Characters Modeled from Pop Culture

In addition to being the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda is a pop culture aficionado himself. He has notably mentioned his interests in various forms of film, music, and other media. A lot of these fascinations show their influence on the designs of characters seen throughout his beloved manga and anime series.

These characters have some physical resemblance to others shown in various forms of popular culture. Sometimes the design is strictly the basis for drawing a parallel. Other times, aspects such as their personality are matched in addition to their shared physical appearance.

5 Kuzan

Influenced by Yūsaku Matsuda

A former Marine Admiral once known as Aokiji and a current Blackbeard Pirate, Kuzan is a disaffected man, known for his belief that justice is rarely worth enacting. His Devil Fruit allows him to control, create, and become ice. His design was inspired by Yūsaku Matsuda, a Japanese actor of partial Korean descent. Matsuda appeared in a number of primarily Japanese films and television shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s, before his passing in 1989.

One of Matsuda’s best remembered roles is Shunsaku Kudo in Tantei Monogatari, or as it is known in English, Detective Story (not to be confused with the 1983 Japanese film of the same name, which also featured him). The show revolves around a private detective who previously worked as a cop in San Francisco. Western audiences may recognize Matsuda from his role as Sato in Ridley Scott’s Black Rain (1989), a film he worked on even while battling cancer.

A notable hint to Kuzan’s inspiration is the name of his pet penguin, Camel, who shares his name with the brand of cigarettes that Matsuda’s character smoked in Detective Story. Kuzan is far from the only character inspired by Matsuda and his roles, with other examples being Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star and Spike Speigel from Cowboy Bebop.

4 Emporio Ivankov

Influenced by Dr. Frank-N-Furter

Emporio Ivankov is an officer in the Revolutionary Army. He is one of Monkey D. Dragon’s longtime associates, and also an ally to his son, Luffy. He is a newkama, whose Devil Fruit allows him to create a variety of hormones. He can use these abilities to manipulate various aspects of himself and others, such as sex and physical appearance.

Ivankov’s physical appearance is influenced by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a character from the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show, who is played by famed 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 is not the only influence on Ivankov, however. Oda also noted Japanese stage actor, Norio Imamura, as an influence. Imamura originated Ivankov as one of his first voice acting roles. However, after he was arrested, he was replaced with Mitsuo Iwata.

3 Issho

Influenced by Zatoichi

Issho, better known as Fujitora, is a Marine Admiral who blinded himself out of a desire to no longer see the world’s injustices. He will turn a literal blind eye to the actions of pirates and revolutionaries if he views them as having a positive outcome. His primary weapon of choice is a shikomuze, a sword which doubles as a cane. He is the sole known admiral not to have eaten a Logia fruit, instead using a Paramecia 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 films. Specifically, the late Japanese actor Shintaro Katsu’s portrayal of Zatoichiis reflected in Issho’s physical appearance. However, physical appearance just is one of many things Fujitora and Zatoichi have in common. In addition to also wielding shikomuze and having a love of gambling, both also prefer Iaijutsu, a technique which involves a combative quick drawing of the sword.

2 Sanji

Influenced by Mr. Pink

Sanji is either the fourth or fifth member of the Straw Hat Pirates, depending on when one counts Nami’s integration into the crew. He is an accomplished cook and martial artist, with his only known weakness being women. Having been the product of a genetic experiment conducted by his father before birth, Sanji has recently become even stronger upon awakening this modification. However, he actively maintains a desire to remain human in spite of it.

Sanji’s design is loosely inspired by American actor Steve Buscemi, specifically his character in Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Pink. Pink is one of eight diamond thieves, involved in a heist that gets torn apart by conflicting personalities involved and the suspicions of an undercover cop among their ranks. Oda noted that there was less of a focus on drawing an identical character; instead, he hoped to capture the “vibe” of Mr. Pink. This has resulted in frequent incorrect guesses about who Sanji is based on, with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio being a common guess. Prior to SBS confirming it, Oda noted that only an employee at Bandai correctly guessed the inspiration.

1 Sakazuki

Influenced by Bunta Sugawara

Sakazuki, better known as Akainu, is the Fleet Admiral of the marines, recieving a promotion from the rank of admiral during the time skip. He is noted for his extreme adherence to Absolute Justice, which centers around a mentality of punishing criminals no matter what. He participated in a Buster Call, which involved killing virtually every resident of Ohara for the sake of punishing those who researched the Void 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 prolific Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara, who appeared in over a hundred films during his lifetime. Oda specifically referenced Jingi Naki Tatakai, otherwise known as Battles Without Honor and Humanity, as a film he hoped to channel with Akainu. He likely took expression from Shozo Hirono (Sugawara’s character in the film.) Additionally, Sakazuki’s given name came from Sugawara’s filmography, as he was cast in three separate films with Sakazuki in the title.