Most Fascinating Joy Boy Theories in One Piece

Joy Boy was an extremely relevant figure that contributed much to the events that occurred 800 years back and acts as a linchpin regarding understanding the Void Century.

He was first mentioned during the Fishmen arc when Robin read about Joy Boy and his connection to the Fishman Island on a poneglyph.

Joy Boy had a close relation to the Merfolk and was a friend to the Mermaid Princess, i.e., Poseidon, of that time. He played a part in Noah’s creation and promised Poseidon to bring the Merfolk back to land.

However, due to uncertain reasons, he could not keep his promise and regretted it his whole life.

What kept Joy Boy relevant this whole time is that he’s the one who left behind the One Piece on Laugh Tale.

Undoubtedly, his existence is one of utmost importance in unraveling what happened during the Void Century. While there’s barely anything we know about him, the theories make up for it.

1. Joy Boy’s Will is the Will of “D”

Joyboy is a man from the Void Century dating back to at least 800 years and is inextricably linked to the Ancient Kingdom. The fact that his poneglyph was found at the Fishman Island solidifies this fact.

Furthermore, it is speculated that not only was Joy Boy from the Ancient Kingdom, but he was also the king and a (founding) member of the “D” Clan.

Besides his origins, Joy Boy’s actions are what garners the most attention. Before the destruction of the Ancient Kingdom, his last action was to relay his apologies to the Mermaid Princess for failing to fulfill his promise.

The promise he made was to guide “Poseidon” along the right path leading the world to great change. Joy Boy planned to carry the Merfolk to the surface to live side by side with the humans and putting a stop to slavery.

Despite his failure, Joy Boy left this duty to someone else in his stead, and who this someone else is is pretty apparent by this point.

If we take Joy Boy’s actions as a member of the “D” Clan and compare them to Luffy’s, they are eerily similar, and maybe for a good reason.

To conclude, this theory states that Joy Boy’s will is the will of the “D” in itself. Luffy is the inheritor of this will, making it so that Luffy’s promise is Joy Boy’s promise, i.e., to take Poseidon, aka Shirahoshi and the fishmen, to the outside world to stand as equals with the humans.

This theory is most likely wrong in the aspect that Luffy bearsJoy Boy’s will since it has been stated several times that he carries Gol D. Roger’s will.

2. Joy Boy is A Title Rather Than A Name

After Joy Boy’s first mention in the series, it was largely assumed that it was the name of a person that existed during the Void Century, which might be true. However, a theory that has gained traction recently seems to be gaining a lot of supporters.

Joy Boy is a title rather than the name of a single person; more specifically, it is an alias for the “D” Clan. The reason for this lies in two critical incidents.

When Gold D. Roger was being executed; he smiled. Similarly, when Luffy thought he was going to be killed on that same platform, he too flashed a large grin.

The carriers of the will of the “D” Clan keep laughing even on the brink of death, thus giving them the title or alias of “Joy Boy.”

3. Joy Boy Reincarnation Theory

Although Joy Boy existed about 800-900 years before the current storyline of One Piece, he’s eventually bound to return.

In Oden’s flashback, it was mentioned that Joy Boy would come to Wano and shake the world by its foundation.

As guessed by many, that time is now, and the implication is that Joy Boy has already been reborn somewhere in the world. There are a few candidates who fit in this timeframe, and the main one is Luffy.

This theory is also most probably false, mainly because, according to Oden, Joy Boy was supposed to come to Wano after its gates were open to the world.

Right now, Luffy is already in Wano and is actively trying to defeat Kaido and doing what is supposed to be done before Joy Boy arrives.

4. Joy Boy is Based on the Javanese King Joyoboyo

Oda has often used myths and real-life historical events in One Piece, be it for names or its plot. One theory finds likely evidence that proves that Joy Boy’s name was inspired and based on the Javanese King Joyoboyo from 870+ years ago.

Joyoboyo was the king of an island in Indonesia called Java, whose golden age was between 1130 AD and 1160 AD, i.e., 800-900 years ago. This itself forms parallels to One Piece’s Void Century that occurred 800 years back.

Now, Joyoboyo was known for prophesizing the downfall of his kingdom by the hands of foreigners and predicting a time period where it would become glorious again.

After their invasion, the kingdom of Java left three epigraphs that talked about a great war between the Pandavs and Kauravas from the Hindu mythology, Mahabharata.

This is very similar to the poneglyphs used by the Great Kingdom to pass down vital information before their downfall.

If we assume that Joy Boy was based on Joyoboyo, then we can infer two things from this. The first is that Joy boy was most probably the king of the Great Kingdom.

He prophesied its defeat at the Ancient Alliance’s hands and asked the Kozuki clan to build and inscribe poneglyphs.

The second thing we can infer is tied in with another thing that Joyoboyo prophesied. According to the king, Ratu Adil, i.e., someone who will establish universal peace and justice would appear soon.

If we go by this, either the Revolutionaries or Luffy might be the Ratu Adil of One Piece, i.e., someone who will unify the world.

While this theory is not perfect, it makes a lot of sense. Perhaps, Oda has indeed taken inspiration from this historical event, and the mystery behind Joy Boy is one step closer to being unveiled.

5. About One Piece

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997, and has been collected into 95 tankōbon volumes.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were, “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.”

These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!

Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece.

With his diverse crew joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.