One Piece and its huge cast of characters is very special in comparison to the other anime casts. In One Piece, almost every single character has a role to play in the story. Even some characters especially the villains, who get sidelined after an arc are likely to make a return later on in the series.
Among the many villains in One Piece, Donquixote Doflamingo is held in very high regard by the fans. Following his defeat, Doflamingo was locked up inside Impel Down, and it is known to be an incredibly difficult place to break out from. With Doflamingo locked up, is his role in One Piece over, or does he still have a part to play in the story?
Doflamingo's Past
Doflamingo is the son of Donquixote Homing, who was one of the many World Nobles living in Mary Geoise. Unlike most of the World Nobles, Homing was not a cruel person, and he was not interested in the riches and power that came with being a World Noble, instead, Homing wanted to lead a simple life.
So, he made up his mind and decided to leave Mary Geoise along with his family. This decision would leave a drastic impact on the lives of his kids, particularly on Doflamingo. After leaving Mary Geoise, their lives became a living hell as the common people resented the World Nobles. Shortly afterward, Doflamingo's mother passed away due to an illness, and it started Doflamingo's development into a ruthless man.
Furthermore, Doflamingo, Rosinante, and their father were tortured by an angry mob. This led to Doflamingo unlocking his Conqueror's Haki, and with the help of his newfound ability, he knocked out the people in the mob. Trebol witnessed Doflamingo using Conqueror's Haki, and he approached the young kid and gave him a pistol. With the gun, Doflamingo killed his father and after that, he never stopped. He took Homing's head to Mary Geoise, but he was forced to flee from the place. However, while he was in Mary Geoise, Doflamingo learned about the National Treasure of the World Nobles. This information would help Doflamingo immeasurably later in his life.
Doflamingo and The Underworld
Before being captured by the Marines, Doflamingo used to be the most famous Underworld broker. He had connections with many powerful people including members of the World Government and the Yonko. Doflamingo carried out many deals, which helped him to improve his standing. But, how did Doflamingo avoid being captured by the Marines?
This was mainly due to the fact that he held the position of a Shichibukai. On several occasions in the series, the Shichibukai have been shown using their authority to commit atrocious acts, Crocodile in Alabasta, Boa Hancock disobeying orders at Marineford, and Mihawk leaving Marineford after Shanks' arrival. On all these occasions, no action was taken against the Shichibukai. So, Doflamingo was able to continue trading in the Underworld without any interferences.
Aftermath of Defeat
Doflamingo's defeat to Luffy came as a big shock to all the people, especially to his own crewmates. After he was defeated, Doflamingo was arrested by Fujitora, and taken away. While the ship was en route to Impel Down, Jack of the Beasts Pirates decided to attack it, but he could not defeat all the Marine ships on his own and he ended up being badly wounded. Doflamingo's fate was sealed, and he ended up being imprisoned in Impel Down.
After he was imprisoned, an interesting conversation took place between Magellan and Doflamingo. Doflamingo asked the former warden about the World Government's attempt to kill him. The World Government wants to kill Doflamingo because he knows about the National Treasure. If word got out about the secret, the World Nobles would be in a very torrid position. Doflamingo also questioned Magellan whether the latter was protecting him from the assassins sent by the World Government. This particular interaction took place during the Levely arc. Doflamingo was once again seen in the series during the Wano Country arc, and he was reading and laughing while reading a newspaper.
His Comeback
It is plausible to assume that Doflamingo very likely has a role to play in the future. If he was not important to the story, he would have already been murdered by the assassins, which would have brought an end to his part of the story, however, him being alive means that Doflamingo will be involved in the story. It is unknown how he will influence the story, but he could easily cause the World Government to fall apart if he just leaked the secret of their National Treasure.
Doflamingo's has the information that could turn the world upside down. His Underworld connections, Doflamingo could also pave a way to escape from the prison. Another big mystery is Magellan's behavior towards Doflamingo, and why is he protecting the former Shichibukai from the assassins. Oda clearly has plans for Doflamingo and the latter can easily cause a huge problem to the World Government. So, he should not be counted out from playing an important role in the future of One Piece.