Summary
- Akainu's actions in One Piece, like the Buster Call on Ohara, paint him as a heinous villain.
- Reddit user defends Akainu by justifying his actions as necessary for the greater good in the series.
- Despite attempts to justify his actions, Akainu remains one of the most hated villains in One Piece lore.
Villains in One Piece are one of the most memorable and important aspects of the series as a whole. Although the main Straw Hats and other heroic characters are amazingly well-written, the villains of each arc tend to steal the show, quickly becoming the community's favorites. In fact, more often than not, villains like Doflamingo tend to become beloved by the fanbase, no matter what atrocious things they have done in the past.
From here, plenty of fans have set out to justify the actions of the villains while still acknowledging their moral wrongdoings. Whether pointing out sad backstories, like with Big Mom, or acknowledging that the “villain” isn’t acting with evil intentions, like with Katakuri, plenty of One Piece fans have placed many of the villains of the series in a more sympathetic light. However, one person on Reddit sets out to justify the actions of one of One Piece’s most hated villains, explaining that Akainu, the Admiral who murdered Ace, did nothing wrong.
The One Piece Live-Action Series Has to Reach This Saga From the Manga
With the success of Netflix’s One Piece, fans might see this iconic saga recreated. Here’s why it should be shown in full live-action glory.
What Evil Things Has Akainu Done In One Piece?
The Admiral Takes Justice Too Far
Throughout his career as a Marine Akainu, despite having limited time in the series, has done plenty of things that would paint him as a heinous villain. Firstly, starting all the way back during his time as a Vice Admiral, Akainu participated in the Buster Call on Ohara. Though many other future characters who are more sympathetic, like Kuzan, also participated in this event, Akainu ordered the destruction of a ship carrying civilians, which was supposed to be allowed to leave, in case it was carrying any leftover scholars from the island.
If you care about your family, then die an honorable death. - Akainu
Later on, during his time as an Admiral, especially during the war at Marineford, Akainu demonstrated the full extent of his cruelty in the main timeline of the series. Akainu not only killed many pirates, including directly killing Luffy’s brother, Ace, but he also personally killed Marine deserters when they attempted to flee the battlefield. Additionally, one of the worst things that Akainu did was when he attempted to murder Koby for standing in his way, with Koby being narrowly saved by Shanks.
A One Piece Fan Defends Akainu's Crimes
He May Not Be As Guilty As Fans Expect
- This Reddit User Explains How Akainu May Have Been Justified In His Actions
- Akainu May Have Acted As A Marine Should In The Paramount War
In a post by desperatemadman on Reddit, the poster proposes a scenario where they act as a lawyer for Akainu, attempting to prove that his actions throughout the series were justified. While they explain that Akainu is a horrible person morally, they explain that, for a person in his position of a One Piece Marine Admiral, Akainu has done nothing wrong. This, of course, starts with his frequent slaughter of pirates, which this user explains is justified in Akainu’s eyes; these characters are criminals. While he may be unnecessarily cruel here, in the eyes of the Marines, he is far from a criminal for doing this.
One Piece: Why Zoro's Final Sword Power-Up Will Make Him Yonko Level
Zoro will get more power ups in One Piece. This next one will take him to Yonko level.
As for attacking the deserting Marines and Koby, the Reddit user also finds Akainu’s actions reasonable in this circumstance. The poster explains that, when it comes to deserters, especially during One Piece’s time period, it is important to punish those who attempt to flee in order to keep the entire army in line, and in many cases, this punishment is death. This also applies to Koby who, as the poster points out, could be considered treasonous for interfering.
Akainu May Be Fighting For The Greater Good
This Is The Weakest Defense Of His Character
Finally, although it may seem hard to justify, the destruction of the innocent civilians of Ohara may have been a case of Akainu sacrificing a small portion of the population for the greater good. The poster acknowledges that Akainu may know the full extent of the Ancient Weapons, especially Uranus, which most likely is in the possession of the World Government. Due to this, Akainu may have been attempting to completely erase any mention of the Poneglyphs by destroying a ship that could include a stowaway that could reveal dangerous secrets of the Ancient Weapons.
I won't forgive the evils of piracy. - Akainu
In the end, even the poster acknowledges that the One Piece villain, Akainu, isn’t the most moral person in the world, especially with his destruction of the Ohara passenger ship. However, as the poster pointed out, in many ways, Akainu isn’t absolutely evil. However, this justification of his actions, most likely isn’t enough to stop Akainu from being one of the most hated villains in One Piece.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
