Over the course of its almost thirty-year serialization, the shonen series One Piece has gained recognition for its epic tale of adventure, mystery, and camaraderie. Its creator Eiichiro Oda has continuously introduced and fleshed out a diverse and extensive cast of characters, resulting in many becoming beloved by fans.
Despite One Piece’s extensive cast, it is not possible for every character to receive equal attention and screen time. For instance, this was the case with “Mad Monk”Urouge, who, despite being one of the Eleven Supernovas of the Worst Generation, did not receive the same level of focus as his peers.
Luffy is the undisputed protagonist of One Piece, and Zoro, his right-hand man, is the second most important character in the franchise. The post-timeskip storyline has given significant attention to Law, Kid, and Killer, while the recent Egghead Arc featured a prominent role for Bonney. As the story approaches its final act, it is intriguing to consider the potential involvement of Urouge in the plot.
Please note: This article includes significant spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1125.
Urouge is the only Worst Generation Supernova that One Piece hasn’t focused on
An Overview of Urouge’s Character
Despite his lack of screen time in the series, “Mad Monk”Urouge has become most well-known among One Piece fans for his constant smile, even in the toughest of situations, including when his own life is in danger.
Born in an unknown sky island, Urouge’s journey to the Blue Sea still remains a mystery. However, as he rose to fame as the leader of the Fallen Monk Pirates, the World Government responded by issuing a bounty of 108 million Berries for his capture.
The exploits of the Fallen Monk Pirates during their time in the Grand Line remain a mystery, but they arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago around the same time as the Straw Hat Pirates. Urouge, a member of the rookie pirate group who received a bounty of 100 million Berries or more prior to entering the New World, was given the title of Supernova, also known as a “super rookie”.
The infamous group known as the “Eleven Supernovas of the Worst Generation”consists of eleven super rookies from nine different pirate crews who arrived at Sabaody before the Paramount War. Notably, Urouge is among this group, cementing his reputation as a notorious individual.
Despite the impressive feats and accomplishments of characters, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda often assigns bounties to outlaws based on puns and jokes. This trend is evident in the case of Urouge’s bounty, which is linked to the number “108”in a similar manner.
In Japanese Buddhism, the number 108 symbolizes the earthly temptations that individuals must overcome in order to achieve Nirvana. Oda incorporated this number into Roronoa Zoro’s 108-Pound Phoenix attack, which is noteworthy considering Zoro’s frequent connection to Buddhist symbolism. This religious theme also appears to be a defining aspect of Urouge’s character.
Urouge is a physical fighter who utilizes his incredible strength and a massive pillar to engage in hand-to-hand combat. He has consumed an as-of-yet unnamed Paramecia Devil Fruit, granting him the ability to transform any injuries he receives into a surge of power for his muscles. In addition, he possesses the skill of Karmic Punishment, which allows him to enlarge his entire body to a massive size.
It goes without saying that the name of this maneuver is directly linked to the Buddhist belief of Karma, which involves performing actions to achieve enlightenment and break the cycle of reincarnation, ultimately reaching Nirvana.
Despite his disgust towards the Celestial Dragons, Urouge, like everyone else, still showed respect for them in order to avoid any conflicts. When Zoro bravely stood up against a Celestial Dragon, Urouge was impressed and couldn’t help but wonder about the character of the captain who had such a remarkable individual as his right-hand man.
As Luffy struck Saint Charlos, causing Sentomaru and Admiral Kizaru to retaliate against the Supernovas, Urouge engaged in a battle with a Pacifista. Utilizing his unique Paramecia power, he successfully landed forceful attacks on the cyborg, inflicting damage upon it.
After attacking Urouge, Kizaru delivered a powerful blow that caused the latter to crash into multiple buildings, rendering him unconscious. Despite being severely wounded and weakened, Urouge managed to escape capture by evading Kizaru’s pursuit, as the latter shifted his focus to the Straw Hats.
During the two-year time skip, Urouge and his crew journeyed to the New World. They made a brief stop on Raijin Island before reaching Big Mom’s territories, where Urouge emerged victorious in a battle against Charlotte Snack, who was then one of the Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates.
Shortly after, Urouge suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of another Sweet Commander, Charlotte Cracker. In order to recuperate from his injuries, Urouge and his crew were forced to take refuge on Ballon Terminal, a Sky Island located in the New World. While there, they witnessed the shocking sight of Kaido attempting to take his own life by leaping from the island.
This memorable moment, which fans fondly recall as Kaido’s grand debut in One Piece, also served as Urouge’s most recent appearance in the series to date, not including the non-canon events featured in the film One Piece: Stampede.
Urouge’s Potential Role in the Elbaf Arc of One Piece
Despite his limited screen time, Urouge has managed to capture the interest of fans since his cameo appearance in chapter 795, which was adapted in episode 739 of the anime. Unlike his fellow Worst Generation Supernovas, Urouge has not had the opportunity to receive a proper narrative focus, leaving fans eagerly awaiting his return.
As One Piece approaches its final saga, it is intriguing to ponder whether Urouge will make an appearance in the upcoming arcs and, if so, what role he will play. The author of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, is known for weaving intricate subplots that give even minor characters a chance to shine. As the only remaining Supernova who has yet to make a major impact, it is possible that Oda is reserving a significant role for Urouge in the story’s conclusion.
Despite making a potentially significant decision to invade Whole Cake Island, Urouge ultimately failed when he was defeated by a Yonko Commander who was only slightly above average. As a result, he was forced to rest and recover from his injuries until the end of the Dressrosa arc.
Despite Urouge likely having grown stronger since then and being in good condition, it is unlikely that he will play a significant role in the future of One Piece. His role may be more secondary, similar to other characters like Scratchman Apoo, X Drake, Capone Bege, or Basil Hawkins, rather than having a pivotal role like Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kid, and Jewelry Bonney.
With the Elbaf Arc on the horizon, there is a possibility that Urouge will make an appearance in the Giants’ homeland. As the Straw Hats make their way towards Elbaf, Urouge remains the only Supernova from the Worst Generation who has yet to meet Luffy in person. Being a renowned nation known for its warrior culture, Elbaf would serve as an ideal setting for Urouge to showcase the true potential of his Devil Fruit, which relies heavily on physical strength.
Urouge’s specific purpose is difficult to anticipate given his mysterious origins and current goals. With his religious symbolism and potential ties to the Elbaf Giants and the tale of Joy Boy and Nika, it is possible that Urouge will serve as a means to unite the mythology of the “Sun God”with the past of Skypiea.
Urouge’s place of birth was a sky island, possibly Birka. This was the same island that Enel destroyed before journeying to Skypiea. Currently 47 years old, Urouge is significantly older than the other Supernovas of the Worst Generation. He certainly had a life before joining the ranks of pirates.
It has been hypothesized that Urouge was the Sky Knight of Birka and that he chose to become a pirate after being defeated and witnessing the destruction of his country by Enel. The fact that Enel is only a few years younger than Urouge makes it quite plausible that they share a past together.
Skypiea holds a significant role in the series’ lore. Given their high ranks, both Enel and possibly Urouge may possess knowledge about the secrets of the Void Century. Therefore, if Enel and his priests were to make a comeback in One Piece, Urouge would be an ideal ally for them.
With his consistent portrayal as a devout individual, Urouge would be an ideal candidate to provide insight and context into this aspect of the One Piece mythology, much like Bartholomew Kuma. If he is indeed from Birka, his role in Elbaf could shed new light on the Skypiea Arc and potentially uncover the enigmatic ties between the Shandia Tribe and the Poneglyphs.
- One Piece chapter 1125: Release date and time, where to read, and more
- One Piece chapter 1124 confirms early September release schedule
- One Piece: 3 Straw Hats who could use Haki before the timeskip (& 3 who can’t use it even now)
- One Piece: The Straw Hats’ journey is shorter than anyone thinks, and it doesn’t make much sense
- How One Piece foreshadowed Kaido vs Oden long before the Wano Arc, explored
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