Being one of the longest-running Shonen Jump series, One Piece has built an overwhelmingly large ensemble cast. Among them, only a handful of the side characters have left a lasting impact on fans. These iconic characters are engraved in fans’ hearts, even if they are rarely shown throughout the series. One such character is former warlord and King of Dressrosa, Donquixote Doflamingo; a fascinating character due to his interesting background, philosophy, and nuanced personality. He is also the major antagonist of the Dressrosa Saga.
Doflamingo traumatized Law through Corazon’s death, ruled over Dressrosa, blackmailed the World Government through the knowledge he possessed, and sold artificial Devil Fruits to the King of the Beasts, Kaido. Doflamingo made his name in the underground market as the world’s best broker. Not to mention, his speeches provide insight into the greater world of One Piece. He holds the secrets of the World Government, big enough to shock the world to its core.
Doflamingo’s Past as a Fallen World Noble and Pirate
The Donquixote family was one of the twenty royal families who founded the World Government. As a result, they left their kingdom, Dressrosa, and ascended to Mariejois. Dressrosa was given over to the Riku family, who ruled the kingdom for over 800 years now. However, when Doflamingo was a child, his parents left Mariejois because they wanted to live with common people. Unaware of the tragedy that awaited them, the family went to live in a small house on an island. However, the people were long hostile towards the Celestial Dragons. They found every opportunity to torment Doflamingo and his family.
His mother died of illness, and later, he killed his father. As a result, only Doflamingo and his brother Rosinante remained. Doflamingo tried to get back to Mariejois, but they wouldn’t accept a fallen noble. Both brothers went separate ways and reunited fourteen years later. Doflamingo was with Vergo, Trebol, Pica, and Diamanté, becoming an infamous pirate. Most Warlords are granted the title because of their influence or contributions made to the Marines. However, unlike them, Doflamingo blackmailed the World Government with the secret treasure of Mariejois. The treasure is enough to shake the entire world, though the details of said treasure are still a mystery. Since gaining the Warlord title, Doflamingo freely roamed around the seas and made himself the world’s most dangerous underworld broker.
Doflamingo’s Brilliant Plot to Take Over Dressrosa
After becoming a Warlord, Doflamingo worked on the next phase of his plan, which was to take over Dressrosa. Since the previous ruler of the kingdom were his ancestors, Doflamingo decided to reclaim it and become king. However, becoming the king of a land that has long forgotten its history was not easy. Dressrosa was not a rich country, but it was peaceful, and the people loved the Riku family. Therefore, he created an elaborate plot to frame King Riku and take over Dressrosa. Doflamingo succeeded in making the citizens believe that King Riku and his army took all their money and voluntarily killed the citizens.
The nightmare resulted in King Riku being stripped of his throne, and the citizens warmly welcoming Doflamingo as their new king. He claimed that King Riku was responsible for making Dressrosa a poor country and promised wealth and prosperity to the citizens. He welcomed the Donquixote Pirates into his castle and made it his base. He began smuggling from Dressrosa, becoming more wealthy than ever. During those years, he ruled the country tyrannically, keeping prisoners and slaves hidden from the eyes of the public. Those who were against him were either turned into toys and forced to work for him, or locked in the Colosseum, where they were forced to fight deadly battles.
What Sets Doflamingo Apart From Other One Piece Villains?
Doflamingo was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He had everything that a person could hope for and more. However, the people who destroyed his life were his parents. As a child, he had been through hell for the simple reason of being born as a Celestial Dragon. He saw the ugliness of the world and wanted to escape from it. In his desperation, he presented his father’s head to regain favor with the World Government. As he refused to enter Mariejois, he was adopted by Trebol, eventually conquering Dressrosa and proceeded to become the biggest underworld broker out there.
He was able to fool an entire kingdom for almost a decade, and if it were not for the Straw Hat Pirates and Trafalgar Law, he would have continued to do so. Another remarkable quality of Doflamingo is that he is one of the very few antagonists who never underestimated Luffy. Doflamingo has seen Luffy in action, well aware of his past exploits. He knew that everyone who has been defeated by Luffy had underestimated him and paid the price for quick judgement. He was extremely careful against his foes, and turned these situations into a game. In the Dressrosa Saga arc, he was the one single-handedly controlling the citizens, pirates, royal families, marines, and even the revolutionary army. Although he was defeated by Luffy, one cannot forget that the damage he did before that was way too much to be considered a total loss.
Doflamingo’s Most Iconic Moment
As one of the best characters in One Piece, Doflamingo earned many memorable moments throughout the series’ run. One such scene was his iconic speech in the Marinford Arc. He talks about the kids who have never known peace, and the children who have never seen war. Being raised in different environments changes each individual’s perception of the world.
He doesn’t believe pirates to be evil or the marines to be righteous since these terms have always changed in history. Lastly, he talks about the one standing at the top determining what’s right or wrong. In the end, justice will prevail, because only the winner of the war becomes justice. His statements were true, because the perception of right or wrong is set by those who are in power. He knows that strength is a big factor if you want to stand at the top of the world.
