Worstgen
Among the sea of important characters in the final two pages of Chapter 1121, one of them managed to stand out in the typical Oda fashion with their silhouetted appearance.
There have been many theories about who this might be, and after careful consideration—letting it stew a little—I think I finally have an answer. To make sure we are all on the same page, I will systematically cover every possibility I have seen for who this might be and explain why it isn’t the case, starting with...
Roger (or other) Seraphim
We know that Seraphim were created from the DNA collected from the Seven Warlords of the Sea while they were in the service of the Navy, mixed with Lunarian blood extracted from the imprisoned King. This idea stems from the fact that Roger, right before his death, was in the Navy’s custody. We see the silhouetted man holding up a saber that looks very much like the one Roger had, Ace—not to be confused with his son, Ace—and he is the character whose clone would make the biggest impact on readers and the world of One Piece. What shoots down this theory is the fact that Seraphim are just soulless/mindless creatures who listen to the commands of others—they are without agency. Look at the spread, and who is on it:
Shanks’ Twin
Apparently, this has been a long-running theory among the fandom, suggesting that there are two Shanks—that Shanks has a twin brother. The theory stems from the fact that Shanks was, apparently, able to speak with the Gorōsei without causing any commotion, and when he speaks with them, we don’t see Shanks’ trademark characteristics, like his eye scar and the fact that he has one less arm. There is also one of the God Knights whose silhouette bears a striking resemblance to Shanks. What kills this theory is the fact that all of this can be easily explained by “Occam’s Razor.” The silhouetted God Knight we see is Saint Figarland Garling, who is most definitely related to Shanks, as seen with his God Valley appearance. He also has a similar saber to Shanks.
The reason the Gorōsei are even willing to give Shanks their time is because he has Celestial Dragon blood, just as Bonney received special treatment due to her Celestial Dragon heritage. Also, Shanks’ appearance is hidden because he’s one of the most infamous people, easily recognizable, sneaking into Marijoas to talk to the Gorōsei. Even if the Gorōsei let him in, there is no guarantee as to what others would do if they saw him; and the dialogue between them makes it quite clear that this is Shanks they are speaking to. There might be some debate about which pirate Shanks wanted to discuss—whether it was Blackbeard or Luffy—but it is certainly Shanks who wanted to talk to the Gorōsei.
“You’ve come all this way” in particular is what stands out to me.
Oda and His Silhouettes
Oda silhouetting characters has become a bit of a meme, but there is usually a reason why Oda does this—two reasons, actually. One is obviously to keep the mystery of who the character in question is, but more often, it’s to give Oda time to figure out the character’s design. Why lock yourself into an early design that you might dislike in the future and then have to change it?
Left is the original Kanjuro silhouette.
Since this is a common occurrence with Oda, there are certain rules that it follows. Once Oda has revealed a character (what they look like), he doesn’t use silhouette to hide their appearance any longer. There are some theories about this silhouette being Scopper Gaban, but since he already had multiple appearances, it’s unlikely (also, Scopper dual wields axes). Although it would make sense for him to be the one to guard the Fishmen Island Road Poneglyph as he was with Roger when they read it.
There are some exceptions to this rule—Hiyori during the Raid on Onigashima, for example—but in general, once the paste is out of the tube, there is no putting it back in. So, this silhouetted character is a brand new one that we are yet to see the reveal of; and I think it’s the mysterious...
Man Marked by Flames
The simple answer to who the Man Marked by Flames is that we just don’t know. It’s seemingly a new character that Oda has introduced recently with the conclusion of the Wano arc. For whatever exact purpose that may be, I don’t know, but Oda has been feeding us droplets of information ever since (I know they have the Road Poneglyph, the question is why exactly Oda decided to make them the one to have it). Oda is building up the mystery and the lore surrounding them, so it looks like they will have a big role in the story.
Speaking of how Oda doesn’t use silhouettes for characters that were already introduced, Chapter 1124 ends with another silhouetted character that many speculate is Shanks. After all, the last time we saw him, he was on Elbaf beating up Kid(s). However, as we’ve already established, Oda doesn’t silhouette characters that have already been revealed. I’m here to tell you that this is the Man Marked by Flames.
With the Straw Hats going to Elbaf, the story is finally exploring the last pieces of the puzzle, and as we do so, we learn that these things have larger implications for endgame than we previously thought. The Giants of Elbaf seem to be quite familiar with the Sun God Nika, something there was no way of knowing back during the Little Garden arc. In the same way, we’ve learned that this mysterious Man holds the last missing Poneglyph, which we’ve known to be missing for a while now. So, it makes sense (to me) that this character is going to play a big role in the Elbaf arc, as we are now in the final arc of One Piece.
Giants of the Norse
The aesthetic of Elbaf giants is clearly based on Viking Age Scandinavia and Norse mythology. Prince Loki is named after the Norse God Loki, and I don’t doubt that the giant tree we see in Elbaf is inspired by the World Tree, Yggdrasil. However, there really isn’t any deity in Norse mythos that fits the description of a “Man Marked by Flame,” other than the Fire Giant Surtr. But there is Prometheus from Greek mythos, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. Coincidentally, this is the name Big Mom gave to the sentient fire she created with her Devil Fruit. The one that Mother Caramel created was called “Pandora,” as in Pandora’s Box.
“Prometheus Brings Fire” by Heinrich Friedrich Füger.
In Greek mythology, fire symbolizes knowledge, technology, and enlightenment. By giving fire to humans, Prometheus provided them with the tools to develop civilization, arts, and science. It could be that Oda is going with this character; by giving the Road Poneglyph (fire/knowledge) to pirates (humans), the Man Marked by Flames (Prometheus) provides them with the knowledge necessary to oppose the gods.
The one character I could possibly see being the Man Marked by Flame is Rocks D. Xebec. Not only does he fit the look of the character (Rocks was depicted with a saber), but Oda has been suspiciously withholding his appearance. Instead of showing him outright, Oda has repeatedly chosen to silhouette Rocks or avoid revealing him entirely. Three times we've heard of Rocks, and three times Oda has held off on showing him:
1. In Chapter 957, when he is first mentioned.
2. In Chapter 1049, during Kaido’s flashback.
3. In Chapter 1096, during the God Valley flashback.
Tl;dr
The mystery of who the silhouetted character at the end of Chapter 1121 is not really a mystery because it’s a new, yet-to-be-introduced character: the Man Marked by Flames. Oda has been teasing this character since Chapter 1056, at the end of Wano, slowly but surely revealing more about them, and everything points to this being them. This might be an “old” character from the time of Roger—he might even be someone who was mentioned before by name (think of how Kaido was mentioned after the Enies Lobby arc)—but it’s someone we’ve yet to be introduced to.
There have been many theories about who this might be, and after careful consideration—letting it stew a little—I think I finally have an answer. To make sure we are all on the same page, I will systematically cover every possibility I have seen for who this might be and explain why it isn’t the case, starting with...
Roger (or other) Seraphim
We know that Seraphim were created from the DNA collected from the Seven Warlords of the Sea while they were in the service of the Navy, mixed with Lunarian blood extracted from the imprisoned King. This idea stems from the fact that Roger, right before his death, was in the Navy’s custody. We see the silhouetted man holding up a saber that looks very much like the one Roger had, Ace—not to be confused with his son, Ace—and he is the character whose clone would make the biggest impact on readers and the world of One Piece. What shoots down this theory is the fact that Seraphim are just soulless/mindless creatures who listen to the commands of others—they are without agency. Look at the spread, and who is on it:
- We have the Four Emperors—Shanks, Luffy, Blackbeard, and Buggy—all of whom are major characters gunning for the One Piece.
- Dragon and Sabo, number 1 and 2 of the Revolutionary Army.
- Sakazuki, the Fleet Admiral of the Navy; Kuzan, the ex-Admiral of the Navy and a member of Blackbeard Pirates; and Coby, the future of the Navy.
- And we have Imu, the Supreme Ruler of the World, and the leader of his God Knights, Garling.
Shanks’ Twin
Apparently, this has been a long-running theory among the fandom, suggesting that there are two Shanks—that Shanks has a twin brother. The theory stems from the fact that Shanks was, apparently, able to speak with the Gorōsei without causing any commotion, and when he speaks with them, we don’t see Shanks’ trademark characteristics, like his eye scar and the fact that he has one less arm. There is also one of the God Knights whose silhouette bears a striking resemblance to Shanks. What kills this theory is the fact that all of this can be easily explained by “Occam’s Razor.” The silhouetted God Knight we see is Saint Figarland Garling, who is most definitely related to Shanks, as seen with his God Valley appearance. He also has a similar saber to Shanks.
The reason the Gorōsei are even willing to give Shanks their time is because he has Celestial Dragon blood, just as Bonney received special treatment due to her Celestial Dragon heritage. Also, Shanks’ appearance is hidden because he’s one of the most infamous people, easily recognizable, sneaking into Marijoas to talk to the Gorōsei. Even if the Gorōsei let him in, there is no guarantee as to what others would do if they saw him; and the dialogue between them makes it quite clear that this is Shanks they are speaking to. There might be some debate about which pirate Shanks wanted to discuss—whether it was Blackbeard or Luffy—but it is certainly Shanks who wanted to talk to the Gorōsei.
“You’ve come all this way” in particular is what stands out to me.
Oda and His Silhouettes
Oda silhouetting characters has become a bit of a meme, but there is usually a reason why Oda does this—two reasons, actually. One is obviously to keep the mystery of who the character in question is, but more often, it’s to give Oda time to figure out the character’s design. Why lock yourself into an early design that you might dislike in the future and then have to change it?
Left is the original Kanjuro silhouette.
Since this is a common occurrence with Oda, there are certain rules that it follows. Once Oda has revealed a character (what they look like), he doesn’t use silhouette to hide their appearance any longer. There are some theories about this silhouette being Scopper Gaban, but since he already had multiple appearances, it’s unlikely (also, Scopper dual wields axes). Although it would make sense for him to be the one to guard the Fishmen Island Road Poneglyph as he was with Roger when they read it.
There are some exceptions to this rule—Hiyori during the Raid on Onigashima, for example—but in general, once the paste is out of the tube, there is no putting it back in. So, this silhouetted character is a brand new one that we are yet to see the reveal of; and I think it’s the mysterious...
Man Marked by Flames
The simple answer to who the Man Marked by Flames is that we just don’t know. It’s seemingly a new character that Oda has introduced recently with the conclusion of the Wano arc. For whatever exact purpose that may be, I don’t know, but Oda has been feeding us droplets of information ever since (I know they have the Road Poneglyph, the question is why exactly Oda decided to make them the one to have it). Oda is building up the mystery and the lore surrounding them, so it looks like they will have a big role in the story.
Speaking of how Oda doesn’t use silhouettes for characters that were already introduced, Chapter 1124 ends with another silhouetted character that many speculate is Shanks. After all, the last time we saw him, he was on Elbaf beating up Kid(s). However, as we’ve already established, Oda doesn’t silhouette characters that have already been revealed. I’m here to tell you that this is the Man Marked by Flames.
With the Straw Hats going to Elbaf, the story is finally exploring the last pieces of the puzzle, and as we do so, we learn that these things have larger implications for endgame than we previously thought. The Giants of Elbaf seem to be quite familiar with the Sun God Nika, something there was no way of knowing back during the Little Garden arc. In the same way, we’ve learned that this mysterious Man holds the last missing Poneglyph, which we’ve known to be missing for a while now. So, it makes sense (to me) that this character is going to play a big role in the Elbaf arc, as we are now in the final arc of One Piece.
Giants of the Norse
The aesthetic of Elbaf giants is clearly based on Viking Age Scandinavia and Norse mythology. Prince Loki is named after the Norse God Loki, and I don’t doubt that the giant tree we see in Elbaf is inspired by the World Tree, Yggdrasil. However, there really isn’t any deity in Norse mythos that fits the description of a “Man Marked by Flame,” other than the Fire Giant Surtr. But there is Prometheus from Greek mythos, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. Coincidentally, this is the name Big Mom gave to the sentient fire she created with her Devil Fruit. The one that Mother Caramel created was called “Pandora,” as in Pandora’s Box.
“Prometheus Brings Fire” by Heinrich Friedrich Füger.
In Greek mythology, fire symbolizes knowledge, technology, and enlightenment. By giving fire to humans, Prometheus provided them with the tools to develop civilization, arts, and science. It could be that Oda is going with this character; by giving the Road Poneglyph (fire/knowledge) to pirates (humans), the Man Marked by Flames (Prometheus) provides them with the knowledge necessary to oppose the gods.
The one character I could possibly see being the Man Marked by Flame is Rocks D. Xebec. Not only does he fit the look of the character (Rocks was depicted with a saber), but Oda has been suspiciously withholding his appearance. Instead of showing him outright, Oda has repeatedly chosen to silhouette Rocks or avoid revealing him entirely. Three times we've heard of Rocks, and three times Oda has held off on showing him:
1. In Chapter 957, when he is first mentioned.
2. In Chapter 1049, during Kaido’s flashback.
3. In Chapter 1096, during the God Valley flashback.
Tl;dr
The mystery of who the silhouetted character at the end of Chapter 1121 is not really a mystery because it’s a new, yet-to-be-introduced character: the Man Marked by Flames. Oda has been teasing this character since Chapter 1056, at the end of Wano, slowly but surely revealing more about them, and everything points to this being them. This might be an “old” character from the time of Roger—he might even be someone who was mentioned before by name (think of how Kaido was mentioned after the Enies Lobby arc)—but it’s someone we’ve yet to be introduced to.