One Piece Theory: [SPOILER] Will Die In the End

WARNING: This article contains massive spoilers for the series One Piece. Read with caution.

The end of the manga One Piece is an enigmatic one, even to fans who were with Monkey D. Luffy from the beginning. The series, now with 20+ years under its belt and counting, has captured the hearts and souls of die-hards and newbies alike. The author, Eiichiro Oda himself stated in Volume 42, chapter 405, ‘”Originally, my plan was that One Piece would continue for five years.” Talk about an undersell! Even with this rough estimation, Oda has kept the ending in his head the same, knowing he would (eventually) get there. Two decades later, and fans are finally starting to figure out just exactly the type of tragic craftsmanship Oda has in mind for the series ending. If what Oda has been projecting since Volume One proves true, then One Piece is destined to end with the tragic death of our beloved manga protagonist.

One Piece is a nostalgic IP that’s launched itself into the future of manga and anime. As a brand and story, it has enormous staying power. This 95-plus volume series has sold more than 454 million manga worldwide, inspiring an anime with over 800 episodes, 14 feature-length films, and a slew of video and mobile games. In terms of success, Oda as a manga-ka has topped charts time and time again. As of April 2018, Oda told fans that One Piece was about 80% complete, meaning the characters are set for the final lurch. But what does this mean for the end? The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Theories based on story atrophies such as Ponyglyphs, the Will of D, and the new Pirate King have come and gone, but one tangent leaves fans hard-pressed to stick it out to the end. Some rumors may be far-flung, but this one has as much staying power as One Piece has on mainstream media: One Piece will end with the death of Oda’s own titular character, Monkey D. Luffy.

Enter Monkey D Luffy! Brave, headstrong… and not all that smart. He’s out to become the King of the Pirates! However, history repeats itself. Looking back at the previous King of the Pirates, Gol D. Rodger was executed before starting the great age of piracy with a rumor of his treasure, the ‘One Piece‘. Edward Newgate, A.K.A. Whitebeard, died shortly after confirming Rodger’s rumor. The One Piece seems to be a cursed ‘treasure’ that comes with an infamous title – whoever is made ‘King of the Pirates’ isn’t king for very long. Luffy’s only goal in terms of the larger story is exactly this; Luffy isn’t saying that he wants to die, but when he finds the ‘One Piece‘, his life goals will be complete. Narratively, Luffy has nothing left to do after this, marking him for a traditional literary death. This theme of achieving impossible goals is shared by all of the main characters, but none are as ‘impossible’ to reach as Luffy’s. Good thing he can stretch himself thin in a collaborative setting.

Not only does Oda set up Luffy to be a ‘tragic hero’ archetype, but he creates plot devices and interactions in the One Piece genre (shounen) to mark Luffy for death. For starters, in volume one, Romance Dawn, Luffy has constantly placed in the post perilous positions in each panel (on the edge of Shank’s figurehead, taking on mountain bandits by himself, in the ocean after learning he can’t swim). Luffy is also the first to draw blood by giving himself the iconic left undereye scar to prove how serious he is about being a pirate. Oda often writes and names characters in a literal sense, like drawing Luffy in a t-shirt that says ‘anchor’ in the very first chapter. Here, Luffy’s precarious placement and first blood symbolize how his hero’s journey will follow: Luffy is the sole guide to progressing the plot, but that doesn’t mean he’s not immune to receiving large amounts of pain and suffering. Luffy is going to have to struggle before his goals are reached, even if that means struggling to the very end.

The characters and friendships Luffy makes along his journey also foreshadow his tragic future. His fellow crewmates continuously take hits on Luffy’s behalf, implying that Luffy would have died then and there if not for these courageous men. Sanji was struck by Enel’s lightning, Kuma gave Zoro Luffy’s pain, and Bon Clay stayed behind to let Luffy escape Impel Down and go on to Marineford.

Luffy’s lifespan also decreased by 10 years during Ivankanov’s medical treatment to rid him of Magellan’s poisons. Don’t worry, he survived the trip to ‘hell’ and back in a hand-basket. Some may call this ‘plot armor’, but the metaphor was more about how Luffy couldn’t become the pirate king going solo. Maybe the real treasure was the friendships he’d made along the way.

Luffy’s blood relations also indicate how his tale may come to a sudden end. DNA is less important in the One Piece universe, following with the prevailing themes of ‘found family’ and ‘no one is born alone’. This ties in with Luffy’s adopted brothers, both of whom suffer a ‘death’ from Luffy’s perspective. Sabo, the eldest, was ‘killed’ as he set off from their home island, which later tied into his amnesia and his decision to join the revolutionaries. Ace, the middle child, died in Luffy’s arms for an impactful and tragic moment at Marineford. It’s not far off to assume that history will repeat itself in terms of the youngest of the ASL trio. It’s also not far off that this theory may come as a shock and surprise to even long-time readers. Whatever fate, Luffy’s destiny is in Oda’s considerate hands.

The subject of Luffy’s death is a hard one to broach with fans, even in theory. It may not even come to pass, as Oda plans on ending the manga sometime in the next five years (Where have we heard that before?). The death of an insanely popular shounen manga protagonist would be a unique twist on an already unique series. No matter what happens in the end, who lives, who dies, who goes on to tell tall tales, One Piece will still remain a strong world in the hearts of fans and friends alike.