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Explore Doflamingo or Kaidou: Who was a better villain for Luffy in One Piece? Delve into their unique characteristics and villainy.
One Piece has always delivered interesting villains, each with their unique ideologies and strengths, but two stand out as monumental challenges for Monkey D. Luffy: Donquixote Doflamingo and Kaidou of the Beasts.
While Kaidou’s sheer power was a difficult milestone that Luffy had to push past his current physical limits to reach a new level of strength, it was Doflamingo’s insidious manipulation and deep-rooted connection to the world’s hidden power structures due to his underground illegal operations that truly shaped Luffy’s understanding of the world, making him a far more impactful antagonist. This article will discuss how Doflamingo was the superior villain, preparing Luffy for the true challenges that lie ahead.
What Makes Them Great Antagonists?
Doflamingo was a one-of-a-kind antagonist. It was rare to see a character for whom we would not feel sympathy at all. Lately, there has been a trend where a villain is also granted a sad backstory justifying why they turned to a life of crime. This ends up putting them in a grey area.
Throughout the whole series, Donquixote Doflamingo is the only character who is rotten from the start. There was nothing redeemable about him. Every action he takes is for selfish reasons, and never have we witnessed him being unconditionally nice. Even if his brute strength is lacking in comparison to Kaidou, he makes up for it by being an embodiment of pure evil.
Kaidou, on the other hand, is the definition of a misdirected villain with unlimited brute strength. Initially, he was not siding with anyone and dreamed of becoming the Pirate King. When Gol D. Roger went ahead and found the One Piece treasure and claimed that title, it crushed Kaidou’s lifelong goal.
With that, all the expectations he had for a Pirate King were shattered, as Roger did not live up to them. This confused Kaidou even more. He had always idolized Joy Boy, as he had witnessed that not everyone from the World Government was a hero and not all pirates were villains.
He just wanted to bring back order to the world, just like Joy Boy would have done. Kaidou’s evil stems from his unchecked expectations, which led him to take matters into his own hands. Unlike Doflamingo, Kaidou still had a part of him that hoped for a better future.
Psychological Warfare vs. Pure Strength: Which Challenged Luffy More?
Kaidou primarily gave a tough fight to Luffy due to his physical strength. His fight was very straightforward and brutal. As it was a fair fight between warriors, the strongest one would win. This pushed Luffy to surpass his current level of physical strength and activate his Gear 5. This was a challenging fight for Luffy for sure, but we need to understand that he is the protagonist, which automatically qualifies him to have plot armor.
When faced with brute strength, we know he will come back and give a tough fight. Fighting Kaidou was the first time he almost faced death. Well, this resulted in him coming back stronger, and viewers were introduced to his new power-up.
Meanwhile, his fight with Doflamingo was much more than just a battle. There was a lot at stake here. Luffy had to crush the spirit of Doflamingo and defeat him in a duel, too. Even in this fight, we saw him activate a new form—Gear 4. Again, this gives us proof that when he is pushed into a corner, Luffy bounces back (figuratively and literally) stronger than ever.
After being baited by Doflamingo’s manipulation and cunningness, Luffy continues to fight and save Trafalgar Law from him. Meanwhile, throughout this fight, Doffy had the upper hand, as the battle was in Dressrosa, and it was on his terms.
Comparing both fights in One Piece, we have to agree that they were a visual treat to watch as they pushed Luffy and helped him grow in terms of power and gain an understanding of strategy. We have to agree that Doflamingo had a more multi-dimensional impact on Luffy than Kaidou.
Narrative Impact: How Each Villain Shaped Luffy’s Growth
Defeating Doflamingo was more than just another victory for Luffy—it was a message to the world. Doflamingo’s fall exposed the truth behind the World Government’s corruption, which viewers knew of before but did not have enough proof to support. It showed that powerful figures like him could manipulate entire nations while remaining untouchable.
This foreshadowed the kind of character who would be even more rotten and corrupt than Doflamingo and whom Luffy would potentially face in the future.
Kaidou’s defeat was a turning point that helped Luffy’s rise to Emperor status. However, in the grand scheme of narration, Kaidou was still just another strong pirate. His defeat shook the balance of power but didn’t expose any deep truths about the world.
Rather, it made us question the past, and we got some information about Joy Boy, which left us with more questions than answers. Luffy indeed grew stronger, but he didn’t gain new insights into how to fight the hidden powers controlling the world.
The Stakes of Dressrosa vs. Wano: Which Arc Had the Greater Conflict?
Wano’s stakes were undeniably high, as the fate of the nation’s future was in question. Kaidou’s alliance with Big Mom and his plans for global warfare made it an important matter to address. However, the fight was largely a display of physical power, making the strongest among them the last man standing.
Dressrosa’s stakes were more nuanced. Doflamingo’s Birdcage threatened to trap and kill everyone inside it. Doflamingo also plays mind games with Luffy after acquiring Ace’s Devil Fruit, knowing very well that Luffy would come to retrieve it. Our protagonist also puts a stop to one of the major underground illegal businesses that Doflamingo was running, which provided slaves, drugs, and weapons to many islands, resulting in war and casualties.
Luffy stopping him also ensured that Kaidou would not get any items for war, as his dealer was Doflamingo. With Doflamingo now captured by the Marines and out of the system, Kaidou would not have enough supplies to go all out in war.
Conclusion
While both Kaidou and Doflamingo challenged Luffy in different ways, Doflamingo was undeniably a better villain for Luffy to face. Doflamingo is the kind of villain Luffy will face again when he eventually takes on Imu and the Five Elders. The highest authorities of the World Government don’t rule through strength alone; they rule through manipulation, secrecy, and control. Doflamingo was the first true test of this kind. Without defeating him, Luffy wouldn’t have been prepared for the even greater battles ahead.
As we have entered the Final Saga in One Piece, every villain Luffy has faced has helped him grow stronger. He has yet to reach his peak strength. This means he may face someone even stronger than Kaidou and more cunning than Doflamingo. When that happens, the lessons he learned from past battles will be crucial. This will make the new fight even more exciting to watch.
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