Luffy’s sworn brother Ace may have been a cool and powerful character in One Piece, but his lack of foresight proved to be a glaring weakness.
Portgas D. Ace’s death remains one of the most heart-wrenching moments in One Piece. His aloof yet strong personality made him a beloved character among fans, especially after he saved the Straw Hat Pirates from the Marines. As heroic as he was though, Ace was eventually defeated by Blackbeard and captured by the Marines. Despite many powerful characters’ attempts to save him, the Flame-Flame Fruit user failed to escape his demise. The young pirate may have survived but for his greatest weakness — a lack of foresight.
Although Ace wasn’t Garp and Luffy’s blood relative, he shared certain qualities with them. He was just as airheaded but also every bit as determined as them — especially in his convictions. Ace wouldn’t let anybody stop him from realizing his dreams and was willing to risk his life to support his decisions. Unfortunately, that was also the problem. His lack of foresight and inability to consider the bigger picture caused him to make reckless decisions, putting himself and those around him in danger.
One Piece’s Ace Could’ve Survived If He’d Learned to Restrain Himself
Ace spent most of his screen time in One Piece chasing after the Blackbeard Pirates. This is because their captain, Marshall D. Teech, broke the ironclad rule of the Whitebeard Pirates — killing a fellow crewmate. Teech murdered the former fourth division captain, who went by the name Thatch. Since Teech belonged to Ace’s second division, Ace took it upon himself to catch and punish his despicable underling by death. However, Ace failed to accomplish this and got himself captured.
This whole endeavor would not have happened had Ace listened to his foster father. Whitebeard himself warned Ace not to pursue Blackbeard, knowing it would lead to trouble. However, Ace’s recklessness got the better of him as he ignored Whitebeard’s advice and continued with his plan. He reasoned that Blackbeard committed the worst crime, forcing Whitebeard to support him all the way. Even when Shanks tried to interfere, Whitebeard — who knew Ace’s conviction — couldn’t force Ace to step back. Had Ace listened to reason, he might have been able to gather enough forces and eventually face Blackbeard on a more equal ground. After all, Blackbeard’s notoriety was already on an upward trajectory at the time.
Being surrendered to the Marines didn’t instantly equate to Ace’s execution. With multiple parties such as the Whitebeard Pirates, Luffy and the Impel Down prisoners seeking him out, Ace’s chances of escaping were actually not that low — and he could’ve escaped. But instead of running away with Luffy, Ace lost all reason and temper when Akainu simply badmouthed Whitebeard a few times. The young pirate abandoned his escape route and confronted Akainu, which ultimately resulted in Ace’s demise.
In doing this, Ace both endangered Luffy and ignored all his comrades’ sacrifices. Numerous members of the Whitebeard Pirates, their affiliates and even prisoners risked and lost their lives in order to free him. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, Ace sabotaged it himself. While ignoring Akainu wouldn’t necessarily guarantee their escape, Ace and Luffy still would’ve had higher chances of survival. Whitebeard had already sacrificed himself for his family, and the other commanders were also supporting them. Most of all, they only had to run until Shanks’ crew appeared. After that, the Marines would’ve had no choice but to stop the war.
Portgas D. Ace Was Already Impulsive in His Younger Days
One Piece showed that Ace’s tendency to confront danger head-on and act impulsively had been present since his childhood days. As a young boy, he had a strong sense of justice and courage. However, these traits were not tempered by wisdom or foresight, causing Ace to put himself and those around him in harm’s way.
An example of this was when Ace and Luffy were still living with their foster mother, Dadan, in the Goa Kingdom. At the time, they were tricked by Bluejam and his crew into laying explosives all over the Gray Terminal. After the pirates realized the nobles’ shrewd plan, they started to target Ace and Luffy in hopes of finding their treasure. But just as they were about to get beat up, Dadan arrived and saved them.
Instead of fleeing, however, Ace confronted Bluejam despite knowing the potential danger. This put both himself and Dadan even more in harm’s way, and caused the other mountain bandits to think they’d met their demise.
Ace Inherited Gol D. Roger’s Blood and Determination, But Lacked Foresight
One Piece‘s in-universe explanation for Ace’s recklessness and determination is that he inherited Roger’s grit. The Pirate King supposedly didn’t back down from any fight, especially if his comrades were potentially in danger. While that did work for Roger, it was only possible because of his unparalleled might and strength. As evidenced by Ace’s tragic fate, simply inheriting Roger’s grit — without the strength and foresight to back it up — led to disaster.
Ace may have had the determination to chase after the Blackbeard Pirates and confront Akainu, but his lack of strategic thinking ultimately cost him his life. It’s important to note that bravery and determination are admirable traits, but they have to be coupled with intelligence and proper planning to be truly effective.
While the franchise may have portrayed Ace’s confrontational behavior as an act of bravery and standing up for what’s right, it ultimately highlighted his shortsightedness and lack of tactical thinking. Had he considered the potential consequences of his actions and acted more thoughtfully, perhaps he could have avoided one of the worst tragedies in One Piece.
