Monkey D. Luffy — June, 2018
Who actually came closest to killing Luffy?
Luffy has fought gods, warlords, admirals, and monsters.
But when Japanese fans were asked who really pushed him closest to death,
the answer wasn’t who you’d expect.
Was it lightning? Poison? Sand?
Or was it something even more absurd?
Different answers depending on what “almost died” means
1: Anonymous Pirate
If it weren’t for lightning, he would’ve died.
2: Anonymous Pirate
If he hadn’t been toyed with using mochi, he would’ve died too.
3: Anonymous Pirate
It’s Magellan.
4: Anonymous Pirate
He basically died quite a bit against Crocodile too.
Physical death vs unavoidable damage
6: Anonymous Pirate
He even said something like “yeah, I’m dead.”
7: Anonymous Pirate
Heavy smoker, right?
8: Anonymous Pirate
It’s Magellan, obviously.
9: Anonymous Pirate
Aokiji too. If this were the anime, even Zhuge Liang would’ve died.
Trauma, responsibility, and mental collapse
10: Anonymous Pirate
Wasn’t it Ace?
Because of him, Luffy almost got killed by Magellan and Akainu,
then watched him die right in front of him and mentally broke.
11: Anonymous Pirate
Yeah, that’s true.
Devil Fruits, losses, and repeated failure
12: Anonymous Pirate
It’s the Moku Moku guy…
14: Anonymous Pirate
>>12
Up until the “my pants ate ice cream” line, he was in his prime.
16: Anonymous Pirate
>>14
I like that haki-using kid.
13: Anonymous Pirate
He lost to Crocodile twice.
The first time was a complete defeat.
Was Luffy ever truly cornered?
15: Anonymous Pirate
He always gets back up until every enemy is beaten, so he wasn’t really cornered.
That fish that almost died from poison even though it had Magellan’s antibodies was the strongest one.
(´・ω・`)
Was that Dragon’s doing, or just the weather?
👉 Why Japanese Fans Frame This Question This Way
In Japanese One Piece discussions, “almost died” doesn’t automatically mean
biggest enemy or strongest villain.
Fans separate:
- Instant death scenarios (lightning, poison)
- Repeated total defeat (Crocodile)
- Unavoidable damage (Magellan)
- Psychological destruction (Ace’s death)
The discussion isn’t about power scaling —
it’s about points of no return.
👉 What This Debate Reveals About Luffy as a Protagonist
Luffy is rarely remembered as “cornered” because he never stays down.
So fans instinctively search for moments where:
- Survival depended on luck, not will
- Damage couldn’t be shrugged off
- Or his mind, not his body, broke first
That’s why answers scatter —
because Luffy’s danger is remembered emotionally, not numerically.
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