One Piece is a manga about pirates that was created way back in August 1996. It was made by the Japanese comic artist Eiichiro Oda. Since then it has over 1000 chapters published and a very successful anime show and movies released on it. Over its 27-year history as of 2023, there have been so many characters released that it is hard to keep track of all the characters. But there was no character more important in the first 600 chapters than Ace!
He is the brother of the main protagonist of the series Luffy and sports two tattoos, one on his arm and another on his back. Often people wonder, ‘what does Ace’s tattoo mean’. It can be quite hard to figure out the meaning because of conflicting theories but here we will discuss all of them and give a definitive conclusion to the meaning behind Ace’s tattoos. Warning, there are some spoilers up ahead!
Key Takeaways
- Ace’s bicep tattoo has “ASCE” spelled out. There are many fan theories surrounding the meaning of each individual letter on it.
- The back tattoo Ace has is related to his captain’s pirate flag, Whitebeard. It symbolizes the closeness they had.
- Oda has given his reasoning behind Ace’s bicep tattoo because of constant questions about it from fans.
- The tattoos Ace has might be simple in design, but they hold very deep meaning to him. You could take inspiration from this.
“ACE’S” Tattoo Meaning
On his left biceps, Ace has a tattoo that is spelled out as ASCE. The interesting thing about the tattoo is the fact that the S in ASCE is crossed by an X. This has led fans to come up with many theories about Ace’s tattoo so let’s discuss what each tattoo could represent in a bit more detail.
A for Ace
With the A in ASCE, the most obvious conclusion most people come to is that it represents Ace’s name. This could be a little confusing because the whole tattoo spells out his name with an S in the middle. Phonetically, it will still sound the same, but it is just what fans want to think of because of how the S is stylized.
Crossed out S for Sabo
This is what divided a lot of fans and give individual meaning to all the letters. The S is special because of the X over it. Many fans will point to Ace’s sworn brother Sabo as the reason for the special S. Sabo, much like Luffy and Ace, wanted to be a pirate. He wanted to escape the life of a noble that he saw many great faults in. However, as he was about to leave the island that they were on, Sabo’s ship was hit by a cannonball and it was presumed that he had died. To honor the death of his brother, Ace had his tattoo and carved out an X over the S. Another cool detail about this is because of Sabo’s pirate flag. Sabo’s pirate flag was a huge S with crossbones forming an X over it. As a way to remember his presumed dead brother, Ace got the S to look like his brother’s flag.
C for crybaby Luffy
The C in Ace’s bicep tattoo is probably the most speculated meaning behind a tattoo. Ace’s other sworn brother Luffy was known to cry a lot during their time together. This prompted Ace to teasingly call him a crybaby. Most fans attributed the C to be Ace’s way of naming his little brother on his tattoo. But this is mostly a fan theory.
E for Edward Newgate
On his adventure as a pirate, Ace met the first foe that he could not beat who was Edward Newgate, more popularly known as Whitebeard. Whitebeard was an established pirate searching for the ultimate treasure known as One Piece, something Ace also sought after. But he was defeated by Whitebeard and subsequently joined his pirate crew. Many fans theorize that Ace got Whitebeard’s name Edward as the E on his tattoo. However, this fan theory could easily be dismissed because Ace already had his ASCE tattoo long before he met Whitebeard.
See Also: What Does The Pink Panther Tattoo Mean?
Ace’s Back Tattoo Meaning: Whitebeard
Speaking of Whitebeard, after joining his crew, Ace had a tumultuous relationship with him. Often fighting with his captain, Ace was nonetheless promoted to captain of the second division of Whitebeard’s immense crew. He grew to love the Whitebeard crew and hailed Whitebeard himself as his father. This sign of loyalty could be seen when Ace got a tattoo on his back that was the pirate flag of the Whitebeard crew. It’s purple in color with Whitebeard’s signature mustache, smile, and eyes on it.
The meaning behind this tattoo is the loyalty that Ace had for his adoptive father. Ace grew up without a father but knew his identity. Ace’s father was the most notorious pirate in the history of the manga known as Gold Roger. He hated his father and blamed him for his mother’s death, which is why Ace’s full name is Portgas D. Ace, after his mother’s name and not his father’s. The way that Whitebeard had influenced Ace meant he finally had a father figure in his life that he could look up to. And thus, he immortalized Whitebeard on his back in the form of a tattoo.
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Oda’s Statement About Ace’s Tattoo
Oda, the author of One Piece, released a statement about Ace’s tattoo after all the fan speculation. He had stated that Ace’s ACSE tattoo was indeed just his name with the added crossed S in the middle. He had said that it was Ace’s way of carrying his fallen brother with him on the journey. The three brothers, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy (fondly known as ASL) all wanted to be pirates and go on their grand adventure. Because Sabo died (presumably) before he could set out on his adventure, Ace wanted to carry out his adventure for him.
It is interesting to note how other people’s perceptions of a tattoo can be completely different from the original maker. Even if Ace’s tattoo was just his name, people came up with all sorts of theories of how Ace incorporated all the different people in his life that were important to him. This is why tattoos can mean different things to different people and there is no one meaning that everyone can agree on!
See Also: North Star Meaning Tattoo
Significance of Ace’s Tattoo: Inspiration
While Ace’s tattoos are really personalized, the ways you can take inspiration from the tattoo is pretty cool indeed. The crossed-out S can be an inspiration for you to write the initials of someone that you were close to or someone who has passed away. Even the fan theory of C for Luffy is a neat concept because of how it incorporates a nickname you had for someone instead of their actual name!
Ace’s back tattoo can be an inspiration for a father figure in your life that you look up to. Ace might have never seen or interacted with his biological father, but the influence of Whitebeard completely changed Ace forever. You could use this as an inspiration for your own tattoo to commemorate a father figure or someone that heavily influenced your life. There are many ways that tattoos can inspire you and Ace’s character design and tattoos really show that they can very unique!
FAQs
How did Ace die in One Piece?
Ace died in the Marineford War while trying to protect Luffy his brother. He was the reason the war had started and Luffy tried his best to save him. Unfortunately, as they were about to escape, Ace sacrificed his life to save his little brother.
What does Luffy’s tattoo mean?
In a way to signal to his crew without alerting anyone else, Luffy had tattooed 3D2Y on his arm with the 3D crossed out. This was a message to his crew to meet after 2 years and not the intended 2 days they had originally planned.
What is the symbol on Ace’s hat?
Ace’s hat is interesting because it has two faces on it. They are blue in color where one is happy and another is frowning. While it has no special meaning in One Piece, it closely resembles the comedy/tragedy masks from ancient Greek theater.
Final Thoughts
Ace may have very limited time that he was actually shown in the comics and anime, but he was nonetheless one of the most influential characters in the series. His tattoos have made fans speculate many theories that contradict what the original artist might have wanted to convey. That is the beauty of tattoos and I hope you can take inspiration from Ace and create your own unique tattoo design. Something as simple as 4 letters could be the most meaningful thing in the world for you, just like it was for Ace!
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