Devil fruits, haki, ancient weapons, and many more strange powers are present in the world of One Piece. The terms Chakra from Naruto, Nen from HxH, and Cursed energy from Jujutsu Kaisen must be familiar to you. Well, Haki in One Piece is a similar concept. While eating a devil fruit grants you superpowers, everyone in the One Piece universe already possesses haki. One Piece fans are pretty fond of the word “haki” and the numerous powers that come along with it. Haki and its subtypes come in a wide variety, and it might be challenging for us to fully comprehend all that occurs in the background when someone uses haki. Therefore, we bring you a guide explaining the fundamentals of Haki and its many kinds shown in the One Piece anime. So read on to learn more about haki and a list of its well-known users.
Haki in One Piece (Explained)
Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers about Haki and its types in One Piece. So we suggest you watch the anime or read the manga first to avoid ruining your experience.
What Does Haki Mean in One Piece?
Image Courtesy – One Piece by Toei Animation Studios (Crunchyroll)
In the world of One Piece, haki is a unique and peculiar power. Simply said, it enables one to use their own spiritual energy/ spirit to increase and develop a variety of powers and abilities. These abilities could vary from hardening one’s body to feeling the presence of others, and much more.
Each and every living being on this planet possesses haki as it lies dormant inside them. However, not everyone recognizes their potential to use haki and awaken this power. Only the strongest people with huge ambitions or willpower are able to awaken their haki. Haki is an extremely challenging ability to learn and master, despite how easy it may seem.
“Haki” is a power that lies dormant in all the world’s creatures… “Presence”, “fighting spirit” and “intimidation”… It is not different from the things that humans can naturally sense such as these… ‘The act of not doubting’. That is strength!
– Dark king silvers rayleigh
There are three basic forms of haki, and each includes several subtypes. We explained each of the three types below. The strongest persons can possess all three kinds of haki since they have mastered them. Some of the well-known examples are Gol D. Roger, Shanks, Luffy, and many others. But there are also individuals in this world who can only utilize two haki, or perhaps, just one. More details on haki users are in a dedicated section below.
Awakening of Haki: How Does it Happen?
Image Courtesy – One Piece by Toei Animation Studios (Crunchyroll)
Now, you must be wondering, how does someone become aware of their haki’s secret presence and awaken this power? Well, we found the answer to this question in the anime. As revealed in One Piece anime, one can awaken haki in a variety of ways, which are as under:
It usually takes a lot of time and rigorous training to unlock your spiritual energy and use haki. Like, Luffy intensely trained with Rayleigh for two years. Even Rayleigh stated that two years are insufficient to acquire even the basics of haki.
One can be born with awakened Haki. For example, Queen Otohime of Fishman Island was seen using Observation Haki without any prior training.
Additionally, a person’s haki can be awakened by tremendous terror or shock. For instance – Kobi awakened his haki during the peak battle of Marineford.
One Piece: Different Types of Haki
There are three basic forms of haki, and each includes several subtypes. The three types of Haki in One Piece are as under:
Observation Haki Armament Haki Conqueror’s Haki
These three main types of Haki were teased in an indirect way in the anime before we got to see them (although it wasn’t mentioned in the manga). In One Piece episode 85, in a flashback between Dr. Hiriluk and Chopper, Hiriluk described pirates having large and well-trained bodies (Armament Haki), eyes like an eagle (Observation Haki), and their voices like thunder splitting the sky (Conqueror’s Haki).
The animators may have foreshadowed this event or it may have been a coincidental scene. However, it made it simple for anime viewers to understand the concept of Haki and its several forms. Further, many One Piece fans believe it was a headcanon. Here, we have described all three main types of Haki in brief:
Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki)
Observation Haki provides the user with a variety of options for sensing and comprehending what’s going on around them. The user can sense the presence of individuals around him, as well as their spirits. They can also predict and avoid the enemy’s moves.
The advanced observation haki powers include Future Sight, Emotion Sensing, Voice Hearing, and The Voice of All Things.
Armament Haki (Busoshoku Haki)
Armament Haki enables the user to develop armor-like protection in their body and may be utilized on weapons to boost the power of their attacks. Thus, armament haki can be applied to sections of the user’s body or the complete body, as well as to their weapons.
The advanced armament haki powers include Devil Fruit Armament, Armament Flow, and Internal Destruction (Ryuo).
Conqueror’s Haki (Haoshoku Haki)
Conqueror’s Haki gives the user the ability to use their willpower to overpower others’ willpower, effectively freezing opponents. Users with weaker willpower will pass out and faint.
The advanced conqueror’s haki powers include Conqueror’s coating, Hidden Presence, and Combinations of Conqueror’s Coating.
Who Was the First Person to Use Haki in One Piece?
Image Courtesy – One Piece by Toei Animation Studios (Crunchyroll)
Until now, neither the manga nor the anime has made any mention of the origins of haki or its very first user. However, if you remember, Shanks used his conqueror’s haki against the sea king (Lord of the Coast) to save Luffy in anime Episode 4 or manga Chapter 1. This was the first time we ever saw someone using haki in One Piece. At that time, this power didn’t have a name. Blackbeard used the term “haki” for the first time in reference to Luffy’s bounty on Jaya Island (see tweet below).
First proper mention of Haki comes in One Piece Chapter 234 when Blackbeard comments on Luffy’s “Haki” not being impressive for someone with a 30M bounty. Sad that some of it gets lost in translation. Also, a very early confirmation for Blackbeard being an Observation Haki user! pic.twitter.com/uXDyoSpgKW
— Wamiq (@Phoenixbrand_) May 8, 2020
Before we were given an in-depth explanation, One Piece anime had teased haki for a while. Examples include Shank’s visit to Whitebeard (Episode 316) and Silvers Rayleigh using conqueror’s haki in the Saboady Archipelago (Episode 397). Later on, when Rayleigh was training Luffy on Rusukaina Island, he went into great detail, explaining the concept of haki and its many types. The very first time we saw our hero Luffy using haki was back in episode 389 against Duval and his bull Motobaro in a passive way.
List of Popular Haki Users in One Piece
Some of the well-known haki users are listed here based on the types of haki they possess. Have a look and let us know your favorite haki user in the comments below (psst…we all know it’s Ace)
Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s HakiObservation and Armament HakiObservation Haki OnlyArmament Haki onlyMonkey D. LuffyMarco The PhoenixUsoppBenn BeckmanGol D. RogerVinsmoke SanjiKozuki MomonosukeLucky RouxEdward NewgateTrafalgar D.
Water LawEnelMargueriteKozuki OdenDracule MihawkHelmeppoShimotsuki RyumaAkagami ShanksJinbeRebeccaShimotsuki UshimaruRoronoa ZoroMonkey D. GarpShirahoshiEustass KidSaboOtohimeSilvers RayleighMarshall D. TeachYasoppBoa HancockSakazukiCrocusYamatoKizaruBig MomSmokerKaidouRob LucciPortgas D. AceAokijiCharlotte KatakuriKobiSengokuX DrakeDonquixote DoflamingoKin’emonDon ChinjaoKingThis list is based on characters shown in the anime until now. We will update it as new haki users get introduced or if an existing user unlocks another haki.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Luffy’s Haki?
Luffy has mastered all three types of Haki, including Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror’s Haki, and many of its sub-types.
What are the three Haki in One Piece?
The three main types of Haki in One Piece are Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror’s Haki.
Which Haki is most powerful?
At the moment, the conqueror’s haki is the most powerful one based on its advancements.
What is the rarest Haki type?
Conqueror’s haki is the rarest of all types of haki in the One Piece world.
Can Zoro use supreme King Haki?
Yes, Zoro can also use the color of the supreme king (Conqueror’s Haki) as shown in the anime recently.
One Piece: Haki and Its Types – Explained
That concludes our explanation of Haki and its various types. We hope we were able to explain the mysterious haki (or spiritual energy) in a concise and clear manner. Additionally, we will publish an exhaustive article on the sub-forms of the different types of Haki. Until then, we would love to know the greatest haki moments from your favorite characters in One Piece.
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