@Foolio:
Yes, SOGEKING was great. Then he went back to regular old Usopp… and you'd expect him to bring something new to the table after that, especially after the skip with all the training and fending for himself... but within a few chapters he's back to being the same ol' scared pussy he always is, providing nothing but comic relief and plant-based attacks that aren't too interesting. He developed so much during W7/Enies and then in a snap it all vanished, and this is true for almost all characters after they get their arc to shine.
Eh … this is kind of not true. The pretty calm way Usopp handled himself down on Fishman Island was a testament to his growth. Although he still acts kinda cowardly most of teh time, when it comes to the fight, he's got some serious confidence he never actually had before. Jumping between admiring Chopper's growth and actually fighting through to executing a planned combo on Dagama and without panicking and mostly with a smile on his face.
He didn't need a mask for it and he didn't need to be the onyl one who could do it or anything like that.
Similarly, on Punk Hazard, he had his little 'bit' in the monitor room (err ... was it Vegapunk's old room?). He pretty calmly stood up in front of CC's lackeys and made hsi big speech to them. And then they attacked him and were beaten off-panel. And Usopp was all pretty relaxed about it afterwards (like, "it's because you guys resisted . . .")
Another little nod is that his conventional attacks that he's used post-timeskip (which are few) have been said in English in the Japanese version, which he used to do only as Sogeking.
Usopp's a character who has had growth pretty much throughout the series. He feels a little bolder in the Arlond Arc than he did at his hometown (he pretty much attacked Arlong without hesitation when Genzo was in danger). And that arc was itself a huge moment of growth for him. And that growth showed in turn when we reached Little Garden. And then he does get a little samey for a while~ But we all know about the CP9 arc.
It's true that in Thriller Bark, Usopp was Usopp. He had grown from Usopp pre-CP9 arc, but he certainly wasn't Sogeking (who he did 'use' to defeat Perona).
But it's pretty unfair to say he didn't change at all over the timeskip. Because he changed A LOT. His character has been stagnant since the timeskip started, as everyone else's. But it's a crucially different Usopp to the one before the timeskip.
I actually used to think similarly to you. I felt that Usopp post-timeskip was some sort of boring blur that hovered in between his two old personas. But somewhere along the line, maybe by seeing hsi early growth again, I've realised how much he's actually changed, and how great that actually is.
Maaan, I was gonna vote Franky, just because I am enjoying post-TS Franky so much. But I think I've just convinced myself otherwise ahahahaha.