Characters modeled from pop culture

In addition to being its producer a piece, Eiichiro Oda himself is a pop culture lover. He has mentioned his interests in various forms of film, music and other media. Many of these attractions show their influence on the designs of the characters seen in his beloved manga and anime series.

These characters bear some physical resemblance to others featured in various forms of popular culture. Sometimes the design is the basis for a strictly parallel drawing. Other times, in addition to their shared physical appearance, aspects such as their personalities match.

5 Kuzan

Influenced by Yūsaku Matsuda

A former sea admiral once known as Aokiji and currently the Blackbird Pirate, Kuzan is a disaffected man, known for his belief that justice is rarely worth carrying out. His devil fruit allows him to control, create and become ice. His designs were partly inspired by Yusaku Matsuda, a Japanese actor of Korean descent. Matsuda appeared in many primarily Japanese films and television shows in the 1970s and 1980s, before his death in 1989.

One of Matsuda's best remembered roles is Shunsaku Kudo Tantei Monogatarior as it is known in English, detective story (Not to be confused with the 1983 Japanese film of the same name, in which he was also featured). The show revolves around a private detective who previously worked as a cop in San Francisco. Western audiences may recognize Matsuda from Ridley Scott's portrayal of Sato black rain (1989), a film he worked on while battling cancer.

A notable clue to Kuzan's inspiration is the name of his pet penguin, Camel, who shares his name with the cigarette brand Matsuda's character portrays. detective story. Kuzan is far from the only character inspired by Matsuda and his role, other examples from Kenshiro Fist of the North Star and from Spike Spiegel Cowboy Bebop.

4 Emporio Ivankov

Dr. Influenced by Frank-N-Furter

Emporio Ivankov is an officer in the revolutionary army. He is Monkey D. One of Dragon's longtime allies, and also an ally of his son Luffy. He is a Nukama, whose Devil Fall allows him to create a variety of hormones. He can use these abilities to manipulate various aspects of himself and others, such as sexuality and physical appearance.

Dr. Ivankov's physical form. Frank-N-Furter, is influenced by a character from the movie. Rocky Horror Picture ShowWho is played by famous British actor Tim Curry. Frank-N-Furter is a pansexual mad scientist who enjoys cross-dressing. He inspires lust in both Brad and Janet, the musical's main couple, who were previously somewhat repressed.

Frank-N-Furter isn't the only influence on Ivankov, though. Oda also cites Japanese stage actor Norio Imamura as an influence. Imamura originated Ivankov as his first voice acting role. However, after he was arrested, he was replaced by Mitsuo Iwata.

3 that's it

Influenced by Zatoichi

Isho, better known as Fujitora, is a sea admiral who has blinded himself with a desire to no longer see the injustices of the world. He will literally close his eyes if he sees the actions of the pirates and revolutionaries as having a positive outcome. His primary weapon of choice is the shikomuje, a sword that doubles as a staff. He is the only known admiral who did not eat the logia fruit, instead using a paramasia type that controls gravitational forces.

Issho's main influence is Zatoichi, a fictional blind swordsman from the Edo period, who has appeared in many novels and movies. In particular, the late Japanese actor Shintaro Katsu's portrayal of Zatoichis reflects Iso's physical appearance. However, physical appearance is only one of the many things Fujitora and Zatoichi have. In addition to enjoying shikomuje and gambling, the two also prefer Iaijutsu, a technique that involves the quick drawing of a sword in combat.

2 Sanji

Influenced by Mr. Pink

Sanji is either the fourth or fifth member of the Straw Hat Pirates, when one counts Nami's integration into the team. He is a skilled cook and martial artist, with his only known weakness being a woman. Sanji, a product of his father's genetic experiments before birth, has recently become even stronger after awakening to this modification. However, despite that, he actively maintains his desire to be human.

Sanji's design is inspired by American actor Steve Buscemi, especially his character Reservoir dogsMr. Pink. Pink is one of eight diamond thieves, involved in a heist that is torn between controversial figures and their ranks by an undercover cop's suspicions. Oda noted that there was less focus on drawing identical characters; Instead, he hoped to capture Mr. Pink's “vibe.” This has led to repeated speculation about who Sanji is based on, with the most common speculation being American actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Before SBS confirmed it, Oda noted that only one employee at Bandai correctly guessed the motivation.

1 Sakazuki

Influenced by Bunta Sugawara

Sakazuki, known as Akanu, is a fleet admiral of the navy, having been promoted from the rank of admiral during the time skip. He is noted for his extreme adherence to absolute justice, which centers around the mindset of punishing criminals no matter what. He participated in the Buster's Call, in which almost all of Ohara's inhabitants were killed to punish those who investigated the Zero Century. Luffy holds a grudge against him for killing his sworn brother, Ace. His devil fruit allows him to create, control and become magma.

Sakazuki's design is modeled after the famous Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara, who appeared in over a hundred films during his lifetime. Oda specifically mentioned Zingi Naki Tatakaiotherwise known as Fight without honor and humanityAs a film he hoped to channel with Akanu. He probably borrowed the expression from Sōjo Hirono (Sugawara's character in the movie.). Additionally, Sakazuki's name comes from Sugawara's filmography, as he was cast in three separate films with Sakazuki in the title.