Kaido Is Better Than Anyone Realizes (One Piece Video Essay)

Twitter: / aleczandxr
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Music Used:
Song 1 - Ku, Land of the Scarlet Sunset Day (Octopath Traveler 2)
Song 2 - On The Fallen Arm (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Song 3 - Cosmo Canyon (Final Fantasy VII)
Song 4 - Hinouema Day (Octopath Traveler 2)
Song 5 - White Snow, Black Steel (Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker)
Song 6 - Under the Apple Tree (Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core)
Editing by Radman: / r7dman

[@daystain]

I remember when he said he wouldn't make video essays on one piece... thank god he changed his mind

[@pirateslifeforme7158]

my thoughts exactly

[@wisdommanari6701]

MF Saaaaaameee

[@RaffyDGoat]

He saw too much Kaido slander lol

[@Memecs20]

My thoughts when I saw the thumbnail~❤

[@veturwinter]

what the heck? why?

[@salvadorsalgado5212]

Kaido is also a character that unlike previous villains, doesn't belittle and ridicule some of the series core ideals and most striking elements, instead he's obsessed with them, he ideolizes them, but he's also misunderstood them and he's jealous of everyone else that can achieve those things he yearns for while he struggles endlessly without ever getting close. Even tho some things of Wano disappointed me, him having the duel of his life, finally fighting fairly like he wished for and meeting his end, but only for no one to notice and see it, was a fantastic way of denying him his dream.

[@censari544]

This kinda needs some more thought. Huh? No one even dreamed what kaido dreamed. Who reached kaidos dream first? Dudes pissed at the worst generation, the world and piracy. For not actually embodying any of his core principles at all.

[@randomlurker7929]

It may not be intentional but I love how Oden's flashback was so long and detailed, told through the perspective of others and at times almost felt like we were reading about a legendary larger than life figure reminiscent of folklore/myths. On the other hand, everything we know about Kaido's past was either through King or when his life briefly flashed before his eyes.

[@RocketCrafting]

Wow that just made a lightbulb come on in my head even after finishing the video. Its like he intentionally was left a bit unknown because he was that winner he was talking about, that receives no epithet.

[@mrbubbles6468]

@@RocketCraftinghe said as much repeatedly. He literally spent the entire arc wanting to lose and being mad at Wano for saying they had the will to fight when they clearly didn’t.

[@shibble]

He And Oden even have similar ends. Boiling.

[@neinja66469]

​​@@mrbubbles6468they did have the spirit but not the strength

[@Alacaelum]

.... Isn't that right... one of the Emperors of the Sea, recognised as the invincible beast... and his life amounts to a few pages of flashbacks, if that. It is poetic in a way, more so when you consider that if he had seen the value of the connections he had, specially King... maybe he could have been the legend he so wanted.

[@stevenpeeckford5999]

I'm so happy that Oda finally decided to start writing antagonists differently post-timeskip. Hody Jones, Katakuri and Kaido are all so creative, different and well-written. Shonen meatheads will demand the same slop over again but I'm so glad we started getting such creative villains.

[@Alacaelum]

The Fishman arc gets some flack... but Hody's motivation gave me chills from the implication of not who he was... but what he was. He was the consequence, the true inheritor, he didn't have true personal feelings against those he hated... he just accepted his inheritance with pride, that is a scary thing.

[@secretasian8165]

Don't forget Doffy

[@TheVeldoran]

Hody Jones sucks ass. Thematically he is decent but for actual character stuff he is horribly realised.

[@blain115]

if you think doflamingo is slop, you've lost the plot

[@Elchinodawn]

@@Alacaelum i mean most ppl doesn't like hoddy cuz he was weak, but he's an amazingly written representation of the consequences of racism, the decendants of those who were the victims in the past will be the perpetrators in the future, hody jones is the perfect characterization of that

[@medimed4772]

This explains why he never awakened his fruit, he focused too much on his strength (haki) that he forgot to achieve his dream (awakening)

[@tacoknight5027]

That’s exactly what I thought when he mentioned what the azure dragon actually stands for.

[@thebonfireofgains]

Yeah I wonder what would be the awakening of Seiryu. Maybe a wise dragon, the opposite of the clumsy drunk despairing tyrant emperor

[@justynhill4814]

@@thebonfireofgains- Momonoske might awaken his fruit with his personality and wanting to protect his country.

[@nelkam5543]

So, does that mean that awakening entails one having achieved their dream? Or just getting closer to achieving said dream?

[@justynhill4814]

@@nelkam5543- it’s more on the line the the current users has to be in sync or have the mindset with the desire that made the DF in the first place.

[@Chill_FB]

My brain short circuited when I saw “Aleczandxr” and “One Piece Video Essay” in the same notification

[@Blackhawk211]

If there was any character who deserved this kind of video from you to break your rule about not doing any non arc review videos for it's Kaido. What a magnificent character

[@joshshrum2764]

Doffy, really needs it.

[@haydn1708]

Kaido is the personification of “if I can’t be loved, I’ll be feared instead.” Only a man who once held so much empathy, hope and ambition could be as broken, apathetic and empty as Kaido is

[@mrbubbles6468]

And when you realise he’s actually just taken that stance in order to try and bring about the God of Freedom because he’s seemingly been told it will and in response he’ll get his dream…everything hits so much harder.

[@beanstheclown]

"I can't be the one to bring freedom myself, but I can create a slavery so complete that the God of freedom will have to rise up to stop it."

[@imperialist4862]

@@beanstheclownThat‘s basically how almost any villain works. Acting immoral to get hated and therefore having a disatvantage in the plot.

[@makito106]

I already thought Aj was the biggest Kaido fan for liking his flashback, now there's a whole video essay. Kaido's peaks are that powerful 👏

[@disasteromega]

Kaido is the man who idolizes the strong and honorable (his top five, Joy Boy), yet his live lessons kept teaching him that the pragmatic and the dishonorable always win in the end (most of his top five have died without fulfilling their dreams, Joy Boy is lost to time). Furthermore, those wins ironically benefit him time and time again, beating these life lessons into him slowly until he can't imagine that this is a world where the righteous can ever win and that the most they can hope for is to die while having their wills passed on, with him left thriving in his castle built on corrupted soils, which he would burn to the ground along with the world of madness that made it all necessary when given the chance. One interesting thing I noticed is that Luffy does not care about the passage of will, he may have inherited the hopes of his forerunners, but he himself has no intention of passing them on: he neither writes regularly nor vocalizes his message, even when staring death in the face countless times, most he would say right before he dies is that "Sorry, I am a goner." - Chapter 99. While Kaido is obsessed with the meaning of life, dynamics of power, and the legacy we leave behind, Luffy (similar to Brooke and Usopp, and I am sure most of the Strawhats) believes that all that is left behind when one dies is bones (counter to the theme of inheritance of will, at least on the surface, but the reality is that will gets passed on because humanity persists, regardless if it has been passed on with intend, as long as a single soul hopes for freedom the will shall never seize to be), he would rather focus on the here and now, and would never wait for someone to carry his will because he rather do it himself, because unlike Kaido he never loses hope of the present world, to achieve his goal he might have to risk his live, but the dying part is never the intend nor is it worthy of even a thought (similar to Brooke's response to Big Mom in Wholecake Island). Most importantly unlike those loudmouth fresh faced dreamers whom will faulter without fail when the reality of the world come crashing down, Luffy has the will, the might and the destiny to make it come true (he will not die like Rocks when his crew abandoned him, Like Roger when his sickness took away his strength, Like Oden when his family became his weakness, Like Newgate when his own son stab him through his back) that makes him the perfect hero in Kaido's eyes, someone who should be impossible to exist in this corrupt world, the prove that all those life lessons he had been taught and have been teaching could be wrong all along, and that the one to surpass Joy Boy is really here. If so then "Kaido", this monster created by the corrupt undercurrents of the world may also be overcome with a pure touch, and so the death that completes a person name Kaido.

[@M3plusYOU]

This needs more thumbs

[@rushirajsinhrana5029]

Cook again

[@etherdragon6029]

Amazing breakdown!

[@blueontheradio736]

would love to know about your perspective of other one piece characters

[@disasteromega]

@@blueontheradio736 I left comments like this all over the community for years, I don't know if there is a way to search for them, but you can always look for my name around analysis and chapter review videos. I just don't feel right to leave them here under AJ's video about Kaido when they have little to do with him. Thanks for the interest!

[@user-sw4op9zg2w]

The way the anime animate him is insane ngl

[@Hugo_Navarro_]

And his VA is perfecttttt

[@RealHamsterdam]

Vincent chansard LOOVES kaido. The way he animated kaido made kaido top 1 in the anime for sure 🙏🙏

[@sanji_joestar]

1:46 ''But this is the first and last time.... definitely...'' 👀👀👀👀ooh

[@Shadow-fb2ec]

Buggy video fr

[@orbboom6119]

Why doesnt he wanna do essays on one piece? Its like a gold mine of videos😅 Or is it bc copyright

[@cole4939]

​@orbboom6119 he makes one piece vids for each arc and puts his analysis in them already, he doesnt want to feel like a one piece-tuber

[@orbboom6119]

@@cole4939 ah okay Still feels like a wasted oportunity, there's so much to deep dive in. Also those are first impression videos, with the context of the rest of the show you could still make different videos. But his call i guess.

[@joselox0190]

​@@orbboom6119and on that way he would enjoy the story more and not feel like it was a chore to make content on it

[@Mr2dmonkey]

Kaido is a criminally underrated antagonist. He always seemed way more pessimistic than the other One Piece villains. I say this because the first time he's actually introduced, he tries to off himself. In addition, he's an alcoholic. Then, we see his backstory, towards the end of Wano, it makes sense why he ended up the way he did. I always thought he was a well written villian. Glad to see Im not the only one. lol

[@FireAngelChris]

I said this from the beginning that Kaido was a well written villain.

[@imperialist4862]

He‘s the perfect example of ‚throwed far away but didn‘t hit the spot‘. Kaido‘s ending was so underwhelming, specially given the prep time that went into this character. What a waste 😂

[@Mr2dmonkey]

@@imperialist4862 Why is he underwhelming?

[@NaturalHypertrophy]

Very happy that you decided to apply your talents for video essay to the world of One Piece. There is a whole sublayer of narrative analysis that is left mostly untouched by OP KZbinrs and I'm excited to see you tap into it.

[@doug2555]

Holy shit I didn't expect to see you here I was literally just watching one of your vids

[@viraatsingh1377]

A certified Ello yuchube moment indeed 😊

[@negameagan651]

Awesome video! For the antagonist with arguably THE strongest introduction, Kaido is one of the most understated characters, and definitely one of the best. It's about time he got his due. The best aspect of his character, to me, is his position as a foil to others. He recontextualizes Doflamingo, a "celestial dragon" who was thrown from his position and is desperately trying to crawl his way back to the top. And yet Kaido, a literal dragon, throws himself from the highest heights (a sky island) in his introduction, because he doesn't need to try to rise to the top. Doflamingo is trapped serving someone who *should* be so far beneath him, who makes a mockery of his life by existing. His pathological need to crush others down makes more sense once we know Kaido and can grasp the nuances of their relationship. But most of all, he's an amazing foil to Luffy, because he IS what Luffy thought he wanted to be, way back when he was a kid on the first pages of the manga. Luffy is sick of getting pushed around by Garp, Kaido sends the Marines packing before reaching puberty. Luffy thinks hitting hard and enduring pain without flinching makes him tough? Kaido's bread and butter. Luffy wants to join Shanks' crew? Kaido was minding his own business and got recruited into the world's strongest crew (at the time) by Whitebeard himself. Everything baby Luffy thought would make him happy, Kaido got, and we get to see exactly how hollow that is. Above all, I think Kaido's character builds on the ongoing theme of how the people around Luffy influence him for the better. It's on the nose, but when OPLA Shanks tells Luffy that a man can't just be strong, he has to be good, that IS the recipe for why Luffy has what Kaido wants. Shanks' lesson on turning the other cheek and fighting for one's friends, on having spiritual/moral strength first, is what enabled Luffy to befriend Ace and Sabo, and later to bring hope to Coby while Luffy was still a powerless nobody. Then Luffy gets lessons from Vivi and Jinbei on being a leader and coming back from despair, which shape him even more into the man who would be Joyboy. Because no matter how strong you are, One Piece shows that you NEED good people around you to pick you up and set you on the right track when you feel hopeless, and that's exactly what Kaido never got. There's something really down to earth and haunting about the tragedy of Kaido's character. It makes him, I think, one of the most relatable antagonists. He had all the strength in the world to accomplish his dream, and none of that mattered because nothing in his life made him the kind of PERSON who could accomplish it. He couldn't give hope, joy, or freedom to anyone because he didn't have any himself. S-tier antagonist, S-tier video!

[@momobec1]

Im glad someone understands the depth of Kaido’s character. You’ve earned my sub.

[@BlindCentipede]

Kaido is one of the best exemple of a complex character portraying themself as simple( 1 dimentsional.

[@ultibman5000]

That's like everyone in One Piece. Unfortunately, a large chunk of the fanbase doesn't see behind the facade of simplicity that the characters (and story as a whole) has. I can't wait to finish my One Piece analyses so that people can see the insane amount of depth hidden behind the surface layer of the series.

[@pokekiller787x]

Kaido, the most misunderstood One Piece villain in the most misunderstood arc in the entire story. It really fits, doesn't it?😂

[@rockinrom1524]

amazing analysis. this really changed my view on kaido. it makes him so much more human and insightful as his thoughts on humanity are thoughts on himself. kaido aspiring to be his hero and stand for his ideals yet failing to understand why he cant is relatable at least to me. the more i think on your thoughts the more it resonates with me. again amazing vid its gonna bounce around me head for a few days.

[@wwe12153]

yeah. when you understand kaido's emotions. it is very relatable and emotional. when he said to luffy "you survived, thank you", it broke my heart. He always projects this hopelessness. he copers with it by being excessively cruel at times. but he will take any chance for fulfillment.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@JuanCarrillo-Nava]

Peak Villain Breakdown from a Peak Essayist.

[@verver6]

Not only has my perception of Kaido changed to see aspects of his character i never would have, especially since I read Wano week to week where I lost a lot of it in the gaps(so thank you for that), but I was surprisingly really able to relate to the Kaido you presented within this video. I feel this video has given me insight into becoming the person I want to be. So thank you AJ for this piece and the philosophy and wisdom within it.

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure!

[@Wuksa22]

One aspect that always breaks me is his relationship to Yamato. The moment in particular when he gives them a beatdown and ends with "This is your lot in life Yamato" and he's masked in shadow with only his eyes visible. Very striking imagery for what type of monster his child sees him as and it probably hurt a bit to read for anyone with abusive parents. Also one interesting bit about Kaido is that it seems his devil fruit isn't yet awakened. As he himself stated it's when your mind catches up to your ability. In this case Luffy's yearning for freedom for himself and others or Rob Lucci's desire to kill matching up with his leopard fruit. Even though Kaido has that purple drunk form there are no cloud collars indicative of that powerup. So you could say it's a contextual clue for him lacking the things you spoke of like enlightenment.

[@justynhill4814]

To me it felt he was trying to bash in his life experience into Yamato making her understand the strong will be feared.

[@Polar007]

Everyone is kidding about your statement of never making an essay about OP, which was legit since you already give it that much time. But I am genuinely glad you fell enough in love with a character which inspired you enough that you had the need to break your stand, and create a well thought and argumented analysis. That, too me, speaks volume for itself

[@PetarBladeStrok]

Easily one of the best One Piece character analysis videos ever made. Kaido being severely underappreciated breaks my heart. I always felt like the odd one out for loving him and talking about his immense depth! Thank you for doing making this beautiful video. It was such a profound watch.

[@ReiseLukas]

I think because most villains in One Piece are straightforward that Oda writing a complex or nuanced character flies over most of the Fandom's heads.

[@imperialist4862]

The low appreciation for Kaido is totally justified. He was given so many prep time ever since his introduction just for his ending to be underwhelming and boring. No significant backstory, no elaboration on his race, his ideology, his mental illness etc. What a waste 🙃

[@FireAngelChris]

@@imperialist4862 lol it ain’t justified

[@imperialist4862]

@@FireAngelChris Yes it is, Oda messed Kaido up lol

[@FireAngelChris]

@@imperialist4862 lol No he didn’t,not wronging with Kaido at all.

[@osmorca618]

Kaido couldn't handle the cruelty and unfairness of the world, and thus lost his hope and conviction as his disillusionment with this false horizon of his ideals only bred despair. The only way Kaido could prove his worth is through violence and through being a one man army who relied on nobody. Very reminiscent of a key part of Eren's character.

[@mrbubbles6468]

He did not lose his hope or conviction though. It’s very clear he got cast in the role and he played that role perfectly and was rewarded for it.

[@osmorca618]

@@mrbubbles6468 Eren or Kaido?

[@seanc7990]

@@mrbubbles6468 he definitely lost his hope, he literally says he wants to end this dreary world and create a massive war, he is depressed and pessimistic, the only hope he had was Luffy beating him

[@legendaryvvizard4388]

Kaido has been my favorite character since I finished Wano. I completely agree, so many One Piece fans can't see the subtext behind Kaido's character and just think of him as a generic strong bad guy when he's really deceptively complex.

[@Phillylove100]

First he said he would never check out or do videos on one piece period, then he said he would never do videos outside of his review series, now he’s saying this is the one and only exception he’ll make. We almost got em, boys!

[@milIipeter]

If no other video on One Piece was made, I'm happy that this was the one.

[@seemonuzumaki723]

Great vid. Media literacy is pretty much dead and man children will call this overthinking and coping, but it's an incredibly valid interpretation that is substantiated every step of the way and that fits so well with everything in the ways you've said that I'm certain it was the intent with Kaido. People are too lazy to think nowadays, so that's why your work on here and Twitch continues to be extremely pleasing to experience. Keep it up, all the best.

[@GuyverFan]

This is what I've been saying for years! Kaido does have depth & is more than an unga-bunga dragon man swinging a club around! I'm so happy to see one of my favorite KZbinrs share this thought with me.

[@justaway6901]

The idea was there, but it was executed very poorly. What AJ said here were expansions from the ideas that Oda presented within the arc. Oda was not able to weave it in within his story. What this video essay did was bridge those ideas to make at least a coherent understanding of what Oda was trying to say but could not fully do. The criticism that the character was done poorly is still a valid point.

[@Hugo_Navarro_]

​@@justaway6901no. That just means that Oda wanted Kaido to stay subtextual till the end. There are characters in fiction that are more demanding for the reader. Most of the content is not explicit and explained, it's directly showcased through minimalistic deep dialogues, emotions, imagery, thematics, contrasts with other characters, etc etc. Not being textually explained doesn't mean being worse written, fiction has endless possibilities for characters

[@silva3658]

​@@justaway6901 he Just needed a personal flashback, thats It, he would have been the greatest villain in whole One piece, but instead we had 50+ chapter of raizo's fight. Oda's bootlickers are so delusional.

[@vojtechtesar5767]

@@Hugo_Navarro_ I have to disagree. Kaido was a subtextual character but the way his character arc concluded was very rushed and somewhat incomplete, as the Wano arc itself.

[@justynhill4814]

@@vojtechtesar5767- it’s not complete because it will be showing what happens in Godvally if Oda showed it all.

[@Githerheir]

I would have been fine without one since your review videos are already very complete and very analytical but this is amazing :)

[@Aleczandxr]

I appreciate that!

[@marcusmaattaeklund]

Like that even Kaido was saved by joy boy in a sense

[@ElZenom]

You just unleashed the floodgate. Pray that you can keep it close from now on.

[@damonair6571]

Did not expect to see this video today, but I appreciate one on my favorite villains. Thank you so much!!!!

[@Aleczandxr]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@ChibiMalzahar]

I always thought his reaction to big moms defeat was interesting. He spent his entire pirate career bickering with the one person who protected him, remembers their past, and can see eye to eye with him. They could have had a crew capable of finding the one piece for decades, but he was blinded by his despair until the moment she leaves

[@malcolmx5167]

The character analyzation that we needed and deserved.

[@g0stqed193]

There are many points one can add to this, but one that I find noteable is that after Kaido entered wano, he was motivated by the elders just like orochi. He was motivated by them to stay in wano and gather troops. Kaido killed also one of them. I think these two elders are very mysterious. I think they are more symbolic than actual characters. They might represent something from wano - japanese history like something from the system of the clans.

[@eydie__]

Kaido's crime is being Kaido, it is also his punishment.

[@gntyh]

as a kaido fan, im eating good today

[@cjg60411]

I'm a big believer in the idea that what you do to others represents how you feel about yourself. When you love yourself, you can love others. When you hate yourself, you can only hate others. Kaido enjoys capturing rookies and breaking their spirits, subjugating their dreams and making them hollow. Just like he is.

[@Shallabais100]

I used to not like Kaido but watching your streams really opened my eyes. Amazing essay, thank you AJ

[@jonahwilliams1331]

This was truly wonderful to watch. If there was one character you had to break the rule for, I’m glad it was Kaido. Because this video has truly cemented him as my favorite One Piece antagonist and Wano as my absolute favorite arc.

[@felixoloo1]

Ah man excellent point! I also felt some the same about Kaido, but couldnt entirely articulate it. But i've felt his character writing, comments, memories and personal thoughts can be unfortunately be eclipsed at times because of his most visible trait. His overwhelming vigour and strength. In his fight scenes even fans that watch them, his feats of strength draw so much attention and awe that it can be easy to forget or get the more human elements eclipsed just because of the spectacle of his might.

[@DINOJeff26]

This video gave me so much of an appreciation for Kaido as a character in One Piece. I always struggled as to what Kaido's motivations, goals, ideologies were. Im glad you broke that rule cause Kaido is a perfect character to write an essay about and it shows marvelously Wish there be more one piece essay in the future but if this will be the only one then its still a banger video!

[@acalotl]

This is the best Kaido analysis, thanks a lot! I tried to dig into this character a lot to appreciate him after I finished Wano, but he still felt boring and your video solidified him for me

[@Sushiyama92]

Finally a video analysis about kaido! I was shocked to see how he was slandered by most of the community, I really liked him and saw some of the things you mentioned in him, thank you for your video, a well deserved one!

[@Phillylove100]

I knew you’d change your mind and do a one piece video essay eventually lol. Love it! So awesome!!

[@yutikoo]

Kaido is truly misunderstood

[@yosos2]

People are to hung up on stories telling you everything literally with flashbacks, oda didn't do that with kaido and it makes his character so much better. People need to understand that characterization happens trough dialogue

[@kobil316SH]

One Piece fans can't comprehend not being spoon fed everything

[@francolepetic7332]

Thank you for making me appreciate Kaido so much more as a character! I liked him before but I can't say I would love him as much as I do now without your streams and this video. Always thankful for the great content and happy that you enjoy this story I love so much and give me new reasons to love it all the time!

[@joonaheikkero432]

Whaaat?!! I thought you said you wouldn’t be doing this! Lets Gooo!🤩

[@marikasamogin]

Honestly, Kaido reminds me of Il Buggy from Romances Down in some ways (only much stronger). In the sense that like Buggy, a character who was part of Roger's crew (The Pirate King) for years has settled in the Orange village, terrorizing the people, losing that sense of adventure he had as a young man, settling into a more easy to handle, but lacking in panache. This changes when he meets Luffy who, partly because of his personality and partly because he had Shanks' hat with him, awakens something in him. The same thing can be said of Kaido who has settled and stabilized in Wano for 20 years and no longer feels anything, until the arrival of Luffy who involuntarily brings Big Mom with him! And it rekindles that dormant flame, that desire to fight and conquer the One Piece.

[@Chris-rj4bt]

I’m so glad Kaido is finally getting the recognition he deserves

[@darknesseternal2473]

I wanted to add: I've always loved Kaido. He's boisterous, different, charismatic , domineering, and many, many other words define him. Something about his introduction peaked my interest, something about the dialogue, the subtly, the way he handled any form of conflict, it just pulled me in. I used to be the hugest Kidd fan, I still am. Kidd is everything I love in a character but he's not the main character; for the longest time, no one could top him, until Kaido came along. I know how Wano ends, my heart hurts because part of my delusion was that Kaido would win, or prolong the fight a bit longer, but that would've dragged on an already beautiful arc. What completes Kaido for me, is his Voice Actor. David Soblov is a man truly full of kindness and compassion and insane talent, I know this because I've met him before, WAY BACK in 2016 at Dragon Con. To this day, never getting that Autograph is my deepest shame as an anime fan. He completes Kaido, makes him feel alive. Do I sound insane? Yes. Do I care? No. Kaido should've been king.

[@trish388]

This is one of my favorite video's now, fantastic analysis, putting Kaido's beauty into words in ways that I wasn't able to before. What a special character.

[@Hugo_Navarro_]

This video is one of your best pieces. I am very happy for you, because being a Kaido lover feels fantastic. Also I told you this several times: You help me put into words some of my feelings about a character, feelings that WERE always there but I didn't know how to explain. Many thanks for taking your time to share your love for a deeply underappreciated character 👑

[@y2kmedia118]

Spectacular video.

[@Aleczandxr]

Many thanks!

[@trevorelliott3218]

Oh thank God, Ive been losing my mind over Kaido disrespect ever since Wano ended. Hes still my favorite villain in all of OP and its great to see someone talking about it

[@swoodnoodles2983]

Yessss!! You’ve perfectly articulated the feelings I’ve had about Kaido ever since I saw his reaction to having his great battle with Luffy stolen. For me, his expression of pure despair there finally made his character click for me. The culmination of his disappointing, self-sabotaging journey. I wonder if Nika liberated him in some way or if he will remain bitter. Would love to see him come back having learned something from Luffy.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your essays! Always amazing 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@XraynPR]

The Kaido brainrot pays off, this will be interesting

[@hgoggs2704]

Finally, Kaido’s getting the recognition he deserves

[@HomeWingGamer]

honestly, if there ever was a character to do a one-and-done on for OP essays, this is the one. I was literally rereading Wano to comb over themes, so this is perfect timing for me.

[@schizoidahole]

I’m glad you found things to enjoy about him.

[@silvertongue.242_99]

Great video it reminds me of how deep of a character kaido is. We lose that when we see how contradicting he can be. I realized that kaido wanted a legacy that's why he had Yamamoto. It reminds me of a man's dream never truly dies 🔥

[@Wiifanb0y]

tears in my eyes.... of all the characters to make you do a video like this it's the goat himself

[@luisalex.r.8992]

I'm so glad you made an exception with this one, love your videos/streams!

[@F00Lsmack]

Kaido is an honor student that settled and doesn't want to admit it

[@JerichoMoon]

Fantastic work and what a wonderful surprise. You have been singing Kaido's praises on stream for a while and I was satisfied with that, but this spotlight is beautiful.

[@tophatgeo]

Well well well, it seems I was the April Fool all along. Acting against your own desires and giving into despair and failing to see the beautiful connections he's made with others are such fascinating parts of Kaido's character journey and sadly rather relatable to my own life at times. Kaido has such a tragic existence of his own making and the company he surrounds himself with. Even as he despairs and drinks his life away he knows that humans cannot give up hope, even if its a twisted, remorseful hope to see a better sunrise. But it's never too late to become who you want to be. "How can I live in a way I'll be proud of?" will be a question I think about for a while after this video, it's something I already think about but seeing you explore Kaido's inability to live life how he yearned to is something I relate to more than I like to admit. "King is endebted to this ghost" was a chilling line. I deeply yearn for Kaido to realise just how much his second in command truly cares for him and can be the man King saw in him all those years ago. If he ever makes it out of that volcano, he could be reborn into the man he desired to be for so long. Thank you for breaking your rule this once. Kaido deserves it.

[@rottenisee2751]

You put me in the mood to draw Kaido, Thanks for this, its finally clicking on what I enjoy about this tragedy of a character

[@romanseipert894]

Thank you for this wonderful video! I've loved watching luffy and Kaido fight but never fully understood why he was such an important adversary. Why wano took up almost 1/4 of one piece to date. Now I understand how important he was to the story and mirroring Luffy and being the one to show us Nika. This is genuinely one of the best character analysis videos I've seen and I'd love to see more! I know you said this is probably the only one you'll do, but I'll be here if you change your mind.

[@philipstonetube3278]

It's like I am looking at your videos to know myself better. Many thanks🙏

[@sanji_joestar]

Amazing Breakdown of Kaido's character Oda definitely cooked with him and I hope many more realize it now. Kaido's character is fascinating to me in his straightforward way of doing things. He believes in the absoluteness of power, and that each individual is only as good as said strength they posses- not surprising, given his upbringing. He was treated as a literal object, a weapon to them, the inhumane side of ppl taking over in his old kingdom of Vodka. While someone like Luffy value that strength as a mean to protect those weaker than him. Which makes Kaido's enraged reaction to the Vodka King understandable. A king who can only use those stronger than him to get what he desires. A scaled-down version of the world system directed by the celestial dragons and their heavenly tribute. 'Weak' beings unable to provide for their own existence, yet thanks to the system in place, they manage to take the throne. Kaido, in the midst of all this, is a wild card with no real purpose until he reaches the goal to change the world himself. I strongly believe that this notion comes from his experience and the influence of others greater than himself, the best examples being Gol D Roger, King of the Pirates and Rocks D Xebec, a forgotten name. They both represent what Kaido respects most: power (but also what it means to die). And yet a huge difference separates the two despite this power: the ability to change the world. The impact of Roger's death on the world is unquantifiable. He triggered a new era, distilling the spark of his will into every pirate the world carries to this day. While Rocks' entire existence was swept away, just a ghost mentioned in the hubbub of the Golden Age of Piracy. And to be forgotten in the world of One Piece is to simply die. Kaido aims to change the world by that same logic. Plunge the world into violence and crush the corrupted norm, or create a symbol of liberation. Although he eventually abandoned the latter, sinking into depression and alcoholism, unable to become the man known as Joyboy. Considering he'll be the bringer of fake smiles to the people of Wano, waiting for Joyboy, another ironic failure. If he can't become one, then let him destroy the system or fall and allow a new Joyboy to awaken. Kaido has basically become a tyrant to either create a Savior or destroy the world trying. Only someone capable of overcoming his ordeal would be able to change this world. In this quest, he also aims to satisfy his suicidal desire by dying the "right way". Like Roger, Whitebeard and Oden. To become more than a name people remember. To become a will that will manifest itself even after his death. Hence the irony of his defeat: although he played a part in the appearance of the Warrior of Liberation, he sinks into the abyss of oblivion, in a secret raid, ignored by the inhabitants who will soon be liberated. As their voices and wishes for Freedom reach the Laughing Warrior.

[@sanji_joestar]

(Btw I think this might explain the altercation between Shanks and Kaido before Marineford, convincing him of Joyboy's imminent arrival but who knows)

[@ZombieManF]

If we're only going to get one One Piece video essay from you, I'm beyond glad it was on Kaido.

[@misterfuzzyflippers]

Kaido getting the love he deserves, you love to see it.

[@areeshaj2585]

Great video AJ My appreciation for kaido has increased a lot thanks to your streams and now this video

[@justmyopinion79]

I feel so bad for the amount of "you're overthinking" comments you're gonna get (and have already gotten) from people not at all interested in engaging with a work but thank you for this. This is a fantastic summation and analysis of Kaido's character and the themes associated with him and his relationships.

[@artistna]

Reading through the manga I never gave kaido this much thought, I like this perspective and oddly enough I’m kinda hoping he changes for the better.

[@bornanime3255]

Lmao knew he'd crack eventually and make an essay. OP stay winning bros. Nice video too btw

[@All_Powerful_God_Enel]

Kaido has always been my favorite aspect of Wano, he definitely deserves to be gushed about. We really got an AJ OP analysis vid today is a great day!

[@santhiagorocha8719]

I wasnt on the stream today or even on discord because of college and this caught me off guard lmao. We're finally having an edited one piece video in this channel, it's time to celebrate!

[@generalyousif3640]

I can’t believe my boy is almost caught up I remember seeing you back in east blue

[@6zaab001]

i am really glad you made this video. I really thought kaido was lacking but you allowed me to see it in a differently. I know you have said that you wouldn't do one piece analysis and you still don't have to its up to you but i really wished you did. I really do love the deep analysis of characters you did before tsukki and that one guy from atsuma team. I have always watched these in depth analysis and gained A LOT MORE appreciation for the way the author is telling the story or in awe on how one person can pick up on so much from a story. Even if you don't i still love what you do :D

[@Llampee]

This is beautifully put together in both structure and editing

[@RyeBreadFF]

I love that Kaido's philosophy towards death--that it completes a person--directly implies that he himself must be incomplete. So long as he is Kaido, King of Beasts, The Unkillable, he will always be something less than whole in his eyes. No wonder the journey is so painful for him. While Luffy and Roger stand as cruxes of the horizon, championing the dawn of new and romantic adventure, Kaido always stands just out of reach of the destination. A man like him could simply never be King of the Pirates, let alone JOYBOY.

[@elmehdismili6044]

Didn't watch the video yet but Kaido may be my favorite op villain... His dynamic with Joy Boy Luffy is basically One Piece's Griffith and Ganishka dynamic (one which is even more subtle), and this is why I'm sure he'll be back in a mad state (probably awakening) like Shiva Ganishka where he will finally get the "death" he always aspired for.

[@commonviewer2488]

It was here that I looked back and realized how many people wanted to be the Joy Boy, but so fundamentally failed to understand what they were meant to be. No wonder so many failed. They aren't the one the world is waiting for.

[@jasperstarren9476]

Thanks for this AJ, loved your takes on kaido in the streams and having them as a video essay is great!

[@Stethanaholmes]

As always, banger of a video homie

[@ricape7160]

I can't believe you finally made a One Piece video essay after always saying you would never, very cool!

[@freedortch9278]

This was such a joy to wake up to. Love the Kaido analysis. You articulated all of my jumbled up thoughts about him and so much more!

[@Aleczandxr]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@user-sw4op9zg2w]

My underrated goat 🙏

[@takeuchi5760]

This is such a welcome surprise AJ, thanks for your work as always.

[@realallblue2200]

my wedding day: 🧍🏼‍♂️ aj one piece video essay: 🕴🏼

[@onlyflames3487]

THANK YOU! People only think backstories make characters, Kaido was more than good written. He is the villain with the closest writing style to Luffy imo

[@onlyflames3487]

Damn the last part about his fruit, I think what you said is the reason he never awakened his fruit, at least is not confirmed for him to have awakened it. And if he comes back, the awakening of his fruit will symbolize Kaido's "rebirth" in a sense, him becoming the Azure Dragon.

[@iDjA7xi]

I think is part of why Kaido relished when strong people would end their dreams and submit to him. It meant that he wasn’t the only one suffering that same despair

[@pixelki2478]

Ngl, thx to this video it made me realise. I'm like Kaido in despair, I hate always feeling like missing opportunities, not begin able to start doing something and feeling dissapointment instead of joy in trobules along the way of drawing for example. And really, how to change this?

[@Useyoursoul]

I’m so upset I’ve been saying kaido is a GREAT villian for 4 years and no one believed me this warms my soul