One Piece’s Final Saga is unraveling a lot of the secrets about the past and Imu’s role in it. Imu is the secret ruler of the world who sits on the Empty Throne, which is considered taboo in the world. The Empty Throne symbolizes the official declaration that the world has no single, supreme ruler and that there is equality among the twenty kingdoms that founded the World Government. While the story hasn’t specifically pointed this out, Imu is believed to be someone who has been occupying the Throne for at least 800 years, since the Void Century. The Egghead Incident Arc highlighted a connected between them and the first Joyboy.
Additionally, the ongoing Elbaf Arc is slowly unraveling their powers, including their abilities to control the minds of their targets. They were able to remotely kill one of the Five Elders without even lifting a finger. Imu’s terror continues in Elbaf as they can not only control their targets but also significantly enhance their abilities. Imu is also widely believed to be the final antagonist of One Pieceand for good reasons. Much about this entity is still unknown, but that’s what makes them so intriguing to fans. In May 2025, the official X handle of One Piece announced a life-sized Imu plush, and it was finally released on June 24th, 2025.
One Piece Creator Also Has the Series’ Most Hilarious Merch
One Piece has only revealed Imu’s silhouette, but that didn’t stop the series from commercializing the villain. Everything about Imu’s identity is kept a mystery, even to the point that Toei Animation didn’t credit their voice actor, so fans won’t be confused about their gender. Imu has a gender-neutral voice, which shows that the anime has gone through great lengths to keep everything about them hidden from fans.
The official life-sized plush toy of Imu brings their 92 cm tall silhouette to life as they hold Luffy’s wanted poster. Because of its unique design, it immediately became popular in Japan as Western fans await a global release date. In every WSJ chapter, the authors add a special note for fans, which is always shared by Viz in its Mangaka Musings section. Along with Chapter 1153, Eiichiro Oda shared, “I received an Imu figure. Hilarious. There’s gonna be a plushie too. Imu is being toyed with!” Beyond Oda’s impressions, users quickly took to social media with their new prized Imu hauls, poking fun at the disarmingly cute plushes for the nefarious One Piece villain.
Oda jokes about Imu being toyed with, as a metaphor of how the Japanese fans are posting the latest merch in different places. The eccentric design gave fans enough reason to create hilarious memes about the supposedly dangerous villain. While the Elbaf Arc is focusing on Harald’s backstory for now, the story will soon resume the fight against the Holy Knights. We may learn more about this mysterious villain who currently has complete control over Gunko’s mind and body, giving her unprecedented powers as she wreaks havoc in the beautiful kingdom of the Giants. Luffy will also join the fight once the flashback ends, and it will be his first encounter with the series’ most dangerous character.
H/T: BSP-Prize, Viz Mangaka Musings
