Reading comprehension is hard. It really is. Oda should really be more aware of his audience's mental age and (further) dumb the series down accordingly. More telling, no showing! Chapter 1082 truly seems to have short-circuited some people's brains, with crayon-munching geniuses on Worst Gen and Reddit crying about the true fourth yonko's 'confusing' and 'contradictory' character motivations. Fear not - the prophet of our Lord has returned to set the record straight and outline his much-maligned character in simple terms. Terms that even an average unwashed shonen reader can understand. I'm talking of course about Dracule Mihawk - his motivations, his desires and what chapter 1082 means for his story going forward.
The past
We know next to nothing about Mihawk's past - who his parents are, where he's from and why he became a swordsman in the first place. However, Oda's drawing of Mihawk as a child shows that he didn't lead an easy life and spent his childhood either constantly fighting for his life or honing his skills. Mihawk, along with many other members of the middle generation - Doflamingo, Moria, Crocodile, Shanks and Buggy - attended Roger's execution and became acknowledged as the WSS during the Great Age of Piracy, the era of fiercest competition over One Piece. For various reasons, pretty much every single member of middle gen appears to have flamed out mentally and emotionally and settled into some level of complacency. Croc gave up on his dream of becoming pirate king (as demonstrated by his reaction to Miss Goldenweek's ability), Shanks cuts shady compromises with the Gorosei and appears to have avoided conflict with Big Mom and Kaido and Mihawk became a reclusive loner living in the burnt out remains of a former battlefield. The conclusion? Middle gen needs therapy.
Despite his present laziness, Mihawk's personality seems to have been similar to Zoro's when he was younger. His vivre card indicates that he continuously trained and challenged stronger opponents until he realised that none other than Shanks could match him. At age 19, even younger than Zoro is today, he was already a famous swordsman and at some point, he apparently hunted the marines that even Whitebeard and co fled from. The former Pirate King's spiritual successor duelled with this upstart swordsman from nowheresville and still could not claim supremacy over him as the WSS. Specifically, his vivre card says
剣を業とする全ての者が畏れる"鷹の目"は、かつて刃を交えた"赤髪"を凌ぐ使い手の到来を、未来に見据えている・・・!!
Every swordman fears "Hawk-Eye." He looks forward to the arrival of a swordman who can surpass his rival "Red Hair," with whom he crossed blades in the past.
Whatever young Mihawk was like, he clearly never shied from a challenge. However Shanks losing an arm 12 years ago spelled the end of their rivalry and Mihawk lost his motivation to improve, accepting a cushy government position and cashing paychecks for doing fuck all. Which leads us to the present day.
The present
When we first met Mihawk at Baratie, he came across as jaded, capricious and deeply disillusioned with the stereotypical shonen values of persistence, foolhardy courage and hard work. Zeff speculates and Mihawk himself somewhat confirms that he chased Don Krieg's armada to the East Blue for disturbing his afternoon nap, killing thousands of weaker pirates as a means of killing time. Doflamingo also implies that Mihawk is the warlord least dedicated to the job, calling him the 'most unexpected person' to attend the meeting at Mariejoa. Oda presents Mihawk as a foil to both Shanks and Zoro, both of whom have visible scars and disfigurements. Mihawk openly bares his unscarred chest and agrees that scars on the back are a swordsman's shame. He also tells Zoro that death is preferable to defeat - defeat means the loss of one's dreams and vows, to be crushed on not just a physical but a spiritual and ideological level as well.
Because it's very difficult indeed to follow the plot of a manga written for 15 year olds, some people called it 'contradictory' or strange that Mihawk seemed to take some pleasure in being hunted again by the marines and that he attacked Whitebeard at Marineford. If it wasn't already obvious, Mihawk is trying to fill a void by chasing cheap thrills and observing individuals and events that pique his interest. He attacked Whitebeard only once at Marineford after noticing that something was off, stating that the distance between them (the WG forces) and the WSM 'seemed rather close/small'. Other than that, he spent the remainder of the war playing with Luffy, killing time with fellow moustache connoisseur Vista and knocking bombs into Buggy's face, doing absolutely nothing of worth and emerging from the war completely unscathed. He also quickly became bored of cutting down marines and their battleships, to the point that he was prepared to pick up and bounce from the farm. Everything for Mihawk is a mere sideshow until he can have the duel he wants and die happy. He got what he wanted. He lacks for no material goods or creature comforts. There's nothing left to do but wait.
Mihawk has clearly not tasted defeat in a very, very long time at least. The fact that Zoro becoming strong enough to take his title is the only thing that elicits a passionate response implies that Mihawk has little attachment to life and is preparing to go out in a final blaze of glory, having finally found the one swordsman strong enough to satisfy him by surpassing his former rival. Nothing else seems to motivate him to get off his ass. Not becoming a yonko, finding treasure or building a utopia. Dreams are for other people and Mihawk is just along for the ride.
The navy clearly views Mihawk as a major threat, awarding him a bounty higher than two yonko and Blackbeard at the time despite thinking he was a mere underling to Buggy. However the truth is that Mihawk doesn't seem to want to fight anyone who isn't Zoro and never turned his blade against the WG until they showed up at his door to arrest him. The navy made the single most retarded move by picking a fight with a sleeping dragon and essentially thrusting him back into the throne war by destroying the peace he'd been trying to cultivate. If the marines hadn't annoyed Mihawk by throwing men into the meat grinder against him and his baboon empire, Mihawk would have had zero reason to join Cross Guild and use his and Crocodile's combined brand recognition to keep them off his back. Up until 1082, Crocodile was the sole driving force and vision behind Cross Guild, using the organisation to build an independent military state. CG's bounty system turned marines and civilians against each other while keeping Mihawk in its back pocket as a heavy, the equivalent of a nuclear warhead and Grand Line-shaking force to be unleashed against the government if they invited its wrath. Notice how Croc was always smart enough not to ask Mihawk to fight anyone. He was there as a deterrent and nothing more. Until now.
The future
After meeting Zoro and entrusting him with the task of surpassing him as the world's strongest swordsman, Mihawk's gaze has always been set on the distant future, on the day he can experience their final duel. He has no short or medium term goals and simply does whatever he pleases whenever the fancy strikes. If Buggy hadn't set CG on the path to One Piece, Mihawk would only have had to sit there and look scary as the bouncer of Croc Kingdom. He had a pretty good life.
Like Mihawk, Croc doesn't seem to be dreaming too big either. Sure, he wants to create a military nation, but it's a far cry from the passion and rage he showed towards Whitebeard for becoming weak, or his previous dream of becoming Pirate King. In 1082, Buggy asks Mihawk and Croc what they wanted to be when they were younger. Negative experiences, betrayals and in Croc's case defeats have made them bitter and small-minded, selfishly focused on their own personal and material interests. Whatever you might think of Buggy, he demonstrated great self-awareness in this chapter by realising that he'd held himself back and in doing so, failed to reach his true potential. At this point, Buggy has forced Mihawk and Croc to extend themselves and wish for something more; it's not too late for any of them to begin dreaming again.
If Zoro taught Mihawk the value of investing in the next generation, Buggy will teach Mihawk the value of investing in himself. Somewhere along the way, Mihawk's deep mistrust of others and his disappointment towards Shanks caused him to suffer a kind of self-defeat, resulting in a decade of isolation and unbearable dissatisfaction with life. 1082 can be a turning point for the middle gen trio - a surprisingly poignant and welcome development after the garbage fire that was Wano. I'm looking forward to what the future has in store for the Lord, for the day he makes his triumphant return.
The past
Despite his present laziness, Mihawk's personality seems to have been similar to Zoro's when he was younger. His vivre card indicates that he continuously trained and challenged stronger opponents until he realised that none other than Shanks could match him. At age 19, even younger than Zoro is today, he was already a famous swordsman and at some point, he apparently hunted the marines that even Whitebeard and co fled from. The former Pirate King's spiritual successor duelled with this upstart swordsman from nowheresville and still could not claim supremacy over him as the WSS. Specifically, his vivre card says
剣を業とする全ての者が畏れる"鷹の目"は、かつて刃を交えた"赤髪"を凌ぐ使い手の到来を、未来に見据えている・・・!!
Every swordman fears "Hawk-Eye." He looks forward to the arrival of a swordman who can surpass his rival "Red Hair," with whom he crossed blades in the past.
Whatever young Mihawk was like, he clearly never shied from a challenge. However Shanks losing an arm 12 years ago spelled the end of their rivalry and Mihawk lost his motivation to improve, accepting a cushy government position and cashing paychecks for doing fuck all. Which leads us to the present day.
The present
When we first met Mihawk at Baratie, he came across as jaded, capricious and deeply disillusioned with the stereotypical shonen values of persistence, foolhardy courage and hard work. Zeff speculates and Mihawk himself somewhat confirms that he chased Don Krieg's armada to the East Blue for disturbing his afternoon nap, killing thousands of weaker pirates as a means of killing time. Doflamingo also implies that Mihawk is the warlord least dedicated to the job, calling him the 'most unexpected person' to attend the meeting at Mariejoa. Oda presents Mihawk as a foil to both Shanks and Zoro, both of whom have visible scars and disfigurements. Mihawk openly bares his unscarred chest and agrees that scars on the back are a swordsman's shame. He also tells Zoro that death is preferable to defeat - defeat means the loss of one's dreams and vows, to be crushed on not just a physical but a spiritual and ideological level as well.
Because it's very difficult indeed to follow the plot of a manga written for 15 year olds, some people called it 'contradictory' or strange that Mihawk seemed to take some pleasure in being hunted again by the marines and that he attacked Whitebeard at Marineford. If it wasn't already obvious, Mihawk is trying to fill a void by chasing cheap thrills and observing individuals and events that pique his interest. He attacked Whitebeard only once at Marineford after noticing that something was off, stating that the distance between them (the WG forces) and the WSM 'seemed rather close/small'. Other than that, he spent the remainder of the war playing with Luffy, killing time with fellow moustache connoisseur Vista and knocking bombs into Buggy's face, doing absolutely nothing of worth and emerging from the war completely unscathed. He also quickly became bored of cutting down marines and their battleships, to the point that he was prepared to pick up and bounce from the farm. Everything for Mihawk is a mere sideshow until he can have the duel he wants and die happy. He got what he wanted. He lacks for no material goods or creature comforts. There's nothing left to do but wait.
Mihawk has clearly not tasted defeat in a very, very long time at least. The fact that Zoro becoming strong enough to take his title is the only thing that elicits a passionate response implies that Mihawk has little attachment to life and is preparing to go out in a final blaze of glory, having finally found the one swordsman strong enough to satisfy him by surpassing his former rival. Nothing else seems to motivate him to get off his ass. Not becoming a yonko, finding treasure or building a utopia. Dreams are for other people and Mihawk is just along for the ride.
The future
After meeting Zoro and entrusting him with the task of surpassing him as the world's strongest swordsman, Mihawk's gaze has always been set on the distant future, on the day he can experience their final duel. He has no short or medium term goals and simply does whatever he pleases whenever the fancy strikes. If Buggy hadn't set CG on the path to One Piece, Mihawk would only have had to sit there and look scary as the bouncer of Croc Kingdom. He had a pretty good life.
Like Mihawk, Croc doesn't seem to be dreaming too big either. Sure, he wants to create a military nation, but it's a far cry from the passion and rage he showed towards Whitebeard for becoming weak, or his previous dream of becoming Pirate King. In 1082, Buggy asks Mihawk and Croc what they wanted to be when they were younger. Negative experiences, betrayals and in Croc's case defeats have made them bitter and small-minded, selfishly focused on their own personal and material interests. Whatever you might think of Buggy, he demonstrated great self-awareness in this chapter by realising that he'd held himself back and in doing so, failed to reach his true potential. At this point, Buggy has forced Mihawk and Croc to extend themselves and wish for something more; it's not too late for any of them to begin dreaming again.
If Zoro taught Mihawk the value of investing in the next generation, Buggy will teach Mihawk the value of investing in himself. Somewhere along the way, Mihawk's deep mistrust of others and his disappointment towards Shanks caused him to suffer a kind of self-defeat, resulting in a decade of isolation and unbearable dissatisfaction with life. 1082 can be a turning point for the middle gen trio - a surprisingly poignant and welcome development after the garbage fire that was Wano. I'm looking forward to what the future has in store for the Lord, for the day he makes his triumphant return.
@Afroking
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@Artorias
@bblue
@Beerbottle
@Benn beck
@bennbeckman
@BidaPowersTV
@Bittersteel
@Bogard
@Chocolatemuppet
@Buggy D Clown
@Bullet
@Camie
@Celestial D. Dragon
@ChefboiiFuego
@Cinera
@comrade
@Constantine
@Crooc
@Cross_Marian
@Cyrus the Cactus
@Daikenki
@Dark Hound
@Dark Knight Sanji
@DarkWitch
@Don't Mind Me
@Dr. Spook
@Dragoban
@dizzy2341
@Elcadar
@Emperor
@Enma
@Fleet Leader Fenaker
@Finalbeta
@Fleet Admiral Lee Hung
@Flower
@Fn Lucci
@Foxy Bunny
@Franosuke
@Fukki
@Garp the Fist
@Garps tekkai
@Gauntlet
@Gensui Sazid
@Geo
@Gol D. Roger
@Gon’s Missing Arm
@Greenbeard
@grey matter
@Grumpy Zoro
@Guan Yu
@Guymieux
@h_zorothegoat
@HA001 OF THE RAIN
@HAJIKATA
@Hanzo hattori
@Haoku
@HeroesNZ
@Herrera95
@Himura
@I'mTired
@Ice devil slayer
@IceWitch
@Im_not_Osama_bin_laden
@Jack
@Jackteo
@Jew D. Boy
@JioFreed
@K!NG HARA$H!MA
@KageyamaShoyo
@Kejon
@KenshiraSonata
@KINGKONGGUN15
@L55
@Light D Lamperouge
@Lucas
@Luffy bin Dragon
@Luffy is the mc
@LuffyMazino
@Luslec
@LuthonTheDragDown
@Marco
@Malio
@Malick the last Light
@Marimo_420
@marimoheado
@MarineHQ62
@MasterD
@matt245
@Midnight Delight
@Mikail
@mly90
@Monet
@Monkey D Theories
@Monster trio
@MonsterZoro
@MonochromeYoru
@Moegara
@Mr. Anderson
@Murilo
@Nidai_Kitetsu
@nik87
@Oblivion
@OmegaPsyche
@Orojackson Refugee
@Parker
@Patryipe
@PerfectHie
@PizzaBread
@Playa4321
@princeley
@Punpun
@queen
@RayanOO
@Reborn
@Reddot4
@rednose
@ReggieZoldyck21
@rerere
@Rivaille
@Robin swan
@Roronoa-sama
@Rosella.Fiamingo
@Rukusho
@RyumaZoro
@RZ.119
@Sade
@SaintBellkin
@Sakazuki-Singh
@Sakura no Hiluluk
@Salah WG
@Sanji D Cook
@Sentinel
@Seth
@Shadowlord123
@ShadowStyle369
@ShadyOjiro
@SHIHI
@Shiroyru
@ShishioIsBack
@silverfire
@SinOfGreed
@Skiddo
@SmokedOut
@Soleus
@solis
@spawn
@Starbound Beast D. Draig
@stormylife
@style
@Sunita
@Sword God Ryuma
@T.D.A
@Tamerani
@Tenshi No Konan
@ten yaksha blother
@Thabeast
@TheKnightOfTheSea
@Tobi
@Topi Jerami
@Trafalgar_D_Law
@Usopp Haoshoku Haki
@Van
@Veljko
@Vonal
@WillOfMyD
@Winsmoke Sanji
@Xione
@Yato
@yj
@Yo Tan Wa
@yorosenpai
@yunzabit heights
@Zenos7
@ZenZu
@Zoro
@zorojurou
@ZoroSlaysDragonTuna
@Zowo
