The timeskip in One Piece was the momentum of multiple changes in our affectionate Straw Hats’ crew. Along with their personality and abilities progression, they all got some design changes reflecting their overall improvement. One of the most intriguing ones was precisely Robin’s skin tone, which mysteriously changed.
We are about to look into the reasons behind that noticeable modification about Robin’s skin color.
As usual, I will escort you all this article long, as your loyal guide. I particularly fancies sharing opinions with fellow members of our One Piece lovers’ community, that I belong to since 2008 up to now. We kindly hope that you will like this one.
So, here we go!!!
How did Robin change skin color ?
Robin first look :
Earlier in the anime, a bit before Alabasta’s arc, Robin has been introduced in a shady vibe, to the very first Straw Hats members.
Her look was even perfectly fitting with the desert of Alabasta.
I remember I used to think she was like an egyptian, with her tanned skin.
Ironically, she is actually Russian, according to what Oda said in the 56th number of SBS’s interviews.
I was really confused when I first saw Robin, right after the two years time skip. And I guess you felt the same way; she “just” had a tiny skin color switch. Maybe she fell into a pot with magic coloring potion inside.
Jokes aside, Robin came back from her break, with a pale skin tone, literally contrasting with the pre-time one. Now, we are wondering how that is possible.
Robin post-timeskip :
Actually, Miss All Sunday was supposed to have a light skin, from the beginning.
Robin having a black skin was a “quid pro quo”. As TOEI studio animation’s team was working on Robin’s first appearance, Oda hasn’t yet produced a colored version of Robin. So, they went out on a limb, and resulted in the complexion we saw in the pre-time skip.
Besides, she was also portrayed with brown eyes, in the manga. But, she ended up with blue ones, which we don’t complain about.
After realizing the blunder, it would have been so delicate to suddenly revise such a feature, without inducing negative feedback.
Then, TOEI came up with a brilliant idea: waiting for the time skip to come.
Since the crew was going to get split later in the storyline, and each member would have his own way, such a change would be considered as related to her unseen venture.
Thus, when Robin came back, they implemented her first-intended features.
Moreover, I really found ingenious such maneuvering, since the changeover was logical enough, for the anime’s canvas.
During the time skip, Nico Robin spent her 2 years break on Baltigo, with the Revolutionary Army. The island wasn’t a wintry one actually, but we know that it was more like a windy wasteland. Far different from the scorching weather of Alabasta’s desert.
Supposing that she always had a brighter skin tone, spending 4 years at Alabasta would’ve made her body grow a tan.
And, being far from that place her tan progressively faded away.
Robin was also taught the Fish-man Karate at Baltigo, by Koala, an active member of the Revolutionary Army.
No matter how speculative Robin’s complexion changing was, I assume that it was one of the greatest choices they made.
Contrasting with her previous dark edge design, the “new” Robin happens to look and be more uncomplexed, and open minded. Not only her look changed; her heart too.
Now that she found her crew, her true family, she keeps proceeding with the blossoming of her identity.
