How did Luffy get his scars?

After analyzing Why Kakashi has the Sharingan and Why Saitama is Bald , let's continue our tour of the Manga in order to study the physical characteristics of new known characters. ⛩

A true legend in the Otaku universe, Luffy was able to conquer the hearts of fans thanks to his unwavering will to become the Pirate King. Able to swell his body and stretch it with the power of his devil fruit, he has another physical characteristic that raises questions: his scar. 🤔

Is this a birthmark he's had forever? Was it a war wound that he sustained during a battle? Or are we just talking about a scratch he got from injuring himself? You will have understood, the objective of the day is to clearly answer the question: why does Luffy have a scar ? Let's get started now!

Where does Luffy's scar under his eye come from?

If you are one of the real One Piece fans (we don't doubt it for a second!), you will have noticed that the subject of this blog article does not answer one but two questions! Indeed, Luffy has several scars on his body , in two distinct places.

The first of the scars that we observe on Luffy in the anime or in the manga happens to be on his face. Located just below his left eye , it is very thin and follows the curves of his eye. 👁 Two perpendicular lines cross it, reminiscent of marks left by stitches.

This mark on Luffy's face is present from the discovery of the character. It was therefore not acquired during his adventure to become king of pirates and dates from his past in the fishing village of Fuchsia on East Blue. Like Naruto who wears cat whiskers, this is a physical peculiarity specific to our favorite straw hat hero.

The origin of this scar dates back to his childhood when Luffy wanted at all costs to join Shanks' pirate crew. To prove his bravery and try to impress his idol, he took a knife and stuck it in his cheek. 🔪 Even though the pirates were worried about him, he didn't join their crew. However, he earned their respect as well as a lifelong knife mark on his face.

Why does Luffy have a scar on his chest?

The second scar on Luffy's body is located on his torso . Taking the shape of a cross, it seems relatively deeper and wider than the mark under his eye. Moreover, she was not present at the start of the straw hat hero's adventure. Indeed, the origins of this brand are twofold and can be explained by two significant events within the manga.

1 - Admiral Akainu

During the War of the Marine Ford arc which pitted Whitebeard's fleet against the Navy, Ace was killed by Admiral Akainu while trying to protect Luffy. The emotional shock of seeing his brother die like this is so severe for the young pirate that he instantly passes out afterward.

Jinbe wanting to save Luffy will take him with him under his arm to make him leave the scene. Unfortunately the two companions were caught and Admiral ⚓️ Akainu pierced Luffy with a punch equipped with the powers of lava. Luckily, much of the blow was taken by Jinbe. This attack is the official version presented in the manga to justify the trace of charred scar present on the torso of the straw hat pirate. 💥

2 - Zoro Roronoa

However, there is a second version, this one unofficial because it is taken from off-topic episodes which take place in parallel to the main story. In this version, the person behind Luffy's scar is none other than his right arm, the swordsman Roronoa Zoro.

Having then lost his memory, the samurai with three blades finds himself confronted with the eater of the Gum Gum fruit. A pirate hunter at heart, he will do everything possible to defeat him. It was finally during a powerful attack that he took his captain by surprise. Zoro slashed Luffy's chest with two swords. ⚔️ This deep cut will be the origin of the cross-shaped scars that Luffy has on his stomach.

The symbolism of scars in the Pirate universe

Now that we know why Luffy has two scars on his body, let's take a closer look at the meaning they can have for this hero, and more broadly in the Manga universe. 🏯 Eiichiro Oda is an accomplished author who leaves nothing to chance in his work and the appearance of his characters is something that he carefully thought about and evolved over the course of the story.

1 - A lack of skill

The first meaning that one can associate with a scar on a pirate is his lack of combat experience. Indeed, even if this visual trait constitutes an undeniable asset for enhancing the charisma of a character, the fact remains that it is an injury. 🤕 By association, this means that its owner was hit during a fight against an opponent. This is particularly the case of the scar on Luffy's stomach which testifies to his weakness in combat against Akainu or Zoro.

2 - A warrior temperament

The scar on a pirate has another meaning that is easy to understand: the warlike temperament of its owner. There is a very low chance that a character working on a farm will have combat wounds, the same for a hero who is totally pacifist. By associating a scar with Luffy's face, Eiichiro Oda highlights his combative personality and his ability to survive in combat against high-level opponents. 🏴‍☠️

3 - A life rich in experiences

Finally, a scar is an indelible mark left on the skin following events that caused it. It bears witness to the many past experiences that the hero has had to face and which he carries on his body like a mark of the past. ⏳ This notably highlights Luffy's progression during the adventure, whose body transforms during his journey. Who knows if new marks won't appear on his skin in the future?

What other One Piece characters have a scar?

Finally, we cannot talk about Luffy's scars and their meaning without mentioning a few other characters who also have this very specific characteristic. Indeed, conducive to bladed weapon fights, pirate battles in One Piece have marked many heroes whose appearance has been transformed accordingly. 😎

Zoro's scars

The first that comes to mind is obviously Zoro Roronoa , Luffy's right-hand man in the Straw Hat Crew. A swordsman wishing to become the best swordsman in the world, his ambitions easily justify the appearance of blade marks on his body. After the timeskip during which he trained alongside Mihawk, a strange scar appeared on his left eye . It is interesting to note that his eye never opened again after that.

However, the green-haired swordsman pirate does not only have this scar on his body. Indeed, he has a long and deep mark on his torso . This originates from a fight against Hawkeye, Mihawk himself. Out of a sin of pride, Zoro tried to challenge him to prove his strength and discovered the true power of the man who would later become his mentor.

Shanks' Triple Scar

Known to also have a scar, Shanks Le Roux has a triple scratch mark on his left eye. He has also made this specificity a symbol since it can be found on the flag of his crew. It was Teach, known as Blackbeard, who inflicted this injury on him using a three-clawed handgun, Wolverine style. 🔱

Whitebeard's Many Scars

Finally, Whitebeard , the one who was known to be the emperor of the seas, also had an impressive number of scars. Having boasted of never having received blows in the back from his adversaries, 🛡 on the other hand he had the entire front of his torso slashed and marked by the blades. This perfectly captures the image of the experienced pirate with a warlike temperament that we talked about during this article.

Keep yourself safe from piracy too

You now know the origins of the scars that Luffy has on his chest and on his cheek. True distinctive signs, they witness important events in the pirate's life and demonstrate his progress during the adventure. ☠️

If like us you are a fan of the One Piece hero, we have reserved a whole set of goodies for you bearing the image of the future king of pirates. Discover without further delay our collection of Luffy clothing , figurines and phone cases and immerse your daily life in the world of piracy on the Grand Line alongside the captain of the Mugiwara!