Who is Sabo in ‘One Piece’ — and is he dead or alive?

Since its release in 1999, One Piece has allowed fans to get to know some of the most intricate, flawed, and caring characters this story has to offer. Introducing the Straw Hat crew as the main characters, one is immediately in touch with all the nuances in Oda’s writing, starting from the selfishness of each character, whose main objective is to follow their own prerogative and achieve their ulterior dreams.

In spite of their selfish reasons, each character has their own set of traits that ultimately make them neither good or bad — but rather individuals that are incredibly complex with redeeming traits and a commanding sense of morality. These multi-dimensional characters are extended throughout One Piece, including in the alleged antagonists, the Marines, and even to the Revolutionary Army — where the readers can find the one and only, Sabo. 

Who is Sabo?

Introduced during the Post-War Arc, Sabo’s presence created a crucial milestone in the life of the two brothers, Luffy and Ace. Already acquainted with Ace during his first appearance, Sabo was found by Luffy upon the youngest discovery of the Gray Terminal, a lawless slump dumpster where homeless people searched for valuables thrown away by the wealthy Nobles living in the city. Right before Luffy’s first sight of Sabo, he finds Ace robbing two men, immediately meeting up with Sabo afterward to assess the newly acquired goods. Once the two older boys notice Luffy’s presence, who had been following them from the start, they decide to tie him down before coming up with a plan to keep him from sharing their secret stash of valuable goods. 

This initial introduction offers a comedic scope into the relationship initially shared by this trio. As Luffy is constantly trying to be a part of the group, the two oldest keep pushing him away, very much falling into their immature kid antics. As this initial interaction is happening, however, Luffy is forcibly taken by the Bluejam pirate crew, who had been keeping an eye on the boys and their treasure. Not long after, Ace and Sabo run after their friend, attempting to rescue him.

From this moment on, the shift in their relationship is notable. The trio gets closer and they start teaching Luffy the best ways to defend himself, while unknowingly forming an unbreakable bond under the care of Curly Dadan. The newfound brotherhood among the trio lasted throughout their childhood, which was eventually cut short for Sabo. The blonde-haired boy was caught by his father, who was a Noble. However, after realizing the genocide that was being planned by the World Nobles — who intended to set ablaze the Gray Terminal and those living in it — Sabo chose to set out to sea and flee, leaving a letter for his brothers in hopes they would meet again in the future. Almost like an omen; as Sabo is trying to escape, a World Noble’s ship catches sight of the boy, sending a bazooka towards his small fishing boat. 

This incident would completely traumatize Ace and Luffy, both children believing in the excruciatingly painful death of their brother. This would be the first time Luffy and Ace would experience loss in such a crude way, even without knowing about the reality behind Sabo’s condition. 

After the attack, Sabo was rescued by Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and also Luffy’s father. Although his physical wounds were treated by the ship’s doctors, the boy’s memory was heavily damaged. Sabo would spend his teenage years with the Revolutionary Army, becoming increasingly committed to the ideals shared by this group who swore to fight against the World Nobles, although without remembering much from his childhood years. Sabo would eventually catch a glimpse of his past memories at 20 years old, once he received the newspaper with the news of Ace’s death. After seeing the picture of his brother, Sabo was engulfed with the moments shared by the three brothers, and without even a moment to spare celebrating the ending of his amnesia, Sabo had to now mourn the death of Portgas D.Ace. 

From that moment on, Sabo would swear to protect Luffy no matter what, and in order to achieve that, he would need Ace’s Devil Fruit, not only to honor his older brother but also to fulfill Ace’s wish of always protecting their youngest brother, Luffy. Sabo would at last get his final farewell for Ace at Dressrosa, where he poured three cups of Sake on Ace’s grave, paying tribute to the drink the trio shared the day they swore to become brothers. 

Now in Dressrosa, Sabo entered the competition at the Corrida Colosseum with the intent of retrieving the Mera Mera no Mi Devil Fruit, as it was the prize for winning this violent competition. This is when Luffy would reunite with Sabo for the first time in a decade, completely stupefying the Straw Hat, who believed his brother to be dead. Upon their tearful reunion, Sabo would go on to win the competition, thus becoming the new Mera Mera no Mi Devil Fruit user, and reclaiming his spot as Luffy’s brother. 

Is Sabo dead or alive?

Up until this point, there is no guarantee as to whether Sabo is dead or alive. After his endeavors in Dressrosa, Sabo would go on to have numerous other adventures with the Revolutionary Army. That is until Dragon made up the plan to declare war on the World Nobles at the Levely. Aiming to follow through with their ultimate goal, Sabo infiltrated Mary Geoise, accompanied by a few members of the Revolutionary army, and rescued Kuma from enslavement.

Although his mission has proven to be successful, no one knows exactly where Sabo is at the moment, since he hasn’t made any further appearances in either the manga or the anime. Ultimately, one can assume something has gone terribly wrong since newspapers were spread regarding Sabo in Chapter 1037, showing an incredibly concerned Dragon who seemed taken back at the news.

In usual One Piece fashion, one must patiently wait until Oda deems it necessary to clear any assumptions or doubts regarding his loose ends of the story, and Sabo’s whereabouts are just one of the constant questions at the back of fans’ minds. Currently, One Piece is airing weekly on Crunchyroll, and Oda’s one-month break has finally come to an end, with One Piece‘s weekly chapters coming out regularly.