Who is Hanafuda in One Piece? Explained

Modified Mar 16, 2025 14:30 GMT

Who is Hanafuda in One Piece? Explained (Images via Shueisha and Toei Animation)

One Piece's background characters have always been a part of its lore while simultaneously being absent from the actual narrative. While many integral characters make their appearances within the actual chapters, many remain contained in the SBS accompanying the compiled volumes of One Piece.

Hanafuda, the King of Pirates introduced in the Volume 109 SBS, was revealed to be the father of both Ulti and Page One while also being tied to the overwhelming presence of Zoan fruits within the Beast Pirates. Hanafuda once held a position within the Seven Warlords, but was replaced by Bartholomew Kuma after being defeated by Portgas D. Ace.

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

Hanafuda's role in One Piece's story, explained

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Hanafuda did not have an active role within the story of One Piece and was a pirate preceding the Worst Generation, coinciding with Kaido's rise in power. Nothing about Hanafuda's past was revealed within the SBS, albeit it was mentioned that he was a pirate with great power and an infamous reputation.

Given his partnership with Kaido, it's possible that he was similar to King and held a position within Kaido's inner circle after believing that Kaido would become the next Pirate King.

Hanafuda had a peculiar interest in collecting Ancient Zoan fruits. This, along with his epithet "King of Lizards," might be a subtle reveal that most of the dinosaur-related Zoan fruits were originally procured by Hanafuda and later given to the Beast Pirates. Hanafuda's children, Ulti and Page One, later became high-ranking members of the Beast Pirates with Devil Fruits, both related to dinosaurs.

Hanafuda's infamy and might eventually resulted in him becoming a Warlord. He formed an alliance with Kaido and was later defeated by Portgas D. Ace. Although the exact timeframe of his defeat isn't known, it is possible that Ace defeating Hanafuda led to him showing up on Whitebeard's radar, followed by his recruitment into the Emperor's crew.

Hanafuda died to unnamed enemy pirates while returning to Ulti and Page One, following his defeat at the hands of Ace.

Hanafuda's powers and abilities

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Hanafuda's combat abilities and Devil Fruits remained a mystery, especially since nothing about them was revealed in the SBS, aside from his visual design. Given that Hanafuda clashed with Kaido and became inspired to follow him, contrary to Gecko Moria's reaction, it is possible that Hanafuda had combat prowess and will stronger than the regular members of the past Warlords.

Hanafuda was depicted wielding a kusarigama with a spiked iron ball, making it evident that he had great proficiency with weapons and was rather formidable in combat.

While nothing about Hanafuda's fruit or Haki abilities was mentioned, it can be assumed that he had command over Armament Haki, especially since he had a hard-fought battle with Logia fruit user Ace and a young but formidable Kaido. Although his hobby and epithet "King of Lizards" suggest that he might have had a Zoan Devil Fruit, nothing about his design or lore indicates such.

Final Thoughts

Page One and Ulti, the two children of Hanafuda (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece chapter 1143 will be released on March 23, 2025. It will mainly focus on the giants' retaliation against the God Knights.

Although Hanafuda did not make an appearance within the manga or the anime, it is possible that he will be mentioned in future chapters. This is especially likely given the presence of the mysterious "Man Marked by Flames" and the fact that Hanafuda has too much information for a character never meant to be mentioned.