Vinsmoke Sanji is the third in command of the notorious Straw Hat Pirates. With Luffy as their captain and Zoro as his first recruit and the incredibly strong swordsman at Luffy's right hand, Sanji has long been solidly in third place amongst the Straw Hats. However, there are several incredible qualities that Sanji possesses which easily qualify him to be Luffy's first mate as well.
Sanji has provided his crew with critical support in innumerable ways. He's a layered character with many gifts, one of which is the ability to kick cannon balls with his legs. His tenacious, kind, and protective nature make him one of the most impressive members of the Straw Hat Pirate crew.
10 He Holds Women In High Regard
To say that Sanji loves beautiful women would be an understatement. He's unable to control himself once he spots one.
Though Sanji is obsessed with the physical beauty of women, he still honors them. He refuses to fight women and can't stand to see them upset. He caters to Robin and Nami, ensuring that they feel special. Moreover, he's displayed this same kindness to women who've tried to betray him. In Dressrosa, Viola attempted to lead Sanji into a trap, but he responded by fighting for her and saving her life.
9 Sanji Is Very Protective Of His Crewmates
Sanji is constantly concerned about his crew's whereabouts and becomes frantic whenever one of them is missing. In Water 7, Sanji saw Robin walk by with a masked man, then disappear. He spent time sitting in the last place he saw her trying to figure out where she could've gone.
For the next few days, Sanji exhausted many options looking for her: he stayed up an entire night looking at Rocky Cape hoping she would turn up, he searched the river streets with Chopper, and showed her wanted picture to the citizens of Water 7 asking if anyone had seen her. He didn't rest until he found her. This is one of many examples of Sanji's love for his crew.
8 He's Extremely Kind-Hearted
One of Sanji's greatest attributes is his compassion. He's incredibly selfless and genuinely cares about the people around him. After he discovered Pudding was not only manipulating him, but also planning to kill him on their wedding day, he showed her kindness and told her she was beautiful.
In another act of benevolence, he risked his life to save the family that abused him as a child. Sanji's family spent years trying to convince him that he was weak and worthless. Despite their history, Sanji still did all he could to spare them when he discovered Big Mom planned on executing them. Sanji's sister Reiju loved him and labeled him as the kindest person she knows. Sanji has demonstrated that he's worthy of this title countless times.
7 Sanji's Quick Thinking Devised Clever Strategies That Have Saved His Crew
Sanji has saved his crew from several life-threatening situations. The Straw Hat Pirates have narrowly escaped capture on multiple occasions, and in many of these moments, Sanji has been the crew's saving grace. He pretended to get shot over the phone and had one of Crocodile's henchmen lure him to another location, and then rescued his crew by forcing Mr. 3 to uses his Wax-Wax Fruit powers to create a new key.
In Enies Lobby, Sanji delivered yet another brilliant save when he thought ahead and closed the Navy's Gates of Justice. Closing the gates caused the currents blocked by the gates to create whirlpools, and as a result, the Navy lost control of their ships. They crashed into each other and inadvertently fired their cannons at each other. Sanji gave his crew a window of opportunity, and they were able to escape in the middle of the chaos he created.
6 Sanji Fearlessly Risked His Life Against Doflamingo To Protect The Crew
There are many instances where Sanji, much like Luffy and Zoro, has made a heroic entrance and saved his crewmates from a fight they weren't strong enough to handle. When Doflamingo threatened to kill Nami, Brook, Chopper, and Momonosuke, there wasn't anything Trafalgar Law could do but watch in terror.
At that moment Sanji appeared and demanded that Doflamingo withdraw his malicious attack because they were crying out in fear. Sanji risked his life to save his friends and illustrated that he's one of the crew members who the others look to for protection.
5 He Offered His Life In Exchange For Zoro's
In Thriller Bark, Bartholomew Kuma approached the Straw Hat Pirates and told them to hand over Luffy’s head. When they all refused, Kuma used his Devil Fruit powers to unleash an attack that rendered everyone except Zoro unconscious. After failing to defeat him, Zoro offered his head in exchange for Luffy's.
After hearing this, Sanji offered his head to Kuma. Though Sanji was trembling and could barely stand, he stood in front of Zoro and declared he would be giving up his ambitions and no good would come of his death.
4 He Can Air Walk
While training on Momoiro Island, Sanji was surrounded by okama. He soon discovered that the inhabitants of Momoiro Island were extremely skilled fighters. While there, Sanji was intrigued by their physically enhancing recipes and their flawless fighting style.
Though he wanted to learn from the okama, he had a hard time focusing because they were constantly trying to dismantle his masculinity. He consistently ran from the okama, which eventually caused him to run straight up into the air. This ability has since allowed him to defeat formidable enemies and save his crewmates from certain death.
3 He Was Willing To Sacrifice His Happiness In Order To Protect The People He Loves
Big Mom is one of the most dangerous pirate captains in the New World. As one of the four infamous Yonko, Big Mom is known for her ruthlessness. This is why Sanji was willing to sacrifice his own happiness by returning to the family he hated.
His father and Big Mom threatened the lives of the Straw Hat Pirates, as well as Sanji's adopted father Zeff. To keep them safe, Sanji made the painful decision to willingly leave with his hateful family. He even went as far as to fight Luffy in order to convince him that he was leaving the crew permanently. Sanji went to extreme lengths to ensure the safety of his loved ones, even if it meant subjecting himself to a lifetime of misery.
2 He Has Future Sight Haki
During their wedding ceremony, Pudding was unable to follow through with the plan of killing Sanji because she developed feelings for him. Katakuri decided to take matters into his own hands and prepared a jellybean to fire at Sanji. Using his future observation, Katakuri learned that Sanji would dodge where he initially intended to aim, and as a result, Katakuri fired the jellybean at a different angle.
Miraculously, Sanji was still able to dodge it, much to Katakuri's surprise. This is the first glimpse fans are given at Sanji's future sight Haki abilities, and it's apparent that these abilities will only continue to grow.
1 He Nourishes The Crew
Sanji's culinary skills are unmatched. He's demonstrated his mastery of cooking by constantly creating meals that everyone loves. He treats food preparation like an art form and takes pride in every meal he prepares. While at sea, Sanji consistently presents his crew with gourmet meals, allowing them to enjoy professional cooking while also maintaining their strength. Sanji's role as the crew's official cook is a vital part of their survival.
It's one thing to fulfill the dietary needs of the crew; it's another to make it a Michelin star restaurant experience. Sanji is able to do both. Considering the fact that malnourishment poses a very serious threat for pirate crews that have gone out to sea, Sanji is a vital part of the Straw Hat Crew's continued well-being.