Spoken of in hushed whispers for years now, Joy Boy is both a legend and a Boogey Man of the One Piece universe. Some see him as an ancient hero, while the World Government fears him as one of the few people to ever threaten their power. If you’ve reached a certain point in the manga or anime though, you’ve likely started to wonder: Who is Joy Boy in One Piece, and what is his true purpose?
We’ve created this guide to try and provide you with an answer, but do be warned: There are spoilers for the later arcs of the series ahead. Proceed at your own discretion, and consider catching up to at least chapter 1060 of the manga if you haven’t already.
What Is Joy Boy in One Piece? Answered
Let’s start by clearing up something: Joy Boy refers to both a specific person and anyone who awakens the power of the Hita Hita no Mi, Model: Nika Devil Fruit.
For the majority of the One Piece series, Joy Boy is used exclusively to refer to a man who served a pivotal role in the Void Century over 800 years ago. From what can be gathered by stories told through the Poneglyphs, he sought to rebel against the World Government via the ancient weapons scattered throughout the world. Those that held these weapons, like the Fish Man Island, were ready and willing to help him, and revered him as a hero or savior.
Before he could successfully use them though, he disappeared, and it’s still not clear why. Even those that he had made binding vows and promises with like the Fish Men don’t know the true story of what occurred, and have instead ascribed to a prophecy that their promises were still standing and he would return far off in the future.
Are Joy Boy and the Sun God Nika the Same Person? Answered
These prophecies would come to pass during the end of the Wano arc, wherein Luffy awakens the Gomu Gomu no Mi in the form of his Gear 5 and reveals it was instead the Hita Hita no Mi Model: Nika the whole time. With it, he can transform into the Sun God Nika, who was better known throughout the wider world as Joy Boy.
Much like what occurred during the Void Century, this was covered up and erased from common knowledge by the World Government out of fear that it could cause another uprising. These were valid concerns, as anyone who manifests Nika has felt a strong desire to ensure others’ freedom and bring them liberation.
Is Luffy Joy Boy? Explained
With all of this in mind, you might be wondering if Luffy is now Joy Boy. To that, we can only say that the answer is complicated.
As far as the World government, Kaido, and the ancient beings who still live are concerned, Luffy is the resurrected form of Joy Boy who could be capable of enacting a new rebellion against them. Kaido said as much when he told King he would be beaten by Joy Boy someday, and the World Government have since gone after Luffy with the same aggression they’ve reserved for anyone that might cause their indefinite rule to be questioned.
Not only that, but he has the natural desire to do so due to their trampling of people’s freedoms and desire to control everything as they see fit. Intentionally or no, his tireless pursuit of his dream and defense of those who have seen their freedom and hopes trampled by others has continued to ruffle the government’s feathers, shaking people’s obedience toward them all the while.
However, Luffy hasn’t been taken over by the will of the Joy Boy from 800 years ago, and hasn’t been the reincarnated form of this person in disguise. Instead, he has merely been seen as worthy of inheriting the powers of the Sun God Nika, and now serves as its ideal vessel following the Devil Fruit’s awakening. He’ll bring about the prophecies spoken of by the Fish Men and Joy Boy’s other allies, but in the way he sees fit and not necessarily in the exact way the original Joy Boy anticipated.
Is the One Piece Tied to Nika? Explained
Likewise, how he chooses to use the One Piece once he finds it may or may not fall in line with the original Joy Boy’s plans.
Though it wasn’t revealed exactly what the One Piece is, it is hinted at that the priceless treasure found by Gol D. Roger on Laughtale was inextricably tied to Joy Boy. Given the final Poneglyph is also located on the New World’s final island, it’s likely something tied to the Void Century figure’s downfall as well as something which the inheritor of the Sun God Nika could use to achieve his true desires.
Past that though, we can’t say for sure what will happen. Luffy did share what he truly wants to do with the Straw Hat crew in chapter 1060 of the manga, but the specifics of what that is still haven’t been revealed. It instead cut away as Luffy spoke of his true dream to his crew, and only let slip that Shanks and Sabo are the only other living people who know the truth besides them.
All we can say is that when it comes to the discovery and use of the One Piece, Joy Boy won’t be far behind and may even be responsible for its creation in the first place.
And with that, you now know everything we have to share regarding who Joy Boy is in One Piece. Rest assured that we’ll be updating this article accordingly once the series reveals any new information, which should hopefully be soon given we’re now in its endgame. For more on the series, be sure to check out some of our related explainer articles down below, as well as our lists covering topics like the best female characters in the series and our ranking of all of its current arcs.
