Charlotte “Big Mom” Linlin is a name that One Piece fans have come to fear and revere in equal measure. One of the legendary Four Emperors that rule the New World, Big Mom is one of the deadliest enemies Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have ever encountered.
The Straw Hat’s epic feud with Big Mom is one of One Piece‘s best overarching storylines, and it’s finally come to its fateful conclusion in the most recent episodes of the series’ anime. With the Wano Arc all wrapped up, one of the biggest questions on One Piece fans’ minds is whether or not Big Mom is still alive.
What Happens to Big Mom in One Piece?
Many Straw Hats’ enemies have lofty aspirations, but few have dared to dream bigger than Big Mom. After persuing the Straw Hats to Wano Country, Big Mom allied with her fellow Emperor and former Rock Pirate crewmate Kaido. Uniting their crews into a terrifying army, the two Emperors plotted to annihilate their enemies, topple the World Government, and rule unopposed.
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During Luffy’s gorgeously drawn-and-animated showdown with Kaido, Big Mom faced off against two of the Straw Hats’ greatest allies: Trafalgar D. Law and Eustass Kidd. The battle that followed was as fierce as Luffy’s duel with the captain of the Beast Pirates, with Big Mom holding a clear advantage throughout most of it. However, in the end, Law and Kidd managed to use a clever combination of their Devil Fruit powers to send the Emperor plunging into the depths of a live volcano.
After Big Mom’s defeat, Luffy finished his bout with Kaido by chucking his foe into the same molten abyss that Big Mom fell into. The sheer force of Luffy’s finishing move triggered a continental volcanic eruption that seemingly consumed what was left of Big Mom and Kaido’s unmoving bodies.
Is Big Mom Dead?
I’ve been reading (and watching) One Piece for a long time, and I’ve learned that you should never write off a character as dead until their passing has been officially confirmed. When Portgas D. Ace and Whitebeard met their tragic fates during the Marineford arc, it was immediately confirmed that they had, without a doubt, passed. Until there is some in-universe confirmation that Big Mom has kicked the big bucket, I can’t say with confidence that she’s gone for good.
One of the biggest reasons Big Mom may be alive is her god-like resistance. Thanks to her Giant heritage and the power granted to her by the Soul-Soul Fruit, Big Mom is one of the most durable beings in the world of One Piece. While Fleet Admiral Sakazuki has proven on multiple occasions that magma is very good at ending Devil Fruit users, Big Mom’s sheer vitality may have allowed her to cling to a single spark of life.
However, while there is reason to believe that Big Mom may be alive, it’s safe to assume that she won’t give the Straw Hats or the inhabitants of the many islands she ruled over any more trouble. With Luffy and Buggy having officially claimed her and Kaido’s titles and her body more than charred beyond recovery by the fires below Wano, Big Mom’s pirate career has probably ended.
