With over 500 million copies sold, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is arguably one of the most renowned Shonen series of all time. Since making its anime debut in 1999, the show has climbed its way to become one of the most desired shows and has captured the hearts of millions of fans.
One of the main reasons that Oda-Sensei’s work has received such widespread appreciation is due to its protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, who is beloved by the fans. The reasons are diverse, ranging from his goofy personality to following his childhood dream of becoming the King of Pirates.
Nevertheless, fans are relieved that Oda-Sensei has decided to make his adventure series, inspired by other work, which has got everyone excited and hooked on to it for 25 years and counting.
Eiichiro Oda’s Inspiration for Writing Monkey D. Luffy’s Enigmatic Character
Eiichiro Oda’s Monkey D. Luffy is filled with optimism and determination. He has been inspiring the viewers with his optimism and determination, encouraging them to not give up on themselves and their friends.
Moreover, the series has been running for so long that the protagonist’s growth as a character feels personal and complex. From Ace’s death during the Marineford Arc to liberating the Country of Wano, Luffy’s evolution has been extremely complex and multifaceted.
However, one of the show’s fan pages shared a post on X in which they stated that their favorite character was inspired by White King: A Tale of a Man with Yeti Blood.
The Captain of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew was based on a character named Impact. The resemblance was striking because almost all of the character’s facial features were taken.
In addition to the facial features, Oda-Sensei decided to use Impact’s simple background for his series as well. Hence, fans saw Luffy coming from a humble background, making his simple yet honorable goal to become extremely relevant to its viewers.
One Piece Fans React to Oda-Sensei Creating the Most Iconic Protagonist of All Time
One Piece offers a deep and thought-provoking storyline that will be easy to understand for the most part, which for the most part will entertain his audience. However, the central part of the story significantly contributes to the character’s relentless pursuit of his goal.
Naturally, when fans learned about this trivia, they were ecstatic as they learned something new about their favorite protagonist. Hence, the trivia received an overwhelmingly positive response from the fans.
Interesting to see that the idea of the main character having a special hat dates back this far
— Pacific (@Def_Pacific) July 15, 2024
So this is where Nika got his white color
— Mikoto The Lich Fan 🇵🇸 (@rachsanjani2000) July 15, 2024
Not the white king.
— SCAR (@Scar305) July 15, 2024
And with yeti blood?! Yeah, I'm happy we got nika luffy that is going to be pirate king instead.
If he did this one before One Piece I could see it lasting a few volumes depending on how he handled the yeti blood thing
— nathan (@dolegarf) July 15, 2024
I love how in every early prototype Oda came up with there’s always 3 characters that look similar and/or have similar personalities to Luffy, Zoro, and Nami. It’s cool seeing that he’s always had the Romance Dawn trio in mind. https://t.co/KbT9SlwWZs
— cody. (@strvwhxt) July 16, 2024
Nevertheless, fans could see the impressions of the White King, with some even saying that they could now understand how Gear 5 Luffy was the direct impression of the classic character.
Oda-Sensei has not only been inspired by the White King but also enhanced him, which has led to one of the most recognized fictional faces in the anime and manga industry.
One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.