There are all sorts of new anime series that have stepped into the spotlight in recent years and been able to replace some of the popular shows from the past. However, despite all of the turnover that takes place, One Piece is an anime that’s been able to survive and persevere through the years. Now with nearly 1,000 episodes under its belt, One Piece is still one of the most popular anime in the shonen genre.
There’s a lot to love about One Piece, and the series’ powerful Devil Fruit are definitely high on the list. Accordingly, here are 10 things that you didn’t know about One Piece’s Devil Fruit.
10 There Are Artificial Devil Fruit
The Devil Fruit are such a powerful commodity in the One Piece universe that it's not surprising that those hungry for more power have tried to synthesize this unique strength. Dr. Vegapunk and Caesar Clown have made great strides in the area.
Vegapunk has figured how to transfer the effects of a Devil Fruit to inanimate objects, whereas Caesar has synthesized Zoan-type fruit known as SMILE. The major caveat here is that only 10% of SMILE will work, whereas the other 90% will also lose their ability to smile and laugh as well as the ability to swim.
9 Users Can Possess The Abilities Of More Than One Devil Fruit
One Piece is an anime that's filled with some deeply intimidating villains, but for the majority of the series, Blackbeard is the main villain for Luffy and company.
One of the ways in which One Piece reiterates Blackbeard's immense strength is through the fact that he's the only one who has the powers of two Devil Fruit, the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Blackbeard is an anomaly in this regard, but it's proof that such a thing can be done. It’s a dangerous standard for those that are hungry for more power.
8 Devil Fruit Powers Can Respawn Into Circulation
A rather interesting wrinkle with how the powers of Devil Fruit work is that although the powers are confined to the user, there is a way to get those powers back on the market. When a Devil Fruit user passes away, their abilities get transferred into another Devil Fruit. This adds a great deal of strategy into battle because it offers a viable way to take certain powers out of the game or bring them back. Certain powerful Devil Fruit re-entering the picture has led to some very exciting One Piece scenarios.
7 Non-Canonical Filler Devil Fruit Still Need To Be Approved By Oda
One Piece is a series that deals with a vast amount of filler material and it'd be unreasonable for Devil Fruit to never show up during these spans of episodes. However, these Devil Fruit need to go through a certain process and are shown to One Piece's creator, Eiichiro Oda. Oda basically has the right to veto any Devil Fruit designs that he sees, in case he's planning on using the ideas in a future story arc. So in a strange way, they're canonical in some sense.
6 Certain Devil Fruit Offer Special, Stronger Abilities
Most of the Devil Fruit imbue the user with incredible strength, but there have also been a select few Devil Fruit which are shown to possess even greater strength. These more rare Devil Fruit are revered with a legendary status. Some of these special Devil Fruit allow users the power of flight, extreme offensive strength, invincibility, or even eternal life. Luffy and company have been able to counter some of these, but it’s not easy. Regular Devil Fruit will drive people to do crazy things, but these special variety are enough to cause wars.
5 There Are Over 100 Canonical Devil Fruit
At the start of One Piece, Luffy seems like a rarity with his Devil Fruit ability. As One Piece goes on, it becomes clear that Devil Fruit users are a common occurrence and they're the typical villains. In over 900 episodes of the series, there have been over 130 canonical Devil Fruit from across the three types. When non-canonical Devil Fruit from the anime are added, it's more than 180. That's a shocking amount of creative abilities to appear throughout the show, but One Piece always finds a way to make them feel different.
4 Devil Fruit Users Can't Swim And Are Weak To Water
Devil Fruit offer the user the potential for incredible power, but this new strength is not without its consequences. Consuming Devil Fruit makes the user rejected by the sea and immune to water in drastic ways. Individuals are unable to swim, prone to sinking, and drowning is a real concern for these characters. Simply being exposed to water will weaken individuals or dampen their Devil Fruit powers. It's a serious disadvantage, especially when these pirates are primarily out at sea, but it’s a necessary cost of business here.
3 Devil Fruit From Different Regions Awaken In Unique Ways
Devil Fruit are elusive enough on their own, but they can be divided into three major categories, Paramecia, Logia, and Zoan, which all make a difference in the powers that the user obtains. In addition to these different categories of Devil Fruit affecting the corresponding abilities, they all awaken in different ways. For instance, awakened Zoan-type powers boost existing skills, whereas awakened Paramecia-type powers will cause Devil Fruit powers to manifest differently than before. This adds even more mystery behind the fruit and will cause some abilities to awaken in unexpected ways.
2 Devil Fruit Abilities Aren't Automatic
What's fundamental to acquiring the powers within the Devil Fruit is an understanding of those abilities and training & perfecting them. As a result, some users can master their Devil Fruit ability after a few hours, whereas it took Luffy years to properly figure out how to use his ability. Additionally, a great understanding and refining of Devil Fruit abilities allows them to manifest in a variety of ways or more fully manifest their powers. Like anything else, it's a muscle that can be perfected. Stamina is also a major factor.
1 Devil Fruit Effects Can Be Amplified With Drugs
Many of the Straw Hat Pirates have been dealing with their Devil Fruit abilities for years, but there's still a lot about them that's not known. Devil Fruit abilities can evolve and be refined over time, but Tony Tony Chopper also indicates that they can be improved via drugs. He perfects a concoction known as a "Rumble Ball," which is able to mess with the Devil Fruit's makeup and increase its effects. Chopper gets to the point where he doesn't even need the tangible "Rumble Balls" any longer, but it's a fascinating science that more could be done with.
