One Piece: Why did Enel want to destroy Skypiea? Explained

One Piece is a series with a lot of arcs and storylines, which has led to several characters, particularly antagonists, to be introduced throughout the story. A very good example of that is Enel, the main villain of the Skypiea arc and one of the most unique characters in the series. This is because of the role he possesses in this storyline and his journey on the moon afterward.

Enel stood out because of his design and unique Devil Fruit abilities, although his most characteristic trait was his sadism. He is often regarded as one of the cruelest antagonists of the One Piece universe. Part of the reason why is perceived that way is because of his disdain for the people of Skypiea and his desire to destroy them, which serves as a greater insight into his character.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.

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Explaining why Enel wanted to destroy Skypiea in the One Piece series

Enel wanted to destroy the entirety of Skypiea simply out of a whim since he believed that he was the only one who could live in the skies. He goes on record saying that the people on that island had fulfilled their purpose to serve him and that he was now going to destroy them simply because he could.

The character had developed a strong God complex because of his powerful Devil Fruit abilities and his use of Haki. This is why he was capable of overpowering every single threat he faced until the arrival of the Straw Hats. Even then, it required Luffy to be Enel's natural counter for the good guys to win this confrontation, which goes to show how much of a threat the latter was.

Enel's goal was to build a ship that could go to the moon and live there, so the moment he managed to create one, the people in Skypiea had no use for him anymore. It is not only a major example of his God complex, but also very solid evidence of how he was one of the most sadistic villains in the entirety of the franchise.

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Enel's role throughout the story

Enel's now-infamous face (Image via Toei Animation).

Enel holds a very unique place among One Piece villains for a variety of reasons.

Some of them include him being the first antagonist to use Haki (even though it was called Mantra in this arc) and the only Logia user who wasn't a part of the Marineford arc before the time skip. He is, at least thus far, the only antagonist who hasn't been a pirate or someone aligned with the World Government. He also had a side story in the manga about him landing on the moon with his Ark, Maxim.

It is those side stories, titled Enel's Great Space Operations, that not only show the character arriving on the moon but also invading the society that lives there. He also goes on to eventually become their ruler, much like he did in Skypiea. That is why a lot of people are theorizing about his role (and that of the moon) at the end of the series.

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Final thoughts

The reason Enel decided to destroy Skypiea in the One Piece series was because he thought that the people living there were no longer useful and wanted to destroy them. There weren't any ulterior motives beyond the fact he had a God complex and wanted to be the only one living in the skies.

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