What is Haki in ‘One Piece?’

One Piece‘s world is full of wonders, mysteries, and intricacies. After all, it’s been 26 years since the first chapter came out — it was only bound to be that way. What I mean by this is that Eiichiro Oda had to innovate and Devil Fruits couldn’t be the only power source for the characters anymore.

And here comes Haki. Haki was introduced quite early on in the series — in the very first chapter, to be specific. However, for quite some time, neither the fans nor Luffy seemed to truly understand what it was. In fact, some new fans may still be confused about the specific details of the whole Haki ordeal. Moreover, if this is your first time watching One Piece, or even if you’re simply watching the live-action, allow me to explain exactly what Haki is.

What is Haki in One Piece?

Haki, simply put, is a type of power fueled by ambition — in fact, the very translation of the word “Haki” is ambition. The more ambitious a character is, the stronger the Haki they harness. This Haki may manifest in three different forms: Conqueror’s Haki, Armament Haki, and Observation Haki. Some characters possess all three types, while others may only be proficient in one or two of them.

At the time of writing, there is still no exact explanation as to why or how Haki came to be. All we know is that not just anyone can use Haki. To awaken this technique, they need to be driven to the point where their power is rooted in ambition. Moreover, to use Haki, the characters don’t even need to possess any kind of Devil Fruit.

When was Haki introduced in One Piece?

As mentioned earlier, Haki was first introduced in One Piece, in the very first chapter, and in the fourth episode of the anime. It was used by Shanks to lure out the Sea monster when it attempted to attack Luffy. Shanks very clearly sent him a “look” that immediately subdued the creature. We now know that it was Conqueror’s Haki that did the trick, and not simply Shanks’ threatening aura (though it easily could have been — if looks could kill).

However, the exact concept of Haki was only briefly mentioned by Blackbeard in Jaya. At the time, the official English translation by Viz Media wasn’t sure what to make of the word “Haki,” using the direct translation “ambition” instead. The first time the official translation team actually used the term “Haki” was in Water 7, during Shanks and Whitebeard’s meeting. Once again, we see Shanks taking out most of Whitebeard’s crew just by walking among them.

Moreover, the three types were introduced in the series at vastly different times. Initially, we saw several instances of Conqueror’s Haki by Shanks and Luffy multiple times — dating back to the very first episode, as mentioned earlier. Later on in the series, in Sabaody, Armament Haki was properly introduced for the very first time by Sentomaru; followed by Observation Haki, which had been hinted at by the name “mantra,” but only entered the equation in Sabaody as well.

One Piece is available on Crunchyroll.