With Saturn’s death, One Piece showed a side of it that none of the fans were expecting. The brutality of his death indicated the series’ direction.

The One Piece series has always been known to be an action-packed anime series with several characters coming and going. While some deaths may have been emotionally impactful, they weren’t as brutal and terrifying as St. Saturn’s death in Episode 1155. With the scene, the series is setting a foot down to show us the seriousness of the upcoming narrative.
Saturn Died One of the Most Brutal Deaths in One Piece
One Piece deaths have always been very emotionally impactful, like Ace and Vegapunk, or strategically placed, like those of Tom and Bell-mère. Despite the chaos that any death has created so far, they still feel tame compared to what happened to Saturn. Whether it was a personal vendetta Oda-san held against St. Saturn or not, the visuals of his death in the latest anime episode were just too much, even for One Piece standards.
Jaygarcia Saturn was tasked with overseeing Vegapunk’s death and the retrieval of valuable research material in the Egghead Island Arc. Upon news of Luffy’s presence on the island, he was to capture Luffy under Imu’s orders. While he managed to fulfil his first duty, he could not capture Luffy, who escaped to Elbaf Island, throwing Imu into a rage.
Out of nowhere, Saturn’s body started emitting black smoke, which eventually transformed into blue flames. Meanwhile, his body started to shrink as if something was eating away at his flesh from the inside out. It was then revealed that Imu was taking back his powers and immortality that were bestowed through the Abyssal Covenant.
By the end, Saturn was left with nothing but bones. With the anime narrative at a pivotal moment, the visual choices by Toei Animation and the series’ directors- Wataru Matsumi, Satoshi Itō, and Yasunori Koyama- prove just how important the upcoming episodes of the series will be. It is no longer a kids’ show about Luffy’s pirate journey to find the One Piece.
How Does His Death Impact the Story Moving Forward?

With Saturn’s death in Episode 1155, the position for Godhead of Science and Defence opened up among the Elders, which was quickly assumed by Figarland Garling – Shanks’ father, and Supreme Commander of the Knights of God.
Furthermore, Garling played a massive role in the narrative of Elbaf Island’s past with his interactions with King Harald. There is a high chance that Garling may make his way towards Luffy on the island. But why is it likely that he will follow Luffy? By now, it has been clear that Imu is out to capture Luffy because of his Joy Boy connection. If anything, Imu is scared of Joy Boy.
That is also the very reason Imu was so furious with Saturn when he failed to capture Luffy. Saturn has been alive for over 200 years, and now he has done something that warrants such harsh punishment? In hindsight, it had nothing to do with Saturn himself, but with his failure to capture Luffy at Egghead Island.
A few pieces of information about the One Piece anime:
| TITLE | One Piece |
| STUDIO | Toei Animation |
| GENRE | Shonen, Action, Fantasy, Adventure |
| RELEASE DATE | October 20, 1999 |
| IMDb RATING | 9/10 |
| MAL RATING | 8.73 |
| WHERE TO WATCH | Crunchyroll, Netflix |
What are your thoughts on the brutality of Saturn’s death? Do you think it was an excessively animated sequence by Toei Animation, or was it just right? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.
All episodes of One Piece are currently available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.