Tag Archives: rome

DONQUIXOTE DOFLAMINGO=EMPEROR COMMODUS?

This theory is based on the possibility that the character Donquixote Doflamingo was inspired by/based on the ancient Roman Emperor Commodus. This can perhaps shed some light on Doflamingo’s character in the near future, or just make for an interesting comparison (I hope :lmao:). There are parallels between Dressrossa and Ancient Rome too that can perhaps explain why Commodus may have been an inspiration for Doffy, but I placed that section at the very end. I will try my best to condense/expand it in the coming few days, any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Commodus & Doflamingo

Emperor Commodus was notorious for his behaviour and government decisions. Ancient Roman historians credit him for transforming Rome “from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust” (Cassius Dio).

Similarly Doflamingo’s rise to power in Dressrosa brought about a lot of tragedy. Commodus, unlike most of his predecessors was born into the imperial family, the son of Marcus Aurelius, he viewed the throne as his birthright and did not bother to justify his actions. Sounds familiar?

Like Doflamingo being a Celestial Dragon and not understanding why he should be deprived of his birthright. Similarly Marcus Aurelius was known for his humanity, a bit like Donquixote Homing. Commodus was unpopular with the ruling elite (Donquixote and Riku family) but was very popular with the Army and the common people (in large part thanks to his elaborate gladiatorial games).

Commodus had a twin brother who died in his youth and numerous sisters. He executed both of his brother-in-laws, cousin for conspiring against him and there are rumours that he killed his father (this rumour was adopted into the movie “The Gladiator”). Thus like Doflamingo, he committed patricide and to a certain extent, fratricide as well.

Early on in his life Commodus was supposedly led astray by his companions and “through them that he at first, out of ignorance, missed the better life and then was led on into lustful and cruel habits, which soon became second nature.” (Cassius Dio). This is similar to how Trebol gifted Doffy the gun who then used to kill his own father and of course his younger brother (not sure if the gun was the same).

Commodus suffered from megalomania, strongly believing in his own god-like status, physical strength and superiority to everyone else. He possessed immense physical strength and often participated in the gladiatorial fights and hunts he staged for the people. It was more of a sport for him. Something we see in Doflamingo who takes on hits like nobody’s business, mostly fearless, immensely strong as well. Similarly the people closest to Commodus attempted to assassinate him, most notably his sisters and his mistress. The people closest to Doflamingo attempt to do the same, Rocinante, Baby 5, Law. Other assassination plots failed too, as Commodus survives and seeks revenge. Similar to how Doflamingo survives the murder attempt(s) from Mariejois and seeks vengeance on the Celestial Dragons.
In the end, Commodus is strangled by his wrestling partner and after his death he is declared as a public enemy by the government who destroy all his statues.

What could this mean for Doflamingo?

I think Doflamingo will probably not end up in Impel Down, he will either be killed on the way there (CP0? Kaido?Blackbeard?) or somehow escapes before his arrival there and will meet his end elsewhere in the New World.
His death would cause chaos in the underground network and will end an era of the stable rule of the Yonkos. Just how Commodus’ death marked the end of an entire dynasty. I added Blackbeard as one of the potential killers because we all know how he likes to take advantage of someone’s weakened position and is on the hunt for powerful devil fruits and he String-String fruit is definitely an unusual one.

It will act as a trigger for supernovas to take action (as some of them have begun already) against the Yonkou and WG. A war between various pirate factions will be a possibility too. A point of no return of sorts for the “old powers” in the New World, the beginning of their decline. Just how Commodus’ reign and death was said to begin the end of the Roman Empire.

Dressrosa & Ancient Rome

I know most people say that Dressrosa is meant to be Spain, but to me it seemed encompass a general Mediterranean theme and Spain was part of the Roman empire and thus still has various monuments in the Greco-Roman style. The vibrant colours, climate, passion (regional stereotype) architectural elements and so on reflect that pretty well.
But the moment I saw the aerial view of Dressrosa it really reminded me of the models of ancient Rome.

Corrida Colosseum is a given of course, it even ends up mimicking the damage of the real Colosseum after Pica goes berserk. Interestingly, the real Colosseum was damaged by an earthquake (earth damage/shifts parallels Pica’s power in a way).

The underground part of Corrida Colosseum with all its corridors and cages is inspired by the underground network of its real-life counterpart and both can get filled with water.

But the Corrida Colosseum in Dressrosa is a perfect example of the classic Roman political tool: Bread and Games. A tool used by every self-respecting, ambitious Roman politician since way back when. Similarly Doflamingo, keeps the people in Dressrosa happy with grand architecture and spectacles on the arena, distracting them from the dark side of the reality. Perhaps it is not a coincidence for this arc to have so many parallels with ancient Roman history and some of its historical figures. That’s about it. Let me know your thoughts and thank you for reading it! :>

*Theory by laconicstrawhat

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