During the Wano Country Arc, the thirty-first story arc in the One Piece anime, Monkey D. Luffy’s brother, Portgas D. Ace, sacrificed himself to protect Luffy from Marine Admiral Akainu. While visiting Wano Country, Yamato, a prodigal samurai, befriended Ace and upon learning of his death, expressed keen interest in joining the Straw Hat Pirates, therefore crossing paths with Luffy. Yamato is the son of Kaidou, the Governor-General of the Beast Pirates, who was assigned female at birth. Having developed a fascination for Kozuki Oden, Yamato emulated Oden’s appearance, traits and even his gender, thus identifying as — although not explicitly presenting as — the male heir to Kaidou. Yamato made his debut in Episode 972 of One Piece, titled “The End of the Battle! Oden vs. Kaidou!”
There has been speculation surrounding Yamato and the extent of his strength, but having studied under Kaidou and Oden, Yamato is an exceptionally powerful samurai warrior. Despite eventually befriending Ace, Yamato came face-to-face with the Logia user and held his own effortlessly in combat. Sometime during the raid on Onigashima, Yamato clashed with his father, Kaidou, who has been widely renowned as the “strongest creature” in existence. Considering the former-Emperor’s physical might, this is a notable feat and one which Kaidou himself acknowledged.
Yamato possesses near unparalleled strength, similar to that of Kaidou. Even when Luffy exponentially increased his physical prowess with Gear 2 and Gear 3, Yamato matched his abilities with relative ease. When Luffy’s punch met Yamato’s kick, the ripple effect produced from the collision was enough to shatter nearby walls and ceiling, as well as knock over the nearby Beast Pirates. While fighting the Beast Pirate Armored Corps, Yamato was able to obliterate their reinforced armor.
Along with extreme speed and endurance, Yamato has emerged from explosive bazooka blasts with nothing more than some minor lacerations. Even when fighting Kaidou, Yamato was able to withstand his father’s crippling attacks. When consuming Devil Fruit, Yamato can transform into a divine wolf, as well as a human-wolf hybrid known as Human-Beast form. Kaidou once said that this beast is referred to as a “Guardian Deity of Wano Country.” Naturally, the Human-Beast form greatly fortified Yamato’s existing strength, so much so that he was able to withstand an even match against Kaidou’s human-dragon hybrid form.
Additionally, Yamato is an extremely skilled user of various Haki, mysterious powers that enable users to utilize their spiritual energy. Yamato possesses mastery in Haoshoku Haki, Busoshoku Haki and Kenbunshoku Haki. Haoshoku is a rare form of Haki that allows the user to exert their willpower over others, an ability that only a few million people are born with. It is prophesied that whomever possesses this ability has the qualities of a sovereign. Bososhoku is a form of Haki that allows the user to form an invisible barrier — like a forcefield — around themselves for protection against incoming attacks. This Haki can be used to injure Devil Fruit users. Kenbunshoku is a Haki that grants the user a sixth sense to detect the presence, emotions and strength of others.
Finally, Yamato fights with a kanabo club that he named Takeru, as revealed in Vol. 101 of the One Piece manga. Similar to Kaidou’s club, though studded and thicker in width, the kanabo can deliver damaging blows and energy strikes when coupled with Yamato’s strength and a Haki. Despite Takeru’s heft, Yamato is able to wield it without much trouble, using it to swiftly block many of Luffy’s strikes.
After running through each of Yamato’s abilities, it’s safe to assume that Yamato is one of the strongest samurai alive. While greatly skilled in combat and perceptive when utilizing powers wisely, Yamato can go toe-to-toe with Luffy, Kaidou and anyone else that dares oppose him. Although desiring to join Luffy’s crew, Yamato elected to remain on Wano, but has sworn to travel out to sea in the future.
