While some fans believe Kizaru could join the Straw Hat Pirates, it’s uncertain if he will, and he may still have a role as an Admiral.

Admiral Kizaru is one of the most challenging One Piece characters to get a read on. His motivation, drive, and ideals range from mild to extreme. He prefers to take orders from above and execute them without inserting his personal feelings into the affair. Many of his feelings are hidden behind a face stuck in a perpetual playful smile. It doesn’t help that his ideology is called “Unclear Justice.” In these regards, Kizaru has been considered an enigma for years.

However, the Egghead Arc has unveiled a lot more about Kizaru. It shows him being regretful and sympathetic about his naval duty to fight and kill old friends. This, combined with Luffy recently beating him, could be the impetus he needs to make a change for the better. There may even be signs that he’s already started making this change. Some fans even suggest Kizaru could become the next Straw Hat Pirate, though that may be jumping the gun. In any case, this sentiment shows how much people’s perception of the Marine Admiral has been altered by this latest arc. Either way, the way this arc presents Kizaru could be telling how his sense of justice will change and what he’ll do going forward.

What Makes Admiral Kizaru an Antagonist

Kizaru has antagonized the Straw Hat Pirates and their allies since his debut. His introduction to the crew was to shoot an injured Zoro and nearly kill him in front of his helpless friends. He would have done it if Silvers Rayleigh hadn’t intervened. This is to say nothing of the menace he built up by beating Worst Generation members and other miscellaneous pirates on Sabaody; his time on the island ended with the capture of over 500 pirates. The trauma the Straw Hats suffered because of him has lasted them up to the recent Egghead Arc.

There’s also something to be said of Kizaru’s role in the War of the Best at Marineford. He was responsible for shooting Marco while his back was turned, kicking Luffy at the speed of light, firing a laser through Whitebeard, and destroying Luffy’s key to Ace’s cuffs. He also attempted to shoot Little Oars Jr. through the head and pursued the injured, catatonic Luffy even after he was held at gunpoint. Technically, these were all instances of him doing his job as a Marine Admiral, and he was obligated to fight for his side in this war. Regardless, these acts were all presented in ways that made him out to be more contemptible.

Kizaru himself is also an antagonist by nature. He moves and talks slowly, but his Glint-Glint Fruit lets him move at light speed. That, combined with his Logia intangibility and proficient Haki use, makes his defense nigh impenetrable, so he acts casual and sarcastic around allies and enemies alike. He’s strong enough to kill his enemies with one finger beam, which he often uses. He does all this while constantly wearing a wry, condescending smile; if the audience didn’t know any better, it could also be called sadistic. Kizaru is a troll by nature, and that likely won’t change no matter what side he’s on.

Admiral Kizaru’s Unclear Justice, Explained

Kizaru’s unique brand of justice can be used to characterize his moral compass (or lack thereof). Every Marine Admiral espouses a different brand of justice. It dictates how they perform their naval duties, deal with pirates and other criminals, and how well they empathize with civilians. For example, Akainu’s Thorough Justice compels him to destroy any chance of evil appearing, even in situations where none is inherently present. Aokiji’s Lazy Justice, in contrast, was more passive, so the Admiral only enacted it when he felt it was necessary. Kizaru enforces Unclear Justice, which is somewhere between Thorough and Lazy Justice. His justice is erratic and changes in proficiency depending on the circumstances. He can shift freely between casual and deadly efficiency when confronting pirates.

Kizaru’s sense of justice also makes him complacent. He prefers to follow orders rather than take them because it removes his moral responsibility in a given situation (it’s also why he didn’t vie for the Fleet Admiral position when Akainu and Aokiji did). His lack of personal moral investment has several implications for conducting his business. When left to his devices, he takes a wishy-washy approach to apprehending pirates; he lets some go and hunts down others. It means he can be as kind or ruthless as necessary.

Unfortunately, this also means if he receives an order he disagrees with, he’ll still follow it. This aspect of his justice has been put to the test in the Egghead Arc. He hardened his heart to assassinate his old friend, Dr. Vegapunk. Doing so also put him at odds with others he once cared about, including Sentomaru (who looks up to him like an uncle) and Jewelry Bonney. He can only press onward and follow his orders to the letter. He’s a self-proclaimed cog in the machine that is the Marines.

Why Fans Believe Kizaru Will Change

Although Kizaru has worn the same wry smile throughout the Egghead Arc, cracks have begun forming in his facade. At first, the regrets he expressed for having to assassinate Vegapunk came off as more of his sarcasm. However, something unusual happened as he started fighting Sentomaru in Chapter 1091. He recalled fond memories of him and Vegapunk when they were much younger. Additionally, while he was still smiling, his face was shaded, and his glasses obscured his eyes; this suggests complicated thoughts and feelings. In Chapter 1092, “Kuma the Tyrant’s Holy Land Rampage,” he expressed similar regrets about attacking Jewelry Bonney and even destroying the Vegaforce-01. If Luffy hadn’t stopped him, he might have had another of these moments while killing Dr. Vegapunk.

The legitimacy of Kizaru’s feelings was further verified through Bartholomew Kuma’s backstory, especially in Chapter 1100, “Thank You, Bonney.” This chapter showed the regret on Kizaru’s face while watching the Buccaneer be forced to agree to become a cyborg by St. Jaygarcia Saturn. It also showed him getting along with Kuma, Bonney, Dr. Vegapunk, and Sentomaru. They enjoyed pizza and danced to Nika’s drum beat; the latter makes fans particularly confident in Kizaru’s need for freedom from his current role. These scenes are meant to endear the audience to the Admiral, but that will only work in the long run if he changes for the better. If he remains a strict antagonist after this, they will fall flat.

Some are using the apparent change in Kizaru’s position and motives to read into what else is happening to him during the Egghead Arc. Some say he threw the fight with Luffy, or at least he’s pretending to be out of commission; he only got punched once, and it wasn’t even enough to knock him out. This would be another instance of the Admiral removing himself from moral obligations by refusing to take a side in the ongoing battle. Others have noted that Luffy was given food by an unseen benefactor in Chapter 1103, “_;” fans have concluded he was the one who fed Luffy since the scene briefly cut to Kizaru after this was pointed out. Acts like these suggest that the Admiral has begun to see the error in his way and is taking small steps to make things right.

Could Kizaru Be the Next Straw Hat?

Some fans are so confident in Kizaru’s change of heart that they believe he’ll eventually become the next crew member of the Straw Hat Pirates. It would be a surprising addition to the crew, but there are reasons to believe it would work. For one thing, it would make him a parallel to Aokiji joining the Blackbeard Pirates.

Following Luffy would also help the Admiral in his needed pursuit of freedom. He’s the embodiment of a corporate slave who doesn’t have any independent thoughts or dreams, but the Egghead Arc is about how individuality shines through no matter what. Since Luffy is the embodiment of Nika, the Warrior of Liberation, he could help Kizaru find his purpose and do what he wants and believes is right.

Of course, there are plenty of rebuttals to the Kizaru-Straw-Hat proposal. For one thing, Kizaru needs a dream to pursue, a widely recognized prerequisite for joining the crew. Furthermore, he should be able to complete his character arc without joining Luffy’s crew; it might even reach its climax by the end of the Egghead Arc. If anything, there are roles Kizaru must still perform as an Admiral. Most fans believe Kizaru will become an ally of the Straw Hats, but becoming a Straw Hat himself might still be a stretch. in any case, it’s too early to say anything definitively.