Gol D. Roger, known as the Pirate King, is one of the most powerful pirates in the One Piece world. He was able to conquer the Grand Line and find the great treasure known as One Piece before his execution in Loguetown. Roger possessed immense strength and skills as a pirate, but a key factor in his power was his mastery of Haki.
What is Haki?
Haki is a mysterious power in the One Piece world that allows the user to sense and use their spiritual energy for various purposes. There are three main types of Haki:
- Observation Haki – allows the user to sense the presence, emotions, and movements of others
- Armament Haki – allows the user to create an invisible armor around themselves or their weapons
- Conqueror’s Haki – an extremely rare form of Haki only possessed by certain powerful individuals that can knock out or overwhelm the willpower of others
Haki is critical for the very strongest pirates and martial artists in the One Piece world, allowing them to defend against Devil Fruit abilities and predict their opponent’s moves. It can be used both for offense and defense.
The Color of Gol D. Roger’s Haki
When Gol D. Roger has used Haki in flashbacks during the One Piece series, his Haki has consistently been depicted as black in color.
For example, when Roger clashes with Whitebeard during the fight between their crews at Edd War, the black visual effect can be seen on Roger’s blade and body when he imbues his swordsmanship with Armament Haki. The same black shading appears on young Roger’s body when he uses Haki to knock out enemy pirates who boarded his ship.
This black coloration is the standard visual representation of Armament Haki being used in the One Piece world. It represents the invisible Haki being coated over an object or body part, reinforcing and strengthening it. For Roger, coating his weapons and arms with the black Armament Haki allows him to hit harder, defend against attacks, and injure enemies like Logia Devil Fruit users whose bodies normally cannot be harmed physically.
Why is Haki Portrayed as Black?
In the One Piece anime and manga, Haki is almost always portrayed with a black or dark purple shading when being visibly used. There are a few potential reasons for this standard coloration:
- It contrasts well against other colors – The black Haki stands out clearly against lighter character skins, outfits, environments, and attacks.
- It represents an “invisible” power – Being invisible, Haki has no definite color, so plain black is used.
- It symbolizes strength and fortitude – The color black is often associated with power, toughness, and martial ability.
- It is similar to common martial arts portrayals – Using a black shading or overlay for Haki matches how many other anime/manga portray chi, chakra, or other internal martial arts energies.
So while Haki has no explicitly defined color, the black representation matches general color symbolism and allows it to stand out in the panels and animation of One Piece. This fits with Haki being an internal, armor-like energy brought out by fighters.
Initial and Advanced Uses of Haki
At the beginning of the series, Haki is rarely visually portrayed at all, or only in a limited way. As it became more central to top-tier fights in the New World, the black shading portrayal became the standard for Haki users.
For example, early glimpses of Mantra (Observation Haki) on Skypiea show no dark coloration being used. And Luffy’s first use of Conqueror’s Haki at Marineford generates a burst of energy, but no sustained black effect.
Once the concept of Haki is fully fleshed out in the New World, fighters like post-timeskip Luffy, Rayleigh, and Vergo display constant black Haki on their limbs and weapons to show hardening and increased striking power. This includes Gol D. Roger in flashback scenes.
Notable Uses of Black Haki by Gol D. Roger
Some key examples of Roger exhibiting the standard black-colored Haki include:
- Blocking an attack from Whitebeard’s bisento using his sword coated in Armament Haki during their clash at Edd War.
- Deflecting cannon balls fired by enemy pirates at point-blank range back at their ship, showing his arms shaded black.
- Executing a Haki-enhanced sword slash so powerful it completely decimated an entire ship and all enemies on it.
In close combat clashes, Roger skilled use of Haki allowed him to match Whitebeard’s own Haki-infused attacks. And only the very strongest Marines could use Haki to defend against his black-hardened attacks, though even then they were still overwhelmed by his immense power.
Haki Feats by Other Top Pirates
| Pirate | Haki Feat |
|---|---|
| Whitebeard | Destroyed Marineford main plaza using quake punch with black Armament Haki |
| Big Mom | Blocked Luffy’s Gear 4 punch using Armament Haki on her arm |
| Kaido | Coated his kanabo club black to shatter Luffy’s Gear 4 defense |
| Shanks | Used Conqueror’s Haki burst to block Akainu’s magma punch |
This table highlights some of the iconic Haki feats from other powerful pirates that showcase the black visual portrayal as well. Like Roger, they coat their attacks and defenses with the hardened black energy to devastate enemies and block powerful attacks.
Conclusion
In summary, Gol D. Roger’s portrayal and use of Haki in One Piece consistently shows it visualised with the standard black coloring. This black shading represents the invisible Haki energy being coated on his body and weapons, hardening them for both offensive and defensive purposes. It allows attacks from even the Pirate King to connect with logia enemies and match the Haki used by fighters like Whitebeard. The black color matches Haki’s nature as an internal power while providing standout visuals as it became more prominent in the story. For a pirate of Roger’s immense skill, mastery of Armament and Observation Haki was a key component in his overwhelming strength that allowed him to conquer the Grand Line.