One Piece Theory: Imu isn’t Nefertari D. Lili But Someone Biblically Worse

SUMMARY

• Imu can grant immortaity, which made fans compare it to making a deal with the devil.
• The pentagrams used by the Gorosei to teleport have also raised suspicions.
• There are several religion-based motifs in One Piece, beginng with the Devil Fruits.

Show More▼

As One Piece cruises towards its final arc, some mysteries are yet to be unveiled. Imu’s identity is one of them, and so far, several fan theories have attempted to uncover Imu’s origin, but none of them have proven to be useful.

Several factors about Imu hint at him being a diabolical creature. His recent murder of one of the Gorosei, Saturn, raised eyebrows about his powers. How did he kill Saturn from such a huge distance, and why did the Gorosei go up in black flames? Are these just Imu’s Devil Fruit powers? Or is he just satanic?

Fan Theory Claims Imu is One Piece‘s Satan

Imu in One Piece | Credits: Viz Media

Is Imu Satan just because he is the villain in One Piece? No. However, hints scattered throughout the series indicate him as such. He might not be the devil himself, but he sure is similar to one.

Everyone is aware of the concept of ‘making a deal with the devil.’ It consists of sacrificing something essential or one’s soul to receive diabolical favors in return. In One Piece, Imu granted immortality to the Gorosei, but such an immense boon could not have been given out of Imu’s good-hearted nature. According to the fan theory, Gorosei must have either given up their souls or promised life-long servitude in return for the powers.

Imu with Lili’s sword | Credit: Toei

Each of the Gorosei has Devil Fruits of the Mythical Zoan variety. All of them turn into Yokai. In Japan, Yokai is a word used to describe various ghosts, demons, monsters, half-animals, or more. They also use magic circles to teleport to different locations. These patterns with pentagrams in the middle might also be related to demonic rituals.

Constant Biblical References in One Piece

Imu | Credit: Toei Animation

Imu is not the only character who has been inspired by the Bible or religions in One Piece. There are several religion-based motifs scattered throughout the series. In the Skypiea arc, Enel was given the title of God because he ruled the Sky islands. Enel even named his attacks after thunder gods from various religions.

Next is the satanic cult from the Namakura island who worships the Devil. The cultists even tried to summon Satan but ended up summoning Brook. Vander Decken, the captain of the Flying Dutchman, was said to be cursed by God because of his atrocious acts. Of course, you can’t forget Nika, who was worshipped as the Sun God in the past. Luffy’s fruit is also called Hito Hito no Mi: Nika.

There are also several Devil references in One Piece, the primary of them being about Devil Fruits. Devil Fruit users are also said to be cursed by the Demons of the Sea. Nami, Uspopp, and Chopper encountered a dog with three heads on Thriller Bark and called him Cerberus. The Ancient Weapons, namely Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus, are also named after Groceo-Roman Gods.

One Piece manga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Written by Aaheli Pradhan

Articles Published: 445

Aaheli is an anime content writer at FandomeWire. With four years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cat.