Emily Rudd’s One Piece Character Nami’s Original Look in the Anime Looks Way More Badass
Michael Gray
Updated on April 03, 2026
Emily Rudd’s character from One Piece, which she portrayed in the series’ live-action adaptation: Nami, has been a fan-favorite in every form. Be it the anime version or Rudd herself, Nami has gained a lot of attention and has become one of the most important characters and the most popular one.
Over the years, Nami has changed a lot. She has gone through a lot of character transformations that were not always appreciated by fans. Many One Piece admirers believe that Oda’s method of drawing female characters in his magnum opus is allegedly a little different from the usual body standards, which has caused a lot of controversy.
However, Oda’s original character design for Nami may be entirely different from the current one, and some believe it may have been a better one. This is because this look of Nami makes her more badass and, in some ways, more violent than her current look.
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Nami’s Badass Look Originally Created by Eiichiro Oda
Nami’s original design was far more violent and rough than the Nami fans are familiar with, even though her character design has become much more voluptuous in the previous several years of One Piece. When she was initially shown, she was dressed in an orange miniskirt, orange boots, and a white and blue striped top.
She also carried a large war axe, one metal-armored boot, and one metal-armored gauntlet. The axe, from blade to handle, is almost as tall as she is, and it is also wrapped in a bulky-looking chain. The absence of Nami’s shoulder tattoo in these designs is another fascinating element. Nami today looks completely different from how she did in the past. During the series, her appearance changes frequently.
Her entire physical development happens gradually throughout the course of the series, then abruptly at the time skip. Both her hairstyle and her fashion often change, but if Eiichiro Oda had gone for her original design, he wouldn’t have much choice for her design changes and it would have also affected the storyline in a big way.
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Emily Rudd’s Look Inspired by Nami’s Original Design
Emily Rudd wore numerous fashionable outfits inspired by the Nami from the One Piece anime and manga while portraying the character in the live-action series. However, one of the clothes she was wearing was also inspired by Nami’s initial design, which Oda created.
Rudd’s first appearance as Nami in the live-action One Piece season one showcases a collective ensemble that remarkably resembles the character’s original drawing by series author Eiichiro Oda. However, she did not have the robotic arm and leg and was definitely not carrying a battle axe tied to a chain.
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Her outfit consisted of a white shirt, cut-off jeans, and a yellow sock with stripes that was pulled up and looked like the original. When fans spotted it out, it was assumed that this was Rudd and the creator’s tribute to Oda and his masterpiece One Piece. This was a nice gesture from the side of the live-action series and kind of lands in Oda’s realm of foreshadowing things and clues for fans to enjoy.
You can watch One Piece Live-Action on Netflix.
