Netflix’s One Piece had to be meticulous in its approach to project Iñaki Godoy as the live-action Monkey D. Luffy. Not only did they recreate certain scenes from the anime as closely as possible but they also paid attention to the characteristic attires, including Luffy’s straw hat.
The straw hat is the most important symbol in One Piece. It highlights Luffy’s characteristic determination and is also a sign of his trust since he rarely entrusts the hat to anyone except for his own ‘Straw Hat’ crew. Moreover, the ‘mugiawara’ actually belongs to Shanks, someone who Luffy looks up to, and has promised to return it when he becomes the King of Pirates.
Iñaki Godoy Was Given Different Straw Hats During The One Piece Live-Action Shooting
Iñaki Godoy gave a stellar performance as the straw-hat-wearing Monkey D. Luffy. He accurately mimicked the worried looks of the manga character when he lost his hat along with the possessiveness that came with it. Also, similar to the anime, Iñaki Godoy’s character of Luffy placed the hat on Nami’s head when she asked for his help against Arlong.
Fans may not have noticed but each hat he wore in Netflix’s One Piece was suited to certain scenes, such as a ‘fight scene’ straw hat and a ‘close-up shot’ straw hat. As revealed by the 20-year-old during an interview with Teen Vogue:
“There were multiple straw hats for different scenes. There was a specific type of hat for wide shots. There was like another type of straw hat for the closeups. Sometimes they had to change straw hats. There was a fight scene straw hat. Every single straw hat felt special to me.”
While the responsibility of the straw hat fell upon the costume designers, Iñaki Godoy had to practice the smile of Monkey D. Luffy. The wide grin of the straw hat was a characteristic that the Mexican actor believed would’ve “given a good shot” at nailing the audition for the role of Luffy.
Also Read: Iñaki Godoy Gets Ready for One Piece Season 2 with Latest ‘Training Arc’ Snippet
The Importance of the Straw Hat in One Piece
Originally belonging to Red-Haired pirate Shanks, the straw hat became a symbol of hope and trust once it was given to a young Luffy. Shanks himself stated that he was attached to the hat. It became Luffy’s mission to not only become the King of Pirates but also return the hat to the owner.
The Straw Hat is also a symbol that foreshadows Luffy’s eventual victory in claiming the One Piece treasure. Even though multiple hints have been given about ‘mugiawara no Luffy’ being the successor of Pirate King Gol D. Roger, the best example was revealed by Silver Rayleigh in Fish-Man Island. He claimed that the straw hat originally belonged to Roger.
One Piece fans believe that the straw hat generally brings good luck to Monkey D. Luffy. It is also the same attire in which Nami sews the vivre card handed by Ace, which is used to depict Luffy’s powers and eventually, his gear transformation.
