.

Didn't copying Lee's speed put a strain on his body?

Q99
Originally posted by AuraAngel
That all occurred during a timeskip. There is no way that kind of training can be done on panel for everybody. Chidori was meant to be a surprise but I don't think anyone has ever had a problem with it. Copying Lee's speed? Well...yeah that was pretty freaking stupid. It kinda screws with the logic of the fights too since Naruto is later fighting on par with Sasuke though if the latter had Lee's speed it shouldn't have been much of a fight.

Well, Naruto's speed improved over time.

And I will note it's copying Lee's weighted speed, not his unweighted or gate speed (which is why Sasuke's post-speed training speed is 3.5 to Lee's 4.5).

AuraAngel
Originally posted by BloodRain
It would be sort of strange to watch the at-the-time antagonist going through a training sequence for a new technique.

Didn't copying Lee's speed put a strain on his body?

Indeed.

Apparently but I honestly can't remember if we were shown this or if it was a one off statement.

Originally posted by Q99
Well, Naruto's speed improved over time.

And I will note it's copying Lee's weighted speed, not his unweighted or gate speed (which is why Sasuke's post-speed training speed is 3.5 to Lee's 4.5).

No I remember them saying he was also moving as fast as Lee without the weights.

NemeBro
Originally posted by Q99
Well, Naruto's speed improved over time.

And I will note it's copying Lee's weighted speed, not his unweighted or gate speed (which is why Sasuke's post-speed training speed is 3.5 to Lee's 4.5). The manga specifically states it is Lee's unweighted speed.

And Lee was only a 4 back then.

Bentley
Originally posted by AuraAngel
Offscreen training that I'll never see makes it all feel unearned.

Just imagine Luffy got magic eyeballs off panel evil face

socool8520
Originally posted by Bentley
Just imagine Luffy got magic eyeballs off panel evil face

Sasuke's eyes were shown to develop on panel. big grin

AuraAngel
Originally posted by Bentley
Just imagine Luffy got magic eyeballs off panel evil face

You wanted to see the surgery?

T-Wrecks
"Is Luffy's fighting style bland?"

Ah, no =/ I mean, yeah it's all punching and kicking, but that's what all hand to hand combat is, are people expecting Luffy to shoot Kamehame beams or something? I actually think Luffy's style is incredibly clever and fun and that Oda really spiced up not only hand to hand, but stretching based combat (you want bland, watch Reed Richards fight with just his powers and not his giant brain). His move list is large and varied (unlike Naruto who used like 2 moves for the entire first half of the series) and for a while he never used the same finishing move in a row. His upgrade moves are interesting as well and you can tell Oda puts a lot of thought into combat. So, no I don't think Luffy's style is bland, his fashion sense could use some work though (pre-time skip anyway: a vest with no shirt underneath and shorts? He's a pair of suspenders and work boots away from being a FF7 character :P ).

socool8520
Originally posted by Bentley
Just imagine Luffy got magic eyeballs off panel evil face

Well that Haki eye thing is kinda like magic eyes. lol He can now make 50K people pass outwith a look. Hell, he could have run through the Zetsu fodder in naruto's great war arc in like 10 seconds. lol

cdtm
Originally posted by Q99


Gotta disagree there.

There was against 4-Tails, where he creativity used one of his clones being eaten to his advantage.

Or against Deva Pain, where he disguised them as rocks and used them to resist the push-back.

I liked how he got Obito by having Kakashi dimension dump his clone, than force Obito to flee to that dimension with a beast bomb, right into the waiting clones Rasengan.

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