Doflamingo

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Doflamingo lost his Celestial Dragon status because of his father Homing’s decision to leave Mary Geoise. When his mother fell ill, he and his brother Rosinante faced hostility while trying to obtain medicine. The family’s attempt to return to Mary Geoise failed, and his mother died without the care she needed. Doflamingo blamed Homing and killed him two years later 347 368 369.

He later took control of Dressrosa, the kingdom once ruled by the Donquixote Family, and built a far-reaching Underworld network under the name Joker. Its businesses included arms and human trafficking. Four and a half years before he met Gawain’s crew, Doflamingo and his family attacked Zephyr’s ship; Zephyr lost his right arm, and the Marines concealed the defeat 249 370 372.

Appearance

Doflamingo is conspicuous for his Flamingo outfit, sunglasses and deliberately arrogant bearing 347 367 410.

• Wears vivid sunglasses that conceal his eyes 347 370.
• Has a swaggering gait and often stands with slouched shoulders and his hands in his pockets 367 410.
• Loses his right arm in his fight with Zephyr; it is bandaged when he next approaches Gawain 366 367.

Personality

Doflamingo openly prizes ambition, desire and the power to inspire fear. He admits that death frightens him, but considers his ambitions more important than survival. In combat, he taunts Zephyr about his dead students and tries to turn Zephyr’s concern for Gawain against him 365 366 368.

His submission to Gawain does not erase his pride. He seeks recognition, resents Gawain’s greater standing among the Celestial Dragons, and is shaken by his own lower place among the Dark Bird Ship’s fighters. He nevertheless follows Gawain’s orders when confronted directly 409 411 432.

Abilities & Skills

Thread manipulation and awakening

Doflamingo uses threads for rapid travel, restraint, defense and large-scale attacks. His awakened ability can turn surrounding material—including the Little Dark Bird Ship and the ground beneath a battlefield—into controllable threads 347 364 365 453.

• Uses threads attached to clouds to travel through the air; he can use Geppo when clouds are unavailable 347.
• Creates thread defenses, waves and a decoy that briefly deceives Zephyr 365 366.
• Can restore material transformed by his awakening to its original form 366.
• King’s flames burn away most ordinary threads; Doflamingo’s awakened, Armament Haki-coated threads withstand them better 447.

Haki and combat judgment

• Possesses Conqueror’s Haki and can coat threads in Armament Haki 410 447 453.
• Fights cautiously when outmatched: despite King’s superior strength, Doflamingo keeps their battle going long enough to adjust to his opponent 447 453 460.
• Misjudges his proximity to the strongest fighters before Katakuri defeats him by reading his movements 557.

Relationships

• Homing — His father, whom Doflamingo blamed for the family’s fall and his mother’s death before killing him 368 369.
• Rosinante — His younger brother. Their history remains a source of conflict with Trafalgar Law 370 393.
• Gawain — His cousin, captain and uneasy ally. Doflamingo offers him Dressrosa and his Underworld forces, while Gawain keeps him under strict conditions 369 370 372.
• Zephyr — Former Marine admiral whose right arm Doflamingo severed. Zephyr later defeats and disarms him but chooses not to kill him 249 366.
• Trafalgar Law — Former prospective “Corazon” who wants revenge for Rosinante; Doflamingo anticipates their reunion 371 393.
• King — Beasts Pirates officer who holds the advantage in their extended fight in Wano 447 460.
• Katakuri — Defeats Doflamingo in the later war 557.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Mock Town: Gawain’s takeover destroys a profitable part of Doflamingo’s Underworld territory. Doflamingo sends Gladius and Baby 5 to investigate the newspaper’s account of the transition 205.
• Joining the Dark Bird Ship: He captures Reiju while pursuing Gawain and presents her as a gift. After Zephyr defeats him, Doflamingo negotiates a place on Gawain’s ship and agrees to surrender control of Dressrosa and his Underworld forces. Gawain assigns Lucci to take over those operations and end dealings with Kaido 347 366 369 371 372.
• Loguetown and Mary Geoise: His lethal intimidation of disaster survivors brings him into conflict with Crocodile. Later, Gawain rebukes him for mistreating maids and orders him to change his behavior 383 432.
• Wano: He fights King during the Dark Bird Ship’s campaign. Though wounded and initially suppressed, he sustains the battle and gains some strength from it 447 453 460.
• Later war: Doflamingo chooses to attack younger pirates rather than face the leading powers directly. Katakuri subsequently defeats him 526 557.

Notable Quotes

“There are far too many things in life more important than survival!” 365

“I want to destroy those pieces of trash in Mary Geoise!” 369