Everyone knows that when a middle name is used, a parent means business, which is why the right middle name is important. There’s power in a name, which is made clear in all forms of media. The name Harry Potter provokes whispers in the Wizarding World. The name Sauron incites fear in the fiercest of warriors in The Lord of the Rings. In the fantastical world of One Piece, the mysterious “D” name holds power, as in the anime’s main protagonist Monkey D. Luffy.
While it seems like a generic initial, the secretive “D” name is used by several people throughout the anime. Besides our main hero, it’s used by Monkey D. Dragon, Monkey D. Garp, Gol D. Roger, Trafalagar D. Water Law, Portgas D. Ace, Portgas D. Rouge, Marshall D. Teach, Jaguar D. Saul and Rocks D. Xebec.
One Piece is the most popular manga of all time, having sold more than 516 million copies since 1997. In comparison, Superman comic books have sold 600 million copies since 1938. The anime premiered in 1999 and has since produced more than 1,000 episodes. With longevity comes questions and with questions come conspiracies. One Piece is certainly no stranger to conspiracies and this time we’re discussing one of the biggest conspiracies of all – what is Luffy’s middle name?
The will of D
For a while, people assumed “D” was just a random initial. That all changed after Dr. Kureha saw a wanted poster for Luffy on Drum Island. After discovering that Luffy has the middle initial “D,” she said having that name makes him a dangerous man. She then reveals that the Pirate King Gold Roger is actually Gol D. Roger. In the One Piece manga, after Chopper departed on his adventure with Luffy, Kureha says that her reindeer (Chopper) is going to get more than he bargained for, before adding “So the will of D lives on.” The anime words the scene a little differently, with her saying, “So it still lives … the will of D.” In that moment, manga readers and anime watchers knew there was a mystery surrounding the name, one they needed to figure out.
Change is coming
Those who bear the “D” name are the harbingers of change. The bearers of the mysterious name are the rule breakers, the risk takers and the dream makers. Of course, that change can be good or bad, depending on which side you are on. Some, like Dr. Kureha, may view that change as chaos and danger. But usually, those who bear the “D” name realize that to progress in life, change has to be made in a positive direction.
A clan name
While not everyone in a family bears the “D” name, many of those who do bear it are related in some way, which leads to the belief that the name is a clan name passed down through the generations. Most of the bearers have no idea what it means, including Luffy.
If it is a clan name, it suggests that at one point all their ancestors bearing that name lived together in one kingdom. Some fans theorize the clan could have been part of the forgotten Ancient Kingdom, which was defeated by the Alliance of the 20 Kingdoms – aka the World Government. All of this could have happened during the Void Century, a span of time the government has spent 800 years trying to censor from the public eye.
Smiles in the face of death
Bearers of the name seem to have the ability to smile in the face of death. Without spoiling any major deaths in the series, anytime someone who bears the “D” name either comes close to death or actually dies, they laugh or smile. Maybe they’re content with their fate, but it is an unusual trait.
Whitebeard said killing someone with the “D” name would not extinguish their will because someone else with that name will continue the legacy.
Celestial Dragons
It’s said that people of the Clan of D are fated to be the enemy of the Celestial Dragons. In One Piece, a group of people from the noble families of the World Government are known as celestial dragons and revered as gods. They are feared and hated by everyone in the world. The Celestial Dragons themselves fear the Clan of D because they’re the only ones who pose a threat to their existence and are therefore known as the “natural enemy of god.”
Name possibilities
While Eiichiro Oda, the creator and writer of One Piecehas still not revealed the mysterious “D” name, there’s no harm in speculating based on all the clues listed above. Here are the best possibilities for the origin of the “D” name.
Danger
During the Post-War Arc, the Five Elders said the name means danger. Whether that is the literal name, we do not know.
Destiny
The Clan of D all seem to have the drive to change the world like it’s their destiny.
Dreamer
One thing all those who bear the “D” name have in common is that they dream big. They make a goal and then make that goal a reality.
Dawn
When Oda originally started writing Luffy’s pirate tale, had named the story Romance Dawn. The name was changed to One Piece, but he kept the name around for the very first story arc.
It’s a shape, not a name
Obviously, the letter “D” is a shape, but this theory suggests that the “D” represents one-half of the world. If you split the planet in half, you would be left with two “D” shapes. The theory suggests that the Clan of D ruled half the world, a world war broke out and the clan was dispersed. While the initial premise sounds odd, once you realize that the World Government is trying to make people forget about the clan name, even going as far as changing Gol D. Roger’s name to Gold Roger, the theory sounds plausible.
