Why is Fujitora blind in One Piece? Explored

In the world of One Piece, the Admirals are part of the World Government's naval force—the Marines. The Admirals are among the most formidable figures. They are a diverse bunch, with characters ranging from those who are purely evil to those who are ruthless, conflicted, and even truly admirable. This diversity is further highlighted by the unique systems of Justice that each Admiral upholds. Fujitora, for instance, is a staunch believer in Humane Justice.

Fujitora is an anomaly among the Admirals in One Piece. But it is not just for his swordsmanship or the extraordinary power he derives from his Zushi Zushi no Mi Devil Fruit, which can manipulate gravitational forces and even rain down meteors onto the Earth. What truly sets him apart is the use of his power and position to effect positive change in the world despite being blind. This quality seems to be lacking in the Admirals who often make the pirates look better.

But how did Fujitora lose his eyesight?

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The relationship between One Piece Admiral Fujitora's blindness and his brand of justice

Fujitora as seen in One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)

Oda has created the world of One Piece with a lot of care and attention to detail. He has packed it with several layers, and one of the recurrent themes is that of being seen and being hidden. The One Piece treasure, for instance, has been hidden for years as has the shadow ruler of the world, Imu.

The character of Fujitora is also exemplary of this theme of seeing and unseeing, as he willingly chose to be blind. His face bears an X-shaped scar, a self-inflicted wound that goes over both eyes. Fujitora claims to have blinded himself due to his disdain for evil and his grief over the evil he had witnessed.

It is speculated that a particular event in the past, rather than the general everyday evil, might have instigated him to take this drastic measure. It seems sound to assume that it could be due to a vow he made to himself.

Fujitora’s blindness is not a mere physical condition but is deeply rooted in his personal brand of justice, Humane Justice, which can also be interpreted as Blind Justice. His blindness is symbolic of his commitment to the philosophy that justice should be fair and uninfluenced by outward appearances.

Fujitora as seen in One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite his inability to see in the conventional sense, he possesses a clear vision of the ideal world and is committed to realizing that vision. For example, he managed to get the Warlord System abolished so that the pirates affiliated with the World Government could not abuse their position as Doflamingo had done in the past.

It is a mystery why Fujitora continues to be a part of the World Government, even though his principles starkly contrast with theirs. This has led many fans to speculate that Fujitora might replace Akainu as the new Fleet Admiral and help bring true justice to the world.

But first, One Piece fans will hopefully learn about Fujitora's past, which many expect will be dark and depressing as the character is based on Zatoichi, the fictional swordsman created by the Japanese novelist, Kan Shimozawa.