Monkey D. Luffy was the main protagonist of the One Piece series and the captain of the Straw Hat pirates. His innocence, courage, and insatiable appetite for adventure have made him a favorite in and out of the series' universe, as seen through the creation of the Grand Fleet.
However, Luffy's redeeming qualities are overshadowed by his poor judgment and recklessness. By identifying the instances where he has stepped well over the line, we can better gauge the hero's many flaws and the sometimes profound ways they put those he cares about most in grave danger.
10 Luffy Hit Vivi In Alabasta
When Vivi began acting hysterical over the heroes' current circumstances, Luffy's solution was bizarre. Instead of trying to calm and reassure his dear friend, he struck her to the ground.
This was much to the alarm of the other Straw Hats and particularly Sanji. Fortunately, it did not have a lasting impact on their friendship, and the kingdom remained reliable comrades to the pirates well after they set sail for their next destination at Sky Island.
9 Luffy Fought Crocodile Twice Without Having A Solid Plan
Luffy was completely unprepared for two out of three of the fights he had with Warlord Crocodile. The first battle was completely disastrous since the hero failed to consider how to circumvent his opponent's Logia fruit without armament haki. He would have died immediately if not for the aid of an unlikely savior.
The third fight would have been a disaster if Crocodile touched Luffy first, since the only liquid he had was the blood on his knuckles. In both instances, Luffy's willingness to plunge into danger without a plan almost cost him his life.
8 Luffy Let Bellamy Beat Him To A Pulp In Mock Town
When Bellamy first encountered Luffy, he gleefully mocked his dream of finding Sky Island. Eventually, his jeers were accompanied by beatings, and it wasn't long before the bar's patrons joined in.
Despite being significantly stronger than the ruffians, Luffy ordered Zoro to stand down and take their lumps. If Blackbeard realized who they were earlier, his crew could have collected on their bounties since they were too battered to fight back. Luffy's restraint was especially bizarre since he's never denied a fight for the sake of his ideals in the past.
7 Luffy Fought Zoro At Whiskey Peak Due To A Simple Misunderstanding
After waking up from a drunken stupor, Luffy saw Zoro cutting down hundreds of Whiskey Peak's denizens. For some inexplicable reason, he assumed that the swordsman had simply gone insane rather than the possibility that his hosts intended to capture them. Without bothering to ask for context, he then plunged into the fray.
The first mate and captain battled amidst a sea of enemies, two of whom were powerful Baroque Works agents. Should they not have drastically overshadowed their adversaries in skill, the Straw Hats' journey may have come to a premature end on account of Luffy's poor judgment.
6 Luffy Wanted To Fight Usopp Rather Than Reason With Him
Haunted by the prospect of losing the Going Merry and how it might reflect his own irrelevance, Usopp challenged Luffy for the rights to the ship. Instead of trying to reason with the sniper or analyze his underlying insecurity, Luffy simply agreed to fight.
This was irresponsible for two reasons. Not only did both fighters know that Usopp was seriously outclassed, he was already injured from a failed battle against the Franky Family. When he arrived for the showdown, he was already heavily bandaged.
5 Luffy Charged Magellan Without A Plan To Defeat Him
When Luffy arrived at Impel Down to save Ace, he was confronted by Warden Magellan. Assuming he could improvise a way to overcome the villain's body just as he had with Crocodile, Luffy raced forward, heedless of the brute's noxious venoms.
Predictably, the fight ended in disaster. Not only did it force Bon Clay to retrieve Luffy from the lower levels of the prison, but Ivankov's hormone treatments also reduced his lifespan by several years. Based on Luffy's subsequent actions, he did not learn much from his mistake.
4 Luffy Tried To Attack Aokiji Rather Than Run From Him
When Aokiji arrived to collect Nico Robin, Luffy immediately attacked him. This was in spite of the fact that he was a known marine admiral, making him one of the World Government's most powerful minions.
Outclassed due to lacking both experience and armament haki, Luffy's failure was as inevitable as it was brutal. Were it not for Chopper's extensive medical expertise, he would have frozen to death before reaching Water Seven.
3 Luffy Needlessly Challenged Foxy
When the Straw Hats encountered the Foxy Pirates for the first time, they were promptly challenged to a Davy Back Fight. Luffy immediately agreed without understanding the rules, which put his crewmates at risk of being poached.
His ignorance was baffling for a number of reasons. Not only did Luffy fail to gain anything in return (as he wasn't interested in recruiting Foxy's belligerent and aloof underlings), he repeatedly agreed to challenges even after recovering his friends. His consent to the games was particularly infuriating given that Foxy and his people cheated in almost every round.
2 Luffy Played A Role In Stealing Franky's Pants
After the incident at Enies Lobby, Franky became a fugitive of the World Government. However, both Luffy and Franky's family understood that he didn't want to leave Water Seven on account of his pride.
Therefore, they hatched a plan so that he would be compelled to speak with Luffy about joining the crew. The family stole Franky's only pair of underwear, forcing him to chase them downtown in a display that shocked and horrified hundreds of innocent people. Despite being a profane and potentially traumatizing trick, Franky was fortunately still willing to join the crew.
1 Luffy's Decision To Punch Charloss Changed The Entire World
As a World Noble, Charloss presumed that no one was bold enough to touch him. This enabled his god complex, one that Luffy wouldn't tolerate when their paths inevitably crossed.
Although punching Charloss was irrefutably justified, it put Luffy's entire crew at risk and altered the trajectory of the entire world. If Kuma hadn't secretly still been empathetic to pirates (a consideration that was impossible to anticipate), Kizaru would have arrested everyone, and they would soon join Ace at the gallows of Marineford.