A culture where mythology is expressed in one piece

Key Takeaways

  • One Piece reflects the influence of yokai and oni, drawing on Japanese mythology for characters such as Kaido and Onimaru.
  • Chinese mythology has influenced Devil Fruits such as Kitsune from the Blackbeard Pirates and SMILE, Momonosuke's dragon.
  • Greek mythology appears in One Piece through character names like Zeus and the horses of Speed ​​and Doc Q.



one piece It has many influences that help color and create aspects of the world featured in the series. Besides the recorded history of piracy around the world, another notable historical influence is the mythology of various cultures.

relevant

Five retired pirates from the One Piece Pirates

Although these five people engaged in pirate activities in the past, they have retired and are currently pursuing other businesses.

Different levels of implementation allow for the investigation of various aspects of etymology, design, or other similarities between established worlds. one piece Myths of various real cultures.


1 japanese mythology

What is a better choice for comics?

Kaido's red eyes in One Piece looking at Gear 5 Luffy


Considering the source, Japanese culture seems like an obvious choice. one piece Hugging series. This can be seen in some mythical Zoan fruits, mainly of Japanese influence. One of them is Onimaru, a fox who goes by the name of Gyukimaru and can transform into Oneyudo. Historically, Onyudo is a giant monster said to resemble a Buddhist monk. There are records of people being able to transform into animals, which may be why there are records of people eating this devil fruit.

An example other than a devil fruit is Kaido. His basic design clearly followed the depiction of the Oni, a goblin or demon-like monster from Japanese folklore. More specifically, Kaido is also thought to have given rise to Shutendoji, the famous oni with an insatiable thirst for sake. Shutendōji is also the inspiration for Ashura Dōji, a mountain thief who goes by the pseudonym Shutenmaru. Shutendōji himself was a particularly thief. Ancient Giants are thought to be inspired by the Oni due to their shared design elements.


2 chinese mythology

adjacent inspiration

Kaido in dragon form from One Piece

Chinese mythology appears everywhere. one pieceSometimes they overlap with myths from other regions because they have multiple counterparts. One example is the Devil Fruit, possessed by Katarina Devon of the Blackbeard Pirates, which allows the user to transform into a kitsune. Kitsune is to some extent derived from the fox spirit of Chinese mythology, and the story spread to other East Asian regions, such as Japan. An example of such a fox spirit in Chinese culture is Da Ji, a fictional version of the consort of the last king of the Shang Dynasty, who is said to have brought down the dynasty. According to some accounts, this spirit killed the real Da Ji and replaced him seamlessly. It's unclear how long she can maintain her disguise, but Devon's Devil Fruit has been shown to have the potential to at least mimic the deceased.


Kaido's Devil Fruit (and Momonosuke's SMILE) are based on the Blue Dragon, a Chinese dragon god representing the East and one of the legendary Four Heavenly Kings of the Chinese constellations. While Kaido's Devil Fruit matches the story of the legendary Blue Dragon, Momonosuke's was classified as a failure due to its different color scheme. It's also worth noting that other dragons have also appeared in the series, especially those with a more Western flair.

3 greek mythology

Lasting influence on works of fiction

Zeus Nami One Piece


Due to the widespread cultural spread of Greek mythology, it is often considered secondary material for many works of fiction. in other words, one piece It intentionally invokes Greek mythology through a variety of means, typically naming beings after characters from Greek mythology. The frontrunner in that respect would be Nami's companion Zeus, the thundercloud referencing the Greek god of thunder. Other Homies, such as Hera, Prometheus, and Pandora (i.e. several created from the souls of each user of Soru Soru no Mi), also take their names from Greek mythology.

Two non-hoe examples are Ikaros Much, a giant squid fishman, and his late friend Daidalos, an actual giant squid. Icarus is a boy who was given wings by his father Daedalus, but he flew too close to the sun and drowned. Daedalus met a similar but reversed fate as Icarus, swimming too close to the sun and withering to death. The experience was so shocking that Icarus fainted every time he witnessed the fire.


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One Piece: Five Animal Pirates

These animals sail with pirates, but although they are primarily considered pets, they serve a practical purpose for sailors.

An unnamed example from Greek mythology that is invoked is Speed, the Horse SMILE user from Beasts Pirates. His design is very similar to the Centaur, a human with the body of a horse from the waist down. Additionally, Doc Q's horse, Stronger, has a devil fruit that allows him to transform into Pegasus, which comes from Greek mythology. Since Stronger is already a horse, this seems to only give him wings.

4 egyptian mythology

Especially in Alabasta

Fel from One Piece

Although not as common as Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology enjoys enough popularity that it is a cultural touchstone throughout popular culture.


relevant

One Piece: 6 currently unnamed Joan Fruits

Not all Devil Fruits in One Piece have been given official titles. Next up is the currently unnamed Zoan fruit.

A frequently mentioned figure in this connection is Anubis, a deity representing the afterlife with a canine head and, depending on the description, either a canine or a human body. This design convention is thought to be reflected in Chaka, a royal guard who transforms into a jackal via his Devil Fruit. Some believe that Chaka's name is derived from novels, particularly more modern Japanese stories set in Egypt. Stardust Crusaders. His hybrid form actually gives him a canine head, allowing him to fully embody the animal as Zoan users tend to do.

A similar example is Chaka's fellow guard, Pell, who represents Horus, the falcon-headed Egyptian sky god. Pell's Devil Fruit allows him to transform into a falcon. Like Chaka, due to the nature of the Zoan Devil Fruits, Pell can appear in two ways: as an animal or a humanoid hybrid, like his godly counterpart.

5 norse mythology

Especially in Elbaf

Loki One Piece 1131


The best-known parts of Norse mythology are repeated in popular culture, primarily involving Thor, the god of thunder, who has become a staple of Marvel Comics. Nonetheless, this is not the only context in which Norse mythology is popularly repeated. one piece It shows a level of connection to Norse mythology with the previously teased and recently introduced Loki.

Loki is the brother of Hairudin, the captain of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. This giant is said to have killed their father, Harald, due to a devil fruit that ran in the family. His power was such that he had to be bound by almost all of Elbaf's giant warriors. Although not as dramatically powerful, the mythological Loki is said to be responsible for the death of a god named Baldr, which led to his binding.


rocky one piece It seems like he wants the world to end. This reflects the prophecy that the mythical Loki would be released during the apocalyptic events of Ragnarok, join the war, and die in battle against Hemidal. His brother Hajrudin also reinforces themes of Norse mythology with his powerful Gungnir attacks, named after the legendary spear of Odin. The “god” paths included in his domain also reflect this custom, such as the Raven, Muginn, named after two of Odin's pet ravens. As the arc continues, it's likely that more examples of Norse mythology will be invoked and made known.

One Piece-9

release date
October 20, 1999

studio
toei animation

number of episodes
1116+

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