Of all the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, Usopp is known as the comic relief and by far its most cowardly member. While Usopp's cowardice may not reflect his true powers, we certainly haven't seen much of the latter because of the former. That's why we've ventured on a journey to discover Usopp's strength in our previous articles, and this one will actually be a spin-off of those articles. Namely, Usopp is known as a brilliant marksman, but he doesn't use a gun. In this article, we'll see whether Usopp will use a gun or not.

No explanation has been given as to why Usopp never uses a gun, and he likely never replaces his slingshot with a gun in the series. As for an in-universe reason, Usopp probably doesn't use a gun because he doesn't need to; his slingshot is simply too powerful. As for an out-of-universe explanation, Oda probably didn't want one of his main characters to endorse guns and be a bad influence on children.

The rest of this article will tell you all about Usopp's shooting skills and weapons, focusing on Kabuto and the fact that he doesn't use weapons. Some spoilers may be present, but Usopp is a pretty intriguing character, and we want to give you as much information as possible; that's why we've warned you in case you're not fully aware of all the events of the series.

Why does Usopp avoid using a gun in One Piece?

As we said, the exact reason is unknown. Okay, sure, he started out with a slingshot as a kid because no one would give a gun to a kid, but later on, he never switched to another weapon. This is probably because Usopp has gotten so used to a slingshot that he doesn't really need a gun. He's honed his skills over the years to the point where his slingshot is more dangerous than your average rifle, and that's why Usopp is one of the most dangerous marksmen in the series.

His powers have of course increased over the years, and from being a great marksman, Usopp has become an excellent shot, probably one of the best in the entire series. Add to this the fact that he can now use Haki, and Usopp has become a walking weapon. He can hit a target from a great distance, and his Haki makes him even more dangerous in any situation. He's also perfected his slingshot so much that it's become better than most guns; Kabuto is a truly special weapon, and it makes perfect sense that Usopp is so closely tied to it.

With Kabuto at his side, Usopp doesn't really need a rifle. It would likely be weaker than any rifle Usopp could encounter and use. This is why he always avoids 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 safely assume that Usopp will likely never use a gun, at least not as a permanent weapon. He's an excellent marksman and an extremely accurate marksman, but he'll likely continue to use his trademark slingshot until the very end of the manga. There's no suggestion that Usopp might change his preferences, and based on his overall character development, it wouldn't make sense for him to make such a change. He might end up using a gun temporarily because he has to, but he'll likely never make a permanent change.

As for the reasons, they've never been properly explained. Unlike Batman, who, for example, doesn't kill as a maxim, it's never officially been stated that Usopp wouldn't use weapons, nor has it been explained why he doesn't, especially since weapons 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 didn't want to approve of guns. Usopp isn't just a hero in the story. He's also one of the main characters in the story, and many fans, especially children, love and even idolize Usopp. If Oda had given Usopp a gun, children—who don't understand the dangers of guns—would likely see them as something fun, and it's only natural that Oda would want to avoid that. This is why we'll likely never see Usopp with a gun.