Imu’s true, original appearance in One Piece may have already been revealed

Modified Oct 29, 2024 13:09 GMT

Imu’s true, original appearance in One Piece may have already been revealed (Image via Toei Animation)

One of the most enigmatic characters in all of Mangaka Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece series is none other than Imu, who seems set to be the story’s final villain. Despite, or more accurately due to, this apparent importance, Imu’s true, contemporary appearance has yet to be revealed in the series. Even in the character’s most recent appearances, they’re shown as nothing more than a silhouetted figure with vibrant red eyes.

There are many theories as to why this is, with almost all of them asserting that revealing their appearance would also spoil key aspects of their motivations, backstory, and more. However, there’s a chance that the One Piece manga has already shown fans what Imu’s appearance is. At the very least, they may know what Imu looked like during the formation of the World Government at the end of the Void Century.

Vivi’s kidnapping scene in One Piece may have revealed what Imu’s appearance actually is

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The Reverie Arc is when One Piece fans first saw Imu appear, sitting on the Empty Throne before being bowed to by the five members of the Gorosei. The Gorosei referred to them simply as Imu, offering no clues as to who they are or anything else about their personality. However, this is likely because clues as to who Imu is and what they look like were sprinkled throughout the Reverie Arc.

Chapter 906 sees Princess Shirahoshi of the Ryugu Kingdom finally arrive at the Reverie event at Mariejois after being escorted there by Monkey D. Garp. Upon arrival, they climb a large staircase adorned with stone statues of seemingly regal figures. Two such sets of stairs are seen, with one of the two shown to have ten statues in total. Assuming the other stairway also has ten statues, it’s clear these statues are of the First Twenty who created the World Government.

In turn, this would suggest that Imu’s statue is among them, with current information from One Piece suggesting he’s Saint Nerona Imu from the First Twenty. Coincidentally, the manga only shows one such statue as having a relatively detailed face compared to the others. It’s unlikely that Oda would spend time detailing one statue alone to such an extent with no specific reason or goal in mind.

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Further supporting the idea that this is Imu is the scene where Rob Lucci of CP0 first kidnaps Nefertari D. Vivi, which Imu indirectly ordered. A butterfly can be seen flying around Vivi as she’s kidnapped, with butterflies already being connected to Imu in the series by then. Vivi’s kidnapping not only takes place around this statue but is directly preceded by a panel clearly showing the statue.

There’s little doubt that Oda would do so without a purpose, especially considering the presence of the butterfly in the sequence of Vivi’s kidnapping and its obvious relation to Imu. Such an interpretation is further supported by the fact that Imu ordered Vivi’s kidnapping. Clearly, there’s something Oda is trying to tell fans here about Imu.

One argument against this could be that the statue is carrying a sword, whereas Imu’s silhouetted design has not featured a sword as of this article’s writing. However, it’s more likely than not that this sword of Imu’s which he wielded as a king is now in front of the Empty Throne. It’s also possible that Imu never wielded a sword at all, and that the statue simply adorns him with one to communicate the Empty Throne promise between the First Twenty.

Final thought

Imu as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

While nothing is confirmed as of this article’s writing, there’s certainly strong evidence for the idea that this statue is representative of Imu’s original appearance. However, what remains to be seen is whether or not Imu has done some body-switching following the Void Century's events, as many theories assert.

Imu is an enigma shrouded in too much mystery, which is expected of someone whose existence is kept secret even within the World Government. One theory also suggests that the current is the same as the founder of the World Government, Saint Nerona Imu. If that turns out true, Imu will have lived for over 800 years.