The perpetually chipper protagonist of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has been a fan favorite for decades.
Monkey D. Luffy, the pliable leader of the Straw Hat Pirates, is a surprisingly nuanced character, given the seeming simplicity of his backstory. His upbeat personality distracts from Luffy’s darker side, one that fans glimpse only occasionally when the youthful pirate captain enters battle. The character has grown immensely over the years, progressing from a cheery, bright-eyed boy into a matured, capable pirate leader.
The unique artistic style behind One Piece, particularly paired with the story’s multiple time jumps, is prompting questions about many of the characters’ ages. Luffy, in particular, appears at several different ages throughout the anime, confusing those viewers without encyclopedic knowledge of One Piece lore. The young pirate definitely grows up throughout the series, but it can be hard to tell exactly how much — and with a live-action series based around the popular anime headed to Netflix, people are desperate to find out.
How old is Luffy in One Piece?
Luffy’s age has varied a few times over the course of One Piece‘s run. The manga the popular anime is based on was first published in 1997 and is still going strong. The manga continues to put out fresh issues, as does the anime, leaving many viewers confused as to the character’s ages. As in most anime, the characters in One Piece don’t age much over the course of the series, but they don’t remain entirely stagnant either. Luffy, as the show’s primary focus, has aged quite a bit over the course of the series.
Debut
At the very beginning of One Piece, Luffy is introduced as a fresh-faced 7-year-old. His stint as an adolescent doesn’t last long, but it is absolutely vital to the overall story in One Piece. It is at this age that Luffy accidentally consumes the Devil Fruit Gomu Gomu no Mi. Also called the “Gum Gum Fruit,” the legendary Devil Fruit essentially turns Luffy’s body to rubber, allowing him to stretch his body at will. The new powers eventually come in immensely handy, but also rob Luffy of the ability to swim.
Before the time skip
The majority of One Piece‘s first half is told while Luffy is 17 years old, following his departure from his childhood home in Windmill Village. Following a decade of dreaming, Luffy finally sets off to track down his childhood idol, Shanks, and the legendary “One Piece” treasure. Much of the content fans are familiar with features Luffy at this age, complete with his recognizable red vest and blue shorts — and, of course, his straw hat.
After the timeskip
Part-way through the lengthy storyline in One Piece, the Straw Hat pirates experience a time jump. Two full years pass following the events of episode 516 of the One Piece anime, according to Distractify, during which time the main pirate crew is separated. The crew disperses to train in their various styles for this time, leaving room for each member to experience a drastic rise in power without requiring a bunch of filler episodes.
Following the two-year time skip, Luffy is 19 years old. His outfit undergoes a slight update, emphasizing his newfound maturity by exposing more skin and scars. He’ll likely remain at (approximately) this age for the majority of the upcoming story, but another time jump isn’t out of the question. The manga is expected to come to a conclusion in 2024 or 2025, according to series creator Eiichiro Oda, leaving plenty of time for the crew to skip ahead another few years.
Hell, by the time Luffy actually becomes Pirate King, maybe he’ll have finally hit 20.
It’s hard to say just how old Luffy is set to be in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece, but it seems likely that this first exploration into the story will take place during the bulk of released content. As such, the live-action Luffy is likely around 17 years old through the majority of Netflix’s adaptation, with a potential time jump planned for any future seasons.