One Piece final villain is likely not who everyone thought it would be

With author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda’s incredible One Piece manga being released over the course of 25 years, its story has constantly been evolving. While fans have sometimes been able to pin down Oda's next move, more often than not, they are left at a loss when new developments crop up. This applies to the actual events of the series, the lore within its world, and its overarching plot.

As One Piece has developed, these factors have become irreversibly intertwined. Thankfully, fans have been incredibly receptive and praiseful of this aspect for the most part.

However, there are some aspects of One Piece’s ever-developing story and lore that fans aren’t necessarily pleased with. This includes the introduction of Imu during the series’ Reverie arc, which completely reinvents how fans view the series’ eventual finale and who the ultimate antagonist could be.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the opinions of the writer

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One Piece pulled the ultimate switcheroo in seemingly replacing Blackbeard and Akainu with Imu as series’ final villain

Why Imu is likely the final villain, explained

Throughout the early stages of One Piece, the series essentially had two major antagonistic forces in the form of Marshall D. Teech, or Blackbeard, and Admiral Akainu. Both played a major role in the death of protagonist Monkey D. Luffy’s brother, Portgas D. Ace.

Blackbeard had been built up as a serious threat even as far as the best pirates in the world were concerned, while Akainu was shown to be an incredibly powerful and ruthless Marine.

As a result, fans came out of the series’ time-skip thinking that both Blackbeard and Akainu, or at least one of them, would serve as the final villains of the series. This was further supported by Blackbeard’s ascension to the rank of Yonko among New World pirates, as well as Akainu being promoted to Fleet Admiral.

However, the introduction of Imu during One Piece’s Reverie arc has severely muddied these waters. The Egghead Island arc’s Reverie flashback has only intensified the confusion, as it introduces Imu and the Gorosei as terrifying enemies who desire nothing more than to maintain their control of the world.

Conversely, the series has continuously built up Luffy as a symbol of freedom and someone who truly embodies what it means to be a free individual. This came to a head during the Wano arc, where it was revealed that Luffy’s true Devil Fruit is one that serves as a representation of Sun God Nika, the famed Warrior of Liberation.

With this in mind, it’s clear that One Piece is building towards Imu being Luffy’s final opponent and the two’s climactic meeting being the finale of the series. While Blackbeard and Akainu will undoubtedly play major roles in the final stages, it’s unlikely that they’ll be Luffy and his crew’s final enemies.

That being said, this is all speculative, with One Piece still so far removed from its ultimate stages that it’s hard to say for sure who the final villain will be. Nevertheless, the way in which the series has progressed since Imu’s introduction signals that he will be Luffy and the Straw Hats’ final roadblock.

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