One Piece: Will Usopp Ever Use a Gun?

Out of all the Straw Hat Pirates crew members in One Piece, Usopp is known as the comical relief and by far its most cowardly member. Now, while Usopp’s cowardice might not be a reflection of his true powers, we certainly did not see much of the latter because of the former. That is why we have ventured on a journey to discover how strong Usopp is in our earlier articles, and this one is actually going to be a spin-off of these articles. Namely, Usopp is known as a brilliant marksman, but he does not use a gun. In this article, we will explore whether Usopp will use a gun or not.

No explanation has been given as to why Usopp never uses a gun, and he will probably never replace his slingshot with a gun in the series. As for an in-universe reason, Usopp probably doesn’t use a gun because he does not need it; his slingshot is simply too powerful. As for an out-of-universe explanation, Oda probably did not want one of his main characters to endorse firearms and to have a bad influence on children.

The rest of this article is going to tell you all about Usopp’s marksmanship skills and his weapons, focusing on Kabuto and his not using a gun. Some spoilers might be present, but Usopp is quite an intriguing character, and we want to give you as much information as we can; that is why we have warned you in case you’re not fully up-to-date with all the events in the series.

Why does Usopp avoid using a gun in One Piece?

As we have said, the exact reason is not known. Okay, sure, he started off with a slingshot when he was a child because no one would give a child a gun, but later on, he never changed his weapon. This is probably because Usopp got used to a slingshot so much that he doesn’t really need a gun. He has honed his skills over the years to such a degree that his slingshot is more dangerous than your average rifle, and this is why Usopp is one of the most dangerous snipers in the series.

His powers have, of course, increased over the years, and from a great marksman, Usopp has become an excellent marksman, probably one of the best in the whole series. If we add to the fact that he can now use Haki, Usopp has become a walking weapon. He can hit a target from a large distance, and his Haki makes him even more dangerous in every situation. He has also perfected his slingshot so much that it has become better than most rifles; Kabuto is a truly special weapon, and it makes perfect sense for Usopp to be so closely tied to it.

With Kabuto by his side, Usopp doesn’t really need a rifle. It would probably be weaker than any rifle Usopp might encounter and use. This is why he keeps avoiding a rifle and sticks to his Kabuto.

Will Usopp ever use a gun in One Piece?

Based on everything we’ve said and written here, we can assume that Usopp will probably never use a gun, at least not as a permanent weapon. He is an excellent marksman and an extremely precise sniper, but he will probably keep using his trademark slingshot until the very end of the manga. Nothing suggests that Usopp could change his preferences, and based on his overall character development, it wouldn’t make sense for him to make such a turn. He might end up using a gun temporarily because he is forced to, but he will most likely never make a permanent change.

As for the reasons for this, they have never been properly explained. Unlike Batman, who does not kill as a maxim, for example, it has never been officially stated that Usopp won’t use guns, nor has he explained why he does not use them, especially since guns are standard pirate equipment. But his slingshot is more powerful and useful than your average rifle, so, basically, Usopp doesn’t really need to use a gun in the first place; this could be a valid in-universe explanation.

A logical out-of-universe explanation would be that Oda did not want to endorse firearms. Usopp is not just a hero of the story. He is also one of the story’s main characters, and a lot of fans, especially children, like Usopp and even idolize him. Had Oda given Usopp a gun, children – who do not understand the perils of firearms – would probably think of them as something fun, and it is only natural that Oda wanted to avoid that. This is why we will probably never see Usopp with a gun.