When does Luffy use Gear 5? That’s the question that brought you to this page. And I will tell you exactly when it would appear in the anime and in what chapter it appeared in the manga.
Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation has reignited the flames in the hearts of One Piece fans, and those who are anime-only watchers are about to learn just how extraordinary this new transformation is! There had been a lot of theories of what Luffy’s new form would look like, and none of them came even close to the ultimate transformation!
It’s been over a year since Gear 5 appeared in the One Piece manga for the first time, and it’s about to finally debut in the anime adaptation too! As the Wano Kingdom arc heads towards its insane finale in the anime, fans have been speculating when Luffy Gear 5 will be animated on our screens.
After some speculation, leaks, and rumors, it seems like we finally have that answer! Now we know exactly what anime episode will feature the Gear 5 form, and it’s not too far away!
If you are in a hurry, here’s when Gear 5 will debut in the anime. Luffy’s Gear 5 is set to appear in episode 1071, which will air on August 5, 2023. And as for the manga chapter, the form debuted in chapter 1044.
In What Episode Does Luffy Use Gear 5?
At the time of writing this, the latest episode of One Piece’s anime adapted the final moments of Big Mom vs. Trafalgar Law and Captain Eustass Kid. This episode adapted most of chapter 1040 of the One Piece manga, meaning that Luffy’s Gear 5 is just around the corner.
If the One Piece anime keeps up its streak of adapting a select few chapters per episode, then that means that episode 1070 should see the first appearance of Gear 5, with the following episode, 1071, showing Luffy’s first battle in that form!
It’s confirmed that Luffy’s Gear 5 form will appear in episode 1071, which will air on August 5, 2023. However, I am sure that episode 1070 will end with a sneak peek at the beginning of Luffy’s transformation, i.e., the awakening of Luffy’s devil fruit, his heartbeat sounds, the beating of the drums of liberation, and Luffy’s iconic smile appearing on his face!
However, the dates can change, and the appearance of Luffy’s Gear 5 in the anime adaptation might get pushed a bit back. This is because we don’t know the complete schedule of the anime or if any filler episodes will be placed into the anime to allow for more time animating this masterpiece! But worry not, as it won’t have a big break, and we will soon see Luffy’s devil fruit awakening!
Another thing that might keep this episode from us is the staff being brought in for this reveal! From leaks online and even some confirmation by animators themselves, it looks like a lot of outside help is being brought in for Gear 5’s reveal to make the episode the best ever!
From speculation around Warner Bros. animators coming in to help with the feeling of Luffy’s cartoon-like powers to some of the most prominent animating directors in Japanese history coming in. They are bringing in the big guns for one of the biggest anime episodes in history!
It’s even been confirmed that this episode will be shown in theatres in several countries, which tells you just how hyped fans are for this ultimate reveal!
In What Manga Chapter Does Luffy Use Gear 5?
Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation begins in the final panel of manga chapter 1043, and it finally appears in all its glory in chapter 1044.
Kaido proved to be the biggest challenge yet for the Straw Hats, as they haven’t been able to come even a little close to defeating him. Even after the Akazaya Nine fought him head-on, even after Luffy, Kid, Law, and Zoro attacked him together, it seemed like the Emperor of the Sea did live up to his name as the “strongest creature in the world.”
So, when we saw Kaido finally starting to enjoy his battle against Luffy after he learned how to utilize Advanced Conqueror’s Haki and imbue his attacks with it, it began to look like a proper battle. However, Kaido still had the upper hand as Luffy was running out of strength fast.
As both Kaido and Luffy were preparing to attack each other with their strongest attacks, one of the CP0 agents interrupted their fight and stopped Luffy from attacking Kaido. This means that Kaido’s all-out attack landed cleanly on Luffy, who got knocked out, and Kaido came out as the winner.
After being defeated by Kaido, Luffy was all but confirmed to be dead. Characters like Momonosuke and Law said they couldn’t hear Luffy’s voice anymore, and Kaido quickly proclaimed that he was dead. Even the others fighting on Onigashima exclaimed that Luffy’s heart had stopped. Kaido then started attacking everyone else who was still engaged in the battle.
But that wasn’t the end, as at the end of chapter 1043, Zunesha calls Momonosuke and tells him that it can finally hear the “Drums of Liberation” after 800 years, and then it says that “Joy Boy” has returned. And then, we see Luffy grinning while transforming!
Then in chapter 1044, we got the full reveal of Luffy’s Gear 5th form!
Luffy got up and was confused why he could still stand. Saying, “I just lost, but I feel like I’m having a blast!”. Everyone was so confused about how Luffy was even alive. Sanji, Kid, Law, and Marco were all visually shocked.
And then, we see Kaido is happy that Luffy wasn’t dead because he can finally have his ultimate battle against a worthy adversary, an adversary he has come to respect. And the two get on with their climactic fight to decide the victor!
How Did Luffy Awaken His Gear 5 Transformation?
The Gomu Gomu no Mi that Luffy ate back in Chapter 1 was revealed to have been a ruse. Though its powers most definitely allowed Luffy’s body to turn into rubber and use his entire body as such, it wasn’t because the fruit was a Paramecia-type devil fruit.
It turns out that the Gomu Gomu no Mi was a coverup by the World Government as they didn’t want the true power of the fruit to fall into the wrong hands. All along, Luffy’s devi fruit wasn’t the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but a Mythical Zoan-type devil fruit, named the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika!
Similarly to Sengoku’s Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu, and Marco’s Phoenix fruit, Luffy can turn into a mythical being!
In this case, it allows Luffy to turn into the Sun God Nika, a god worshipped by slaves, to strive for their freedom. Nika embodies freedom and free will, giving Luffy much more freedom in how he uses his abilities.
This revelation also fuels the rumors that Luffy’s rubber powers were thanks to Shanks telling him what the fruit did and not because of its actual powers. Luffy believed that his fruit made his body rubber; therefore, his powers were limited by that.
That is also why over time, Luffy’s moves like Snakeman and Red Hawk were less and less based on the properties of rubber, as Luffy was slowly breaking his self-placed limitations.
The awakening of his devil fruit, which Luffy aptly named his Gear 5th form, means that he is completely free to do whatever he pleases. He has the power to do almost anything, being called “the most ridiculous power in the world” by the Five Elders themselves!
In this form, Monkey D. Luffy can do things such as turn his surroundings into rubber, have the properties of a cartoon character, and even grow large while catching literal lightning out of the air! He flings Kaido around, attacks him with powerful techniques unlike any before, and destroys him in this form thanks to his newly gained base power, speed, and abilities!
He is almost unstoppable, only limited by his imagination and the energy-draining nature of the form due to his inexperience with it.
Gear 5 is even connected to Joy Boy, but we don’t know exactly how they are connected. We only know that Zunesha, the former companion of Joy Boy, said the Joy Boy was here when Luffy’s devil fruit awakened.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Gear 5 is set to debut in the One Piece anime in episode 1070, with Luffy’s first battle in that form expected to be shown in episode 1071, which is confirmed to premiere on August 5, 2023!
The form was visually stunning in the manga but is based around old-style cartoons like the Looney Tunes, which means it will be even better once animated, especially with Luffy’s laughter and the Drums of Liberation playing in the background! We cannot wait to see this finally animated after so long and see what craziness Eiichiro Oda will treat us with in the future!
So, I hope the article answered your questions regarding the appearance of the Gear 5 in anime and manga. If you have a friend with the same question, when does Luffy use Gear 5, share this article with them!
Also Read: All One Piece Movies in Order
