On October 18, 2026, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda released chapter 1196 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue 47. The vast majority of chapter 1196 was focused on the character of Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates, as he continued his battle against one of the Holy Knights, Saint Killingham. Sanji Vs Killingham is a phenomenal battle that continues to test the limits of the cook of the crew and, most importantly, forces him to look inward and accept his true self.
One Piece chapter 1196 highlighted Sanji’s suicidal and rash nature, but by the end of the chapter, the cook of the Straw Hats finally overcame his self-deprecating and suicidal nature and awakened as a true king. In doing so, Eiichiro Oda surprisingly added a narcissistic and evil twist to Sanji’s character by making him embody the same persona that he had when he fought Luffy in the Whole Cake Island arc in One Piece chapter 844, which was officially released on October 31, 2016, around 10 years ago.
One Piece Chapter 1196 Makes Sanji A Narcissistic Germa Prince
One Piece chapter 1196 was absolutely massive for the character of Sanji and finally paved the way for him to awaken the Color of the Supreme King. Sanji’s awakening of Conqueror’s Haki was first set up by Eiichiro Oda in chapter 1152, which was officially released on June 23, 2025, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue 30. In this chapter, Scopper Gaban stated to both Zoro and Sanji that they possessed the color of the Supreme King. In the case of Sanji, Gaban also openly stated that while he did have the capabilities of a King, he was actively suppressing himself and preventing himself from bringing his Haki out. Sanji’s self-deprecating nature nerfed him tremendously, and this is a weakness that he was finally forced to see in his fight against Saint Killingham.
Sanji: What about me? Do I have Conqueror’s Haki?
Gaban: You too have traits of one who can become a Conqueror. But for some reason, I sense dangerous self-deprecation in you. If you truly want Luffy to become the Pirate King, then you yourself must become a “King.”
— Gaban confirms Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki, One Piece Chapter #1187
One Piece 1196, which was officially released on October 18, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 47, gave us a flashback of Sanji with the Newkama of the Kamabakka Kingdom. In this chapter, it was clear that Sanji’s weakness was spotted by Ivankov. According to Ivankov, Sanji could have easily won his fight against the Newkama but chose to put his body in harm’s way because of his suicidal and rash nature. Sanji’s lack of self-love and his suicidal nature were actively suppressing his true powers and, with them, the Color of the Supreme King as well.
Sanji: I don’t care about myself. I would gladly give my life for the sake of Nami and Robin!
Ivankov: I’m not saying that’s wrong. But Sanji, remember this: the love of the one who longs for death is worthless, and right now, your love is full of wounds.
— Ivankov addresses Sanji, One Piece Chapter #1196
Ivankov went on to state that Sanji’s love was covered in wounds and that eventually, his body would break down and prevent him from saving those that he truly loves. If Sanji was to truly ascend as a king and wield the power that he needs to make Luffy the Pirate King, then, first and foremost, he needed to accept himself for what he truly is, and start showing kindness to himself before he shows it to others.
Chapter 1196 of the series finally showed Sanji resolve his mental issues and rise tall as a conqueror towards the end. To juxtapose that, Eiichiro Oda placed Sanji above Saint Killingham, a Celestial Dragon of the World Government, and made the cook look down on him. Sanji also asked Killingham to bow his head because it was too high, and this is where his narcissistic Germa personality finally bears its head.
“I won’t take a single hit from you any longer. I don’t care if you’re a Celestial Dragon or whatever. You’re standing there talking down to me in front of the people who took us in. You’re getting on my nerves. Your head is too high. I said, bow down, horse-man!” — Sanji’s nature shifts, One Piece Chapter #1196
This is the very same personality that Sanji showed in the Whole Cake Island arc, where he tried to force Luffy off the island in an attempt to save the Straw Hat Pirates. Back then, Sanji was only pretending to be an authoritarian prince of the Germa Kingdom in an attempt to drive Luffy off and leave him to his fate. However, this time around, Sanji is truly embodying this narcissistic Germa nature and is actually ordering around a Celestial Dragon, which goes to show how highly he values himself.
Why Sanji’s New Personality Will Grant Him Supreme King Haki
In 2016, One Piece’s Whole Cake Island arc explored Sanji’s past. Starting from his birth, he was revealed to be the only one of the Vinsmoke brothers to be born with emotions. Had Sanji been born without any emotions, he would most likely embody the same narcissistic personality that he’s showing right now. The only difference right now is that Sanji is not devoid of any emotions like his brothers. He still cares for people whom he loves, as was also highlighted in One Piece chapter 1196.
Sanji’s rage and disgust towards Killingham stem from the fact that the giants of Elbaf saved them and welcomed them into their country, and Killingham and the other members of the Celestial Dragons were actively harming them. As such, Sanji’s narcissistic nature doesn’t stop him from being a kind-hearted individual.
At the end of the day, these conflicting personalities blend together very well, as Sanji officially finds his true self. Eiichiro Oda will most certainly put that on display in chapter 1197, which is where we will most certainly see him tap into the Color of the Supreme King for the very first time. The only thing that was actively preventing Sanji from utilizing the Color of the Supreme King was his lack of self-love, which made him suicidal. Now that his inner conflict has been dealt with, chapter 1197 should see Sanji awaken Conqueror’s Haki and coat his entire body in it, increasing both his defensive and offensive capabilities.
“Hey, Iva-chan! It seems that the day of my limits is finally here. I need strength right here right now. If I build up my defense, will I get stronger? While I need power, you’re telling me to take care of myself?” — Sanji thinks to himself, One Piece Chapter #1196
Sanji’s Character Growth As A Germa Prince Continues
One Piece Chapter 1196 awakened Sanji’s narcissistic personality after a 10-year-long wait, and it has only served to make his character more interesting. However, Sanji’s character growth does not stop here. His evolution as a warrior of science, which Eiichiro Oda himself teased in One Piece volume 105 on March 3, 2023, continues.
On top of that, Sanji could potentially face further conflict, which results from him resembling his siblings and the princes of the Vinsmoke Family after embodying his kingly nature. All this interesting character development will finally be tackled by Eiichiro Oda as One Piece continues its run in the Final Saga. If there was ever any doubt, the overall character writing for Sanji just got better, and we absolutely cannot wait to see him embody the true qualities of a king as he awakens his true kingly persona.
All chapters of One Piece by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
