- Not to be confused with God's Guards or God's Army.
- For the chapter of the same name, see Chapter 1143.
The Knights of God[3] are an elite squad of warriors from the Holy Land Mary Geoise, with authority to oversee the World Nobles.[4] They operated under the command of their Supreme Commander, Saint Figarland Garling,[2] but Garling's command over the Knights in any capacity is now unknown following his promotion to one of the Five Elders.[5]
Due to their actions and role, they are the main antagonists of the Elbaph Arc and a major antagonist group of the Final Saga.
Overview[]
The Knights of God are a group of combatants led by a Supreme Commander (最高司令官, Saikō Shireikan?),[2] with a Commander (団長, Danchō?) below that.[6] When invited to join their ranks, Loki suspected that such an invitation came with the status of World Noble, but no definitive answer was given.[7] Gunko referred to the status achieved through joining as "divine", implying that recruits will automatically become Celestial Dragons.[6] The six members who have been fully named thus far have all been confirmed to be World Nobles.[2] Alongside the Five Elders, the Knights of God are aware of the existence of Imu, referring the secret ruler of the Blue Planet with a great honorific.[8]
The Knights of God also appear to employ lower-ranking subordinates similar to squires known as Devoted Blades of God (神の従刃, Kami no Jūjin?); one current Knight of God is known to have held this rank in the past.[9]
The symbol of the Knights of God.
They generally do not adhere to the standardized attire of other World Nobles, such as the thick white suit with knobs, resin bubbles, or glass helmets that isolate air supply from non-Nobles, nor the "Noble Opener" hairstyle. Instead, they wear either knight's armor during the Native Hunting Competition,[10] or ornate black military uniform during active duty. Even when off-duty, they do not dress the same way as their lower-ranked compatriots, as Sommers was in a state of undress at the time.[11] Garling, while still the Supreme Commander, wore a black variant of the World Nobles' robes, while performing the execution of Saint Donquixote Mjosgard.[2] While travelling, members have worn full cloaks with hoods to obscure their appearances.[12]
According to Sakazuki, their mere intervention in affairs to do with Mary Geoise spells trouble for the Marines. In particular, the Knights of God seem to hold jurisdiction over matters pertaining to World Noble disputes,[4] with (at least) their Supreme Commander having the authority to carry out death sentences on fellow World Nobles.[2] Monkey D. Dragon and Emporio Ivankov have speculated that the Knights of God may be mobilized in response to the Revolutionary Army's harmful exploits against the World Government (namely, attacking its capital, declaring war, and destroying supply lines to Mary Geoise), and that the Knights may specifically target Sabo due to the latter being a new symbol of hope for uprising nations. This, according to Dragon, could mark the beginning of the real battle awaiting the Revolutionaries, thus hinting at the Knights of God' possible power.[10] Indeed, they are suggested to be capable of fighting fearsome pirates, as thirty-eight years ago on God Valley, Garling ordered marines to retreat and leave the fight against the pirate invaders to the Knights of God.[13]
Like most Celestial Dragons, the Knights of God are utterly diabolical and will attempt genocide or subjugation of "lesser" races without much hesitation and view people beneath them as inferiors. However, just like with the Five Elders, most of their cruelty is motivated by a lack of empathy towards the people they target, and are less prone to outright recklessness. They also lack the "-eh" verbal tic most of the Celestial Dragons use.
Members[]
- See also the associated category: Knights of God.
Leadership | ||||
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On God Valley 38 years ago, beside Garling, Gunko, Sommers, and Maffey, several more Knights of God were seen:[13]
- A rifle-wielding woman from the Manmayer Family wearing a fancy newsboy cap with World Government symbols and a modified version of the standard World Noble suit with the kanji for "God" (神 (Kami?)) on its back and what appears to be the standard black Knights of God uniform under it. She was first introduced as a Native Hunting Competition participant in Chapter 1096 and expressed interest in her family winning the competition, showing faith in Gunko's abilities. A skilled marksman, she quickly gunned down a group of residents trying to escape.
- A dark-haired young woman (blonde in the anime) with a pinned rose in her hair, wearing midriff-baring armor and wielding a lance. First introduced in Chapter 1096.
- An individual wearing a bovine skull mask and a dark, high-collared outfit with buttons, wielding a scythe. First introduced in Chapter 1096.
- An elderly male creature with a massive, beastlike appearance, including: a pair of horns growing from his forehead, batlike wings on his back, and a wide mouth with fanged teeth framed by a fluffy beard. First introduced in Chapter 1160.
It is unknown if Maffey or any of those four additional members are still in active service for the group.
Abilities and Powers[]
As World Nobles, they possess immense authority and more-or-less share the same privileges as their lesser brethren. However, they can fully defend themselves without relying on an Admiral whenever disturbed. They are also apparently more well-informed than a usual World Noble, with Gunko having knowledge about the resurgence of the Great War and Sommers instantly knowing Jaguar D. Saul's status as a former Vice Admiral and his survival in the Ohara Incident at first glance (by comparison, Saint Shalria does not even know what the Void Century is despite it being common knowledge amongst the World Nobles).
Their primary duty appears to be to enforce the rules and way of life that the World Nobles have grown accustomed to (much like how regular police officers work with normal citizenry). As such, they possess even greater authority than that of the average Celestial Dragon. If any World Nobles are in danger while the Knights of God are present, then the knights will work to protect said nobles from harm.[13] However, should a World Noble act in a way that defies proper Celestial Dragon conduct, such as showing kindness towards those of the lower class, the Knights of God can and will punish them accordingly;[4] even execute them if they do something truly out of line, such as defending those who attack another World Noble.[2] The only people who exceed their jurisdiction are the Five Elders and Imu, though the Supreme Commander can be promoted to one of the Five Elders if one of its members is deposed.[5]
Several members of the Knights of God have received a 'mark' that permits them to travel through the Abyss, like the Five Elders, allowing them to travel great distances across the world or summon their fellow knights to their position.[11] While the power collectively held by the Knights of God is still unknown, as shown in Elbaph, just three of them combining their own Devil Fruit powers is more than enough to take entire nations hostage and throw them into chaos[14]. They are also shown to be skilled combatants, as the trio on Eblaph demonstrated effective Devil Fruit usage and easily defeated hordes of trained Giants alongside lesser members of the Straw Hat Pirates, despite the Straw Hats also had the capable Jinbe in tow during that time. However, most of them still appear to be no match for the strongest pirates in the world, as Sommers and Maffey were both defeated with one attack each by Rayleigh and Whitebeard, respectively, in their primes.[15] Likewise, Rocks easily defeated two of them, including Garling, during the God Valley Incident and his attacks were powerful enough to hamper their regeneration for a prolonged period of time.[16]. Furthermore, in the present day, Sommers was easily defeated by Gaban, even though he was far past his prime and weakened by old age. In fact, the only real reason why none of the Knights were killed during any of these battles it was simply thanks of their immortality.
According to Jaguar D. Saul, all of the Knights of God are immortal, making them nigh-unbeatable.[17] Gunko and Sommers in particular have demonstrated the same type of immortality as the Five Elders, being able to instantly recover from otherwise lethal damage.[18] However, Sommers was shocked when his arm did not regenerate after it was severed by Gaban, and shortly after his torso was bifurcated entirely by Gaban; despite his regeneration being halted and having been dealt lethal damage, he remained alive and was eventually able to pull himself together.[19]
However, unlike the Elders, the majority of the God's Knight members can physically age, as Garling, Sommers and Shamrock have been shown to be significantly younger thirty-eight years ago on God Valley and all aged naturally in the present. The only member of the Knights of God who appears to be the exception to this is Gunko as she was depicted with the same appearance 56 years ago that she has in the present, indicating that her aging has been halted.
The Knights of God have a telepathic connection with Imu, who can communicate with them at long distances, and even take over their bodies.[8]
History[]
Past[]
When the Knights of God were formed is unknown, but they existed at least 40 years ago, as Figarland Garling was already a member.[20] 38 years ago, they participated in the battle that would later be known as the God Valley Incident.[13]
Whole Cake Island Saga[]
Levely Arc[]
During the Levely, the commander of the Knights of God, Figarland Shamrock, arrived in Mary Geoise under disguise for a meeting with the Five Elders. After arriving at Pangaea Castle's Room of Authority, Shamrock informed them that he needed to discuss a "certain pirate".[1]
Wano Country Saga[]
Wano Country Arc[]
The Knights of God were involved in the aftermath of the Revolutionary Army's assault on Mary Geoise, taking over the investigation into the assassination attempt on Saint Charlos and the involvement of Mjosgard in the purported suspects' escape.[4]
Final Saga[]
Egghead Arc[]
Garling personally executed Mjosgard in the Domain of the Gods for the latter's treason.[2] Following the death of Jaygarcia Saturn, Garling was promoted to the position of Warrior God of Science and Defense within the Five Elders, leaving his status as a member of Knights of God unknown.[5]
Elbaph Arc[]
Gunko summons Sommers and Killingham to Elbaph.
Commander Figarland Shamrock and Gunko of the Knights of God arrived on Elbaph via the Abyss[12] for the purpose of recruiting the imprisoned Loki to their ranks, though he refused to join.[7] Gunko attempted a more forceful manner of recruiting, beating Loki into submission, but Loki's answer did not change. As a result, their goal changed to instead subjugating Elbaph and bringing it under the control of the World Government.[6] Shamrock suggested that they target the giant's children first, as pacifying all of Elbaph's warriors would be too challenging for them, and he instructed Gunko to call for an additional member of the Knights of God to be sent as reinforcements.[21] As Gunko did perform the summoning, however, she ended up summoning two instead: Shepherd Sommers and Rimoshifu Killingham, both of which were not expected to be summoned. After they arrived, Killingham explained to a confused Shamrock that he was needed back on Mary Geoise, which is why two of them were present. Shamrock instructed the three of them to kidnap as many children as possible; even suggesting they make a game out of it.[11]
As they carry out their mission, the Knights of God enjoy a meal from afar.
The three of them then did this by combining their Devil Fruit powers to lead the children from the village towards a ship at a dock, using Gunko's arrows. To prevent anyone from interrupting their plans, both Killingham and Sommers used their Devil Fruit powers to further complicate any rescue attempts, as Killingham created nightmarish creatures, called "MMA", to attack nearby giants while Sommers created a thorny shell around the children, preventing anyone to grab them out of the arrow trajectory and lead them to the dock. As they deployed their plan, they were having a luxurious meal on a nearby branch, using Killingham's Devil Fruit power. When a nearby fire suddenly jeopardized the children's lives, they all still moved on with their plan, stating they could just kidnap other children and didn't care for the safety of the children. When the fire was later put out by Jinbe, Gunko then decided to confront the interrupters directly, appearing on a Svarr steered by Colon, with the Straw Hat Pirates onboard.
Once there, Gunko declared herself and the Celestial Dragons to be gods then immediately went to business by fighting Usopp, Nami, Brook and Jinbe all at once. During the battle, Usopp struck her with an exploding projectile which she regenerated from almost instantly and announced that the Knights of God's plan is to hold the giant's children hostage so that they could force the adult giants to go to fight for them in the upcoming final war foretold by people such as Vegapunk. Gunko easily overwhelmed them and managed to restrain and kidnap Colon. Elsewhere, Killingham managed to effortlessly incapacitate and defeat all of the teachers in the Walrus School while Sommers grievously wounded Saul.[22]
The trio faced powerful resistance when Scopper Gaban effortlessly defeated Sommers [23]. To his horror however, Gunko held Colon hostage in front of him and seeing no other option other than to surrender, Gunko grievously wounded him and he drops towards the underworld [24] only for Chopper to save him in time and bring him safely to the Underworld where the Straw Hats and the Giant's powerhouses are residing at. [25] It was at this time where Gunko's hidden memories began to resurface and she attempts to free Brook, only for Imu to possess her and intervene, taking over operations from that point on. [26] They ordered Sommers to continue leading the children and requested Killingham to continue terrorizing Eblaph with his MMA. Imu's presence also motivated Killingham to continue his operations to terrorize Eblaph in a much, more enthusiastic fashion than prior, motivating him to create significantly larger and stronger MMAs than before and in significantly larger numbers as well.
Trivia[]
Knights of God in the opening.
- Other than the Knights of God, Mary Geoise employs a separate group of lesser, armor-clad knights who have been shown accompanying and serving World Nobles as guards, especially while away from Mary Geoise. Any connection between the two groups, if at all, is unknown.
- The symbol the Knights of God is similar to the astronomical symbols for Earth or the alchemical symbol of oxygen. This may be a reference to how the Knights of God breath the same "air" as commoners unlike the usual World Noble.
- Several members of the Knights of God made an appearance in the 28th anime opening, Carmine, before their debut in the anime itself.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 907 (p. 16-17) and Episode 887, Shamrock debuts.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1086 (p. 15) and Episode 1120, Figarland Garling is introduced.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1160 (p. 15), The Knights of God 38 years ago are introduced, and the group's name is romanized as "Knights of God".
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 104 Chapter 1054 (p. 17) and Episode 1081, Sakazuki mentions the Knights of God while talking about the aftermath of the Revolutionaries' attack on Mary Geoise.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 One Piece Manga — Vol. 111 Chapter 1125 (p. 9-10), Garling has been appointed as one of the Five Elders.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 One Piece Manga — Vol. 112 Chapter 1137 (p. 16-17), Shamrock is revealed to be the Commander of the Knights of God.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 112 Chapter 1136 (p. 14-17).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1149 (p. 18-19).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1160 (p. 6-7), Gunko is introduced as a "Devoted Blade of God" 38 years ago.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1083 (p. 4-5) and Episode 1117, The Knights of God are shown in silhouette as Dragon talks about them.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 One Piece Manga — Vol. 112 Chapter 1140 (p. 12-17).
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 112 Chapter 1134 (p. 18-19), Shamrock and Gunko arrive on Elbaph.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 108 Chapter 1096 (p. 10-11) and Episode 1130, Garling readies himself to take on the Rocks and Roger Pirates on God Valley.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 112 Chapters 1143–1144.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1161.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1162.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1147 (p. 2).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1146 (p. 8).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1148 (p. 14-15).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1158 (p. 5), Figarland Garling meets with the Five Elders.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 112 Chapter 1137 (p. 8-9).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1146.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1148 (p. 14-15).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1149 (p. 3-8, 12-17).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1151 (p. 8).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1149 (p. 16-17).