Why Does Luffy Always Wear a Straw Hat in ‘One Piece’?

Why does Luffy wear a straw hat? Is it to cover a bald spot because he’s getting older? No. Was it because it was made by Balenciaga? Nah. Is it to hide his eyes in shame for when One Piece goes on a rare hiatus? Never in your life. The real reason for Luffy’s iconic fashion accessory can be summed up in two familiar words: “dramatic” and “backstory.”

Luffy’s Iconic Fashion Choice, Explained

So it turns out that Luffy’s famous straw hat didn’t come from a shopping day at the pirate mall, but it was bequeathed to him by one of the greatest pirates of all time: “Red-Haired” Shanks. Shanks is one of the Four Emperors, four of the most powerful pirate captains in the world. The man has an extremely impressive resume, as he was a member of the Roger Pirates under the command of Gol D. Rogers, arguably the greatest pirate captain of all time. That’s a guy you want in your corner when a potential employer asks to speak to your former boss.

Luffy ended up meeting ol’ Red-Hair when he was a young boy. Shanks took a liking to the child, and gave him the straw hat off his head as a gift. Luffy promised to return it to Shanks when he became The Pirate King. That day is coming sooner than you think, as the series creator, Eiichiro Oda, confirmed he plans to end the series in three years. Shanks has waited 25 years already, I think he can stand to wait three more.

Featured image credit: Toei Animation