From Throwaway to GOAT: Oda Redeems One Piece Side Character 24 Years After a Botched Debut

In a sea of legends, Monkey D. Garp towers above the rest—the Marine vice admiral and Luffy’s grandfather whose past decisions still drive One Piece’s biggest shocks today.

One Piece has a lot of heavy hitters, but very few sit at the same table as Monkey D. Garp. The Navy vice admiral and Luffy's grandpa has quietly steered huge chunks of the story from the shadows. The funny thing is, he absolutely did not look like that kind of character when he walked in.

From goofy dog hat to living legend

Garp shows up in Episode 68, titled 'Try Hard, Koby! Diary of Koby-Meppo's Marine Struggles.' First impression? Oddball Marine with a dog cap, a cigarette, and a vaguely anti-hero vibe. It felt like he was built to be a colorful background officer, not a pillar of the series. Considering how crucial first appearances are in One Piece, a lot of fans bounced off that intro.

Then the curtain pulls back: he is Luffy's grandfather and a Navy icon. From there, Oda starts threading him into the main plot. We hear about why people call him the Hero of the Navy, see what he did in the past, and get the sense that his choices reshaped the current world. When Marineford hits, the show leans into his emotional side, especially his complicated bond with his grandsons.

After the time skip, Garp stops being a background legend and becomes actively relevant. He pops during the Levely arc and in the fallout of Koby's kidnapping by the Blackbeard Pirates. A deep-cut flashback about Rocks D. Xebec finally gives context for the God Valley Incident and, importantly, shuts down theories that Garp ever backed the uglier agendas of the Marines or the World Government. He has always stood for the Navy's idea of justice; the problem is the World Government twisting what that means.

In short: Garp is one of the series' best-crafted characters. The only real misfire is how underwhelming that first appearance was.

The Hachinosu sacrifice, and why his return would matter

During the Hachinosu Incident, Garp throws himself on the grenade to protect his student Koby because he sees Koby as the Marines' future. Fans initially thought he died there. The story later confirms he is alive, which naturally set off a thousand theories about his comeback.

If Garp steps back onto the board, he could do more than throw punches. His name still carries weight inside the Navy. He might be the spark that pushes Marines to push back against the World Government's orders. He embodies what their justice is supposed to be, and he has never been shy about rejecting the Government's ideology when it runs counter to that. An uprising led or inspired by Garp would not just be a cool twist; it would redeem the institution and cap off his arc perfectly.

Knowing Oda, there are big Garp beats still to come. The next arcs feel designed to underline why the guy earned that Hero title in the first place.

Garp's road so far (quick hits)

• Episode 68 debut: 'Try Hard, Koby! Diary of Koby-Meppo's Marine Struggles' — oddball, anti-hero energy, dog hat, smokes, not exactly introduced like a legend.
• Revealed as Luffy's grandfather and a legendary vice admiral; his past starts syncing with the main story.
• Marineford: the series digs into his emotional life and his relationships with his grandsons.
• Post-time skip: bigger spotlight during the Levely arc and after Koby gets snatched by the Blackbeard Pirates.
• Rocks/Xebec flashback: clarifies his role in the God Valley Incident and undercuts talk that he ever backed the Government's worst tendencies.
• Hachinosu Incident: sacrifices himself to save Koby; believed dead, later confirmed alive, setting up a potential return with major consequences.

Where to watch, and how fans rate it

One Piece is streaming on Crunchyroll.

IMDb: 9.0/10

MyAnimeList: 8.73

So, do you think Garp's comeback triggers a Marine revolt, or does Oda have an even wilder play in mind?