One Piece is one of the longest-running anime series around, airing over 1000 episodes chronicling the exploits of Monkey D. Luffy as he aspires to become the Pirate King. Luffy believes this to be the ultimate achievement, one which would grant any individual the greatest freedom and ability to roam the world as he should choose, but yet he rejects the notion of this meaning he has to rule any given person despite such a title. With this ambition and worldview, he has gained notable crewmates and allies, but to see his goals through, he and his allies have paid drastically, namely in the case of Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s sworn brother, who underwent the ultimate sacrifice in the series. Read on for our coverage of When Ace Died in One Piece, and Why.
In What Episode of One Piece does Ace Die?
Ace dies in the events of episodes 482 and 483 of One Piece, during the Marineford Arc, viciously defeated by the far stronger Admiral Akainu of the Marines. As the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, he was part of the effort by Whitebeard to destroy Marineford, the Marine base, and fought Akainu to defend his honor, despite warnings from his comrades. However, he was quickly overpowered, and Luffy, who was too injured and thus helpless to watch, was ultimately protected by Ace in his final moments, taking a devastating punch through his chest, his internal organs ravaged by trauma and fire. In the end, Ace died so Luffy could carry on. He takes the killing blow on 482 and passes away in 483.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crrv35QaMHA
Ace’s Death, Explained
In some ways, Ace’s death was a natural conclusion to his character arc, somebody who questioned his purpose in his dying moments, but ultimately died in the arms of his sworn younger brother he protected, proving he had a place in the plot. Additionally, this catalyzes Luffy to train and become stronger to protect his allies, leading into a 2-year timeskip which essentially starts Part 2 of the series. It’s a common trope for anime series to kill off a major character to motivate protagonists (think Naruto, for example) but it proved effective in this case, as Luffy was galvanized by his ambitions and saw the price one must pay if they’re not ready yet.
This concludes our coverage on When Ace Died in One Piece, and Why.  Be sure to check out our entertainment and anime columns for more stories like this!
