Highlights
- Luffy's refusal to be seen as a hero shows his non-conformity to societal expectations and his love for being a pirate.
- The Straw Hat captain's dedication to his friends is evident in his words, showing that he can't achieve his goal without their support.
One Piece is part of an anime trio called the “big 3,” the term was used to describe the three most popular anime running in the 2000s because of their worldwide success, especially their influence in the West and their lengths. So if you grew up watching anime, there’s a huge chance you are familiar with one of the most cheerful and relatable main protagonists in the history of anime.
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Luffy takes us on an adventure with his crew as he aims to become the Pirate King. Although he’s a really goofy character, he has moments where he inspires and resonates with One Piece fans using his words. Here are some of his best quotes.
Updated August 15, 2023, by Emedo Destiny: The journey through the treacherous Grand Line is not for the faint of heart. It is filled with ardous challenges and unsurmountable obstacles and as a result, there are a lot of stories and characters that have inspired the fans with both their words and their actions. Among them is the titular protagonist, Luffy, who is freedom personalized. Luffy’s journey to become the Pirate King is filled with many emotional, powerful, and awe-inspiring moments. These moments have been immortalized with quotes that have stuck with many fans due to him being such a relatable character. Without further ado, here are some of Luffy’s best quotes.
15 “Hero? No! We Are Pirates! I Love Heroes But I Don’t Wanna Be One!”
Luffy’s adventure from island to island mostly entails liberating people and because of that, people have started to view him as a hero. When he was likened to a hero, he hastily retorted, saying heroes are selfless people.
According to him, if a hero was to have a piece of meat, he would share it amongst the people, but a pirate would eat it all by himself. Everyone is aware of Luffy’s love for meat, and his non-conformity to regular societal standards is synonymous with being a pirate, not a hero.
14 “Without You, I Won’t… I Can’t Become The Pirate King!!!”
As the saying goes, no man is an island. Everyone needs supportive friends who can motivate and aid them in life. In this situation, Luffy was about to lose his beloved cook, Sanji, to the arranged marriage between the Vinsmoke family and the Big Mom Pirates. After chasing after Sanji for days and catching up to him, they were involved in a very emotional scuffle.
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Luffy, defeated and battered, physically and emotionally, cried out to Sanji and told him that without his cook, he’d starve to death, and without his beloved friend, he couldn’t become the Pirate King.
13 “If You Ask This Old Man Anything… Then I Will Quit Being A Pirate! If It’s A Boring Adventure, I Don’t Want It!”
What is the point of embarking on a grand adventure without the joy of discovery? Monkey D Luffy is a man who would rather take the long, hard, and fulfilling route than take shortcuts. He had the opportunity to get the location of the One Piece from Silvers Rayleigh, the vice-captain of the Pirate King’s crew, but blatantly refused to be given any hint.
Most of his childhood was spent dreaming about becoming the Pirate King, discovering the One Piece, and enjoying the adventures that came with it; and he was not about to be robbed of that experience.
12 “Are We Friends? Or Are We Foes? That’s The Kind Of Thing You Decide For Yourselves!”
As pirates, Luffy and his crew are not restricted by any laws and are guided only by their moral compass. As a result, it is usually up to whoever they encounter to decide if they are friends or otherwise. Naturally, the Marines think very lowly of the pirates and always go out of their way to bring them to justice.
However, for everyone else, it’s up to them to decide, as Luffy and his friends will always be on the side of freedom. He won’t go out of his way to appear as a good person, as he is aware of the bad reputation pirates have.
11 “I Have Nakama Who Are Not Strong… But I Still Want Them To Be With Me! So, I Have To Be Stronger Than Everybody Else… Or Else I’ll Lose Them All!”
The event that occurred in the Shabaody Archipelago that resulted in the dispersion of the Straw Hat Pirates was a real eye-opener for Monkey D Luffy and his crewmates. He lay there, helpless, and could only watch as Bartolomeu Kuma made his beloved friends disappear.
After realizing that they were not dead, he picked himself up from the ground and trained hard to become strong enough to prevent such occurrences from repeating themselves. Luffy recognizes that as the captain of the crew, he has to be ready to protect his comrades when they are in need.
10 “I Don’t Want To Conquer Anything. I Just Think The Guy With The Most Freedom In The Entire Ocean Is The Pirate King.”
All Luffy has ever wanted is to be free to explore the ocean and live on his terms, just like the Pirate King did. He explains to his crew that he has no intention of conquering anyone or anything.
This shows Luffy’s adventurous, carefree nature and his belief in the importance of freedom. He would not want himself or others to be bound by anyone or anything. He would rather live his life as he pleases, with his friends by his side.
9 “If You Hurt Somebody… Or If Somebody Hurts You, The Blood That Flows Is Still Red.”
One Piece has a lot of stories filled with oppression, segregation, and discrimination based on wealth, race, and power; these factors have led to wars and conflicts. Luffy has no interest in all those factors as he sees everyone the same way.
He was trying to point out that despite their differences, all humans and even fishmen are the same, with the same blood flowing through their veins. He believes that a common factor should be enough to unite everyone and put an end to their conflicts.
8 “I Am Going To Be The Pirate King.”
These words are said so many times over the course of One Piece. Luffy repeats it to remind himself and his crew of his ultimate goal and dream and to constantly motivate himself when he comes across an obstacle that seems to be insurmountable.
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He rings it in the ears of everyone present, even his rivals that are more powerful than him. It shows the extent of his perseverance, and unshakable belief in his own abilities, as he strives towards his goal of being the Pirate King.
7 “If You Don’t Take Risks, You Can’t Create A Future”
Luffy understands that to achieve great things in life and reach the heights you dream of reaching, one must be willing to risk it all. To become a great person and command your destiny, you must be prepared to do what it takes.
He believes it’s better to live without fear and take chances rather than cower in fear and never experience the best and most challenging parts of life. It shows Luffy’s adventurous and daring nature and his tenacity to never back down from a challenge.
6 “Power Isn’t Determined By Your Size, But By The Size Of Your Heart And Dreams.”
Luffy is no stranger to being stared down upon. One Piece is filled with characters that have enormous frames and giant-like features; Luffy is really small in size and sometimes ability compared to them.
However, our beloved protagonist does not care that he’s little. He believes true power comes from the amount of your resolve and the size of your dreams rather than physical size or strength. He has also proven it by overcoming mountain-sized problems and his colossal foes through his unwavering determination and unbreakable spirit.
5 “I Am Going To Save You Even If It Kills Me.”
Luffy values his loved ones a lot, more so his brother Ace, who was being held captive and was about to be executed by the Marines right in front of him. He had almost died previously trying to break Ace out of an impenetrable prison but all to no avail.
He was willing to risk everything, even his own life, to save his brother. It shows his determination to protect those he cares about and his willingness to make great sacrifices for his friends and family.
4 “You Want To Keep Everyone From Dying? That’s Naive. It’s War. People Die.”
A realistic statement isn’t something you would expect from Monkey D. Luffy; he’s usually optimistic and idealistic about most situations, but even he is capable of a reality check. His friend Princess Vivi was being naive, thinking she could save everyone in her Kingdom from the effects of the brewing war.
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He told her that it’s impossible to save everyone, especially in wars, where violence and conflict can easily lead to casualties, and accepting the reality of death is an essential step in moving forward.
3 “Say You Want To Live!”
Nico Robin joined the Straw Hat Pirates not too long before she was forced into a situation where she had to choose between staying with them and risking all their lives, and sacrificing herself and abandoning them to keep them safe; she definitely chose the latter.
Luffy and his crew rushed to her rescue when they found out about the incident, but when they found her, she still did not want to be saved because it would mean dooming her friends. Luffy told her to say those words affirming her will to live because he was not going to turn his back on her.
2 “Don’t You Dare Make My Navigator Cry”
Everyone loves a strong feeling of camaraderie, and it is a recurring theme in One Piece. When Luffy’s newfound Navigator told him she was being oppressed by a mafia boss who killed her mom and also enslaved the whole island. He marched right up to his home and gave him a good old-fashioned punch.
Luffy does not joke around when it comes to his loved ones. He would stand up for them no matter what. He knows they’re weaker than him, and that is why he aims to get stronger every day so he can protect them.
1 “I Still Have My Friends!”
The death of a loved one is a very saddening feeling, and it drove Luffy to the depths of despair. After Ace’s death, a half-dead Luffy went on a self-destructive rampage that would’ve ripped his stitches and also caused internal damage to him because he was depressed and angry that he was too weak to save his brother.
Jinbei helped him through it by reminding him that although he has lost quite a lot, he still has a ton to live for, and the strong bonds he has with his friends will help him get through tough times. Thereby showing the power of friendship shonen anime are well known for.
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