The infamous Luffy has displayed a range of astonishing forms over the years, each form gradually becoming more powerful than the last. One Piece fans have been waiting for the arrival of Luffy's Gear 5 for some time, and it seems the release of One Piece Film: Red has finally given anime fans a taste of what Gear 5 has in store!

Luffy uses Gear 5 in One Piece Film: Red, but only for a brief "debut" moment while performing a double attack alongside Shanks. The majority of Luffy's Gear 5 abilities have yet to be shown on screen, and fans are eager to see what Gear 5 has in store for future One Piece anime episodes.

While we didn't get to see much of Luffy in Gear 5 in the movie, fans were still extremely excited to see him up close—but the fact that this form was introduced in the movie rather than the anime brought tons of speculation among fans. Stick around to find out everything there is to know about Luffy using Gear 5 in One Piece Film: Red, including a sneak peek at Gear 5, why he's using it in the movie instead of the anime series, and clips of some amazing reactions from fans finally seeing Luffy in Gear 5!

Luffy in Gear 5 (Hito Hito no Mi, model: Nika)

Luffy's Gear 5 transformation occurs after awakening the Gomu Gomu no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit in One Piece that grants Luffy incredible powers. Luffy is known as the Warrior of Liberation in this form and displays increased strength, durability, and freedom, in addition to the abilities gained from his previous Gears 3 and 4.

This form made its first appearance in the manga series One Piece, during Luffy's battle against the infamous Kaido. Luffy's Devil Fruit awakens at the perfect moment as it appears to have been annihilated by Kaido, after which it begins charging Kaido onto the roof of the Skull Dome—topped with heartbeats that seem to follow the drums of release.

His Gear 5 Sun God state is incredibly unique and very different from Luffy's typical character, with pale hair the color of the sun and a pair of glowing eyes. In Gear 5, Luffy has a cartoonish appearance (as compared to other characters in the series) and possesses insane abilities, such as shooting lightning bolts from the sky and increasing his size to match skyscrapers.

Does Luffy use Gear 5 in One Piece Film: Red?

One Piece Film: Red has dominated the Japanese box office since its release, and the hype is more bubbling than ever with the film finally arriving in Western theaters. Much of the film's success has been attributed to the stunning animation and musical pieces featured throughout—in addition to a new take on the mysterious characters Uta and Shanks, as well as the reveal of Uta as the final boss!

However, one huge detail that fans have been waiting for is the arrival of Luffy's infamous Gear 5 form—though most fans expected this to be more of a One Piece "Easter egg." Luffy was seen in Gear 5 for a very brief moment in the film's trailer, giving many fans all the evidence they needed to expect a formal introduction.

Much to the surprise of many One Piece fans, Luffy's Gear 5 form made a rather brief but still extremely effective appearance in the film. Luffy didn't state that this was indeed his Gear 5 form, nor did he maintain this state for an extended period of time (he actually uses Gear 4 for the majority of the film), but it's pretty clear that this was a Gear 5 based on the information fans have received so far.

Without giving away too many One Piece Movie: Red spoilers regarding Luffy's use of Gear 5 in the film, Luffy used Gear 5 in a battle alongside Shanks – as they performed a double attack. Fans definitely know that this is actually Gear 5, based on visual cues and appearance, and this would be the very first time Luffy's Gear 5 form has made an on-screen appearance.

Fan Reactions to Luffy's Gear 5 in One Piece: Red Movie

Fans who watched the film in theaters were stunned to finally see this legendary form up close—topped with all the passionate fury that would accompany the new Sun God! One Piece fans were completely losing their minds at the sight of Luffy in Gear 5, as seen below thanks to Owen Murphy and Pikachu—and for good reason, the sight of Luffy simply displaying Gear 5 is insane!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vbXhuLEsyWc

It's truly heartwarming (and undeniably comical) to see the impact this debut had on those who'd been waiting so long to catch a glimpse of Luffy in Gear 5. However, this can't go without mentioning – not all fans were happy that Luffy's Gear 5 debuted in the film rather than the iconic One Piece anime series.

One Piece Figure

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Why Oda Introduced Luffy's Gear 5 in One Piece: Red Movie

It was shocking to see how many revelations took center stage throughout the film, with many crazy One Piece theories and burning fan questions finally getting answers—to a certain extent. Many One Piece fans were curious as to why this was the case, as many expected these revelations to be presented somewhere in the anime rather than in a One Piece feature film.

However, Oda shed some light on this aspect before the final release of One Piece Film: Red. With the One Piece franchise being so successful and vast, spanning many forms, Oda stated that he wanted the film to stand out, giving fans a special reason to watch the film rather than skipping it in favor of the anime series.

While many fans were disappointed by Luffy's Gear 5 debut in the film, it was really just that: a beginning. It was only for a few frames, and there's still so much to learn and see given everything detailed in the One Piece manga. Given that Luffy's Gear 5 form possesses incredibly outrageous yet undeniably powerful abilities, it's unclear what fans can expect in future installments of One Piece.

That being said, Luffy using Gear 5 in One Piece Film: Red also raised some interesting questions given the other information shared throughout the film – many of which revolve around Shanks. For more information on how the film's revelations may affect One Piece's overall storyline, check out the video below from Anime no Mi;

Luffy's debut with Gear 5 in the film came as a surprise to many One Piece fans, opening up a whole new world of questions and theories. Hopefully, we'll see more of Luffy's Gear 5 in future episodes of the One Piece anime!

That's everything there is to know about Luffy's Gear 5, with images courtesy of the One Piece Wiki. While fans only got to see Luffy's Gear 5 for a brief moment, the creators did a meticulous job of capturing the raw power of this long-awaited form in such a short time, with an almost godlike appearance and touches of classic Luffy to match.