If you are catching up on the series or revisiting previous arcs, you might be wondering exactly when does Doflamingo appear in One Piece for the first time?
With his signature pink feathered coat, menacing grin, and a laugh that echoes with pure chaos, Doflamingo is regarded as one of Eiichiro Oda’s most brilliant creations. Long before he became the terrifying antagonist of Dressrosa, his character was a mystery lurking in the background.
| DIVE DEEPER INTO THE FANDOM The 5 best One Piece arcs that will make you ugly cry (in the best way) Where to read One Piece manga online — all official sources |
To help you understand the story of the Grand Line’s Joker, we’ll take a look at Donquixote Doflamingo’s background and his first appearance in the One Piece anime and manga.
Spoiler warning: Major spoilers are ahead if you have yet to watch the One Piece anime or read the One Piece manga.
Who is Donquixote Doflamingo in One Piece?
Donquixote Doflamingo, known as the “Heavenly Demon,” is a former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the former King of Dressrosa.
Born into one of the 20 founding royal lineages of the World Government, Doflamingo’s life changed forever when his father, Donquixote Homing, renounced his title as a World Noble.
This choice forced the family into a life of poverty and brutal persecution by civilians who hated the Celestial Dragons. The trauma of this fall from grace culminated when a ten-year-old Doflamingo murdered his father in a desperate, failed attempt to regain his noble status in Mary Geoise.
Rejected by his own kind, Doflamingo embraced a life of piracy alongside his loyal mentors, who helped him form the Donquixote Pirates. Over the years, he built a massive criminal empire under the alias “Joker,” ruling the kingdom of Dressrosa and becoming the most powerful broker in the Underworld.
In battle, Doflamingo wields the Ito Ito no Mi (String-String Fruit), a Paramecia-type power that allows him to generate and manipulate razor-sharp, nearly invisible strings.
He uses these to control others like puppets through his “Parasite” technique. He also stitches his own internal organs to heal wounds and even “flies” by attaching strings to clouds.
These terrifying powers eventually brought him into direct conflict with Monkey D. Luffy. While Doflamingo initially dismissed the Straw Hats as mere nuisances, they became his primary threat during the Dressrosa Arc after dismantling his SMILE fruit production and challenging his decade-long rule.
When does Doflamingo appear in One Piece?
So, exactly when does Doflamingo appear in One Piece?
In the anime series, Doflamingo makes his first appearance in One Piece episode 151 titled “The 100,000,000 Man! The World’s Highest Authority and the Pirate Blackbeard.”
In the manga, he first appears in volume 25, chapter 233 titled “The World’s Greatest Power.”
Doflamingo’s introduction occurs during the Jaya Arc, which acts as a bridge between the Alabasta and Sky Island sagas. While the main focus of the arc follows the Straw Hat Pirates as they search for a way to reach Sky Island, the narrative temporarily shifts to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
It is during this side-story that the audience is introduced to the terrifying power and influence of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, which included Doflamingo at the time.
In his One Piece anime episode debut, Doflamingo arrives to attend a summit of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The meeting was convened by Fleet Admiral Sengoku to discuss finding a replacement for Sir Crocodile, who had been defeated by Luffy and stripped of his title.
Doflamingo makes a grand entrance, immediately distinguishing himself from Bartholomew Kuma, the only other Warlord to attend.
Before the meeting officially starts, Doflamingo looks bored as he perches atop a table, using his fingers to manipulate two high-ranking Marine officers, Vice Admiral Mozambia and Vice Admiral Stainless.
He forces them to physically assault one another against their will, treating the seasoned soldiers like literal puppets for his own amusement.
When Doflamingo’s bounty was revealed to be 340,000,000 Berries during the summit, it was the highest bounty the audience had seen to date. Since Luffy had only just reached 100,000,000 Berries during that time, Doflamingo was positioned as an endgame-level threat in the One Piece universe.
The scene in the One Piece anime also featured the debut of the Five Elders and the Blackbeard Pirate Laffitte.
