One Piece's Imu might be a Nefertari, but not the one everyone hopes/fears

Modified Oct 26, 2024 09:26 GMT

Arguably the most theorized-on character in Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece series in recent years is none other than Imu. The enigmatic silhouette, who sits on the Empty Throne, has captivated fans’ since their first introduction. This intellectual infatuation has only been exacerbated by the actions and presence Imu has had in the series in the years since their initial introduction.

One of the most popular theories among One Piece fans is that Imu is actually Nefertari D. Lili, specifically that Imu's soul and consciousness occupy Lili’s body. While this is certainly a logical conclusion, there’s one that may be better fitting for Imu’s motivations and philosophy as fans currently understand them.

Imu’s identity in One Piece isn’t Nefertari D. Lili, but rather Lili’s daughter

Expand Tweet

Rather than Imu being Nefertari D. Lili in any reasonable sense, sects of the One Piece fandom have recently concluded that they’re more likely to be Lili’s daughter. One of the strongest pieces of evidence suggesting this theory is that the character of Imu can be related to and even mirrors Donquixote Doflamingo’s at times.

The most notable parallel is that Imu’s status and power in the world are propped up by a powerful group of allies in the Gorosei. Whereas Doflamingo had Trebol and other executives of the Donquixote Family, Imu has the Gorosei. Oda even draws a visual parallel to this in two specific panels, which put Imu and Doflamingo in similar locations relative to where their followers are.

Additionally, as far as One Piece fans currently know, Lili rejected Celestial Dragon status in a similar manner to how Doffy’s father Homing abandoned the title. This is evidenced by the fact that the swords in front of the Empty Throne are only number 19, with the 20th missing since it would have been Lili’s.

Expand Tweet

Yet there is a 20th sword to represent the Nefertari family, which can be seen in the Room of Flowers Imu is often seen frequenting. This would also parallel Doflamingo’s story; like Doffy, Imu killed the parent who gave up the Celestial Dragon status their family had and began a journey to reclaim it, or anything close to it. However, whereas Doffy had to settle for ruling Dressrosa, Imu was able to successfully reclaim Celestial Dragon status.

The fact that Imu appears to be immortal further parallels Doffy, who wanted the Op-Op Fruit for the Perpetual Youth Surgery. However, Imu was able to succeed where Doffy failed, further paralleling the two. Additional subtle hints include the Mother Flame’s attack on Lulusia Kingdom being made up of 16 distinct beams. Coincidentally, Doffy’s God-thread attack also consists of “16 holy bullets,” per his own words.

One final potential parallel could be Sugar of the Doflamingo Pirates. She’s presented as a child who doesn’t age due to the effects of her Hobby-Hobby Fruit, which grants her eternal youth. Sugar’s design also features a crown, and she uses her Fruit’s powers to change humans into her puppets and subjects. This clearly parallels Imu, who also wears a crown, seems to be immortal, and controls puppets and subjects on a global scale.

Final thoughts

The Empty Throne's occupant may have betrayed their own mother to attain such power (Image via Toei Animation)

While certainly speculative, the evidence suggesting that Imu is Nefertari D. Lili’s daughter is strong and incredibly sensible. The parallels to Doffy, who is heavily associated with the secrets of Mariejois and Celestial Dragons, serve as nearly-damning evidence for this theory. Fans are hopeful that Imu’s identity will be confirmed sooner rather than later as the series progresses through its final saga.