Monkey D. Luffy

Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and the central protagonist of One Piece. Having eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, his body has taken on rubber-like properties. Driven by a singular dream, he seeks to find the legendary One Piece and become King of the Pirates.

At first glance, Luffy does not appear to be very intelligent, often viewing the world in a childish manner and becoming easily amazed by simple things. However, because he approaches events in a straightforward and simple way, he is sometimes the only person able to see past complicated circumstances to what should actually be done.

He is fairly lighthearted and often comedic, but beneath this he possesses unstoppable determination, optimism, and commitment, along with great courage and immense strength, which he uses to stand up for his friends and comrades no matter the cost. He values his crewmates as his best friends above all else. His one notable display of true fear is toward his grandfather, to the point that he does not fight back and becomes intimidated at the mere mention of him.

Luffy has an unstoppable appetite, a trait tied to the archetype of the simple-minded, warm-hearted young adventurer, and possibly exaggerated by his elastic, rubber stomach. He carries the middle initial "D.", a trait shared with several other characters in the series, and like others who bear it, he shows little worry about matters others might fear — for instance, he is unconcerned by his own inability to swim despite having become a Devil Fruit user.

Luffy never kills any of his villainous opponents, regardless of how cold-hearted they are. Instead, he typically sends them flying or knocks them out, sometimes leaving them near death, which has led some defeated villains, such as Buggy the Clown and Alvida, to seek revenge later. Author Eiichiro Oda has explained that this is not purely a matter of morality: he considers killing villains too lenient a punishment, viewing it as more fitting for them to live on and watch their dreams be ruined instead.

Luffy pursues a personal dream that requires him to find the One Piece and become King of the Pirates. He is aware this path will require defeating many powerful opponents, including the World Government and his own childhood hero, Shanks.