Big Mom and Kaido's defeats in One Piece were handled perfectly, and the Wano arc's themes show how

Modified Aug 10, 2024 01:30 GMT

One Piece: Kaido and Big Mom's silent deaths (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece's Wano arc ended with the simultaneous defeats of both Kaido and Big Mom. While this conclusion served to establish Luffy's new power level and his status as a new emperor of the sea alongside Blackbeard, many fans expressed that Kaido and Big Mom's departure felt lackluster.

The One Piece fandom has frequently discussed how their deaths became a significant event worldwide, yet the people of Wano, the actual victims of Kaido's tyranny, remain unaware. While this may be the popular sentiment, the themes and narrative of the entire Wano arc suggest otherwise.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

One Piece: Kaido and Big Mom's offscreen defeats were coherent with the arc's theme

Kaido as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Wano arc is inarguably one of the most popular arcs to be animated in One Piece due to its themes and overwhelming runtime of almost four years. The entire arc established Kaido, Orochi, and Big Mom as the main villains by showing how Kaido and Orochi had essentially enslaved the entirety of Wano, using its land to manufacture artificial Devil Fruits while simultaneously poisoning the entire Wano population.

However, the conclusion of the arc, which saw the deaths of Kaido, Orochi, and Big Mom, went unnoticed by the people of Wano, leaving a substantial part of the fandom disappointed. While many fans consider the discreet deaths of Kaido, Orochi, and Big Mom to be a bad writing decision, the main themes behind Wano indicate that the decision was remarkably cohesive with the narrative.

Wano’s fire festival serves as a tribute to the dead, with the lanterns sent into the sky symbolizing the feelings of the living reaching the deceased. This festival is the only time of year when the people of Wano can freely express themselves and find joy. The arc’s symbolism centers on the return of the Kozuki clan and the restoration of power to its rightful hands.

Momonosuke as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Red Scabbards, bearers of Oden’s will, embody the spirits that haunt Orochi, reminding him of his atrocities. These warriors, whom Orochi feared most, moved through Wano like wandering souls, relics of the past seeking vengeance against their aggressor.

At the arc’s conclusion, after the defeat of Kaido and Orochi was achieved without the public’s knowledge, Momonosuke and the Red Scabbards reappear before the people. This return essentially acted as the "miracle" that fulfilled their wish of freedom during the festival, and the final night of celebration ended years of suffering. Big Mom’s defeat, silenced by Law’s attack, underscores this theme.

The discreet nature of Kaido and Big Mom's defeats allows the people of Wano to extend the fire festival indefinitely, symbolizing a new era full of freedom for Wano.

Final Thoughts

The Gorosei as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Wano arc was followed by the Egghead Island arc, which is currently approaching its end with Joyboy unleashing his haki all the way from the past in chapter 1122.

The Egghead Island arc also revealed that Joyboy's Haki was powerful enough to undo the Gorosei's transformation and send them back to Marijoa. One Piece chapter 1123, releasing on August 18, 2024, will reveal the conclusion of the Egghead Island arc.