Usopp/Personality and Relationships

Personality
Usopp is one of the more sentimental Straw Hat Pirates, and cries or loses his temper in moments of emotional stress. At the start of the series, Usopp was an easily frightened, anxious, insecure, compulsive liar. Unlike Nami (whose cowardice is linked to just wanting to stay alive), Usopp's cowardice was the result of his fear and insecurity, especially when faced with uncertainty. Usopp is able to put aside his fear during more desperate times: despite being afraid, he faces those fears for the sake of his friends and people he barely knows. Most of his lying was intended to make him feel better as Usopp is easily overwhelmed by his opponents, such as Aokiji, and used to usually run from them. He used to be the first to come up with an excuse to avoid doing something or to avoid putting himself in danger. One of the most frequently used excuses is that he gets a disease named, for example, "Can't-get-on-this-island disease". Before the timeskip, he also had delusions of acting like the captain, referring to himself as "Captain Usopp" when talking to Chopper, opponents, or strangers.

It is this which leads to his feud with Luffy - specifically his refusal to part with the ship he had come to love. This was the result of all his insecurities about his usefulness as a member of the crew culminating within him and finally exploding under the stress of having just been badly beaten by the Franky Family and then losing his ship. He was worried that since he was not as physically strong as Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro, he was just a burden to their crew. Though he is very intelligent and a talented sniper, he had trouble seeing his better qualities and his strengths until the fight at Enies Lobby opened his eyes. After said fight, Usopp was able to finally see his better half and realized that even though he was not as strong as the others, he was still quite powerful in his own right.

After meeting the giants Dorry and Brogy in the Little Garden Arc, Usopp began to want to travel to Elbaf one day and meet the proud warriors there. Usopp gave his first glimpse of understanding the ways of the warrior and the pride of a duel during the giants' battle. As a result Usopp often sees the Elbaf warriors he has met in his travels as sources of inspiration in his journey to become "a brave warrior of the sea".

Throughout Thriller Bark, many members of the crew fell victim to the effects of Perona's negative powers, causing them to become incredibly depressed to the point where they could not move. However Usopp, though slightly affected by the power, got to his feet claiming he could not become negative, because he already is negative, even saying it in a brag-like way. Perona claimed he was the only person who was ever immune to her powers; to the point using her powers on him causes her to become severely depressed, so she fled from him in fear. After finding out about Ace's death, he developed the courage to escape and help out Luffy through the hardship or else he will not call himself a crewmate. Usopp shows an unusual lack of fear in his attempts to get off the island to rejoin Luffy, showing no hesitation in facing the giant beetle who was bigger than he was.

He also has a dislike for mushrooms, due to eating a poisonous one when he was younger.

One, two, on the third step you will get shot by me and that'll be it!... Oh man, I'm losing my edge. I used to bluff better in the past, but now I can actually do these things!

After the timeskip Usopp becomes more confident in himself, especially in terms of his fighting abilities, and boasts that he has become a warrior. Prior to the timeskip Usopp freaks out about joining his crew in the fight at the Human Auction House. However, on his return to the Sabaody Archipelago, he shows no fear of the Impostor Straw Hat Pirates despite them having guns and attacks them without hesitation, and then turns his back to them to talk peacefully with Nami. Later in the battle of Gyoncorde Plaza, when facing off against Daruma, an officer of the New Fishman Pirates, he is shown to be smiling, seemingly excited about his imminent fight, though at the time, he was under the impression that Chopper would be providing him with backup. He now comically smacks people (mostly Luffy) more frequently when they annoy him or say something stupid. However, now he is willing to stand and fight with the rest of the crew. He is still reasonably frightened of danger that is beyond his ability though, such as Luffy and Zoro popping the coating bubble while deep under the sea or the White Strom or when traveling on Green Bit he was adamant that he and Robin stay close together. His "I-can't-go-on-this-island-or-I'll-die-disease" is still the same as shown when he did not want to go to Punk Hazard, even despite the fact he understood the strength of his crew members. His habit of lying also remains, as displayed on Green Bit, where he adapted quickly to the naive dwarves, and immediately proclaimed himself to be Usoland, descendant of the hero Noland, after discovering the connection between the two.

Usopp has also, on a few occasions displayed a subtle perverted side of him, that is often not noted upon. The best example of this is when he, Zoro, and Brook are trapped in a suspended cage in Ryugu Palace and Brook explains his newfound ability to extend his soul over long distances. He also explains that his soul can travel through solid objects, including walls, to which he begins to have a small nosebleed, indicating that he used this ability to peep on girls over the duration of the timeskip. Usopp begins crying to Zoro, stating that Brook was, "making him jealous."

Alter-Ego (Sogeking)
I heard everything from him. You want to save a defenseless girl right? I will lend you a hand for free. Sogeking is Usopp's alter-ego developed during the Water 7 and Enies Lobby Arcs, when he left the crew. Later seeing the others trying to save Robin made him feel guilty for leaving, so he stated to Sanji and Franky that he cannot help them fight for this reason. He hastily 'disguised' himself in a mask and cape and began calling himself "Sogeking". The Sogeking mask is from the Sea Train Puffing Tom. As Sanji leaves the last car of the Sea Train the mask is visible sitting in an open suitcase. He is called "Soge King" in the FUNimation subs. In the Viz manga and FUNimation dub, he is called "Sniper King".

During this facade, he sometimes dons a deeper voice to disguise himself, which can be seen as the "true" Sogeking. Sogeking also refers to nearly everyone with a "kun" suffix (Luffy-kun, Zoro-kun, Chopper-kun etc.) and when asked of the whereabouts of the 'Island of Snipers' he supposedly comes from, maintains that it exists "in your heart". As Sogeking, he changes the name of his attacks from Japanese to English, such as the "Firebird Star" when shooting at the World Government flag. Everyone except for Luffy and Chopper already knew that Sogeking was Usopp at the sight of Usopp's significantly long nose. Tamanegi, Ninjin, Piiman and Kaya were able to recognize him, though they claimed no one else in Syrup Village did.

As his alter-ego Sogeking, Usopp was able to fight alongside the others without having to deal with his departure. During his time spent acting as Sogeking, Usopp began to realize that while he was one of the weaker crew members, his role as the crew's sniper and a supporting crew member made him more valuable than he thought. Ultimately, he was recorded as Sogeking on his bounty. The fact that Usopp himself is not technically wanted allows him to slip through enemy lines seemingly undetected, as shown when Oars originally let Usopp go because (being Luffy's shadow) Oars did not think Usopp was a target.

Sogeking: Calm down!!! Fight with her Usopp-kun. Usopp: Shut up!! I can't do it anymore. There is no way I can win! Sogeking: That's not it. You are a man who can do it certainly. Usopp: Do you have some sort of proof then!!? Sogeking: Nope! Usopp: You don't!!!

During his fight with Perona, Usopp started arguing inside his head with his alter ego over their situation. Once he put on the mask he gained the confidence that enabled him to defeat Kumashi. This indicates that he compartmentalizes this aspect of himself to deal with the stress of the situation.

The genuine Sogeking has not yet made an appearance since the two year time skip. However, during the Straw Hats' return to Sabaody Archipelago, when Usopp and Nami face four of the Impostor Straw Hat Pirates, Usopp sees the mask worn by the Fake Sogeking. While he says "Sogeking", it does not indicate whether he is merely surprised that someone is impersonating him or actually believes it is the real Sogeking. Although when he reunites with Chopper, Usopp and Nami tell Chopper that they are impostors.

Luffy and Chopper
He was inspired by Luffy, Zoro and Nami and decided to go out to sea, following his dream of becoming a "Brave warrior of the sea". He will often goof off with Luffy and Chopper and shares a strong, brotherly relationship with them. He and Luffy share a common path towards an eventual meeting with the Red Haired Pirate Crew: Luffy to reunite with Shanks and Usopp with his father. Through this small connection and the fact that they are the same age and, thus, at the same level of maturity, Luffy and Usopp had a very special bond from the moment they met. Chopper loves Usopp's stories and often falls for his tall tales, and Usopp in turn loves Chopper's hero worship of him and makes a point to act cool in front of his "younger brother". Both Luffy and Chopper were very upset when Usopp left the crew and were elated when he begged to rejoin.

Nami
He gets along with Nami but, like Chopper, is often intimidated by her sometimes violent behavior. Usopp and Nami have a special bond as they are the only "normal" crew members. At some point during the Alabasta arc, Nami approached Usopp and asked him to make a weapon for her, convincing him to do so by confessing her feelings of inadequacy when compared to the awesome strength of Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and even Chopper. Nami said that Usopp was the only one who could understand these feelings, and thus was the only one who could help her. Upon them reuniting after 2 years apart she hugged him, complimenting on how he has grown.

Zoro and Sanji
Zoro and Sanji get along well with him, but before the timeskip, often admonished Usopp for his cowardice and sentimentality. Zoro displayed unusual caring or loyalty for Usopp by attempting to slash Nami when she lied that she had killed Usopp during the Arlong Arc before being stopped by the recently joined Sanji. Zoro has also been similar to an older brother for Usopp, demanding to the others that they must let him step up and deal with the consequences of leaving the crew, attempting to help him become a "Brave Warrior of the Sea" on his own.

Usopp has displayed unusual bravery for Sanji, however, displayed as he was willing to return to the Maxim in the Sky Island Arc in order to save Sanji from Enel's wrath.

During the Enies Lobby Arc, Sanji showed a special bond with Usopp, initially shown as he kicked Luffy for attempting to tell Usopp to leave the crew, as well as later helping him realize that he was not useless to the crew like he previously considered.

Robin, Franky, and Brook
Usopp was scared of Robin, as well as Brook when they first appeared to the Straw Hats; however, he changed his views over time and sees them as good friends, as seen when he wanted to stay close to Robin on their journey in Green Bit. As for Franky, while he did beat up Usopp during the Water 7 arc, they began to understand each other once they talked about the Going Merry. Franky also told Usopp that he liked him and asked him to join him as a ship dismantler, but Usopp declined because he would rather stay as a pirate. Usopp is usually the one who tests Franky's cannon-type inventions. They have also bonded over their ability and mutual fondness for engineering. They both tend to the ship together, upgrading and maintaining it.

A running gag involving Usopp and the crew is that whenever a topic of discussion is brought up by someone and happens to contain personality traits that link to Usopp (such as his lying habits or his long nose), the crew always turn to stare at him or see a mental image of him (like in Jaya with the tale of the King of Liars Noland, or when they first met Kaku even though the subject may have nothing to do with Usopp in particular.)

Kaya
He shared a deep fondness for Kaya back in his village due to her losing her parents and often tried to keep her happy. Unfortunately, his lies backfired when he tried to protect her when Kuro put his 3 year plan into action and Kaya lost all respect for him, until the truth has been revealed. After Kuro's plan is stopped, she decided to try to remain happy for him while he was gone and Usopp is left happy that she is safe. When his "Sogeking" bounty is made public, Kaya is able to identify him and seemed proud of his accomplishment. Just seeing his poster inspired her to get back to her medical studies, wanting to be able to take care of his injuries upon his eventual return. Kaya is in debt with her friend Usopp and has grown very fond of him since he saved her life, more so than she ever had been in the past. She was willing to listen to Usopp's tales knowing he was a liar, yet incapable of accepting some of the grim realities when the stories become serious about Klahadore, believing the butler to be loyal and faithful to her.

Partially due to Kaya's influence, Usopp found it virtually impossible to part with the Going Merry, having a strong bond with the ship. Usopp refused to relinquish the ship despite the rest of the crew already gave up on it due to it being irreparable and dying, to the point of nearly breaking his ties with the Straw Hats solely to keep the Merry for himself. Usopp has knowingly deluded himself that the Merry can be saved, until he was made to see the undeniable fact, that by forcing the Merry to go on would just cause it pain. When the Merry was finally given a Viking's funeral, Usopp cried deeply.

Usopp Pirates
Back at the village, his old pirate trio also await his return. Originally they were a small crew who would create minor mischief together for fun, they instantly believed him when he had claimed the butler Klahadore is a pirate. Usopp lied to them by claiming that he lied to get back at Klahadore, in order to keep them safe; although they act disgusted at first for their captain's supposed cruel jokes, they remained skeptical and knew deep down Usopp was simply hiding the truth from them. They unhesitatingly went down to the battlefield to attack Kuro, and protected Kaya with their lives under Usopp's request.

When they last met they parted ways with him to lead off on their own dreams. They have been following the reports of him ever since via the newspapers and are proud to have called him captain. The former members of Usopp Pirates (Ninjin, Tamanegi, and Piman) were seen again after Enies Lobby was raided, reacting to Usopp's new bounty. Even though it said "Sogeking" and he was wearing a mask, they could recognize him because of his nose. Two years have passed and they were recently seen reading news of the Straw Hats' return in the newspaper that shows the current look of their former leader, Usopp.

Dorry and Brogy
When Usopp first met them, they heavily inspired Usopp's dream to seek out the land of Elbaf and train with Giants to become a great warrior of the sea. Usopp looked up at them like heroes and found their personal duels to be very moving. When their duel was interrupted it heavily enraged Usopp, and sought out the perpetrator. When fighting to protect the Giants, it was one of the few moments Usopp showed absolute bravery and confidence against a superior opponent. The two giants befriended Usopp and helped him and the Straw Hats leave the island. Even when the Merry was swallowed by a giant goldfish, Usopp's belief in them did not waver that they would keep their word and let nothing stand in their way.

Oimo and Kashi
"Sogeking" also made friends with the giants Oimo and Kashi after he revealed the truth to them concerning the Usopp (still disguised as Sogeking), who had been accidentally left behind, hears them lament about their tragic existence. After this he realizes their leaders were none other than Dorry and Brogy, whom the Straw Hats had met during their adventures in Little Garden. He told the two the real truth and how he had met them and proved this by showing Dorry and Brogy's unique laughs and combat style. Angered at being deceived for fifty years, Oimo and Kashi switched sides and swore vengeance upon the World Government and Naval forces that had kept them in the dark for so long. They arrived just in time to save the Franky Family from being overwhelmed by the marines when Yokozuna gets knocked out, as well as take over it in guarding the door to the inner courthouse, keeping the marines out — But not before flinging Sogeking up to the rooftop to rejoin the Straw Hats.

Heracles
After landing on the Boin Archipelago, Usopp was rescued by, and quickly befriended Heracles, who tried to stop Usopp from injuring himself any more than he already had while he tried to escape Greenstone. Heracles also saved Usopp from being eaten by the Stomach Baron when Usopp became fat. He later became Usopp´s sensei and helped train him in the 2 years the Straw Hats were separated to become "the true king of snipers".

Kuro
He has a deep personal grudge for Kuro, whom he fought against to protect Kaya. He mocked Usopp when he called himself a pirate, calling his act a "childish game", and sees him as equal to an insect. Usopp dislikes him for this, and comes to hate him after realizing his true intentions and plans for Kaya. Upon discovering Kuro's true identity, Usopp came to fear him for his reputation, and even regretted punching him, a fear that only intensified when he saw Kuro's superhuman speed. However, when Kuro openly insulted Kaya, breaking her heart in the process, Usopp forgot his fear and flew into a rage, attempting to strike Kuro once again.

Marines
While he himself is at ease with the Marines, his plainly obvious alter-ego carries a bounty. In the anime, the Pacifista was able to associate Usopp with Sogeking, with Sentomaru commenting that his epithet, "King of Snipers" (Sogeki no Ō-sama), was ridiculous. In the New World the Straw Hat Pirates had new pictures taken, with an image of Usopp titled "Sogeking". It is likely that he is as recognized as any crew member, minus Sanji, despite his name differing on the wanted poster.

Yasopp
Yasopp is Usopp's father. While Usopp has yet to be shown interacting with his father, Usopp has remained proud of him even though he took the path of a pirate. Yasopp also seems to care deeply about his son despite being absent for the majority of his life. It is also unclear as to how well he knows his father, as it was never said when exactly Yasopp left (except for the flashback during the fight between Usopp and Daddy Masterson with Yasopp saying "I left when he was just a baby to sail with Shanks' crew").

Usopp is revealed to be Yasopp's son. Usopp does not know much about his father, only that he is a member of Shank's pirate crew. It is said by Merry back at Syrup Village that Usopp started lying that pirates were coming to the village, hoping that his father would come back. When Monkey D. Luffy was younger, he remembers Yasopp telling stories about his son that he had left back home. Both Yasopp and Usopp are great sharpshooters, which seems to be somewhat of a shared trait. One clue is in Chapter 41, it is said Usopp's mother died not that long after Yasopp left, in the flashback, Usopp looks like a small child. Usopp either knows about his father from stories told by his mother or from actual memories, which one it is remains a mystery.

Banchina
Banchina was Usopp's mother. He deeply cared about her well being, to the point of creating his original set of lies about his father returning in an attempt to give her hope and keep her alive. Every day he would tell the same lie, that his father had returned to take them away, hoping it would keep her hopes high and help her to recover. However, she knew he would never return and before her death she told Usopp that she was glad he had gone out to sea. When she died, he suffered a deep loneliness that led him to keep on lying even though he no longer had a reason to do so. His mother's death eventually led him to develop sympathy for Kaya, and caused him to devote his time to helping her overcome her parents' death.