One Piece: 10 Times Luffy Nearly Died | ScreenRant
One Piece is a series known for its absurdity in humor and action. From characters surviving brutal, usually-fatal injuries, to slapstick antics to serious conflict. Nearly every character in the Straw Hat crew experiences near-death situations at least once or twice, but Captain Monkey D. Luffy has had more experiences than any other character.
Part of what makes Luffy such a compelling character is his stubborn unwillingness to give up, whether it's in his relationships with his crew or in a fight to the death. While many of his antics outside of fighting would lead you to believe he is flippant with his mortality, each one of his near-death experiences is important to the story, driving him forward or showing the depth of his character.
10 Right At The Start Of His Journey
Before Luffy ever even started off on his grand adventure, he began with a life-threatening experience. While listening to his hero and one of anime's best parental figures, Red-Haired Shanks, tell tales of his pirate adventures, a group of bandits started badmouthing Luffy's friends.
After a tussle, Luffy is kidnapped and taken out to sea by the bandit captain - who rows them straight towards a sea king - a massive and dangerous creature. While Luffy is saved by Shanks, the pirate loses his arm in the process. This foundational moment in Luffy's life teaches him about sacrifice and bravery.
9 At Roguetown, Before Entering The Grand Line
As the Straw Hat crew prepared for their adventure towards the legendary treasure, One Piece, they arrived in Roguetown. This island is where the legendary pirate Gol D. Roger was executed after he hid his treasure at the end of the Grand Line. While here, Luffy has a moment of contemplation with the spot of Rogers' death - and is captured by his first nemesis Buggy the Clown
As Buggy lifts his sword and prepares to execute Luffy on that same spot where Roger died, Luffy laughed in the face of death; just like Roger did. This moment told everyone present that there was something special - dangerous, even - about Monkey D. Luffy.
8 Fighting Crocodile in the Kingdom of Alabasta
The inhospitable desert kingdom of Alabasta is where Luffy faced off with Crocodile. As Leader of the mafia-themed group Baroque Works, one of 7 pirate warlords, and the villain behind Alabasta's political destabilization, Crocodile was one of the most dangerous opponents Luffy had ever faced.
When Luffy first faced Crocodile, he was unprepared and weak. Crocodile drained Luffy of moisture with his sand powers and left him for dead in quicksand. If not for Nico Robin returning to question why Luffy continued to fight, Luffy would have died underneath the dunes with no one to find him.
7 When Meeting Aokiji for the First Time
The World Government is diametrically opposed to pirates. As such, it should be no surprise that these major antagonists frequently attack and threaten Luffy and his crew. Aokiji is one of the four admirals of the navy, and his powers befit his rank. With the ability to control ice, Aokiji shows one of the dangerous weaknesses that the rubber-man Luffy will face - the dangers of the cold.
Aokiji easily halted the Straw Hats in their tracks as he warned of the dangers Nico Robin exposed them to - namely himself and the world government. Luffy's loyalty to Robin was shown in his refusal to let her leave. This altercation quickly ended with Aokiji freezing Luffy solid in a terrifying bit of body horror.
6 When He was Poisoned in Impel Down
The infamous prison-island Impel Down is managed by Magellan. Magellan's Devil-Fruit ability provides him control over poisons of all kinds, which he freely uses to punish and kill the criminals he watches over. Luffy and his newfound allies break into the prison in an attempt to break his brother Ace out but find themselves captured instead.
When Luffy faces off with Magellan, he manages to land a decisive blow - but at the cost of becoming deathly ill. Without the life-saving medicine provided by prisoner Emporio Ivankov, Luffy wouldn't have survived a day. As an added benefit of surviving this encounter, Luffy from then on is resistant to all kinds of poisons.
5 During His Fight with Rob Lucci
While mourning their soon-to-be-retired pirate ship, the Going Merry, the Straw Hats develop friendships with the shipwrights of Galley-La. This group included their next recruit - Franky - and one of Luffy's most dangerous foes, Rob Lucci. Lucci is a member of CP9, a secret agent of the World Government.
This group employs deadly martial arts alongside Devil-Fruit powers in a combination that nearly kills all of the Straw Hat Crew. While Luffy manages to fight off Lucci, he would have died without the help of Nico Robin and Usopp. Thanks to Usopp's eagle eye and Robin's own devil fruit ability, Luffy manages to fight another day.
4 When He Lost His Shadow At Thriller Bark
While enjoying the leisures of their newly constructed ship, the Thousand Sunny, the Straw Hats are led into a mysterious fog. This fog contains the massive haunted island-ship Thriller Bark. Captain Gecko Moria has the ability to take one's shadow, using it to provide his undead constructions with the powers and personalities of the shadow's owner.
A frightful side-effect of this is that a person without a shadow will die if they are exposed to sunlight. Though Thriller Bark is surrounded by fog, this looming doom hangs over Luffy and the other affected Straw Hats throughout the arc. A major upside to this arc is meeting Brook, the music-loving character who joins the crew.
3 Upon Meeting the Android Pacifistas
Bartholomew Kuma is an imposing figure, even in a manga filled with literal and figurative giants. He is a former officer of the Revolutionary Army, captured and used as a basis for the strange and threatening androids, the Pacifistas. The Straw Hat crew first meets them on Thriller Bark, where one of these androids witnesses the defeat of Gecko Moria.
Under orders to prevent word of Moria's defeat from spreading, the pacifista is ordered to eliminate all witnesses. The Straw Hats struggle to even scratch the android, narrowly escaping the super-powered being. These androids are created by the evil genius Dr. Vegapunk, who fits each model with devastating weapons.
2 Fighting to Save Ace at Marineford
One Piece is notable for having a major time skip that marks the end of the first 'half' of the series. Everything prior to the Marineford War leads up to Luffy fighting with and against many of the past characters in an epic battle to save his adoptive brother, Ace. This battle is notable for the way it sets up many of the next story arcs, introducing or expounding upon the sprawling cast.
Unfortunately, Luffy is unable to save his brother from execution. Witnessing Ace's death sends Luffy into a catatonic state, and he nearly dies in that same moment. Thanks to the allies he made throughout his journey, he is carried to safety to mourn.
1 During His Fight with Doflamingo in Dressarosa
Doflamingo Donquixote is one of the few named 'Heavenly Dragons.' These are world nobles who have lineage traceable back to the very beginning of the World Government. Doflamingo's father had rejected this status, leading the young prince to murder his own father. As an adult, the cruel prince rules his nation alongside other family members who use their powers to abuse and dominate their kingdom.
The battle between Luffy and Doflamingo is one of the first post-time-skip, allowing Luffy to show off his newfound abilities as well as showing the new scale of enemies he will be facing. Their fight nearly decimates the capital city, and Luffy's abilities aren't enough at first. For ten minutes in the middle of the battle, he is so vulnerable that he almost certainly would have died - but thanks to the distractions provided by the people of Dressarosa, Luffy is able to triumph.