Sommaire
- — Kizaru, whose real name is Borsalino, is one of the most fascinating characters in One Piece. A Marine Admiral and user of the Pika Pika no Mi, he embodies a troubling contradiction: absolute nonchalance on the surface, devastating power in reality. Since his appearance in the Sabaody arc (chapters 504–510), this character has never stopped intriguing fans—and the Egghead arc has completely changed our understanding of this singular admiral. To understand the admirals’ hierarchy as a whole, start with our complete guide to the Marines and the World Government. For context on the revelations about the Gorosei, also read our analysis of the Five Elders. Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.
- The Pika Pika no Mi — the absolute power of light
- Kizaru's Philosophy: Laziness or Calculation?
- Kizaru's Memorable Fights
- Kizaru at Egghead: The Character's Turning Point
- Frequently asked questions
Table of Contents
— Kizaru, whose real name is Borsalino, is one of the most fascinating characters in One Piece. A Marine Admiral and user of the Pika Pika no Mi, he embodies a troubling contradiction: absolute nonchalance on the surface, devastating power in reality. Since his appearance in the Sabaody arc (chapters 504–510), this character has never stopped intriguing fans—and the Egghead arc has completely changed our understanding of this singular admiral. To understand the admirals’ hierarchy as a whole, start with our complete guide to the Marines and the World Government. For context on the revelations about the Gorosei, also read our analysis of the Five Elders. Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.
Borsalino: The Admiral with Deceptive Nonchalance
Origins and Position in the Marines
Design and Visual Inspirations
Kizaru's design is directly inspired by Japanese actor Yutaka Takenouchi, as Oda confirmed in the SBS. His slender figure, Marine coat, golden glasses, and perpetually languid expression form an immediately recognizable whole. His color palette — golden yellow for the light, white for the uniform — is consistent with his Devil Fruit. What visually distinguishes Kizaru in combat is the light: each of his movements is accompanied by golden flashes. He literally moves at the speed of light, creating spectacular visual effects in the manga and anime — but he simply shrugs. For a fascinating comparison with another major rival from this universe, read our article on Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman.
The Pika Pika no Mi — the absolute power of light
A top-tier Logia Devil Fruit
The Pika Pika no Mi is a Logia fruit that allows Kizaru to transform into light, create it, and control it. In terms of Devil Fruit hierarchy, a Logia is theoretically one of the most powerful types — and the Pika Pika no Mi is, according to nearly the entire analytical community, the most powerful Logia fruit in the One Piece universe, surpassing even Ace's Mera Mera no Mi or Enel's Goro Goro no Mi. For a complete overview of Devil Fruits, see our complete guide to Devil Fruits and Haki. The reason for this superiority is physical: light travels at 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. In One Piece, this translates into a theoretically unbeatable movement and attack speed — unless the opponent possesses Observation Haki with precognition.
Techniques and Applications of the Pika Pika no Mi
Kizaru exploits his Devil Fruit in several distinct ways, all inspired by Japanese mythology — Japan's Three Sacred Treasures:
- Yasakani no Magatama — a barrage of rapid-fire luminous spheres, used against the Supernovas at Sabaody (chapter 508).
- Yata no Kagami — reflecting a beam of light across different surfaces to attack from unpredictable angles.
- Ama no Murakumo — a sword blade condensed from pure light, sharp and nearly impossible to block.
- Instantaneous Movement — dissolving into photons and reappearing anywhere illuminated, making his position impossible to anticipate without advanced Haki.
The fruit also grants him near-total immunity to standard physical attacks. All his techniques are documented with their chapter numbers on the One Piece Wiki.
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Kizaru's Philosophy: Laziness or Calculation?
The Enigma of His Nonchalance
One of the questions fans ask most often about Kizaru is simple: why does a man so powerful seem so uninvolved? When he faces the Supernovas at Sabaody, he strikes top-tier pirates as if he were swatting flies — without anger, enthusiasm, or any visible emotion. The truth is more nuanced: Kizaru is a man who does not believe in justice, neither absolute justice (like Akainu) nor moderate justice (like Aokiji). He serves the Marines because he has not found a sufficient reason not to. This philosophy of emptiness — serving without conviction — is one of the most unsettling in the entire series. Through him, Oda portrays the banality of institutional evil: an ordinarily human man carrying out terrible orders through sheer inertia.
Kizaru's Paradox
Kizaru is one of the few One Piece characters to have inflicted humiliating defeats on the heroes (he broke up the crew at Sabaody in chapter 510) while remaining deeply morally ambiguous. He is not a villain — it is much worse: he carries out unjust orders without them costing him anything emotionally. At least, that is what his mask makes us believe until the Egghead arc.
Kizaru's Relationship with Vegapunk
What makes Kizaru even more complex is his relationship with Dr. Vegapunk. The two men clearly share a long history — Kizaru supervised Vegapunk's work for years and feels genuine affection for him. This unexpected friendship between the admiral of light and the Marines' scientific genius reveals a human dimension that his battles do not show. To better understand Vegapunk and his central role in the manga's conclusion, read our complete analysis of One Piece's most dangerous genius.
Kizaru's Memorable Fights
Sabaody Archipelago: The Ultimate Display of Power
Kizaru's first appearance in combat remains one of the manga's most memorable. In chapters 504 to 510, he successively faces Basil Hawkins, Urouge, X Drake, and Scratchmen Apoo—the future Supernovas—and neutralizes them without breaking a sweat. The sequence in which he breaks Zoro (saved at the last moment by Mihawk) and then goes after Luffy is a narrative trauma for readers: it is the first time the crew realizes just how weak they still are compared with the major figures of this world. The fight against Rayleigh (chapter 508) is particularly notable: the Dark King manages to hold his own against Kizaru, giving an idea of the astronomical gap that still separates Luffy from the top at this stage. To learn everything about this legendary character, see our article dedicated to Silvers Rayleigh.
Marineford: The Admiral in the All-Out War
During the Marineford War (chapters 550–580), Kizaru actively participates in the battles without being at the dramatic center—Akainu occupies that role. Kizaru steps in to contain several high-level pirates and briefly clashes with Marco the Phoenix, whose regenerative flames temporarily withstand his light-based attacks. Although brief, this duel is instructive: it shows that Kizaru can be temporarily neutralized by powers of a comparable level—but not defeated. For a complete analysis of this war that changed One Piece, read our Marineford War analysis.
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One Piece Poster — Complete Mugiwara Crew (Red Background)
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Kizaru at Egghead: The Character's Turning Point
The Arc That Changes Everything for Borsalino
The Egghead arc is the first time Kizaru receives real character development. For the first time, we see him hesitate—or even suffer, in his own way, in the silence behind his glasses. The order to eliminate Vegapunk, his old friend, forces him to face a choice that his philosophy of “following orders” had never anticipated. He carries out the mission…but with unusual slowness, as if part of him were trying not to succeed. This narratively rich ambiguity completely renews our reading of the character. For the broader context of the One Piece arcs, check out our chronological guide to the One Piece arcs. Fans are still debating: did he deliberately give Luffy time to save Vegapunk? Oda does not answer directly, but the clues continue to pile up in every panel.
Comparison with the other admirals
| Criterion | Kizaru | Akainu | Aokiji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devil Fruit | Pika Pika (Light) | Magu Magu (Magma) | Hie Hie (Ice) |
| Philosophy | Institutional nihilism | Absolute justice | Moderate justice |
| Current status | Serving Admiral | Fleet Admiral | Deserter |
| Moral ambiguity | ✅ Very high | Low | High |
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Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions fans ask most about Kizaru.
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