From his debut in the anime’s first season and early manga chapters, Usopp has remained one of the series’ most popular characters. Remaining the loyal sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, he never abandons his teammates and his captain.
However, while he’s slowly become a more confident character, his cowardly nature hasn’t quite been crushed since 1999. Whether it’s battling dangerous monsters or simply exploring the unknown, Usopp has plenty of loose quotes to choose from.
His fear at Thriller Bark
“I’m going to turn into a zombie!”
During the Thriller Bark arc, the Straw Hats must retrieve their stolen shadows from Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Sea Lords. Although they have faced supernatural enemies, their efforts have paid off as they have gained a new crew member in the form of Brook, a walking and talking skeleton with a flair for music.
After arriving on the island of Thriller Bark, Usopp, Nami and Chopper encounter zombies. As all three express their fear of monsters, Usopp just can’t keep control and is the first of them to get captured.
Intelligence over bravery
“Of course it was wrong! I can’t lift five tons! I quit after five pounds!”
Throughout the series, Usopp has demonstrated his skills with all manner of weapons. From slingshots to hammers, he was able to get out of all sorts of situations thanks to his arsenal.
During the infamous Alabasta arc, Usopp’s five-ton hammer broke after his fight with Babe, turning out to be a fake. Although he is a quick thinker, his cowardice in battle has caused him to hold himself back from being a great fighter once in a while.
Her fear of Big Mom
“You think I don’t know an Emperor could wipe out all of us!?”
One of the Four Emperors who rule the New World, Big Mom is one of the main antagonists of A play in recent story arcs and one of the strongest to date. Both cunning and strong, she became filled with the desire to destroy the Straw Hat Pirates for getting in her way time and time again.
During an exchange with Jinbe, Usopp shows in a panel his fear for Big Mom and what she might do to them all. With series creator Eiichiro Oda’s calligraphy, he was able to express his frustration and fear for the character well in one drawing.
“Prove” he’s a straw hat
“I will hide !”
When the series started in the late 90s, Luffy slowly gained a handful of allies who would stick with him even a thousand episodes later. When there were only Luffy, Zoro, and Nami, Usopp would eventually become the fourth member to join the team.
Before officially joining the crew, one scene saw them swap what each can bring to an upcoming battle. Usopp being the coward he was back then, he responded by saying he would hide before the others expressed their frustration with him.
His fear of the unknown
” A monster ! No !
After a two-year time jump, Luffy reunited with his crew to continue their journey across the Seven Seas. One of the most iconic locations was Punk Hazard, an island engulfed in flames on one side and ice on the other.
While exploring the island, Usopp witnesses a harpy, who laughs as she stares at him intimidatingly. It also wasn’t the first of several monsters that would scare Usopp, but it would be the first of many hybrid creatures they would face on this particular island alone.
When in doubt, Usopp prefers to hide
“I lost! Please swap!”
Another quote from the infamous Punk Hazard story arc, it looked like Usopp had a bad time on that particular island. After Luffy decides to head to the Elementally Unbalanced Island, the rest of the crew pulls straws in order to decide who will join him.
While Zoro and Robin have no problem being selected, Usopp doesn’t carry the choice given to him so proudly. He even goes so far as to shout to the sky with all those who will hear trading with him. This comic character in relief makes him one of the best main characters.
Usopp’s new bounty revealed
“F… F… Five…”
During the Dressorosa arc, fans were treated to one of the greatest foes the Straw Hats have faced in the form of Doflamingo, who ruled an island with an iron fist. Although initially inhabited by humans and toys living in peace, it has turned into a dangerous place.
While searching for the Straw Hats, Doflamingo was able to send a transmission across the island to everyone to track down Usopp, who thought he was in the clear. But shocked by the 500 million bounty on his head and the people who quickly turned on him, he’s safe to say he quickly got scared. Maybe not his most iconic scene, it’s definitely one of his funniest.
Sometimes Usopp was even annoyed by his own cowardice
“Do you have quarrels for that?”
In another quote from the Thriller Bark arc, Usopp gets caught up in a fight between Perona, the commander of the zombies that inhabited the island. What made this even more difficult for the hero was that he was also battling a gigantic zombified bear.
But even after defeating the monstrous creature, he flees the fight against the mighty Perona. While running away, fans see his internal monologue as he debates with himself whether to stay and fight or run and run away. This scene shows that even Usopp knows he’s the least powerful crew member.
Usopp prefers his feet on the ground rather than on the sky
“Scary Sky Island… Scary Sky Island…”
In the third story arc, the gang set foot on Skypiea, a floating island where a war is raging and only Luffy and his comrades can help. This is also the arc where fans are introduced to Nico Robin, the crew’s archaeologist.
With an island that defies logic, with winged humanoids and powerful beings trying to take over, it’s no wonder it traumatized Usopp. And he wasn’t the only one as it impacted Chopper, who was also freaked out by his wits.
Usopp always has an excuse ready
“On no! It’s time for my snacks!”
Going back to the first season, the Usopp Pirates (consisting of a group of small children) try to encourage the cowardly Usopp to stop the pirates from entering their island. However, he tries to come up with multiple excuses and lies so as not to confront them.
Encouraged by the children who look up to him, he does his best to take on Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates. With nothing more than his slingshot, this encouragement would only see him slowly emerge from his shell into a more confident character.