‘One Piece’: What Is Kaido’s Shuron Hakke?

As far as the characters of One Piece are concerned, Kaido is definitely among the most intriguing ones in the whole franchise. Now, the former Emperor of the Sea is among the strongest characters in the franchise, and we think he deserves some attention, which is why we are writing this article for you. In it, we will explore Kaido’s powers and abilities, specifically those related to his Shuron Hakke, a very special fighting style seen in the most recent episode of the One Piece anime. We all know that Kaido is one of the strongest characters in the series and that his skills and techniques are outright incredible, but the Shuron Hakke is something special, which is why we are going to dedicate this whole article to that specific fighting style.

The Shuron Hakke is Kaido’s special fighting technique which can be translated as “Sake Dragon Eight Trigrams”. As you can see, alcohol (sake) plays an important role in this style, which is basically a form of drunken fighting consisting of several techniques. It doesn’t increase Kaido’s powers, but it makes him significantly more unpredictable, as his moves become random and chaotic, making it difficult to counter him. He also changes between his shapes quickly.

As you might have deduced for yourselves, Kaido will be the focus of this article as we expand on the answer we have given above. We shall tell you everything you need to know about his powers and abilities and how it relates to Kaido’s current story and his status in the world of One Piece. In case you’re not up-to-date with everything that has been going on in this great series, we have to warn you that some spoilers might be present in this article.

Shuron Hakke doesn’t make Kaido stronger, it makes him more unpredictable

Chapter 1037, which was adapted in the recent Episode 1064 of the anime, was a big moment in the battle between Kaido and Luffy, yet another clash between the two powerful pirates, a clash that would ultimately prove to be the decisive one. In it, we actually got to see Kaido’s new fighting technique, known as the Shuron Hakke, which confused Luffy and caused a lot of trouble for the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates; luckily for him, this was not the decisive moment of that battle, but allow us to introduce this style to you.

Kaido is a character who is known for his drinking “problems.” He isn’t an alcoholic, but he likes to drink and can often be seen drinking and being drunk. And while alcohol usually numbs one’s senses and reflexes, in Kaido’s case, it takes him into a state that makes him a more difficult opponent than a character who is easier to defeat.

This specific state is called Shuron Hakke, which can be translated as “Sake Dragon Eight Trigrams” literally, while Viz Media translated it as Drunken Dragon Bagua. But, however, you call it, Kaido’s Shuron Hakke is an incredible technique, and it demands an explanation as it confused even Luffy.

Namely, aside from all expectations, Kaido becomes a better fighter in this state. He doesn’t really become more powerful in that aspect, his level of power stays the same (save for his Haki, whose powers are increased), but he becomes quicker, more agile, and can quickly change between his Zoan forms, which confuses Luffy. Just imagine a drunk person who is chaotic and whose moves are completely unpredictable because they’re drunk, but with a sense of direction, as in Kaido’s case. To someone else, the movements seem chaotic, as expected from a drunk person, but from Kaido’s perspective, he was even better.

You can understand why and how Kaido managed to confuse Luffy in this state, which is how he obtained the upper hand in that battle phase.

The Shuron Hakke is a state in which Kaido can use several techniques, and we are now going to introduce you to them:

• Warai Jōgo (translated as “Cyclic Thunder Drunk” or “Lightning Hammered”): This mode is known as his laughing drunk mode. Using it, Kaido uses a specific version of his Ragnaraku technique, as he did when fighting Luffy.
• Ochikomi Jōgo (translated as “Depressed Drunk” or “Drowning His Sorrows”): This technique is known as his depressed drunk mode. It consists of Kaido using his special Tatsumaki Kaifu technique, as seen in his fight against Luffy.
• Naki Jōgo (translated as “Crying Drunk” or “Tears in His Beer”): This technique is known as the drunk crying mode. As we’ve seen in his battle against Luffy, this technique actually consists of Kaido using his Raimei Hakke technique in a drunk state.
• Okori Jōgo (translated as “Angry Drunk” or “Drunken Rage”): This technique is the angry drunk mode. When he used it in his fight against Luffy, Kaido actually showed us that this is, in fact, his Gundari Ryuseigun technique used in a drunk state.
• Amae Jōgo (translated as “Spoiled Drunk” or “Drunken Beggar”): This technique is actually his begging drunk mode. Interestingly enough, this technique doesn’t consist of Kaido using any other technique in a drunken state, but rather, as we’ve seen during his fight against Luffy in Wano Country, he flirted with Luffy and begged him to stop hitting him. This is a weird one.
• Nusubito Jōgo (translated as “Thieving Drunk” or “Drunken Thief”): This technique, interestingly enough, doesn’t seem to be the embodiment of some emotion or action. As seen in his fight against Luffy, Kaido used this technique in his full Beast Form, focusing on the benefits of his serpentine body to mimic the trajectory of Luffy’s numerous punches.
• Satsuriku Jōgo (translated as “Slaughtering Drunk” or “Blood Thirsty Drunk”): The final technique is also not an embodiment of some emotion, like the previous one. In his Human-Beast Form, Kaido uses his enormous strength and size to his advantage, dealing harder blows with the intent to kill his opponents.

Ultimately, you can easily understand why Kaido became so dangerous in this mode. It was wholly unpredictable, and the captain of the Beasts Pirates was supposed to be much easier to defeat in a drunken state, but it turned out to be quite different in that aspect.

This is why Luffy was confused, but – although we don’t want to spoil too much – we wanted to say to you that Luffy will find a way to surpass Kaido despite this powerful new style.