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Who is Yamato in One Piece? Discover the debate behind their gender, their connection to Ace and their role in the series.
One Piece has introduced multiple characters who have high potential to join Luffy’s Straw Hat Pirates. Among these, the one who most fans had hoped would join is the Wano Arc’s Yamato. Due to their spirit, motivations, and chemistry with the crew, the fandom was very disappointed when they ended up not joining. Nevertheless, their presence is still very memorable in the series. So, who is Yamato in One Piece?
Yamato is the child of Kaido, who hates their father and assists the Straw Hats in the Wano Arc. Their actions and goals are very layered, which may lead to some questions lingering for fans. Hence, let us take a closer look at this character.
Due to the ongoing debate about Yamato’s gender in the canon and fandom alike, we’ve chosen to refer to Yamato with “they/them.”
Who Is Yamato in One Piece?
Despite being the child of an Emperor of the Sea and a supremely strong individual, Yamato shares no love for their father. This is mainly because they were entranced by Kozuki Oden, right from his ideals to his mannerisms. As Kaido killed Oden and persecuted his family too, Yamato inevitably began hating him.
Resulting from their admiration, Yamato starts declaring themselves as the reincarnation of Oden, rejecting tyranny and dreaming of a free Wano. This put them at odds with their father, who chained them up to prevent escape or revolt.
Yamato is straightforward, dedicated, and willing to do anything to achieve their goals. They allied with the Straw Hats to face Kaido, knowing the plight of the common people. Their personality is heavily based on Oden’s but still reflects what they believe down to their core.
As a heavy opposition to Kaido and the Beasts Pirates’ rule in Wano, they played a huge role in finally liberating it.
The Controversy of Yamato’s Gender
One of the greatest points of discussion in the Wano Arc was the contention regarding Yamato’s gender. While assigned a female at birth, Yamato refers to themselves as Kaido’s son. Kaido himself has called Yamato “his son” on multiple occasions.
This leads many to call them by male pronouns, but the other side of the argument is vocal too. Yamato mainly calls themselves a man due to wishing to be Oden. They claim that this is similar to wishing to be your favorite idol rather than any actual association with gender.
The creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has not shed light on this issue, leaving it open to interpretation. In fact, Oda keeps confusing his readers by drawing Yamato in both male and female specific settings, such as the men’s bath and the official art of female characters. To avoid controversy and remain respectful, referring to Yamato as “they” in discussions is a widely accepted approach.
Yamato’s Connection to Ace
Years before Luffy arrived in Wano, Ace had already reached there along with his crew. While the pirate did not get the chance to face Kaido, he ran into Yamato. Initially believing each other to be enemies, the two got into a heated battle.
Soon after, however, they realized that they were on the same side against oppression. United by their dreams of freedom, the two spent a long time sharing memories. Ace spoke at length about his brother Luffy, who would set out to become a pirate soon, as well as of the boy’s dream. Ace hated when people laughed at Luffy’s goals, but Yamato took it extremely seriously.
Yamato was very fond of Ace and trusted him to be a leading figure for the next generation. However, when the Vivre Card they had given him disappeared, they realized the tragic circumstances of their friend. In their grief, Yamato’s motivations only fired up even more.
Yamato’s Strengths and Abilities
Yamato is an extremely powerful character who could fight on par with Ace and also comfortably defeat most of the Beast Pirates. Similar to Kaido, they have immense raw strength, speed, and durability, being able to withstand Luffy’s Gear Three.
Yamato’s Devil Fruit – the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami is a Mythical Zoan-type. It transforms them into a divine wolf and greatly amplifies their power. This also allows them to use ice powers for both attack and defence. The beast Yamato transforms into is symbolic since it is believed to be the guardian deity of Wano.
In addition, Yamato is one of the only people who can use all three kinds of Haki. They had used Armament Haki to face Ace’s flames and could see at great distances through Observation Haki. Their most impressive ability in this is Supreme King Haki, which, when infused with their giant kanabo, can generate black lightning and hurt Admirals.
What Is Yamato’s Role in the Wano Arc?
Yamato serves as the main bridge between the protagonists and antagonists in the Wano Arc. Being the child of Kaido, they knew him better than anyone and the need to free the people of Wano. Having tried in the past, they ended up in a position of inability to take action.
However, after the arrival of the Straw Hats, Yamato saw hope in the brother Ace talked about lovingly. They joined Luffy in his exploits while protecting Momonosuke. In the final battle against Kaido, Yamato bought a lot of time for Luffy, who was struggling to face Kaido. They had personally gone toe-to-toe with Kaido to prevent fatal harm from coming to the protagonist. Even when Kaido declared Luffy to be dead and Momonosuke gave up hope, Yamato motivated the future shogun to keep fighting to the very end.
One of Yamato’s most impressive feats in the Wano Arc was to counter the explosives in Kaido’s armory when he wished to destroy the Flower Capital by dropping Onigashima. By using their Devil Fruit, they froze all the bombs. Yamato also inspired Momonosuke to steer Onigashima with his dragon powers to avert tragedy for the people on the ground.
Hence, Luffy unlocking Gear Five and defeating Kaido would not have been possible without Yamato’s effort. Despite their wish to join the Straw Hat Pirates at the end of the arc, they realized their presence was needed to ensure stability in Wano. Therefore, Luffy and Yamato part ways, with the former expressing that he would accept Yamato into his crew whenever they desired.
Yamato’s last appearance in the One Piece manga is at the end of the Wano Arc in Chapter 1057, where they part ways with the Straw Hat Pirates. They also appear in a flashback sequence in Chapter 1059, explaining to Luffy why they chose not to sail with him, citing their duty to keep Wano safe.
Additionally, fans have been enjoying Yamato’s appearances in One Piece cover stories. From Chapter 1110 to the most recent Chapter 1133, the ongoing cover story series titled Oni Child Yamato’s Golden Harvest Surrogate Pilgrimage follows their wish to travel through Wano like Oden. Before departing, Yamato is tasked by Kin’emon to deliver Yasuie’s sword to the Enma Shrine. On this surrogate pilgrimage, Yamato encounters various challenges and finds unique ways to overcome them.
Conclusion
Yamato is an extremely intriguing character in One Piece who opposes their own kin for the sake of the greater good. Having been captivated by Oden, they replicated the figure in the best ways – embodying the importance of freedom and the struggle against oppression.
Yamato’s part in the Wano Arc may be over, but everyone is very dearly hoping for their return in the Final Saga.
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