One of the most debated topics among One Piece fans is the morality of the series’ protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. As a pirate, Luffy is no stranger to battle and violence, but his refusal to kill his opponents, at least consciously, raises questions about his moral compass. Fans have been asking the question, « Does Luffy Kill Anyone? » and if not, then why. And what effect does that have on the morality of the crew as a whole?
In this blog post, we will explore the complexities of his moral code. Despite the high stakes and the constant danger he faces, Luffy’s code of honor sets him apart from other shonen protagonists in the way that it is not as explicitly a part of his character but still affects his decisions, making him a beloved and unique character in the world of anime and manga.
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The Morality of Luffy
Now, unlike many other Shonen protagonists, Luffy does not state his views every chance he gets. He does not claim to be good or righteous. He does not claim to be a protector of the weak. He simply claims to be a pirate. Yet, all of his decisions and battles are directed by his desire to do what he thinks is right. He hates people who are cruel, and he saves people he likes; that is all an extension of his morality.
His moral compass was shaped by his time with Shanks and later with Ace and Sabo, where he learned to protect the people he cared about at all costs. Luffy’s morality is black and white. If he thinks something is wrong, he will not listen to reason, he will not care about the consequences, and he will just stop it. His moral compass is built in such a way that he will even punch a celestial dragon if that’s the right thing to do.
Luffy’s code of honor and his refusal to kill
Luffy lives by the code of a pirate, something his childish mind picked up from Shanks. He believes in dreams, and for him, every battle is a battle of will and ideology for him. He lives by that code, and so instead of killing people, he wants to prove them wrong. He, as Oda stated, breaks his enemies’ dreams and leaves them alive. He has seen death, starting with Sabo’s apparent death, so he knows the value of life.
How this code affects his interactions with his enemies
His refusal to kill and instead beat his enemies on an ideological stance makes all of Luffy’s fights more driven and intense, as the winner walks away knowing he broke the others’ will. We talk about that in our article « Why doesn’t Luffy kill ? » Luffy did that with Crocodile, Moria, Doflamingo and with Kaido. He broke their dreams and wills and let them all live. That’s the kind of man Luffy is, driven by his subconscious morality.
Examples of Luffy’s mercy towards his enemies
Every enemy Luffy has ever fought, he has willingly left alive. He could have killed Don Creg, Crocodile, Lucci, all the way up to Katakuri. But after beating them, he spared them all as if it was not his place to kill them. Some he spared because he fought them not for himself but for the sake of others, like Crocodile and Hordy and some out of respect, like Karakuri. Yell, all of this mercy comes from a moral code, the same code described before.
Luffy’s Crew
Luffy’s crew follows his example. They take, do not kill out of respect for their captain and because they have their moral compasses too.
How Luffy’s crew reflects his own morals
Luffy’s crew supports him in his every decision. Zoro is ready to fight for the sake of Luffy’s beliefs, and the whole crew has his back. The Strawhat crew reflects Luffy’s morals as a whole because they are good people whom Luffy chose to be his nakama. He chose them because they, too, had a similar sense of right and wrong.
Examples of the crew’s refusal to kill
The crew has also let their enemies live, and though it was never explicitly stated that it was because of morality, but Zoro and Sanji let Kaku and Jabra live in Enies Lobby and so many other countless examples to go by. The Strawhats do not kill but would in a second if ordered by Luffy; that is their dedication to the morals that Luffy stands for.
The importance of these morals in the One Piece world
In the One Piece world, everything and everyone has a darker meaning and ulterior motives. So a ray of sunshine like Luffy and his morals is the only hope many people know. Luffy stands for hope and for goodness, even if he does not want to be the hero. That is his importance and that of his crew.
The Exceptions
Now, there have been many deaths at the direct or indirect hands of the crew.
Instances where Luffy’s crew or allies have killed
We have to believe that many cannon fodder marines have died as a result of the collateral damage caused by the Strawhats and because of the ships they have sunk and the Strawhats have killed before. With Zoro stating he killed Mr. 9 of the Baroque Works organization and Robin being an assassin for many years, even Nami may have killed Arlong’s crew. But that was all before Luffy. Luffy changed everything.
The impact of these moments on the story and characters
The deaths that have been caused as a result of the collateral have increased the infamy of the crew, leading to higher stakes and a progression of their story. But the fact that the crew have refrained from killing out of admiration for Luffy has led to the progression of their characters as a whole.
Does Luffy Kill Anyone ? Final words :
With all that said, we know now that Luffy does not kill anyone with conscious intent, though there may have been deaths because of him and his crew.
Luffy does not kill his enemies or not in purpose !
But that is how we see. How do you see Luffy’s morality, do let us know.
