Thatch

Thatch (サッチ) was the commander of the 4th division of the Whitebeard Pirates, until he was killed by Marshall D. Teach.

Appearance
Thatch was a tall man with a pompadour hairstyle, which went to a point at the back of his head, and some black stubble around his chin. He also had a stitched scar running down his face, around his left eye. Thatch often dressed in a posh uniform, with calf-long pants and a black belt around his waist. Initially in the anime, he was given blonde hair spiking out rather than being arranged in a pompadour, had a white foulard, wore a blue shirt and gray pants with a sword on his right hip. Later in the anime, he was given a different color scheme; his hair was changed to orange brown, his foulard became yellow, and his entire uniform changed to a much lighter blue, with his shirt and pants the same color.

Personality
Jovial and affable, Thatch appeared to be one of the friendlier and more sociable commanders of Whitebeard's crew, being the first to interact with Ace after they captured him and the rest of the Spade Pirates. He also may have a confident side, having chosen not to devour the Yami Yami no Mi after retrieving it from a raid, as according to the Whitebeard Pirates, the finder of the Devil Fruit has the right to consume it. However, this turned out to be a fatal mistake, as Teach took advantage and slew Thatch for the very fruit.

Abilities and Power
Having been a division commander, he had authority over a vast number of subordinates. Given this, Thatch probably had prowess equal to that of the other division commanders, perhaps on par with the strongest ones, as he commanded the 4th division. In the anime, he was shown dual-wielding swords and was capable of combating both the Decalvan Brothers simultaneously, although he was struggling a bit.

The New Comrade
Thatch was one of the first to try befriending Ace when he had arrived on the ship. Ace responded cynically, and questioned why he is not being held with shackles while on board the Moby Dick. Thatch merely gave an amused look, as though he believed that was unnecessary. One Piece Manga - Vol. 0 Chapter 0, Thatch makes his first live appearance.

Death over a Devil Fruit
Thatch later found the Yami Yami no Mi, the Devil Fruit that Blackbeard was after for a long time. This Devil Fruit was the very reason that Blackbeard joined the Whitebeard Pirates, so he killed Thatch and ran off with it, leaving his former commander, Portgas D. Ace, to hunt him down for revenge. One Piece Manga and Anime - Vol. 45 Chapter 440 and Episode 325, Blackbeard's chilling tale. However, when Ace failed and was captured and ultimately killed, the revenge also ended up in failure. Whitebeard himself attempted to get revenge in place of Ace, but he too was killed by the Blackbeard Pirates.

Anime and Manga Differences
The episode showing Ace's flashback contains more information about Thatch than ever given in the manga. These scenes ultimately depict Thatch as a very close friend to Ace. This would include him and Ace fighting together back to back against the Decalvan Brothers, even so far as the betrayal by Marshall D. Teach and his corpse laying on the deck of the Moby Dick, having been stabbed to death in the back. Also there is a scene in which Ace received a banquet for becoming the 2nd division commander, and Thatch is shown giving something to Ace to drink after he choked on his food. In the anime, it is also seen that he gets along quite well with Marco.

Major Battles

 * Portgas D. Ace and Thatch vs Decalvan Brothers
 * Thatch vs Marshall D. Teach

Trivia

 * Seeing a resemblance between Thatch's name and that of the alias of the real life Blackbeard, Edward Thatch, a fan asked Oda in a SBS question if Thatch was based on the real life Blackbeard along with Edward Newgate and Marshall D. Teach. Oda replied to the fan that he indeed based Thatch's name on the real life Blackbeard's alias. However, the basis is in name only.
 * During the war at Marineford Whitebeard is seen with only 14 division commanders, minus Ace, instead of 15, indicating that Thatch had not been replaced.
 * In episode 476, a statue resembling Thatch can be seen after Hancock's first attack.

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