One Piece Marks the Original Joy Boy’s First Appearance

One Piece is a force of nature, and by now, manga readers know the series is ramping up for something big. It has been more than a year since Eiichiro Oda began work on the manga’s final saga, and it seems like it is going to be massive. There is plenty to go before One Piece closes including the more thorough rundown for the Void Century. And this week, One Piece helped flesh that history out with the first appearance of its original Joy Boy.

Yes, that is right! Luffy is not the only Joy Boy we know. At last, One Piece has posted a silhouette shot of the original Joy Boy, and their profile is incredibly familiar.

As you can see above, the original Joy Boy has a striking resemblance to Luffy in shadow. We have no idea what the Great Kingdom legend looks like in detail, but when it comes to broad strokes, Luffy and the original Joy Boy are very similar. After all, their Nike forms look the same, and we have been told that this original Joy Boy had similar manners to Luffy. They were all about being free, so it seems that fixation has traversed the ages.

The manga’s debut of the original Joy Boy also heralded in new info about the Void Century. The One Piece manga confirmed Joy Boy was a great power during the Void Century, and they had allies in Zunesha and the Iron Giant. However, the worlds’ powers were not eager to let Joy Boy do as he wanted. The Twenty Kingdoms ended up defeating Joy Boy during a huge battle at the end of the Great Kingdom, and his fall ushered in the start of the Void Century.

Clearly, Joy Boy is a title of incredible importance, and its original bearer made quite the mark. Now, it seems Luffy is set to carry on the will of Joy Boy. The World Government is about to have a big fight on its hands, and given Luffy’s infectious optimism, fans expect the pirate will fulfill the mission the original Joy Boy began centuries ago. 

What do you think about this peek at Joy Boy? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!