The "Silhouette Piece" controversy brings deeper One Piece fandom issues to light

One Piece Elbaph arc (presumably the final arc) was supposed to unveil mysteries and uncover the truths behind the silhouettes showcased throughout the series. However, the complete opposite seems to be happening, with chapter 1132's spoilers also hinting at the appearance of a mysterious silhouette in the forests near Loki.

Even though a big part of the fandom loves to theorize about the mysteries, including the silhouettes, some might have given up, leading to the series getting titled the 'Silhouette Piece.' Moreover, the one at fault here might be the series itself, as it prolongs the silhouette reveals (and adds more of them to top it off).

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece manga series and has the author's opinion.

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One Piece: Why silhouettes are blinding the mystery instead of establishing it

One Piece chapter 1132 spoilers ended with the reveal of a mysterious silhouette walking through the forests of Elbaph. The key details about this silhouette were that it wore a Wanokuni hat and had long hair.

Although these details confirmed that the silhouette might be Shiki The Golden Lion, nothing can be said for sure because official confirmation hasn't arrived yet. While another silhouette has been added to the present collection of unknown characters, there is no telling what the author could be planning for the future of the series.

The silhouette at Elbaf (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

Elbaph arc, considered a part of the final part of One Piece, was supposed to unveil mysteries, not load the fans with heaps of more silhouettes. This could have led to the overall mysteries now getting clouded.

The series' theories are constructed by adding different elements (some confirmed and some speculative), which are considered hypothetical, not predictions of the future. However, with the series continuously loading the quota of silhouettes, the mystery element is becoming fogged, and Eiichiro Oda's trademark narrative style might seem flawed.

Loki's silhouette as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Moreover, the reveal of these silhouettes isn't any better because Loki's true appearance doesn't match his silhouette (just like Kaido), leading to the fandom thinking that there could be more to Loki's silhouette.

The God Knights, the man who called out the Straw Hat Pirates from Elbaf, the real face of Rocks D Xebec: all of these silhouettes are making things confusing rather than building a narrative for a future reveal. Due to this, part of the fandom has titled the 'Silhouette Piece' series and is more eager to know what the silhouettes hold, rather than theorizing who they might be.

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Analysis and final thoughts

The number of shadows has increased recently, which is why the fans, who theorize about every little detail, took to the internet and vent their frustration.

Be it the newly added silhouettes or the ones that needed an immediate reveal (the ones from the Void Century), it seems like Eiichiro Oda might be scared to unveil the silhouettes, meaning that they might hold some crucial secrets to the entire lore.

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Related Links

• One Piece chapter 1132 spoilers
• One Piece chapter 1132 confirms manga's early December release
• One Piece teases a major threat in latest spoilers, and it's not Loki