Goda at it again
Doffy is one of the best villains of One Piece after Crocodile. He’s just sooo well - written, and his backstory reveals so much about his character and his motivations.
There’s this one particular scene in the manga that sheds light on a deeper, complicated psychology behind Doflamingo.
It’s the scene where they are being hanged and burned at the stake. It is here when Doffy and his family fully witnessed the hatred of humans against them being Celestial Dragons. The humans cursed them for sins that they did not do, but being Celestials, the human’s reasons were justifiable enough for Doffy’s family to also suffer. This experience in itself scars one’s mind for life…. and some particular words ingrained into him mentally.
These words became one of his signature attacks. These aren’t even his base attacks. We’ve never heard of it before and he’s never repeated it in previous scenes, until his final stand with Luffy.
He used these as his last resort attacks against Luffy. Against someone he can’t get away from and has him cornered with no other options left to think.
These where triggered, when he was in a situation where he felt he was at his most vulnerable and he was feeling…
Helpless
Just like back when he was a child being hanged and experiencing hell. Recalling that feeling of helplessness and vulnerability triggered these attacks. A blast from the past I suppose?
It’s just sad. He’s a charismatic villain but deep inside (his mental state), he’s just a messed up child who can’t get over his-
TRAUMA
Also Oda did name Doflamingo after a rare and highly prized bird “Flamingo” and it’s genius storytelling that he made Doffy weaponize his strings into a birdcage.
He’s an exotic bird trapped in his own cage.
