Sanji Vinsmoke is the Straw Hat Pirates' chef in One Piece. As one of the crew's oldest members, he has had many opportunities to prove himself both as a warrior and as a person.
Over time, Sanji's personality and choices have made him One Piece's most controversial main character. However, one might argue that he isn't to blame; the young man faced so many hardships that it's difficult to hold him fully responsible for his shortcomings. By identifying the worst things that happened to Sanji, it becomes easier to determine if he's actually sympathetic.
10 Sanji Initiated A Losing Rivalry With Zoro
Despite being two of the "Monster Trio's" three members, Sanji's rivalry with Zoro has nothing to do with their power. Instead, it first began on account of his attempts to defend Nami from Zoro's irritability. It didn't take long before the swordsman's ire shifted, and their relationship has never been strong since.
Nonetheless, Sanji's feud with Zoro is a losing one. He is consistently outperformed in the opponents he defeats or the bounties both parties receive. Moreover, only Zoro has the honor of being Luffy's first mate, a factor that Sanji prefers to ignore.
9 Sanji Was Abused As A Child
Sanji's upbringing was less than stellar. Raised by Vinsmoke Judge of the Germa 66 empire, he was expected to become a ruthless conqueror of the North Blue. Lacking his siblings' biological enhancements at the time, he had neither the ability nor willingness to meet his father's outrageous demands.
Recognizing his vulnerability, Sanji's siblings beat him near the brink of unconsciousness on a daily basis. Disgusted by his son and hoping to make an example of him, Judge condoned their behavior and later even imprisoned Sanji personally.
8 Kuma Sent Sanji To Kamabakka Kingdom
When Kuma scattered the Straw Hat Pirates, Sanji was sent to Kamabakka Kingdom. Although for his own good, his relationship with its residents immediately soured.
Sanji did not accept their gender identities, and they, in turn, tried to impose a new identity on him. As a result, Sanji spent most of the two-year time skip running away from their advances while learning the island's recipes so that he could strengthen his own body beyond its natural limits. The chef's time in Kamabakka Kingdom may have been miserable, though he benefited from the training immensely.
7 Eneru Nearly Killed Sanji At Skypiea
The events of Skypiea pushed the Straw Hats to their limit. Eneru's Logia Fruit proved particularly tricky since no one aside from Luffy was able to harm him at the time.
Regardless, Sanji came to Usopp and Nami's aid against the evil "god," distracting him while his weaker teammates got away. Irritated by his impudence, Eneru electrocuted the chef with millions of volts, which nearly killed him. Although it remains one of Sanji's greatest highlights, it also ranked among his life's most physically painful moments.
6 Sanji Was Humiliated By Gin At The Baratie
When the Krieg Pirates attacked the Baratie, Sanji had a personal investment in defending it. He viewed Zeff as a paternal figure and the restaurant as his home. By stepping up, Sanji hoped to prove that he was just as much of a combatant as he was a cook.
However, Sanji's sentiments did not give him the strength to defeat Gin. Instead, he was beaten into submission in front of his closest allies and future captain. Zoro may have also lost, though at least his opponent was the world's most respectable swordsman rather than a common East Blue thug.
5 Sanji Nearly Starved To Death On A Deserted Island
Marooned after a violent shipwreck, Sanji and Zeff had a limited number of rations to share over an undisclosed span of time. Zeff gave Sanji everything they had, but convinced him it was only a small morsel of the complete amount.
After consuming his provisions, Sanji approached Zeff and planned to rob him for his food. He discovered that Zeff hadn't been eating anything the entire time and that the satchel beside him was just a bag of treasure. This was the moment Sanji understood how much the pirate sacrificed for him.
4 Sanji Nearly Abandoned The Straw Hats On Dressrosa
Shortly after arriving at Dressrosa, Sanji quickly found himself distracted. Immediately smitten by Viola, he was thrilled that she reciprocated his advances and even swore off the Straw Hats to be with her.
It was later revealed that Viola was a member of the Donquixote Family and had been using Sanji to catch him off guard the entire time. Although Sanji managed to bring out the good in her, getting duped into abandoning his friends so quickly spoke poorly of his character and nearly got him killed.
3 Sanji Was Forced To Marry Pudding
At first, Sanji's wedding with Pudding might not seem bad. She was attractive, sweet, and expressed superficial interest in him, which were all the qualities Sanji needed for a successful relationship.
However, Pudding's exterior belies her dark intentions. In reality, she resented Sanji, making fun of his numerous maladies and even trying to kill him. To make matters worse, Sanji had no choice in marrying her since Germa 66 had taken the Baratie cooks as hostages.
2 Sanji Was Forced To Fight & Defeat Luffy
By the time Luffy caught up with Sanji on Whole Cake Island, he was already worse for wear. A previous battle against Cracker pushed him to his limit, so he was grateful when he presumed that his troubles were over.
However, instead of accompanying Luffy back to the Sunny, Sanji denigrates him and demands he turn back. When Luffy refused, Sanji was forced to beat his captain to the point of unconsciousness. This was particularly heart-wrenching for him, as Luffy did not fight back regardless of his friend's punishments.
1 Sanji Suffered Through The Death Of His Own Mother
Even as a child, Sanji's mother was gravely ill and physically weak. He tried to cook for her in order to cheer her up. While he wasn't any good, she accepted and ate the food graciously. The local servants were shocked at the disgusting meals she ate in order to brighten Sanji's world.
However, their relationship wouldn't last forever. After Sanji was expelled from Germa Kingdom, he'd never see his mother again. She succumbed to her illnesses, meaning the death of the only family he'd ever cared about.