By now most people will agree that Yamato will most likely join the crew, especially after the latest episode, this has almost become a consensus in the community. Yamato wishes to be like Oden and to be free to see the world and discover the truth of what Roger and Oden left behind.
A lot of people believe that Yamato will eventually drop the desire to be Oden & follow her own ambition on her own terms. However, this would not likely change Yamato’s desire to join the Straw Hats and be free from the shackles of Wano.
If you take away all of the Oden inspiration, Yamato still holds freedom in the highest of values. What she desires most is individual freedom and freedom of the people. Even if Yamato drops the Oden persona, she will still want to join the crew.
So why would Yamato die and how would she die? That’s what leads me to the basis of this theory. Yamato is the name of a famous Japanese warship that was destroyed in WW2.
It may seem like an insane reach to suggest that because Yamato has this name, that means it will be relevant in her character arc, but it becomes more acceptable when you look at other characters.
For example, Sengoku is named after the ‘Sengoku’ Era of War in Japanese history. His character is not just named after this era, it is telling of his character. Sengoku is most well known for being an exceptional war strategist.
The connections don’t end there, there is also the fact that Wano itself is based on Japan during the Isolationist Sakoku era of the Tokugawa Shogunate. During this time, Japan remained closed to the outer world until America forced them to trade with them.
This is reflected in the arms deal between Kaido, Orochi, Doflamingo, and the World Government. Wano was forced in to opening exclusively to a foreign power that used them to advance their global influence.
Given all of these connections to the same theme of historical warfare, it seems to me that Yamato being named after a famous battleship may be relevant. This ship was destroyed in battle against the Allies ans the Americans at Okinawa, Japan.
To conclude, that all leads me to believe that, if Yamato were to die, here or in the EoS, it will be by fighting against the World Government and their allies. This would most likely be in the final war if it were to happen.
I’ll leave you with this extra thought. If Yamato is named after a battleship then perhaps that means she will be the one to fight ‘Colossal Battleship’ San Juan Wolf. This may be a reference to the Battle of Cagayan 1582, in which Spanish Captain, Juan Pablo de Carrión, clashed with Japanese Pirates in a fierce naval conflict.
