One Piece: Who is Bogard? – Eiichiro Oda Needs to Revisit Manga’s Most Mysterious Character Who Has Become a Fan-Favorite
One Piece is notorious for its abundance of characters, with more than a thousand characters introduced in the story so far. As the story has numerous arcs, the character count complements them. While most fans are drawn to the main characters, some fan favorites receive less screen time. Characters like Akagami no Shanks, Monkey D. Dragon, and Monkey D. Garp rarely appear on screen, but they have a surprisingly dedicated fanbase. That being said, there are far more obscure characters who have earned a respectable cult following.
If there is one thing One Piece fans have learned so far, it’s to not write off a character immediately despite how irrelevant their presence might appear. One of the minor characters who is barely seen throughout the series is Bogard, the right-hand man of Garp. The suited-up Marine swordsman receives few on-screen appearances and even less dialogue. Bogard’s name and his association with Garp are all fans know about him, and even his rank in the Marines remains a mystery. Although there is no doubt that Bogard has the skills that warrant his position as the Vice Admiral, it still does not explain how and why is he so popular among fans.
Bogard’s Involvement In The Series So Far
Monkey D. Garp’s loyal right hand first makes an appearance 27 years before the main events of the One Piece narrative, where he accompanies Garp to a meeting with Kong, the formal Fleet Admiral of the Marines. As Garp, the Hero of the Marines, declines Kong’s offer to become an Admiral, Bogard’s presence during the meeting makes it apparent that he is privy to most of Garp’s important events. After this, Bogard makes an appearance in the Diary of Koby-Meppo cover story where he demonstrates his outstanding swordsmanship skills.
On the cover page of Chapter 99, titled “Obstruction of Bombardment Obstruction”, Bogard easily slices both of Koby’s guns. While this might not seem like an impressive feat since it was performed against a rookie Marine, it’s fair to say that it was a pleasant surprise to see his skills. The fact that it was placed at the beginning of the chapter partially explains Bogard’s rise to fame in the One Piece fandom.
Bogard makes another brief appearance at the end of the Enies Lobby Arc where he is seen berating Garp for not capturing the Straw Hat Pirates. Other than this, he has been largely absent from the series. This makes it strange that he has such a dedicated fanbase and a rather large following. It’s not like this has never happened before; characters like Akagami no Shanks and Monkey D. Dragon also have become disproportionally popular among fans, but they have enigmatic personalities that owe them such adoration from fans.
Will Bogard Show Up In The Series Again?
Unfortunately for fans, Bogard has not appeared in the One Piece manga or series for a decade. However, Bogard is finally prepared to make a return in the Egghead Island Arc, when Monkey D. Garp and other Marines launch a raid on Hachinosu to free Koby from the Blackbeard Pirates. While several major members of the Blackbeard Pirates are missing in this scene, the Ten Titanic Captains are still present, which finally gives Bogard a chance to show off his skills.
If Bogard was ever gonna make his reintroduction this’d be the perfect opportunity just sayin pic.twitter.com/ocG25fDXY0
— ⚡️ Soul ⚡️ (@Soul_StormOP) July 13, 2023
The One Piece manga largely evaded Bogard’s role in the Hochinosu raid, primarily because of the pace of the entire sequence. However, fans still have a chance to see Bogard in action since the anime has a tendency to stretch moments for the sake of runtime. Even someone as powerful as Garp requires support from his crew against the Blackbeard Pirates, and although Garp has Koby, Helmeppo, and other Marines to support him, a veteran presence like Bogard is indispensable.
