Summary

  • Mihawk is one of the strongest characters in One Piece, the world's strongest swordsman, and a former Warlord.
  • Speculation surrounds Mihawk's parentage, with fans suggesting Silvers Rayleigh and Shakky as candidates.
  • Despite similarities, the theory that Rayleigh is Mihawk's father may be unlikely due to age differences.

Dracule Mihawk, being one of the most essential characters in One Piece, has always had a strange relationship with the story itself. Holding the title of the world’s strongest swordsman, Mihawk, although little is known about his history and background, is the final challenge that Zoro must face to usurp his position. Plus, being introduced as early as the East Blue Saga in One Piece, some fans have found it strange that such a legendary figure in the pirate world hasn’t been given any background since his initial introduction.

Although this makes sense, since it seems Oda wants to preserve the mysterious aura of the legendary swordsman in One Piece, this hasn’t stopped fans from speculating where Mihawk came from and who his parents are. Though it’s unlikely that fans will ever receive a concrete answer to these mysteries, some candidates for Mihawk’s parents have the potential to become reality. Some fans believe that Mihawk’s parents are the former Roger Pirate, Silvers Rayleigh, and Shakky.

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Mihawk Is One Of One Piece's Strongest Characters

He's The Strongest Swordsman And A Former Warlord

As many avid One Piece enjoyers already know, little is known about Dracule Mihawk. Outside of being the World’s Strongest Swordsman, Mihawk seems to have a healthy rivalry with Shanks, as well as an interesting dynamic with Buggy, who he recently joined One Piece's Cross Guild with. Before joining this group, outside of living peacefully in a castle, Mihawk occasionally leaves to perform his duties as a Warlord, though it seems he rarely finds the challenging swordsman to fight that he desperately seeks.

My name is Dracule Mihawk! Discover your true self, the true world, become stronger! - Mihawk

As for Silvers Rayleigh, after the Roger Pirates disbanded, set out to enjoy his retirement in peace, allowing him to watch the Great Pirate Era play out as a ship coater in Sabaody Archipelago. Outside of a few small events, like helping the Gorgon sisters or meeting Hachi, Rayleigh also married Shakky, the former Empress of Amazon Lily. However, most of his time in this era is unknown, with his encounter and training arc with Luffy acting as the next major event in the old pirate’s life.

Who Are Mihawk's Parents In One Piece?

Silvers Rayleigh And Shakky Could Be The Answer

Dracule Mihawk wielding Yoru sword One Piece
  • Mihawk Shares Some Features With Rayleigh And Shakky
  • He Is Also Young Enough To Be Their Kid

However, there are some fans who believe that during this unknown time period, Rayleigh and Shakky would actually have a son, the former Warlord, Dracule Mihawk. Although there isn’t much information linking the two, some fans point out that, at times, Mihawk’s hair looks suspiciously like Shakky’s. Additionally, some fans believe that Mihawk’s goatee and facial hair grow in a very similar way to Rayleigh’s making him look like a fusion of the two characters.

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On top of this, Silvers Rayleigh was fairly well known for his sword skills, something that he may have passed down to his son. Plus, being a former member of the Roger crew as well, the current Emperor, Shanks, may have met Mihawk through Rayleigh as well. This would give a strong starting point to the two characters’ rivalry, as well as explaining Mihawk being Rayleigh’s son beyond just looks alone.

Mihawk's Parents May Be A Deeper Mystery

Silvers Rayleigh Probably Isn't Mihawk's Father

Silvers Rayleigh has a drink in Saboady Archipelago in One Piece.
Silvers Rayleigh has a drink in Saboady Archipelago in One Piece.

However, this theory begins to fall apart upon looking at the ages of the characters. Being 43 in the current story of One Piece, Rayleigh would have had to have Mihawk well before the beginning of the Great Pirate Era in One Piece, most likely when Roger was still alive. Although it’s still a possibility, it seems unlikely that Shakky and Rayleigh met this early on in the series. Still, there’s always the chance that a missing piece of Shakky and Rayleigh’s backstory could shed some more light on when they met, though until then, it may be impossible to tell if they are Mihawk’s parents or not.

Maybe nothing in this world happens by accident. - Silvers Rayleigh

While many fans want to know who Mihawk’s parents are in One Piece, maybe this is a mystery that is best left unsolved. If Rayleigh and Shakky were revealed to be Mihawk’s parents, it would take a little bit of the mysterious aura away from Mihawk’s character. In the end, although there’s always the possibility that Rayleigh and Shakky are Mihawk’s parents in One Piece, this fact seems unnecessary and unlikely to be revealed in the story.

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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
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  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Mayumi Tanaka
    Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kazuya Nakai
    Roronoa Zoro (voice)

WHERE TO WATCH

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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.

Creator(s)
Eiichiro Oda
Seasons
21
Studio
Toei Animation
Based On
Manga
Number of Episodes
1122
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
MyAnimeList Score
8.72