One Piece is well-known for its abundance of characters, with more than a thousand named individuals being introduced to the franchise so far. While most fans are drawn to the series' main characters (i.e. the Straw Hat Pirates, the Worst Generation, and various story-altering antagonists), other fan favorites receive far less screen time. Individuals like Shanks, Monkey D. Dragon, and Monkey D. Garp rarely appear in the series, but despite their limited appearances, they are well-loved by a surprising amount of the fanbase. That said, there are even more obscure characters who have, against all odds, earned their own cult following.
Bogard, the rarely seen right-hand man of the Marine Hero Garp, is one of the most minor characters in One Piece. The slick, suited up Marine swordsman receives few lines of dialogue or on-screen appearances. Given that even his rank in the Marines remains a mystery, Bogard's name and association with Garp are virtually all that fans know about him. However, he has been beside the Hero of the Marines since the days of Gol D. Roger, proving that he's almost certainly a reliable and capable comrade. Although there is little doubt that Bogard has the skills to back up his Vice Admiral, that doesn't explain his disproportionate popularity among One Piece fans.
Updated on October 5, 2023, by Kennedy King: As the One Piece anime and manga progress into their final saga, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for the franchise to explore Bogard, Garp's right-hand man. Thankfully, the series' live-action adaptation and Egghead Island Arc both see him make an appearance, hopefully foreshadowing that he'll play some sort of role before One Piece's conclusion.
Bogard's Implied Skills And The Shanks Effect
The loyal right hand of Monkey D. Garp first appears 27 years before the events of One Piece's core narrative, where he accompanies Garp in a meeting with the formal Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Kong. Although the Hero of the Marines declines Kong's offer to become an Admiral, Bogard's presence during the meeting shows he is privy to many of the most Marines' most important events. Following this, Bogard doesn't make another appearance until the Diary of Koby-Meppo cover story, which provides one of the few demonstrations of his outstanding swordsmanship skills in the entire franchise. In Chapter 99's cover page, titled "Obstruction of Bombardment Obstruction," Bogard slices both of Koby’s guns like cucumbers. While this feat may not seem all that impressive since it was performed against a rookie Marine, it's fairly similar to other noteworthy feats featured in the series' pre-timeskip. This, coupled with its prominent placement at the beginning of the chapter, partially explains Bogard's peculiar rise to the heights of the One Piece fandom.
Bogard makes another appearance at the end of the Enies Lobby Arc, where he briefly chastises Garp's excuse for not capturing the Straw Hat Pirates. Other than this, he's largely absent from the series' narrative. This makes it strange that the Marine has earned a cult following. However, this is not an unprecedented phenomenon, since many other mysterious One Piece characters have also become disproportionately popular with fans. Individuals like Red-Hair Shanks and Monkey D. Dragon are loved partially because of their enigmatic nature, and while they're far stronger than Bogard, Garp's trusted companion benefits for a similar reason. It's obvious that neither One Piece's author, Eiichiro Oda, nor the series' fanbase have forgotten about Bogard, who recently made appearances in the series' manga as well as its live-action adaptation.
Will Bogard Show the One Piece World What He Can Do?
After going over a decade without appearing in the One Piece anime or manga, it appears Bogard is finally prepared to make his grand return. In One Piece's Egghead Island Arc, Monkey D. Garp and a slew of other Marines launch a raid on Hachinosu in order to free Koby from the Blackbeard Pirates. While several key members of the Blackbeard Pirates are absent during this attack, multiple of the Ten Titanics Captains are still present, making it an extremely dangerous operation. Despite this danger, Bogard is present alongside his longtime friend and leader, finally giving him a chance to put his sword skills to use.
Unfortunately, the One Piece manga largely glosses over Bogard's role in the raid on Hachinosu, primarily due to the breakneck pace of the entire sequence. However, given the anime's tendency to elongate moments for the sake of runtime, there's a strong chance that Bogard will trade blows on-screen for the first time, lending hope to the legion of fans who have been supporting him since the East Blue Saga. Even a one-man army like Monkey D. Garp needs support from his crew against the Blackbeard Pirates, and although Koby, Helmeppo, and other Marines are there to assist, a veteran presence like Bogard will be indispensable to their efforts.
Much of the hype surrounding Bogard stems from memes and entertainment value, and in truth, there's a chance One Piece never fully explores his backstory. However, Eiichiro Oda has repeatedly proved he listens to his audience, and as evidenced by Bogard's appearances in the live-action adaptation of One Piece and the Egghead Island Arc. It's clear that the author hasn't forgotten Garp's right-hand man. His jacket is that of a Marine officer, and with an all-out war brewing between the World Government and the current generation of pirates, his skills will likely be needed in the near future.
Monkey D. Garp's status is currently up-in-the-air after being captured by the Blackbeard Pirates, but there will certainly be a rescue mission to recover the Vice Admiral in the near future. Regardless of Bogard's role in these proceeding, it wouldn't be surprising to see him help his trusted ally when the time is right. Fans love a mystery, and although Bogard's true potential isn't as important as the One Piece, the Will of D., or the Void Century, it's still fun to speculate about.
