Is Conqueror’s Haki hereditary in One Piece?

In recent chapters, Conqueror’s Haki has consistently been shown to be one of the most important abilities in One Piece. It’s quite literally the tool with which Luffy will bring down Kaido, as well as what allowed Zoro to triumph over the supposedly invincible King.

Yet, for something with such an integral role in One Piece so far and the series’ future, not much is known about Conqueror’s Haki. The little fans know of the ability is because it’s a unique power that only arises in one in several million people.

Silvers Rayleigh has also confirmed that Conqueror’s Haki cannot be achieved through training.

One major question fans still have regarding the power is whether or not Conqueror’s Haki is hereditary in One Piece.

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One Piece fans curious whether or not Conqueror’s Haki is hereditary

Supporting evidence

When it comes to the arguments for the hereditary claim, two main parental relationships support the theory. These two are Kaido and Yamato, as well as Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Ace.

Both Kaido and Yamato have been confirmed to use Conqueror’s Haki in the main story. When the two clashed on the Skull Dome rooftop on Onigashima, black lightning indicative of Conqueror’s Haki was seen.

Not only that, but the two also both have Advanced Conqueror’s Haki. While this could be coincidental, it certainly can also be interpreted as evidence for Conqueror’s Haki hereditary attainment.

Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Ace are the other parental relationship that provides evidence for the theory. Roger was one of the strongest Conqueror’s Haki users seen yet in the story, able to match Whitebeard and overpower Oden through its use.

Portgas D. Ace is only seen using Conqueror’s Haki as a child but still possesses the ability.

Furthermore, whereas Roger was shown to use Advanced Conqueror’s Haki, Ace didn’t unlock the ability before his death. While this isn’t necessarily a flaw in the evidence, it raises some questions, even if only how hereditary Conqueror’s Haki truly is.

Ivankov (left) and Garp (right) seem to imply that Luffy’s father Dragon also has Conqueror’s Haki in One Piece (Image via Sportskeeda)

While it’s unconfirmed if Luffy’s parents have Conqueror’s Haki, Ivankov and Garp both seem to imply so in the One Piece manga. The latter says that Luffy was indeed born with the power as he suspected.

When Conqueror’s Haki appears in only one of several million people, one must have some pretty substantial evidence to guess their grandchild possesses the power.

Ivankov also contributes to this, saying the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when discussing Luffy’s Conqueror’s Haki. He even says Dragon’s name here as if speaking to him, further suggesting Dragon can also use Conqueror’s Haki.

Again, this is unconfirmed, but One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has a history of leaving crumbs that are eventually expanded upon.

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Disputing evidence

The primary disputing evidence here is a general lack of information on Conqueror’s Haki in One Piece so far. In general, little is known about it, so nearly any pattern can be pointed to and identified as a rule.

While not necessarily a geuine rebuttal to the argument, it is still an important point.

As for genuine evidence against the theory, the single biggest is likely Donquixote Doflamingo and Rosinante (better known as Corazon). While Doffy certainly did awaken his Conqueror’s Haki as a child, there’s no evidence for any of his ancestors having the ability.

Donquixote Homing, the boys’ father, also showed no signs of any Haki skill, let alone Conqueror’s.

While one can argue, Rosinante was not as impassioned as Doflamingo and didn’t Awaken his Conqueror’s Haki. As a result, this isn’t exactly true.

Rosinante is shown to be highly passionate during his time spent with Law as the two looked for a cure for Law’s disease. Rosinante may not have held the same hatred Doflamingo did but certainly was impassioned and could follow his ideals.

As a result, it doesn’t make sense for Doflamingo to possess and awaken his Conqueror’s Haki, but for Rosinante not to. While there certainly are some rules or lore which could remedy this inconsistency, these are all still speculation as of this writing.

As a result, Doflamingo and Rosinante’s inconsistencies when it comes to Conqueror’s Haki are a major piece of evidence against the claim.

Zoro’s recent awakening of Conqueror’s Haki also proves problematic for the theory. Even when his backstory was expanded upon in the Wano arc, his parentage is still a complete and utterly unknown.

Had Oda intended for Conqueror’s Haki to be genetic, it would’ve made sense to introduce Zoro’s parents in the same flashback as Shimotsuki Kozaburo.

The same can be applied to other users with unknown or indistinct parentage, such as Big Mom, Kaido, Whitebeard, and Roger. If Conqueror’s Haki is indeed hereditary, then lore expansions must be made upon the origins of all of the characters above as well as others.

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In summation

Unfortunately, the answer to whether or not Conqueror’s Haki is hereditary in One Piece is still unclear. While a lack of supporting evidence and inconsistencies with the supporting evidence throughout the story would suggest a lack of hereditary relevance, this is still speculation.

The major evidence for the claim is seen in Garp and Ivankov’s reactions to Luffy’s Conqueror’s Haki during One Piece’s Marineford arc. Unfortunately, the other circumstantial evidence can be considered coincidental or otherwise up to interpretation.

Be sure to keep up with all significant One Piece theory, anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2022 progresses.