Warning: This article contains spoilers for One Piece‘s Egghead Arc.
One Piece is a notoriously long-running manga. Since it was first published in Shonen Jump in 1997, Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece has amassed over 1000 chapters, a beloved anime adaptation, several movies, and a critically acclaimed Netflix adaptation.
Fans are drawn to One Piece for its gripping action scenes, wonderful characters, and intricate storytelling, particularly in regard to Oda’s masterful worldbuilding. As the series finally sets sail toward its conclusion, mysteries set up from the very beginning of the series are on their way to being revealed.
Around the start of the manga’s Egghead arc, Oda dropped some metaphorical bombs on his readership when he revealed that Nefartari Cobra and his daughter, Princess Vivi, both carry the initial “D.” In the beginning of chapter 1085, Cobra spoke with the mysterious Imu about his ancestor, Nefertari Lili while the (slightly less mysterious) Five Elders look on. When Cobra confirms Nefartari signed her letter using the initial “D.,” Imu grows enraged and attacks the king, eventually resulting in Cobra’s death. This isn’t the only big reveal either — in the following chapter, Oda finally shares the names and identities of every member of the Five Elders, the five Celestial Dragons who lead the world government under the guidance of Imu.
Oda didn’t stop there with the reveals. We first saw a glimpse of the Five Elders and their abilities when Sabo interacted with them while trying to protect Cobra, but their true forms were hidden in shadow. As the Egghead arc progressed, the Five Elders eventually showed up to confront Vegapunk and the Straw Hats, leading to the reveal of their true forms and powers. Here’s everything we know now about the force behind the World Government.
Who are the Five Elders?
The Five Elders are the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons and are the highest authority of government within the world, only answering to Imu who they revere as their king. They have absolute control over every branch of military, the Marines, and Cipher Pol, making them some of the most powerful antagonists in the series. Prioritizing maintaining world order by any means necessary, the Five Elders have destroyed entire islands of people rather than letting information about the Void Century become known and will cover up any event that could destroy their public image.
While the Five Elders are incredibly powerful government leaders, their jurisdiction doesn’t extend to pirates and the Four Emperors (mostly because pirates generally do not abide by laws) and they have an immense hatred for Monkey D. Luffy, fearing his newfound power after awakening Gomu Gomu No Mi Gear 5. Prior to chapter 1086, only one of the elders had been named and the new information confirms a fan theory that the Five Elders are all named after planets.
The Five Elders’ names are connected to the planets and may give insight into their power levels
The first of the Five Elders to have his name revealed was Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, whose name was revealed during the Egghead Arc. The names and titles of the Five Elders are as follows:
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn
The Warrior God of Defense Science. He is a man with a full mustache and beard, as well as grey hair styled in dreadlocks. He often wears a hat, carries a walking cane, and has a scar on his face, stretching over his left eye. Like the other Elders, he is shown to be extremely powerful. After getting hit by Sabo’s Hiken, Saturn’s transformation into a horned creature helped him remain unharmed. Saturn can transform into a Gyuki, or Ushi-oni, a Japanese yokai with an ox’s head and a spider’s body. In this hybrid form, Saturn sprouts horns and develops poisonous spider claws.
Saint Markus Mars
The Warrior God of the Environment. He is the Elder with long grey hair, a beard and a tall, thin physique. Mars can take the form of an Itsumade, a yokai resembling a terrifying bird. Itsumade are reptilian bird-like creatures and are often described as “eerie.” In this form, Mars has the face and tale of a snake mixed with an avian body.
Topman Valkyrie (“Mercury”)
The Warrior God of Justice and Legal Affairs. He is a bald man with large age spots on his head who also has a massive white mustache. This Elder has commented that Luffy cannot be allowed to run free and, after word Luffy defeated Kaidos began to spread, he attempted to stop production of Luffy’s newest Wanted posters so the “D,” initial could be removed. He turns into a Fengxi, a boar-like creature found in Chinese mythology. The Fengxi, also known as a Hoki in Japan, has two heads and is said to be brutal and murderous.
Ethan Baron V. Nusjuro (“Venus”)
The Warrior God of Finance. He is the only Elder without facial hair, and is a muscular bald man who wears glasses. He wears a white haori tied with a brown sash and carries a long samurai sword. Aside from his lack of facial hair, he’s also notable for being the only elder to not wear a black suit. V. Nusjuro can take on the form of a Bakotsu, a little-known Yokai resembling a skeletal horse. This Yokai traditionally comes to be after a horse is burned to death. Given his Yokai’s association with death and his attack on the Pacifistas, some readers theorize he might have powers similar to Brooks.
Shephard Ju Peter (Jupiter)
The Warrior God of Agriculture. The youngest-looking Elder, Shephard has blond hair and a beard. He wears his black suit shirt open without a tie, allowing a long scar on his chest to be visible. Ju Peter’s form is my personal favorite; this Elder transforms into a giant sandworm, similar to the one made famous by Dune. In traditional sandworm fashion, Ju Peter is able to burrow deep underground.
It’s unclear what exactly their titles as Warrior Gods entail and if the names are tied to their abilities. For what it’s worth, I think the titles likely refer to each Elder’s area of control within the government, similar to government departments like “The Department of Agriculture.”
A fan theory I can get behind is that the Five Elders’ power levels correspond to their representative planet. Some fans believe that the closer their planet is to the sun, the more powerful that Elder is, meaning that Topman Valkyrie would be the strongest Elder. We’ve now seen what forms each Elder can use but it’s unclear if these forms are related to Devil Fruits or if they come from a more sinister power. Their powers and transformations do seem similar to those derived from Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits but the transformation circles they use, as well as the ability to communicate telepathically with each other, are unlike anything we’ve seen in the series so far.
As of the current chapter, we still don’t know if the Five Elders have eaten Devil Fruits or if they’re truly monsters like the ones they transform into. Regardless, it’s been shown that they’re excellent warriors and formidable foes.
