Monkey D. Luffy's death has been the most popular discussion topic about the famous manga and anime series, One Piece. The article looks at whether or not Luffy can die, where his life has been in perilous situations, and what this holds for the conclusion of this long-running series.
Near-Death Experiences
Luffy has had quite some life-threatening moments in the course of his many adventures. According to Game Rant, there have at least been nine instances where Luffy should have died. This near-death experience elevates the stakes for Luffy's journey—it shows just how much danger he is in and that he could actually die.
The Kaido Battle Controversy
One of the most major moments that really kicked off the debate concerning Luffy's mortality was in his battle against Kaido. During this fight, characters from Kaido himself down to Law and Momonosuke declared Luffy dead. However, with the subsequent revival and further awakening to become Joy Boy, many opened up topics on what kind of "death" he experienced and if it was a full death or a temporary one.
Devil Fruit and Death
One major consideration in the question of Luffy's potential for death comes in the form of the Devil Fruits. It had already been shown that, in the event of a user of the Devil Fruit dying, its power leaves their body. This means that in Kaido's fight, since his Devil Fruit powers remained, some fans have claimed he didn't actually die. That would mean Luffy is, at best, able to come near death but actually die due to the loss of powers of the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
Theories on Luffy's Ultimate Fate
There are many speculations regarding Luffy's ultimate fate by the very end of the series. Some fans believe that he will die right after he attains his dream of becoming the Pirate King, much like Gol D. Roger's fate. Some people feel that Luffy's death would give an emotional ending to the series.
Creator's Stance
This is important: Eiichiro Oda has not, to date, claimed whether Luffy dies at the end of the series, so in regard to this, the possibility is open. That keeps the readers and viewers in suspense.
Physical Toll of Luffy's Powers
Some of the theories describe that the application of some of his techniques, particularly Gear Second, may be slowly draining Luffy's life. It doesn't mean that he will die eventually throughout the series, but it definitely leaves a question to the future problems caused by Luffy's way of fighting.
Narrative Implications
Luffy's case of death directly influences the storyline of One Piece. On the one hand, his death could make for a strong plot element, but on the other hand, it would also be such a vast departure from the generally light-hearted tone maintained throughout the series. The recent "death" and revival during the Kaido fight proved that Oda is not afraid to go beyond the borders of expectations fans have for Luffy's adventures.
While Luffy has been surprisingly resilient and survived many near-death situations, it cannot be ruled out that he really might end up dying. Actually, the very ambiguity of it all adds some kind of tension or element of unpredictability to One Piece. How One Piece finally ends—a surviving or dying Luffy at its conclusion—will likely play a huge part in how the story concludes and how it will be remembered by its fans. If anything, the question of Luffy's mortality heightens as the series progresses towards its finale, and the One Piece community is growing more and more speculative about this.