Along with Son Goku, Ash Ketchum, and probably Naruto, if there's one anime and manga character who doesn't need a detailed introduction, it's One Piece's protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy is the leader of the Straw Hat Pirates and is one of the most recognizable brands in the world of anime and manga, which explains his popularity. Everyone knows Luffy and that he's the protagonist of One Piece, but what will happen to him in the series? Will he die? Well, even though we don't have any official data on this (which is completely natural), there are some theories that we'll explain here!

Luffy has had many encounters that nearly cost him his life, and many fans believe he might die in the end...

Monkey D. Luffy is a truly incredible character and has had some incredible adventures over the years. Of course, with such adventures comes danger, and Luffy has had his fair share of near-fatal encounters over the years, some of which we mentioned above. Luffy has, of course, survived these encounters, but due to the damage he sustained, as well as the fact that his Gears have shortened his lifespan, many fans believe that Luffy's life may be over once the manga concludes. So, what do we know about the ending of One Piece?

D: A question for Odacchi!! Is it true that you will be ending One Piece after five years? Even if it is true, such an official announcement is still hard for the fans!! Many fans and friends I know were crying when they heard this sudden announcement! How do you plan to take responsibility?!! That's what I'd like to say, but what I think I really want is for Odacchi to finally take a long vacation. PN pari_bentham

O: Yes, it is. Rather than ending the entire series, this series will end, as the most exciting part of Luffy's adventure, being the story of "What is One Piece?", will come to a conclusion. Things are heating up in Wano Country right now, but if Luffy can leave here safely, there will be developments on a global scale, an exciting story the likes of which no one has ever read before as I draw the "Greatest War" in One Piece history. It will be exciting!! In other words, I made such an announcement so that readers can be mentally prepared to understand that even a story as long as this one is properly heading towards its end. That said, for now, take your time and enjoy Wano while it's hot. I will pull with all my might!!

– SBS Volume 97, 2020

As you can see, One Piece is set to end in 2025 (although this is not a confirmed date), and Oda has hinted that Luffy will experience many perils before the story ends, because of this, many fans believe that Oda has been hinting at Luffy's death for some time.

Comparing his story to Roger's, many fans believe that the adventure will simply take its toll on him and he will become ill, like Roger (although many fans also believe Chopper could cure him), and die. Additionally, many fans consider the fact that Gears took a large part of his life and that he will have to face the consequences of his efforts later.

Although these theories are quite solid, they are not based on anything official; they are just interpretations (mostly retroactive) of certain scenes, as some fans decided to connect some dots, but just because you manage to connect two dots, it doesn't mean you've connected the right ones and that the figure you draw will mean something.

Oda himself hasn't confirmed any of this, and we don't know what will happen to Luffy. Oda probably does, but that could also change before the end of the story. Now we'll tell you what we think about these theories and what will happen to Luffy.

…but that seems unlikely

Based on everything we know about Luffy and Oda, as well as One Piece, the theories we've presented above don't seem very likely. Namely, it's not exactly typical of Oda to do such a thing, and seeing Luffy—who is only 19 years old, mind you—die right after achieving his goal would be brutal and heartless in more ways than one. Luffy's adventures have been in the spotlight for over two decades, and One Piece fans are eagerly awaiting the moment when One Piece's treasure is revealed and Luffy becomes the new Pirate King, so imagine he dies.

Okay, we know he won't roll over and die right away, but Luffy not being able to "rule" the free world would be a great injustice to the story and to him as a character, and knowing how Oda crafts his stories, that doesn't seem like a likely outcome. Sure, the arguments comparing Luffy to Roger are sound, but why would Oda do the same thing twice? Isn't Luffy's goal to elevate Roger's story and his dream? Repeating it would just be stupid.

One Piece Figure

Come see

And yes, he could get sick, and yes, the Gears shortened his life, but he's only 19, and One Piece characters (the humans) live for about a century, so even if you take all that into account, he could still live well past 50, which would still give him decades and decades. Sure, Luffy will die eventually since he's not immortal, but having him become king and then killing him? That just doesn't seem like something Eiichiro Oda would do.

One Piece has had its fair share of deaths and tragedies, but Oda seems to love and appreciate his story and characters too much to do that to them. It would be a cruel end to Luffy's fate, and One Piece is a story that deserves a happy ending. We don't know how much time Luffy has left, but regardless of all the theories, we don't see him dying right after achieving his goal.

Got anything to add? Let us know in the comments below!