One Piece is well-loved across the globe for its incredible story, layers of mysteries, lovable characters, and exciting adventure. However, at its core, the story is deeply complex and even tragic. The story is set in a broken world where the line between right and wrong is blurred. Although pirates are deemed as criminals, they aren’t necessarily evil, and most of them simply want to sail across the seas and find the legendary treasure. On the other hand, Marines are far from being a symbol of justice, as they resort to violence, terror, and even committing genocide if it means upholding their so-called ideals. Over the years, the series has seen its fair share of tragedies, most of them inflicted by the World Government.
However, among the many heartbreaking moments in the series, it’s often argued that Portgas D. Ace’s death is the saddest so far. He died in Episode 483, which was released on January 11th, 2011. Fifteen years have passed since then, and his death still hits fans all the same. The official X handle of Toei Animation commemorated the 15-year anniversary of the episode by sharing a clip of Ace’s heartbreaking death, as the comment section got filled with fans expressing their sorrow over this moment.
Ace Will Always Be One of The Most Tragic One Piece Characters Ever
Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
Ace was Luffy’s older brother and a high-ranking member of the Whitebeard Pirates, a legendary pirate crew. The two of them grew up together in Foosha Village along with Sabo, and Ace set sail two years before Luffy did. He first makes his appearance in the Drum Island Arc, where he is seen looking for Luffy before he reunites with his younger brother in the Alabasta Saga. Thanks to his quirky personality, he easily became one of the most beloved characters in the series. Ace doesn’t appear much after the Alabasta Saga, but he is seen hunting Blackbeard.
After being captured, he finds himself on death row and is heartbroken to see the Whitebeard Pirates and his brother waging war with the World Government in order to save him. Despite all their efforts, Ace meets his end when he protects Luffy from Akainu’s attack, who wanted to launch a sneak attack on the young pirate. Ace bids farewell to his brother with a heart-wrenching thank you as he feels glad that someone like him was loved by so many people. As Gol D. Roger’s son, Ace spent almost his entire life chasing the answer to one question, and that was whether he deserved to be born or not.
He had to carry the heavy burden of Roger’s reputation and grew up feeling rejected by the world. However, he also felt grateful to meet people who cared about him and loved him like Dadan, Luffy, Sabo, Whitebeard, and his crew. In his final moments, Ace realized that the one thing he ever wanted was to be accepted in the world, and to prove that his existence wasn’t a mistake or a sin. He gets the answer he was chasing for and feels nothing but gratefulness for being loved as he closes his eyes with a smile and takes his last breath without regret.
Ace’s Death Is One of The Most Pivotal Moments in One Piece
Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
The only reason Eiichiro Oda created this character was to kill him later on, since he needed a major tragedy to help Luffy push himself and trigger the time skip. Seeing that Ace became extremely popular during the Alabasta Saga, Oda was advised by his editor not to kill the character. However, things turned out exactly the way that Oda wanted, and Ace’s death did help Luffy grow and become more powerful. Luffy was at his lowest when he realized that not only did he fail to save his brother, but also that Ace sacrificed himself to save his life instead. After spending years believing Sabo was dead, Ace was Luffy’s only brother, and he risked everything to help him, but the tragedy couldn’t be avoided.
He also became well aware of his own weakness after facing failures one after another. He couldn’t protect his crew in the Sabaody Archipelago against Kizaru, and he also let Ace die. The tragedy hit him hard as he realized he was not strong enough to continue his journey. Luckily, Jinbe, Rayleigh, and others were there to lend him the support he needed. Jinbe made him realize that he needed to carry on because he still had his crew. On the other hand, Rayleigh dedicated two years to training the young pirate and teaching him Haki, giving him the boost in power he needed to face any challenges in the New World.
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