I have quite a few problems with Rebeccas character, too. I would even go so far that at this point, her character "arc" is Dressrosas biggest flaw. To be clear, I personally dont have a problem with her crying out for help at the end. I mean, she is facing Doflamingo and it was clear she ultimately wouldnt stand a chance against him. The problem I have is that she just cant manage to contribute anything before this. Other princess characters like Vivi or Shirahoshi werent the strongest fighters, either, but they all accomplished things, they helped save people and played a part in the conflict. And right now, pretty much every other single character in Dressrosa is doing that, too….except Rebecca. She states that she wants to help, too, by facing Doflamingo, and yet she becomes a burden again and again. She doesnt even manage to stall Doflamingo like Violet, nope, the second she gets involved, she needs to be saved. I dont even want her to shed blood or anything. Im fine with her staying true to her pacifist ways, and I think it would be the wrong message that she needs to overcome pacifism to be useful. I dont even understand why some people here are so annoyed by the pacifism aspect of her and other characters in this arc. Some people dont like using violence, and they should be allowed to stay true to their ideals, guys. The thing is, though, a character can still be useful without being brutal. Gatz is a perfect example here, he isnt a fighter, and yet he still does what he can to help everybody, even if it means getting injured in the process. But Rebecca is never useful, even though we know she has certain skills, she just....does nothing. And for a character that started out stating that she doesn`t want to be protected all the time and instead wants to protect somebody else for a change, this is a very, very disappointing, anti-climactic character arc.
Still, Im always hesitant to make broad generalisations about stuff like this. Oda did a weak job in writing Rebeccas character, but that does not mean he is an evil sexist who is not able to write strong women characters. I mean, in this very same chapter where Rebecca fails, Oda lets Violet face Doflamingo. Of course, she has as much of a chance of beating him as those gladiators had a few chapters ago. But still, it`s a nice moment for her character, and she is not just portrayed as a helpless damsel in distress, but as a capable fighter and a strong woman, who puts on a smile in the face of certain death to comfort her scared niece.
