If you’ve spent any time in the One Piece community, you’ve probably seen the memes. A tall, lanky guy in a yellow suit with sunglasses, talking like he just woke up from a three-day nap. He’s the "light guy," or more formally, Admiral Kizaru (Borsalino).
He is weird. Seriously.
Most shonen villains are screaming about their dreams or how they want to burn the world down. Not Kizaru. He just sort of... exists. He shows up, asks if anyone has seen a "Black Den Den Mushi," and then accidentally kicks a giant mangrove tree into splinters because he was bored.
But honestly? That’s why he’s the most dangerous person in the Marines.
The Pika Pika no Mi: More Than Just "Fast"
Kizaru ate the Pika Pika no Mi (the Glint-Glint Fruit). It’s a Logia-type, which basically means his physical body is literally made of photons. He is light.
Now, think about that for a second.
In the world of One Piece, where people fight with swords and rubber punches, Kizaru is a walking particle accelerator. He doesn't just "move fast." He teleports by reflecting himself off surfaces like a mirror. He shoots lasers from his fingertips that cause explosions larger than most warships.
Why His Kicks Are Different
You’ve probably heard his most famous line: "Speed is weight. Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
It sounds cool, but the physics are nightmarish. Even if we ignore real-world E=mc² logic where he’d vaporize the planet, the sheer kinetic energy he generates is insane. When he kicks someone, he isn't just hitting them with a foot; he’s hitting them with the momentum of a falling star.
👉 See also: Days of Our Lives Comings and Goings: Why the Salem Revolving Door is Spinning Faster Than Ever
Most people in the series can't even see him move. At the Sabaody Archipelago, he dismantled four "Supernovas"—the strongest rookie pirates in the world—in about five minutes. He wasn't even breathing hard. He looked like he was trying to remember where he left his car keys while he was doing it.
The Mystery of "Unclear Justice"
Every Marine Admiral has a personal philosophy.
- Akainu follows "Absolute Justice" (kill everyone to keep order).
- Aokiji followed "Lazy Justice" (do what feels right, mostly).
Kizaru? His motto is "Unclear Justice." This is where the character gets deep, and honestly, a bit tragic. For hundreds of chapters, fans thought he was just a high-ranking stoner who didn't care about anything. But the recent Egghead Island arc changed everything we knew about him.
We found out Kizaru actually has friends. He spent years hanging out with Dr. Vegapunk, Sentomaru, and even Kuma. He danced with them. He ate pizza with them.
And then, the World Government told him to go kill them.
A Cog in the Machine
Kizaru calls himself a "corporate slave" or a "cog in the machine." It’s a defense mechanism. If he convinces himself that he has no choice—that he’s just a tool following orders—he doesn't have to feel the guilt of murdering his best friends.
During his fight with Luffy on Egghead, he was visibly "off." His heart wasn't in it. When he finally had to strike down Vegapunk, he covered his eyes with his dark sunglasses. He claimed the light was too bright, but we all knew: he was crying. He couldn't look at what he’d done.
Can Anyone Actually Beat the Light Guy?
Because he's light, you can't hit him with normal weapons. Bullets go through him. Swords pass through his chest.
✨ Don't miss: Olivia Wilde Tron Legacy Poster: Why Quorra Still Rules the Grid
To even stand a chance, you need Haki. Specifically:
- Armament Haki: This lets you "grab" his light body and actually land a punch.
- Observation Haki: You need to see the future (Future Sight) just to know where he’s going to be, because by the time you see the flash, he’s already behind you.
Luffy’s Gear 5 is one of the few things that has actually managed to keep up with him. Even then, it wasn't a "stomp." Kizaru’s speed is so oppressive that it forces even a Yonko to push themselves to their absolute limit.
Is He "Nerfed" by His Personality?
A lot of fans argue that if Kizaru were serious, the story would have ended at Sabaody. If he just flew around at light speed and spammed lasers from the sky, nobody could touch him.
But that's the point of his character. He's lazy and conflicted. His lack of ambition is the only thing keeping the rest of the world safe. If he had the drive of someone like Akainu, he’d be the King of the World by now.
What to Watch Out For Next
If you're following the manga or the anime's latest seasons, keep a close eye on Kizaru’s emotional state. The "light guy" isn't just a meme anymore. He’s a man who has realized that his "Unclear Justice" has led him to a place of total misery.
Whether he eventually turns against the World Government or stays a loyal soldier until the end is the biggest question left in his arc.
What you can do now:
- Re-watch Episode 402: It's his first appearance. Knowing what we know now about his past with Vegapunk, his interactions with the Straw Hats feel way different.
- Look at his sunglasses: Notice how Oda uses them to hide his eyes whenever he’s doing something "evil." It’s a subtle cue that Kizaru isn't as cold-hearted as he pretends to be.
- Pay attention to his speed: In the Egghead arc, notice how he uses "acceleration" to increase his power—it's a new layer to his fruit that we hadn't seen before.
Kizaru is proof that in One Piece, even the most overpowered characters are still human underneath the lasers and the flashy suits.
Actionable Insights for Fans
To truly understand the "light guy," stop looking at his power levels and start looking at his hesitation. His power is limited by his soul, not his fruit. If you’re debating his strength in forums, remember that his "mental nerf" is a confirmed plot point in the Final Saga. Use that to back up why he didn't just end the series in ten seconds.