Minotaurus

Minotaurus is one of the four Demon Guards in Impel Down. He is a minotaur and the first of these beasts shown. He is an actual minotaur and not a Zoan Devil Fruit user.

Appearance
Minotaurus a dumb looking minotaur with cutesy eyes and a runny nose. His body pattern resembles that of a generic Holstein cow. He is often seen with a spiked mace that he uses. Before his appearance was fully revealed, he was mostly seen in silhouette and appeared extremely savage due to his actions.

Personality
Despite his ridiculous appearance, Minotaurus is cold blooded beast. He would brutally bludgeon rioting prisoners and opponents alike with his spiked mace. He would often do so aimed at their skulls. Because of his savagery, the various prisoners of Impel Down fear him.

Abilities and Powers
While he doesn't look like a powerful opponent, Minotaurus is in reality a fearsome beast. He has immense physical strength and speed. Wielding his spiked mace as a weapon in conjunction with these attributes, he is extremely powerful.

History
It is first seen beating two prisoners up for fighting and locking them up in a cell for death row, then again beating Jinbei in Level 5. Although only its shadow is shown during those times, it is clear that it is a Minotaur that shows no fear. The fact that it could beat a strong character like Jinbei until he is covered in blood suggests how strong it is (though at the time, Jinbei was chained down).

Later as Luffy reaches the starvation hell of Impel Down, it gets the order to battle him as well as Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, who was supporting Luffy. However, as soon as it sent Mr. 2 flying with a single hit, Luffy recognized its true powers and immediately activated Gear Second and used his Jet Bazooka to send Minotaurus flying to save Mr. 2.

Although Luffy used one of his powerful techniques to defeat Minotaurus, it appeared later, hunting Buggy and Mr. 3 (it landed on top of them when Luffy sent it flying). At one point they come to meet Luffy and Mr. 2. Buggy used his secret weapon, the Muggy Ball, to take Minotaurus down, but even after a huge explosion it was still conscious. Even when Mr. 2 used a strong kick to finish it off, it stood still but was in great pain. Only as Luffy and Mr. 3 combined their abilities to use the Gomu Gomu no Tonkachi Rifle, they could fully defeat Minotaurus.

Trivia

 * Zoro's design for Mugiwara Theatre - Monster Time is similar to Minotaurus in many ways. Both carry identical clubs, are minotaurs that resemble cows and both have patches in simulair places to each other.

Links

 * Minotaur - Wikipedia article on the mythical monster.
 * Holstein - Wikipedia article on the bovine breed of Minotaurus.