One Piece has many mysteries left to reveal, one of them being the truth about Bogard – and there is good reason to be hyped to see him in action.

One Piece is well-known for its abundance of characters, with an estimated over 1,100 introduced so far. Whilst the majority of fans are drawn to the regularly used or interestingly developed ones — the Straw Hat Crew, members of the Worst Generation or story-altering antagonists — some get far less screen time but steal fans’ hearts anyway. Red Haired Shanks and Monkey D. Garp have barely been shown, yet they are well-loved for their brief but spectacular moments. Sometimes a character has little to no role and still gets internet love.

Bogard, the right-hand man of the Marine Hero Garp, is one such character in One Piece. Bogard is a slick, suited-up marine swordsman with so few lines and appearances, even his rank in the marines is a mystery and his name has only been mentioned in the anime. However, he has been beside Garp since the days of Gol D. Roger and is a loyal comrade. For such a powerhouse like Garp to have one marine in particular stand by his side for so long, there should be little doubt that Bogard has the skills to back up his Vice Admiral. Even so, why is he so popular?

Bogard’s Implied Skills and the Shanks Effect

There are likely a few reasons why One Piece fans love Bogard so readily and expect some sort of showing from him. Aside from the company he keeps and the length of time he’s kept it, Bogard has briefly shown outstanding swordsmanship skills in the Dairy of Koby-Meppo. In the side story page “Obstruction of Obstruction of Bombardment Obstruction” in Chapter 101, Bogard sliced both Koby’s guns like cucumbers. Whilst this feat may not seem all that impressive as it was performed against a pre-trained Koby, the ability to pull off such a delicate and precise act implies Bogard has the skills to be worthy of his position beside Garp.

Skills and strength are not the only important factors in a character for the audience to develop intrigue, though. Some of the interest in Bogard comes from hyping up a character who has barely shown the tip of their characterization and abilities. Until recently, Shanks fell into the same boat as Bogard. Both characters are mysterious with hints of great strength. Granted, Shanks is provably a far more important character in One Piece than Bogard, but it is far more entertaining to consider the latter as a monstrously powerful warrior due to that same air of mysteriousness. Mystery is a major part of One Piece, and Bogard is one of those entertaining enigmas.

Will Bogard Show the One Piece World What He Can Do?

In the recent One Piece Chapter 1071, Garp has rallied his crew in pursuit of Blackbeard with the aim to rescue the kidnapped Koby. It’s believed that Bogard is right beside his longtime friend and leader, ready to finally put those sword skills to use. The Blackbeard Crew is not only powerful and riddled with Devil Fruit users, it is also massive in scale. Whilst Garp is certainly a one-man army, even he will need the support from his crew against such outrageous odds. It is almost certain that if the confrontation between Garp and Blackbeard is shown, fans will finally see Bogard’s internet hype come to fruition. Fan art of Bogard clashing with Shiryu of the Rain has already been completed.

Some of the hype for Bogard is for entertainment value on the internet, which commonly occurs with minor but powerfully-implied characters. In truth, everything about Bogard is speculation right now, yet the circumstantial evidence of him being a powerful marine far outweighs the possibility of him being completely helpless.

As Bogard is Garp’s right-hand man who fought toe-to-toe with Gol D. Roger — with Silvers Rayleigh as his right-hand man — the hype is definitely not unfounded. Regardless, the fans love a mystery, and Bogard is one of the most mysterious characters to show up in the series. Perhaps he’s not as important as what the One Piece is, the Will of D., or what Enel is up to, but Bogard is a fun mystery all the same.

Src: cbr.com