A piece is a series filled with explosive plot twists that fans never saw coming. This is a bit surprising given how well the series foretold some of its main events, but it’s just a testament to how incredibly skilled One Piece’s creator, Eiichiro Oda, is , because he can still make fans guess old and young after all this time.
Part of the reason many of these twists work so well is how long they take to build. Not every turning point needs years of foundation to be effective, but One Piece’s incredible length benefits it in this respect, even if it’s one of the main factors that deters many newcomers. Start digging deeper into the series. However, while the best episodes in the series may have been in the works for decades, there are still plenty of others that have shocked and delighted readers in a shorter amount of time. Here are ten of the best and most shocking twists and turns in One Piece.
10 Ace is Roger’s son
When Ace was first captured by Blackbeard and handed over to the Marines, most fans just assumed it was because he was a high-ranking member of Whitebeard’s crew. However, it was revealed at Marineford that the real reason why the World Government wanted to execute him in public was because he was the son of Gol D. Roger, completely reimagining everything fans know about this character. This change even took a tragic kick for it, as after his death Ace felt the need to thank the crew and family for loving him no matter who he was. , which remains one of the most emotional moments of the series.
Brook and Laboon’s Connection
When first introduced, Brook seems like a silly perverted skeleton with nothing special. But as more information was revealed about him in Thriller Bark, fans realized that he was actually a member of the Straw Hats that had heard of them in Reverse Mountain, who abandoned Laboon there and never go back. On its own, this won’t change much, but the tragic story of Brooks’ crew actually remembering their promise to Laboon but dying before they could fulfill it perfectly embodies how humans are. fans see them and deliver an emotional punch to boot .
Luffy’s 8 Families
Like with Ace, very little is known about Luffy’s origins at the beginning of the series. Thus, there is a big surprise at the end of Enies Lobby that not only Luffy’s grandfather is Marine admiral Garp, who appeared earlier in the cover stories, but Luffy’s father is also the leader of the Army. Revolutionary Dragon who saved him returns. in Loguetown. This revelation ties various parts of the story together while also showing that Luffy’s family is far more important and disordered than fans thought. As Garp and Dragon become more important later in the series, this change gets better over time.
7 Shanks is a Heavenly Dragon
This change is unique on this list as it hasn’t really been explicitly revealed in the story, instead being essentially confirmed by One Piece Film: RED and additional material by One Piece Film: RED. It. There, Shanks is confirmed to be a member of the Figarland Clan, revealed in the most recent installment of One Piece to be a high-ranking Celestial Dragon clan. This change explains a lot of mysterious facts about Shanks, such as how he was able to gain an audience with the Five Elders. Once the story clears this, it will likely rise higher on this list, but for now, it’s still shocking enough to warrant a spot here.
6 Saul is still alive
Like Shanks becoming Thien Long, this trend is likely to get better as the series delves deeper into it. On Egghead Island, Vegapunk reveals to Robin that after Ohara was destroyed, knowledge of its library was kept by a giant named Saul, who she assumed was dead after encouraging her to set sail. and find people who accept her. While this may be the extent of the twist, it is also heavily implied that Saul may be the mysterious “Man Marked by the Flame”, making his survivability in the spiral possible. likely to play a larger role in the series that followed.
5 Raizo is safe
This may not be the most important episode in the series, but it is certainly one of the most moving. After being tortured by the Beast Pirates, who wanted to know the location of Samurai Raizo, the Minks of Zou adamantly insisted that they did not know where he was. However, when Raizo’s allies appear on the island, they reveal that this was just a ruse and that Raizo is indeed safe under their care. This change immediately proves that Minks is one of the most loyal characters in the series and also forms an alliance of Mink Samurai that will play an important role in Wano. But most importantly, it’s easily one of One Piece’s most emotional moments largely due to how shocking the turnaround is.
4. Sanji is a Vinsmoke
After hundreds of chapters with Sanji on the crew, it’s finally revealed that the chef is actually a member of the evil super-villain Vinsmoke Family as they try to use him as a bargaining chip in the alliance. with Big Mom. Part of what makes this change so great is the way it’s heralded throughout the series, with Sanji mentioning that he’s from North Blue and his wanted poster listing him as wanted only when he was still young. living. This change also serves to add to Sanji’s character, having him go through some great character development in the Wholecake Island installment.
3 Existence of Imu
After hundreds of chapters that see the World Government as a large organization without a clear leader to vilify, One Piece has finally revealed at Reverie that there is in fact one figure responsible for it all. its evil edicts. This is Imu, the figure who secretly sits on the Empty Throne and seems to have been since the Government was established at the end of the Empty Century. Imu’s existence has changed everything One Piece fans thought they knew about the manga’s power structure, and since Imu only became more active in One Piece’s Final Saga, this turning point could become a turning point. should be more important when the series comes to an end.
2 Blackbeard Bearing Two Devil Fruits
Marineford is one of the most action-packed installments in One Piece with an all-out battle between the Whitebeard Pirates and the World Government. But after all that had settled down, possibly the most impactful outcome of the war was Blackbeard’s sudden appearance to steal Whitebeard’s Devil Fruit powers through unknown means. This completely changed everything fans thought they knew about Devil Fruits, which were supposed to be used only once and spawned many great theories about Blackbeard. By disrupting this status quo, Blackbeard instantly became one of One Piece’s most dangerous and mysterious threats.
Luffy’s Devil Fruit
Luffy is one of the most iconic Shonen protagonists due in part to the creative simplicity of his powers. From the very first chapter of the series, fans have known that he ate the Gum Gum fruit, which turns his body into rubber and gives him great stretch. However, after being pushed to his limit in Wano, Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit, which the Five Elders revealed was in fact a Form Nika Mythical Devil Fruit, giving him the power to shape reality to your liking in the name of freedom. This changes everything fans thought they knew about Luffy and his powers and easily becomes the most shocking twist in the series to date.
As One Piece’s Final Saga continues, there will certainly be more plot twists for fans to look forward to. For example, what happened in the Empty Century and the true nature of One Piece have yet to be explained and will likely surprise fans when they are revealed. But while some of the plot twists above may eventually be overcome, the ones listed above still serve as a testament to how mature it is. A piece can manipulate audience expectations and still surprise them even after 25 years.