One of my favorite literary works, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, follows the titular character, Dorian Gray, a young man whose wish to remain eternally youthful mysteriously comes true. Instead of aging, a portrait of him, painted by an artist, shows the effects of his immoral and hedonistic lifestyle. While Dorian stays outwardly young and beautiful, the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque, reflecting the corruption of his soul.
I know for a fact that Oda is a fan of literary classics and uses them as inspiration—the simplest example being the name of Whitebeard's ship, "Moby Dick", named after the 1851 novel of the same name by Herman Melville. So, I couldn't help but notice the similarities and draw parallels between Gray D. Orian and The Five Elder Stars.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
It has long been theorized that the Gorosei are all immortal, due to the fact that they all seemingly looked exactly the same 22 years ago, during the events of the Ohara Incident. This theory has subtly been confirmed with the God Valley Incident from 38 years ago, where we see Saturn looking exactly the same as he does in the present, and fully confirmed in the latest Chapter (1125) where Saturn appears 200 years ago.
Not only are the Gorosei seemingly immortal, but they also appear invincible. Much like Dorian's portrait absorbing the consequences of his sins, the Gorosei seem impervious to damage. It's brought up by Luffy, and shown multiple times, that every attack thrown at the Gorosei just bounces off them. Nothing seems to work on them, as they just regenerate from any damage they receive.
The similarities to The Picture of Dorian Gray only grow when you take into account how the story ends. Overcome with guilt and horror at what he's become, Dorian tries to destroy the portrait that has absorbed all the consequences of his sins. However, in stabbing the portrait, he inadvertently kills himself. After his death, Dorian's body is found aged and withered, while the portrait returns to its original state of youthful beauty.
Upon failing Imu, Saturn is stripped of his powers—stripped of his immortality. All the years he had ignored due to it finally catch up, and he withers old until he is nothing but a skeleton. In his place, another person arrives to make the deal with the Devil.
This brings us to another literary classic...
Faust: A Deal With the Devil
Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is an adaptation of a classic German legend about the titular character. Dr. Faust is a highly knowledgeable and ambitious scholar who makes a pact with the Devil (Mephistopheles), offering his soul in exchange for unlimited knowledge, pleasure, and power. This is where the term "Faustian bargain" comes from. The concept of a Faustian bargain has become a widely recognized metaphor for any situation in which a person compromises their values or ethics in pursuit of material gain, personal ambition, or power, only to face devastating consequences in the end. And I think that's exactly what has happened with the Gorosei.
Lately, there has been a lot of demonic imagery present in One Piece — particularly, in the Egghead Island arc. To avoid regurgitating what I previously wrote about, I'll keep it simple and just point to the pentagrams, or "magic circles," that were shown when the Gorosei arrived on Egghead Island. Additionally, Saturn's name, when read phonetically in Japanese, reads as Satan. Imu is the devil stand-in, the Mephistopheles of the story, who gives powers to those who are willing to make a pact with them—willing to sell their soul. In their first appearance, Imu can be seen with a pointed tail, reminiscent of the classical depiction of the Devil.
While those who accept the offer enjoy great power, beyond that of human comprehension, that power, just as it was given, can easily be taken away. In another interpretation of the legend, Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Faust meets a tragic end when he is dragged to Hell by demons to eternally suffer after his deal with Mephistopheles has come to an end. Devil takes, what Devil gives.
Seeing how Imu increasingly resembles the Devil, an Akuma (the Japanese Christian term for the Devil) and is able to give (and take away) the powers of others, I wonder just how much he has to do with the Devil Fruits (Akuma no Mi). Devil Fruits give powers to those that consumed them, but in return, they curse those same people to never be able to swim again. They are, in essence, a form of a Faustian bargain themselves. Devil Fruits give powers to those that consumed them. Imu can also give powers to those they wish to give. Is Imu the titular Devil of the Devil Fruits?
Paradise Lost
The origin of Imu is still shrouded in mystery, so anything we might say is speculation, but allow me, just for a moment, to do that. There have always been questions about who and what Imu is, but the question I want to ask is "where is Imu (from)?"
A decently popular theory - that I personally subscribe to - is that the name "Celestial Dragons" is quite literal, and that Imu (and the Gorosei) come from space. Not just the moon like Skypieans, Birkans and Shandians, but further out there, outside our Solar System, in outer space. However, what I never see being brought up is why exactly would someone with such advanced technology, capable of space travel, come to what is essentially Earth during the 700s. This is where Paradise Lost comes into play.
Paradise Lost is an epic poem, a profound meditation on free will and exploration of the nature of evil, written by John Milton, first published in 1667. It tells the biblical story of the Fall of Man - Satan's rebellion against God, his expulsion from Heaven, and the subsequent temptation of Adam and Eve, which leads to their banishment from the Garden of Eden. The most famous line of the poem comes from Satan, in which he states that it is "Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven", which showcases his pride and defiance, as well as his desire for autonomy and power - Why be a nobody servant of God, up there in the nice Heaven, when you can yourself be a supreme ruler, down there in Hell.
For Imu, the question would be: Why stay out there, in space, and be a nobody, when you can come to Earth, and play God... or Devil?
If you enjoyed reading this, and want to see more of my stuff, make sure to follow me for more weekly/bi-weekly One Piece posts!
I know for a fact that Oda is a fan of literary classics and uses them as inspiration—the simplest example being the name of Whitebeard's ship, "Moby Dick", named after the 1851 novel of the same name by Herman Melville. So, I couldn't help but notice the similarities and draw parallels between Gray D. Orian and The Five Elder Stars.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
It has long been theorized that the Gorosei are all immortal, due to the fact that they all seemingly looked exactly the same 22 years ago, during the events of the Ohara Incident. This theory has subtly been confirmed with the God Valley Incident from 38 years ago, where we see Saturn looking exactly the same as he does in the present, and fully confirmed in the latest Chapter (1125) where Saturn appears 200 years ago.
Not only are the Gorosei seemingly immortal, but they also appear invincible. Much like Dorian's portrait absorbing the consequences of his sins, the Gorosei seem impervious to damage. It's brought up by Luffy, and shown multiple times, that every attack thrown at the Gorosei just bounces off them. Nothing seems to work on them, as they just regenerate from any damage they receive.
The similarities to The Picture of Dorian Gray only grow when you take into account how the story ends. Overcome with guilt and horror at what he's become, Dorian tries to destroy the portrait that has absorbed all the consequences of his sins. However, in stabbing the portrait, he inadvertently kills himself. After his death, Dorian's body is found aged and withered, while the portrait returns to its original state of youthful beauty.
Upon failing Imu, Saturn is stripped of his powers—stripped of his immortality. All the years he had ignored due to it finally catch up, and he withers old until he is nothing but a skeleton. In his place, another person arrives to make the deal with the Devil.
This brings us to another literary classic...
Faust: A Deal With the Devil
Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is an adaptation of a classic German legend about the titular character. Dr. Faust is a highly knowledgeable and ambitious scholar who makes a pact with the Devil (Mephistopheles), offering his soul in exchange for unlimited knowledge, pleasure, and power. This is where the term "Faustian bargain" comes from. The concept of a Faustian bargain has become a widely recognized metaphor for any situation in which a person compromises their values or ethics in pursuit of material gain, personal ambition, or power, only to face devastating consequences in the end. And I think that's exactly what has happened with the Gorosei.
Lately, there has been a lot of demonic imagery present in One Piece — particularly, in the Egghead Island arc. To avoid regurgitating what I previously wrote about, I'll keep it simple and just point to the pentagrams, or "magic circles," that were shown when the Gorosei arrived on Egghead Island. Additionally, Saturn's name, when read phonetically in Japanese, reads as Satan. Imu is the devil stand-in, the Mephistopheles of the story, who gives powers to those who are willing to make a pact with them—willing to sell their soul. In their first appearance, Imu can be seen with a pointed tail, reminiscent of the classical depiction of the Devil.
While those who accept the offer enjoy great power, beyond that of human comprehension, that power, just as it was given, can easily be taken away. In another interpretation of the legend, Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Faust meets a tragic end when he is dragged to Hell by demons to eternally suffer after his deal with Mephistopheles has come to an end. Devil takes, what Devil gives.
Seeing how Imu increasingly resembles the Devil, an Akuma (the Japanese Christian term for the Devil) and is able to give (and take away) the powers of others, I wonder just how much he has to do with the Devil Fruits (Akuma no Mi). Devil Fruits give powers to those that consumed them, but in return, they curse those same people to never be able to swim again. They are, in essence, a form of a Faustian bargain themselves. Devil Fruits give powers to those that consumed them. Imu can also give powers to those they wish to give. Is Imu the titular Devil of the Devil Fruits?
Paradise Lost
The origin of Imu is still shrouded in mystery, so anything we might say is speculation, but allow me, just for a moment, to do that. There have always been questions about who and what Imu is, but the question I want to ask is "where is Imu (from)?"
A decently popular theory - that I personally subscribe to - is that the name "Celestial Dragons" is quite literal, and that Imu (and the Gorosei) come from space. Not just the moon like Skypieans, Birkans and Shandians, but further out there, outside our Solar System, in outer space. However, what I never see being brought up is why exactly would someone with such advanced technology, capable of space travel, come to what is essentially Earth during the 700s. This is where Paradise Lost comes into play.
Paradise Lost is an epic poem, a profound meditation on free will and exploration of the nature of evil, written by John Milton, first published in 1667. It tells the biblical story of the Fall of Man - Satan's rebellion against God, his expulsion from Heaven, and the subsequent temptation of Adam and Eve, which leads to their banishment from the Garden of Eden. The most famous line of the poem comes from Satan, in which he states that it is "Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven", which showcases his pride and defiance, as well as his desire for autonomy and power - Why be a nobody servant of God, up there in the nice Heaven, when you can yourself be a supreme ruler, down there in Hell.
For Imu, the question would be: Why stay out there, in space, and be a nobody, when you can come to Earth, and play God... or Devil?
If you enjoyed reading this, and want to see more of my stuff, make sure to follow me for more weekly/bi-weekly One Piece posts!
