One Piece: 4 reasons why Yamato is a man (and 4 reasons why readers are confused)

One Piece fans should follow Luffy's example and refer to Yamato by his preferred gender pronouns.

Yamato's gender is arguably the most controversial aspect of the character and understandably, some fans are sick and tired of this nonsensical debate. Regardless, this is a very important topic to discuss, since many LGBTQ fans look up to Yamato. Misgendering is a very sensitive issue that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Before going any further, this article will contain manga spoilers, since they will be highly relevant in this discussion.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.

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Here are reasons why One Piece fans should refer to Yamato with masculine pronouns

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4) He now refers to himself as "Kaido's son"

During the events of One Piece Chapter 1054, Ryokugyu starts attacking the Red Scabbards. The Admiral declares that he will kill anybody that gets between him and Luffy. However, Yamato was disgusted by his prejudiced remarks and hits Ryokugyu with his club.

Yamato then introduces himself with a very specific title. Here is what he said in the official Viz Media translation:

"I'm Yamato, the son of Kaido!!"

This remark is significant for one particular reason. Yamato is not calling himself Kozuki Oden in this scene. Instead, he is the son of Kaido, yet he still uses masculine pronouns when referring to himself as such. Whether he is Yamato or Oden, their preferred gender has been made very clear.

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3) Yamato went to the men's bathouse

Readers may remember this infamous scene back in One Piece Chapter 1052. A week after Kaido was defeated, the alliance celebrated their victory in the bathouses. However, there weren't any shared baths, meaning that men and women had to use separate ones for themselves.

Yamato chose to go into the men's bathhouse, which directly contrasts with Kikunojo going into the women's. This is a very strong indication that Oda respects their gender identities, since Kiku is undeniably a trans character.

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2) Official translations use "he" and "him" when referring to Yamato

One Piece is a Japanese series written by Eiichiro Oda. Of course, it still reaches a wider audience through English translations.

Viz Media and Funimation are the companies responsible for translating manga and anime. For reasons that will be explained later, they all refer to Yamato with masculine pronouns. This is a decision they have stood by for a while now, and that won't change anytime soon.

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1) Yamato's friends and enemies also use masculine pronouns

One Piece has been very consistent in this regard. Whether it's Luffy or Kaido, many characters have referred to Yamato by using male pronouns. Kaido even called Yamato his own son multiple times.

Luffy also refers to Yamato by the nickname "Yama-o." When written out in Japanese kanji, the last symbol refers to the word "man." Official translations use the word "Yama-guy" to get that point across.

If the Straw Hat can respect Yamato's wishes to be a man, then One Piece fans should follow by example.

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Some One Piece fans are conflicted about Yamato's gender for the following reasons

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4) Yamato is biologically female

Let it be known that s*x and gender have different but relevant meanings. The former refers to physical characteristics between men and women. Meanwhile, the latter refers to societal concepts regarding males and females.

Yamato doesn't have a traditional male body, that much is true. Regardless, he still identifies himself as a man, because that is what he corresponds with. Yamato wants to be male because Kozuki Oden was male.

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3) He used to be known as the "Oni Princess"

20 years before the main storyline, Yamato was given the nickname "Oni Princess." It's not uncommon for some fans to refer to him as such.

However, during the flashback sequence in One Piece Chapter 1024, Yamato rejects the "Oni Princess" name and states that he is Kozuki Oden. Remember, this was shortly after Oden's execution. Yamato was still in the process of adopting his identity, including his gender.

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2) Yamato was introduced as "Kaido's daughter"

When Yamato finally revealed himself in One Piece Chapter 984, his introductory box listed him as "Kaido's daughter." Even more confusingly, he stated that he was Kozuki Oden, so there is a lack of consistency here.

With that said, Yamato now refers to himself as "Kaido's son", particularly in the latest chapter. The introductory box is completely irrelevant at this point. Again, the Beasts Pirates have always referred to Yamato by his favored pronouns.

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1) The Vivre card lists Yamato as "female"

Vivre cards, also known as One Piece visual dictionaries, are used to provide more detailed info about specific characters. The Yamato gender debate took a sharp turn last year when the Vivre card listed him as "female."

Keep in mind that Kiku is listed as a transgender character in their Vivre card. Some detractors argue that Yamato should've been given a similar description, otherwise they cannot be considered transgender.

Despite these discrepancies, there is still reason to believe that Yamato should be referred to by male pronouns. All the official English translations follow this example. Several important characters also prefer to use these terms. The canon sources hold far more weight than supplementary materials.

Vivre cards can also be erroneous at times, such as when it mistakenly said Yasuie never ate a SMILE fruit. However, that was proven false in One Piece Chapter 1050, where a flashback showed him eating one.

At the end of the day, Yamato's gender shouldn't be such a big issue. One Piece fans need to remember Bon Clay's legendary quote, "Whether or not someone chooses to be male or female, they can never stray from the path of being humans". That should be the main takeaway here.

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