Ever since 1997, One Piece has created a benchmark for anime, and the stellar world of the franchise makes the series all the more captivating. For a series to run for well over two decades, there has to be a number of references and inspirations to influence the author, and One Piece‘s creator Oda Eiichiro is no exception. He draws inspiration from mythologies across various cultures and incorporates them into the story to enrich the world of One Piece.
The series is based on myths and legends derived from ancient paganism, which includes Greek mythology. All these inspirations together form the expansive world-building that’s considered to be some of the best in all anime, and the several references to Greek mythology throughout the series seem more than just pure coincidence.
Monkey D. Luffy: The Goddess Nike
It was a bolt out of the blue for fans to realize that Luffy has had the power of a mythical Zoan Devil Fruit all along — and a powerful one at that. In the series, Nika is the name of a legendary warrior once revered as the Sun God by slaves during ancient times. The user of this Devil Fruit is only limited by their imagination. They always have a smile on their face no matter the situation and are the embodiment of “The Warrior of Liberation.”
The concept of a sun god is common across several cultures; however, in Greek mythology, Nika is another name for Nike, the goddess of victory. As a personification of victory, Nike is often depicted on the side of the victor, granting them victory in battle. Furthermore, the word “Nika” is similar to a romanized Japanese word that roughly translates to “toothy grin,” which can be associated with Nika’s carefree and mischievous nature.
Boa Hancock: The Gorgon Medusa and the Amazons
Considered the most beautiful woman in the series, Boa Hancock bears an uncanny resemblance to the Greek Gorgon Medusa. She is the eldest of the Gorgon sisters and has the power to turn people into stone. Furthermore, her iconic snake earrings and her pet Salome draws inspiration from the Greek lore of the cursed Gorgon.
In mythology, Medusa also bears the name “Gorgo,” one of the three monstrous Gorgons with snakes in place of hair. Her curses cause anyone who lays eyes on her to turn into stone. Before being punished for taking the monstrous form, Medusa’s beauty was known far and wide. Furthermore, Boa’s tribe, the Kuja, is a nation of female warriors similar to the Amazons in Greek mythology. Much like the lore, the Kuja is also closed off from the world and strictly prohibits men from entering.
Ancient Weapons: Greek Gods
In the series, the Ancient Weapons are weapons capable of mass destruction, each being completely different from one another. It is hinted that these weapons were of utmost importance during the Void Century. The weapons are both inanimate objects and living beings, known as Poseidon, Pluton and Uranus respectively — each named after a Greek deity affiliated with the sea, earth and sky. Poseidon is the Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi who has the power to not only communicate with the sea kings but also command them to follow her orders. Before Shirahoshi, Poseidon in the Void Century was also a mermaid princess who made a pact with Joyboy.
According to mythology, Poseidon is the ruler of the sea, much like Shirahoshi, who belongs to the royal family that lives underwater. Pluton, on the other hand, is derived from the name of the Greek god Pluto, who was believed to rule the underworld. It was said that the underground and all mineral wealth within the earth belonged to him. In the series, Pluton is a massive ship buried within Wano. However, its reference to earth is currently unknown. Lastly, the most mysterious ancient weapon Uranus is derived from the Greek god who is the personification of the sky and heavens.
Big Mom’s Weapons: Greek Gods and Goddess
Big Mom, the former Emperor of the Sea, has the ability to extract the souls of people who fear her. She can then put those souls into objects to create weapons for herself. Out of the three weapons she carries — Zeus, Prometheus and Napoleon — two are named after Greek gods (although she creates her most powerful weapons using her soul fragments instead of others’). Furthermore, she later creates a new weapon named Hera, a goddess in Greek mythology. Zeus is the Thundercloud weapon that later merges with Nami’s Clima-Tact.
In ancient Greek lore, Zeus is the god of the sky, often represented by symbols such as the lightning bolt and the eagle. Big Mom’s Prometheus has the appearance of a miniaturized sun with several sun rays and uses the power of fire against enemies. In Greek mythology, Prometheus is one of the Titans and the god of fire who stole the fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. In the “Wano Country” arc, Big Mom creates a new weapon named Hera, which is also a thundercloud weapon, to replace Zeus, the former of whom in Greek mythology is the sister and wife of Zeus as well as queen of the twelve Olympians and Mount Olympus.
Red Hair Shanks: The Greek God Tyr
Despite having so little screen time, Shanks is one of the most important characters in the series. As a Yonko, he is extremely powerful and feared around the world. He is a very obvious reference to a famous Viking pirate named Erik the Red. However, aside from that, Shanks’ character is heavily inspired by the Greek god Tyr, known as the patron of warriors and mythological heroes. Even after so many years, fans are confused why Shanks loses his arm against a mere sea king despite being so powerful.
However, that act is no mere coincidence, as it forges an unbreakable bond between Luffy and Shanks and is the catalyst for Luffy becoming the King of the Pirates. According to Greek lore, Tyr willingly offers his arm to a monstrous wolf as an act of sacrifice that is prophesied to bring balance to the realms. Shanks is the one who brings the legendary Devil Fruit to East Blue, knowing full well the real abilities of this fruit. Luffy, a child of prophecy who is destined to bring upon a great change in the world, eats it without knowing the truth.
Minotaurus: The Mythical Minotaur
One of the five Jailer Beasts in Impel Down is the first awakened Zoan Devil Fruit user in the series. Minotaurus, the ferocious guard of the labyrinthian tunnels of the undersea prison Impel Down, is inspired by the Greek monster with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man. Minotaur becomes trapped in an elaborate labyrinth only to be killed by the hero Theseus. Likewise, in the series, Minotaurus fights Luffy in the prison and is defeated with just one blow from the protagonist.
