One Piece's 20+ history has already given way to dozens upon dozens of characters. However, its boundless sea almost ensures that there's always going to be a new fish. The series is currently undergoing one of its most long-awaited and exciting arcs, and it's already provided plenty of new faces for fans to fawn over.
However, the talk of the town within recent weeks has been none other than Kaido's own heir, Yamato. Almost sweating pure interest, Yamato has been able garner a near devoted love from the One Piece community despite having only appeared in a couple of chapters. This list will be looking at that time and breaking down exactly why Yamato has become so beloved.
10 Character Design
Yamato was able to impress early on and didn't even need a single word to do so. A lot of that has to do with the immediate appeal of his character design. Modeled after Kozuki Oden, Yamato boasts similar garments and large ropes that his hero did. On top of that, he appeared on the scene boasting a mighty kanabo club, very similar to his father's, as well as a striking hannya mask which immediately intrigued fans everywhere.
Beneath that mask is a soft face with glimmering, adventurous eyes, long hair, and the iconic longhorns that are worn by everyone within Kaido's company. With Kaido's own touch of some chains, everything about Yamato screams a greater story for fans to look forward to.
9 Banter With Luffy
While Yamato's look is already plenty interesting, the voice behind it has managed to entertain fans as well. Despite having plenty of rivals across the Grand Line, Monkey D. Luffy rarely has a biting rapport with anyone, save for Eustass Kid who can get under anyone's skin.
Yamato's unilateral move to save Luffy and own competitive streak to save Wano by his own hand have already developed a strained relationship between the two, one that has generated some of the most fun dialogue that fans have seen out of the series for a while. If Yamato can continue to have this special relationship with Luffy (especially if a few fan theories are to be trusted), then fans certainly wouldn't mind seeing his face for a long time.
8 Love Of Oden
Much like Yamato, Kozuki Oden was able to garner plenty of the fans' love and admiration from day one. Because of his cavalier attitude, surprising open-mindedness, and honorable morals, Oden developed a strong following deserving of an heir to Wano and especially as an ex-member of the Whitebeard and Roger Pirates.
Since his debut, fans have adored his entire look and history, disappointed only by the fact that his run in the series was so short. However, that disappointment wouldn't have to last long as Eiichiro Oda would help reciprocate those feelings by adding in an Oden Fanboy of his own. Characters like Boa Hancock and Bartolomeo are already beloved for being as huge fans of the series as everyone else, and someone like Yamato can only help stoke the flames.
7 Gender Identity
Yamato may be known as "Kaido's Son" but is biologically a girl. However, what has attracted so much attention from the community is the respectful and casual approach the series has taken with this story. Yamato was so inspired to be like Kozuki Oden that he sought too, to identify as a man.
This character choice has been taken with open arms by the members of Kaido's crew, with nary a person shown in the series that has identified him as otherwise. Anime as a whole has struggled to respectfully represent the transgender community, with One Piece being one of the most striking offenders. With a transgender character like Yamato at the front, fans are excited about some change.
6 Strength
And one of the best ways to represent that type of character is to portray them with some semblance of nuance and, especially, strength. Yamato, in particular, is certainly no stranger to strength. The acting son of one of the Four Emperors, Yamato was essentially guaranteed to have some innate talent and power behind his genes.
With the added benefit of being raised in Wano and the misfortune of a life of hardship, Yamato is already bound to be one of the series' strongest. Given that the plot to take down Kaido only thickens with every chapter, fans are already excited for what fights and action to expect from Yamato.
5 Goals
No good character is written without a goal, and One Piece is a fine practitioner of giving nearly every one of its characters some motivation to keep moving forward. In Yamato's case, fans didn't have to wait too long before learning his wish. Wano has suffered a lot because of its isolationist policies.
This policy was initially used to protect its people and preserve its ideologies but is now enforced as a weapon to oppress its people. With the need to open its borders only growing by the day, one of the greatest things that Yamato has inherited from Kozuki Oden is the want to expose Wano to the outside world. With that sense of freedom and duty in tow, Yamato is easily one of the most admirable characters of the Wano Arc.
4 History With Ace
A lot of One Piece characters have come and gone; but if there's one person that the series loves to bring back time and again, even as just a memory, it's Portgas D. Ace. His run in the series may have been minimal, but it was packed with enough intrigue and heartwarming moments to keep him at the top of character polls for years to come.
His legacy has spread to some parts of the current story, with every mention only tantalizing the fans' imaginations even more. That's why when Yamato began hollering his name and saying that Luffy seemed a lot like him fans already knew that he was a pretty good guy. As fans wait to see what the nature of his history entails, Yamato is already being bolstered by just the proximity to Ace's name.
3 Family History
While history with Ace is already plenty tantalizing, fans are possibly even more excited to learn what Yamato's life was like under a father like the King of Beasts. Fans don't necessarily love this fact as much as they're going to love the story that built it.
It's already intriguing enough that Yamato loves Oden more than his own father, but there's still plenty more being teased with Yamato's chains, years of abuse, and the fact that Kaido still wants him to take over Wano.
2 Potential To Be Wano's Shogun
With that being said, becoming Wano's shogun isn't half bad of a path for Yamato. Having inherited the ideals of goals of Kozuki Oden, Yamato would enforce the same policies that Oden was going to before his untimely death, namely the mission to open up Wano's borders.
Fans already know that Lord Orochi is out of the seat and now eagerly await for Kaido to be pushed out, too. As fun as those defeats may be, it leaves Wano wanting for a reliable leader. With a character like Yamato willing to carry on Oden's legacy, it's hard not to think of him as a top candidate.
1 Potential To Be A Straw Hat
As much as fans would love to see Yamato preside over Wano, there has been even louder talk of him joining the Straw Hats. The banter with Luffy alone is sure to make future chapters much more diverse and fun, and fans have long-awaited for a new Straw Hat to be announced - Jinbe was announced years ago, so he doesn't count.
Thematically speaking, this would put Yamato on the same path as his hero and open him up to an entire world that he's never seen. This would also help bolster the Straw Hat dynamics with even more wackiness and strong characters. With candidates for the final seat increasing by the day, Yamato is already seeing himself at the front of the line.