When Oda introduced the Pegasus Devil Fruit that was eaten by Stronger, I was initially surprised because almost all the Mythical Devil Fruits up to that point were based on deities from the Eastern Mythos (Nika being the only exception). Not only that, but we already had a sort of Pegasus during the Skypiea Arc with Pierre, a Sky Bird who ate a Horse Zoan Devil Fruit. It made me wonder why Oda would use the same concept twice. It wasn’t until a conversation I had that it dawned on me.
A lot of villain groups in One Piece have a certain theme going on for them, and the post time-skip Yonko Crews are the best example of this:
1. Jesus Burgess and the Titan Atlas
Jesus is a strongman in possession of the Strong-Strong Fruit, and the first time we see him use its power, Jesus is seen holding up (and throwing) a mountain, much like the Titan Atlas, who as punishment was condemned to hold up “the heavens,” which is often visualized as him holding up a mountain. There even exists a mountain range named after the said Titan (the Atlas Mountains).
That being said, Atlas is already used as an inspiration behind the character of the same name, one of Vegapunk’s satellites, Punk 05. So, it’s possible that Jesus is meant to evoke another Greek character, the Divine Hero Heracles (or Hercules). Jesus’ design of a big, muscle-bound strongman is very reminiscent of the many depictions of Heracles, who is well known for his abnormal strength, with “Strength” being the literal meaning of Riki Riki no Mi.
2. Shiryu and the Ruler of the Underworld
Shiryu is an ex-Warden of Impel Down,... a place which is commonly referred to as “Hell” and a place which is very obviously inspired in appearance by Dante’s depiction of Hell in Divine Comedy. However, another obvious inspiration for Impel Down is Hades, the Greek Underworld ruled by its patron God of the same name, and a place where souls would go after their death.
What makes Shiryu a counterpart to the titular God (besides the above-mentioned thing) is the Helm of Hades a.k.a. Cap of Invisibility, which, as its name suggests, turns the user invisible when worn, much like how Shiryu’s Clear-Clear Fruit does the same. According to one of the ancient sources, Bibliotheca (2nd/1st century BC), the Uranian Cyclopes gave the helmet (kyneê) to Hades (or Pluto) in the war against the Titans.
3. Van Augur and the Herald of Gods
Many of the Greek Gods possess the ability to teleport – it’s not really a unique ability – so Augur’s Warp-Warp Fruit doesn’t really tell us much. However, his epithet “The Supersonic” might be because a Greek God known for his supersonic speed is Hermes, the Herald of Gods. He is said to move quickly and freely between the Worlds of the mortal and divine, not unlike how Van Augur was shown to be teleporting all over the World; from Whole Cake Island and wherever they fought Law to Egghead Island, Van Augur is always there thanks to his teleportation fruit.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention Artemis, the Goddess of Archery (among other things). I know Van Augur isn’t an archer himself, but a sniper is pretty close to one, as they are modern-day archers. There really isn’t a single deity that “specializes” in things like archery,... so it could be that Oda just borrowed this single thing from the goddess (there are more Gods that are Gods of Archery).
4. Avalo Pizarro and the Personification of Earth
The Isle-Isle Fruit is certainly a unique choice for Pizarro’s fruit, not only because it looks like a repeat of the already existing fruit (Pica’s Stone-Stone Fruit) but because it doesn’t match with the “cat motif” Pizarro has going on for him. The fruit’s power is inspired by Gaia, which is the personification of Earth in Greek Mythology. The fruit lets Pizarro merge with the Island he stands on and embody it as if it’s a living being a.k.a. he personifies it.
5. Laffite and the Alluring Sirens
Probably the most mysterious and in turn the most intriguing member of the Blackbeard Pirates, Laffite seems to be heavily inspired by the Sirens. In Greek mythology, Sirens (not to be confused with Harpies or Mermaids) are described as humanlike beings with “alluring voices” which would “hypnotize” the sailors into jumping overboard. This matches the ability Laffite demonstrated when he hypnotized a bunch of Marines to open the Gates of Justice for the Blackbeard Pirates to crash Marineford.
The appearance of the Sirens wasn’t originally described in their first mention (Homer’s Odyssey), but the first visual description has them appear as “part woman and part bird”. The exact ratio of woman to bird varies, from just birds with women’s heads to something like a human with bird feet and bird wings; something like what Laffite looked like during his assault on Whitebeard....
And lastly, in Christianity, the word for “Sirens” is translated as an “Owl”; a bird which is famous for how quiet it is when flying. Laffite is noted to be completely silent when infiltrating the Marijoas, undetected by even the likes of Sengoku and Mihawk, the latter of which is known as “Hawk-Eyes”.
6. Katarina Devon and the Goddess of the Moon
By far the biggest outlier is Katarina Devon due to her Devil Fruit being the 9-Tailed Fox, a deity from the Eastern Mythos. It could be that the Blackbeard Pirates are simply based on deities from all kinds of different Pantheons (with Katarina being from a Japanese one), but it’s also possible that Katarina is meant to represent Selene a.k.a. Mene, the goddess and personification of the Moon.
While pretty much every God in the Greek Pantheon has the ability to shape-shift and change their appearances – again, it's not something unique to any of them – what makes Katarina unique is her epithet of the “Crescent Moon Hunter”, which is what I believe ties her into the idea. Obviously, we need to see more of Katarina to get the full picture.
7. Sanjuan Wolf of the Gigantes
Sanjuan Wolf is a bit of a unique case as he is of the Giant Race, and the Giants in One Piece are already heavily based on the Vikings and Norse mythology. However, giants are very much part of the Greek mythos as well. While not necessarily giants (in size), the Giants of Greek myths were known for their strength and are most famous for the Gigantomachy (or Gigantomachia); their battle with the Olympian Gods for supremacy of the cosmos (remember this!). As for direct inspiration, pick your poison.... There are many Giants, and without learning more about Sanjuan himself, I cannot make any concrete connections.
Maybe his epithet of “Colossal Battleship” might give us some insight?
8. Vasco Shot and the God of Intoxication
“The Heavy Drinker” who ate the Glug-Glug Fruit, Vasco Shot, is heavily influenced by the Greek God of Wine, Dionysus; or more accurately, his Roman counterpart, Bacchus, the God of Wine and Intoxication.
The difference is important because Bacchus is perceived to be more violent and destructive than his Greek equivalent, which obviously fits Vasco Shot more. There isn’t much that we know about Vasco, so there isn’t much more to be said here about him.
9. Doc Q and the Horseman of Apocalypse
Doc Q takes obvious inspiration from the various concepts of Death. With his epithet of “Death God”, he evokes the Japanese Shinigami (lit. “Death God”). With his appearance of a scythe-wielding man, he evokes the imagery of a Grim Reaper and in Greek Mythology, Thanatos (lit. “Death”) was the personification of Death as well as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse seen riding a Pale Horse (Stronger is a pale horse).
In regard to his Sick-Sick Fruit, there is also Apollo, the God of Diseases (among many other things, like archery). Not sure how much Doc Q is meant to emulate Apollo,... since he is quite a complex character. It’s more likely that Oda just borrowed this one small aspect of his.
Blackbeard and the Guardian of the Underworld
Teach is an enigma with a lot about him yet to be revealed, but we do know both of his Devil Fruits, and we know that both of the fruits have a connection to 2 out of 3 main Gods of the Greek Pantheon.
With his Quake-Quake Fruit, Teach is similar to the God Poseidon, who, while primarily known for his control over water, was also known for his ability to cause earthquakes. With his Dark-Dark Fruit, Teach is similar to the aforementioned ruler of the Underworld, Hades. But I would be ignoring a big aspect of Teach if I didn’t mention his connection to number 3 and the Guardian Dog of the Underworld, Cerberus.
The flag of a pirate crew usually depicts the skull with some characteristics of its captain:
Blackbeard Pirates and the Titanomachia
Even outside the crew itself, when it comes to their goals, the Blackbeard Pirates also draw heavy inspiration from Greek myths. Blackbeard made it his priority to hunt down Hancock because of the power of her Devil Fruit, which came as a total surprise for most readers, as it’s just not something anyone expected Blackbeard to want. Mero Mero no Mi, and Hancock in general, are clearly meant to emulate Medusa, the Gorgon.
Hancock’s name is Boa (constrictor), after the snake. Her sisters both ate Snake-Snake Devil Fruits, and together with Boa, they are known as “The Gorgon Sisters.” Her powers are turning people (who lust over her) to stone, and she supposedly even has a pair of eyes on her back that “curse” those who look into them, referencing how Medusa’s powers work in myths. There is also Chapter 1107, which gave us the insight that Blackbeard’s goal might be - The World.
If we take this literally, we can extrapolate that Blackbeard wants to rule it. Xebec was said to want to do the same, and with Blackbeard’s ship being named the “Sabre of Xebec,” and Teach’s “special lineage,” it looks like Blackbeard wants to continue his legacy by thinking of himself as a metaphorical sword of Xebec. To do so, he first needs to remove those who are currently ruling it - the current Gods, the Celestial Dragons. In Greek mythology, the Gods are said to reside at the top of Mount Olympus (Red Line) from which they rule over mortals.
Seeing the trajectory the story is taking, it’s very likely that Blackbeard is trying to repeat history from hundreds of years ago. In the past, Celestial Dragons took over the place of the “Old Gods,” the Lunarians, and in the present, the Blackbeard Pirates are attempting to do the same with the current Gods, in a Titanomachia of their own - a War between the Gods and Titan(inc Captain)s. However, there is a big twist to this: the Blackbeard Pirates aren’t really called Titanic Captains. “Titanic” is just the choice the translator made for the English translation of their real titles - the “10 Giant (Human) Captains.” The Blackbeard Pirates aren’t the Titans that were overthrown by their God children; they are the Giants that are attempting to overthrow the Gods in the Gigantomachia.
The Red Line is the Mount Olympus atop of which Celestial Dragons, the equivalent of the 12 Olympian Gods, reside after previously overthrowing the previous rulers, the Lunarians a.k.a. the Titans, and Blackbeard Pirates are the Giants (“Giant Human”) wanting to overthrow them and take over their rule.
If you enjoyed reading this, make sure to follow me for more weekly/bi-weekly One Piece posts!
A lot of villain groups in One Piece have a certain theme going on for them, and the post time-skip Yonko Crews are the best example of this:
- For Big Mom Pirates, the theme is “Food” as most of them have food-related Devil Fruits, designs, or occupations.
- For Beast Pirates, the theme is, well, “Beasts” as most of them have Zoan Devil Fruits (regular, SMILEs, Ancient, Mythical).
- For Red-Hair Pirates, it’s still unclear since they have yet to take the stage, but it looks like it’s “Haki” as seemingly none of them ate any Devil Fruits.
1. Jesus Burgess and the Titan Atlas
Jesus is a strongman in possession of the Strong-Strong Fruit, and the first time we see him use its power, Jesus is seen holding up (and throwing) a mountain, much like the Titan Atlas, who as punishment was condemned to hold up “the heavens,” which is often visualized as him holding up a mountain. There even exists a mountain range named after the said Titan (the Atlas Mountains).
That being said, Atlas is already used as an inspiration behind the character of the same name, one of Vegapunk’s satellites, Punk 05. So, it’s possible that Jesus is meant to evoke another Greek character, the Divine Hero Heracles (or Hercules). Jesus’ design of a big, muscle-bound strongman is very reminiscent of the many depictions of Heracles, who is well known for his abnormal strength, with “Strength” being the literal meaning of Riki Riki no Mi.
2. Shiryu and the Ruler of the Underworld
Shiryu is an ex-Warden of Impel Down,... a place which is commonly referred to as “Hell” and a place which is very obviously inspired in appearance by Dante’s depiction of Hell in Divine Comedy. However, another obvious inspiration for Impel Down is Hades, the Greek Underworld ruled by its patron God of the same name, and a place where souls would go after their death.
What makes Shiryu a counterpart to the titular God (besides the above-mentioned thing) is the Helm of Hades a.k.a. Cap of Invisibility, which, as its name suggests, turns the user invisible when worn, much like how Shiryu’s Clear-Clear Fruit does the same. According to one of the ancient sources, Bibliotheca (2nd/1st century BC), the Uranian Cyclopes gave the helmet (kyneê) to Hades (or Pluto) in the war against the Titans.
3. Van Augur and the Herald of Gods
Many of the Greek Gods possess the ability to teleport – it’s not really a unique ability – so Augur’s Warp-Warp Fruit doesn’t really tell us much. However, his epithet “The Supersonic” might be because a Greek God known for his supersonic speed is Hermes, the Herald of Gods. He is said to move quickly and freely between the Worlds of the mortal and divine, not unlike how Van Augur was shown to be teleporting all over the World; from Whole Cake Island and wherever they fought Law to Egghead Island, Van Augur is always there thanks to his teleportation fruit.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention Artemis, the Goddess of Archery (among other things). I know Van Augur isn’t an archer himself, but a sniper is pretty close to one, as they are modern-day archers. There really isn’t a single deity that “specializes” in things like archery,... so it could be that Oda just borrowed this single thing from the goddess (there are more Gods that are Gods of Archery).
4. Avalo Pizarro and the Personification of Earth
The Isle-Isle Fruit is certainly a unique choice for Pizarro’s fruit, not only because it looks like a repeat of the already existing fruit (Pica’s Stone-Stone Fruit) but because it doesn’t match with the “cat motif” Pizarro has going on for him. The fruit’s power is inspired by Gaia, which is the personification of Earth in Greek Mythology. The fruit lets Pizarro merge with the Island he stands on and embody it as if it’s a living being a.k.a. he personifies it.
5. Laffite and the Alluring Sirens
Probably the most mysterious and in turn the most intriguing member of the Blackbeard Pirates, Laffite seems to be heavily inspired by the Sirens. In Greek mythology, Sirens (not to be confused with Harpies or Mermaids) are described as humanlike beings with “alluring voices” which would “hypnotize” the sailors into jumping overboard. This matches the ability Laffite demonstrated when he hypnotized a bunch of Marines to open the Gates of Justice for the Blackbeard Pirates to crash Marineford.
The appearance of the Sirens wasn’t originally described in their first mention (Homer’s Odyssey), but the first visual description has them appear as “part woman and part bird”. The exact ratio of woman to bird varies, from just birds with women’s heads to something like a human with bird feet and bird wings; something like what Laffite looked like during his assault on Whitebeard....
And lastly, in Christianity, the word for “Sirens” is translated as an “Owl”; a bird which is famous for how quiet it is when flying. Laffite is noted to be completely silent when infiltrating the Marijoas, undetected by even the likes of Sengoku and Mihawk, the latter of which is known as “Hawk-Eyes”.
6. Katarina Devon and the Goddess of the Moon
By far the biggest outlier is Katarina Devon due to her Devil Fruit being the 9-Tailed Fox, a deity from the Eastern Mythos. It could be that the Blackbeard Pirates are simply based on deities from all kinds of different Pantheons (with Katarina being from a Japanese one), but it’s also possible that Katarina is meant to represent Selene a.k.a. Mene, the goddess and personification of the Moon.
While pretty much every God in the Greek Pantheon has the ability to shape-shift and change their appearances – again, it's not something unique to any of them – what makes Katarina unique is her epithet of the “Crescent Moon Hunter”, which is what I believe ties her into the idea. Obviously, we need to see more of Katarina to get the full picture.
7. Sanjuan Wolf of the Gigantes
Sanjuan Wolf is a bit of a unique case as he is of the Giant Race, and the Giants in One Piece are already heavily based on the Vikings and Norse mythology. However, giants are very much part of the Greek mythos as well. While not necessarily giants (in size), the Giants of Greek myths were known for their strength and are most famous for the Gigantomachy (or Gigantomachia); their battle with the Olympian Gods for supremacy of the cosmos (remember this!). As for direct inspiration, pick your poison.... There are many Giants, and without learning more about Sanjuan himself, I cannot make any concrete connections.
Maybe his epithet of “Colossal Battleship” might give us some insight?
8. Vasco Shot and the God of Intoxication
“The Heavy Drinker” who ate the Glug-Glug Fruit, Vasco Shot, is heavily influenced by the Greek God of Wine, Dionysus; or more accurately, his Roman counterpart, Bacchus, the God of Wine and Intoxication.
The difference is important because Bacchus is perceived to be more violent and destructive than his Greek equivalent, which obviously fits Vasco Shot more. There isn’t much that we know about Vasco, so there isn’t much more to be said here about him.
9. Doc Q and the Horseman of Apocalypse
Doc Q takes obvious inspiration from the various concepts of Death. With his epithet of “Death God”, he evokes the Japanese Shinigami (lit. “Death God”). With his appearance of a scythe-wielding man, he evokes the imagery of a Grim Reaper and in Greek Mythology, Thanatos (lit. “Death”) was the personification of Death as well as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse seen riding a Pale Horse (Stronger is a pale horse).
In regard to his Sick-Sick Fruit, there is also Apollo, the God of Diseases (among many other things, like archery). Not sure how much Doc Q is meant to emulate Apollo,... since he is quite a complex character. It’s more likely that Oda just borrowed this one small aspect of his.
Blackbeard and the Guardian of the Underworld
Teach is an enigma with a lot about him yet to be revealed, but we do know both of his Devil Fruits, and we know that both of the fruits have a connection to 2 out of 3 main Gods of the Greek Pantheon.
With his Quake-Quake Fruit, Teach is similar to the God Poseidon, who, while primarily known for his control over water, was also known for his ability to cause earthquakes. With his Dark-Dark Fruit, Teach is similar to the aforementioned ruler of the Underworld, Hades. But I would be ignoring a big aspect of Teach if I didn’t mention his connection to number 3 and the Guardian Dog of the Underworld, Cerberus.
- Kaido’s has his signature horns.
- Big Mom’s has her lipstick and hair.
- Shanks’ has his scar and swords (since he is a swordsman).
Blackbeard Pirates and the Titanomachia
Even outside the crew itself, when it comes to their goals, the Blackbeard Pirates also draw heavy inspiration from Greek myths. Blackbeard made it his priority to hunt down Hancock because of the power of her Devil Fruit, which came as a total surprise for most readers, as it’s just not something anyone expected Blackbeard to want. Mero Mero no Mi, and Hancock in general, are clearly meant to emulate Medusa, the Gorgon.
Hancock’s name is Boa (constrictor), after the snake. Her sisters both ate Snake-Snake Devil Fruits, and together with Boa, they are known as “The Gorgon Sisters.” Her powers are turning people (who lust over her) to stone, and she supposedly even has a pair of eyes on her back that “curse” those who look into them, referencing how Medusa’s powers work in myths. There is also Chapter 1107, which gave us the insight that Blackbeard’s goal might be - The World.
If we take this literally, we can extrapolate that Blackbeard wants to rule it. Xebec was said to want to do the same, and with Blackbeard’s ship being named the “Sabre of Xebec,” and Teach’s “special lineage,” it looks like Blackbeard wants to continue his legacy by thinking of himself as a metaphorical sword of Xebec. To do so, he first needs to remove those who are currently ruling it - the current Gods, the Celestial Dragons. In Greek mythology, the Gods are said to reside at the top of Mount Olympus (Red Line) from which they rule over mortals.
Seeing the trajectory the story is taking, it’s very likely that Blackbeard is trying to repeat history from hundreds of years ago. In the past, Celestial Dragons took over the place of the “Old Gods,” the Lunarians, and in the present, the Blackbeard Pirates are attempting to do the same with the current Gods, in a Titanomachia of their own - a War between the Gods and Titan(inc Captain)s. However, there is a big twist to this: the Blackbeard Pirates aren’t really called Titanic Captains. “Titanic” is just the choice the translator made for the English translation of their real titles - the “10 Giant (Human) Captains.” The Blackbeard Pirates aren’t the Titans that were overthrown by their God children; they are the Giants that are attempting to overthrow the Gods in the Gigantomachia.
The Red Line is the Mount Olympus atop of which Celestial Dragons, the equivalent of the 12 Olympian Gods, reside after previously overthrowing the previous rulers, the Lunarians a.k.a. the Titans, and Blackbeard Pirates are the Giants (“Giant Human”) wanting to overthrow them and take over their rule.
If you enjoyed reading this, make sure to follow me for more weekly/bi-weekly One Piece posts!
