One Piece Weapons Inspired By Historical Items

Summary

• Weapons in One Piece are inspired by historically existent weapons from around the world.
• Characters like Ulti, Whitebeard, and Yamato use real-life weapons with unique designs in battles.
• Examples include the Morning Star, Naginata, and Kanabo, each with origins from different time periods and regions.

When we talk about One Piece, the first thing that comes to mind has to be Devil Fruit powers. After all, from turning every object into food to manipulating tectonic plates to cause earthquakes and tsunamis, the Devil Fruits can conjure up many different kinds of strange and dangerous powers.

However, the one aspect that not many people pay attention to is the weapons. As an epic story about a grand voyage around the globe, so many kinds of weapons have appeared in this legendary series. Some of them are fully fictional, such as Pacifista’s laser beam, but quite a few are based on real weapons, such as rifles and katanas. This list is about the weapons in One Piece that are inspired by something that historically exists in real life. To make things interesting, we focus on unique and strange weapons created and used by humanity from different parts of the world hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

10

Morning Star

A 14th-Century Weapon From Germany

• Weapon’s User: Ulti
• Affiliations: Beasts Pirates
• First Appearance: Chapter 977

A Morning Star is a bludgeon weapon made from a shaft connected to a steel ball covered in spikes. This weapon was commonly used in 14th-Century Germany, where it was known as the Morgenstern. The unique design of the Morning Star allows its user to cause blunt-force trauma to the opponent while also inflicting cuts and stab wounds at the same time.

In One Piece, the character who uses Morning Star is Ulti. She is a member of the Beasts Pirates and of Kaido’s elite squad known as the Tobiroppo. She uses the Morning Star in her brief brawl against Yamato. Based on that fight, Ulti seems very proficient at using this weapon. That being said, she prefers to fight with the tremendous brute force of her dinosaur form rather than using the Morning Star.

9

Naginata

A Japanese Weapon From The Heian Period

• Weapon’s User: Edward “Whitebeard” Newgate
• Affiliations: Whitebeard Pirates
• First Appearance: Chapter 234

The Naginata is a traditional Japanese weapon that is made out of a long pole with a curved blade attached at the end. Think of it like a spear with a curved blade. This is one of the weapons used by Samurai and the Ashigaru (foot soldiers) during the war. Its design makes it great for sweeping and thrusting attacks, which was why the Naginata was perfect against cavalry.

In One Piece, the Naginata is also a popular weapon. Several characters have been shown to wield one, such as Hannyabal from Impel Down and Charlotte Mascarpone from the Big Mom Pirates. However, the most famous Naginata user in the series has to be Whitebeard. In fact, his signature Naginata is one of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades, and is called the Murakumogiri.

8

Kanabo

A Weapon Often Used In Feudal Japan

• Weapon’s User: Yamato
• Affiliations: Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance
• First Appearance: Chapter 971

A Kanabo is a massive club-like weapon made of either heavy wood or pure iron. The end of a Kanabo is usually adorned with studs or spikes to enhance its destructive power. In feudal Japan, Kanabos were often used by fully-armored samurai and warrior monks. In Japanese mythology, the Kanabo is a favorite weapon of a yokai called Oni.

In One Piece, the Kanabo is the favorite weapon of both Yamato and her father, the Thousand Beast Kaidou. Yamato may not have her father’s towering height and muscular body, but she can certainly use her Kanabo to cause massive destruction. One Piece also references Japanese mythology in Yamato’s first scene, where she wears a traditional Oni mask while swinging her Kanabo to send Ulti flying.

7

Kusari-fundo

A Japanese Weapon From The Nanbokucho Period

• Weapon’s User: Zeo
• Affiliations: New Fish-Man Pirates
• First Appearance: Chapter 611

A Kusari-fundo is a metal chain with weighted objects, usually a piece of iron, attached at both ends. This was primarily used by ninjas or law enforcement in feudal Japan, specifically in the Nanbokucho period. The Kusari-fundo is the perfect weapon to catch the enemy or restrict their movement, and some skilled practitioners can also use the weighted ends to deliver a bludgeoning attack.

In One Piece, a Kusari-fundo is the main weapon of Zeo, one of the high-ranking officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates. As a wobbegong Fish-Man, Zeo can camouflage himself with his surroundings. His favorite strategy is to make himself disappear and use his Kusari-fundo to knock down the unsuspecting enemy.

6

Khakkhara

A Staff Traditionally Used By Buddhist Monks

• Weapon’s User: Kumadori
• Affiliations: CP0
• First Appearance: Chapter 375

A Khakkhara is a staff with metal rings that loop around the larger ornaments at the top. It was used by Buddhist monks as a way to announce their presence. When they stomp the staff to the ground, the metal chains will hit each other and make a ringing noise. The Khakkhara originated in India, but it quickly spread to other Buddhist nations like China and Japan. Khakkharas were also used by the Buddhist monks from the Shaolin temple as a means to defend themselves.

In One Piece, the Khakkhara is the main weapon of Kumadori, a member of the World Government’s greatest Intelligence agency, the CP9. Kumadori’s Khakkhara is much simpler compared to its real-life counterpart. His is just a long thin staff made out of super dense metal with two large rings attached to a smaller ring at the top. He uses the Khakkhara for a fast and deadly thrusting attack that can easily pierce the opponent’s body.

5

Lance

A Popular Weapon Among Knights In The Late Middle Ages

• Weapon’s User: Shura
• Affiliations: God’s Army
• First Appearance: Chapter 241

A lance is a spear-like weapon often used by European knights in the late Middle Ages. Lances are longer than regular spears and were designed mainly for mounted combat. A knight on horseback would use a lance for a high-speed thrusting attack that would knock the enemy out of his horse. The momentum produced by this charging attack was usually enough to pierce the enemy’s armor and leave a deep stab wound on his body.

In One Piece, the character who uses a lance is Shura, one of Enel’s Four Priests. Similar to the knights from the Middle Ages, Shura uses his mounted animal—a giant bird named Fuze—to charge and attack the target at high speed. His lance is also equipped with the heat dial, which increases its temperature to the point of burning everything it touches. His fight with fellow flying knight Gan Fall—who also uses a lance—is one of the most interesting fights in the Skypiea arc.

4

Kukri

A 7th-Century Weapon From The Indian Subcontinent

• Weapon’s User: Helmeppo
• Affiliations: Marines
• First Appearance: Chapter 3

A Kukri is a 7th-century knife or short sword from the Indian Subcontinent, particularly India and Nepal. The Kukri’s most distinctive feature is its recurve blade. To this day, the Kukri is still used as one of the basic knives that a soldier in the Nepali Army must carry. Beyond that, Kukris are often used by farmers to cut crops, by hunters to skin their prey, and even as a tool for cooking and woodworking.

In One Piece, the Kukri is the main weapon of Helmeppo, a lieutenant commander of the Marines and Koby’s best friend. Unlike a real-life Kukri, Helmeppo’s Kukri is the same size as a sword. In a fight, he usually dual-wields a pair of Kukris. Helmeppo is highly skilled with his Kukri, but when he combines them with Armament Haki and CP9’s Soru, he becomes a truly formidable fighter.

3

Shotel

A Weapon From Ethiopia Around 700 BC

• Weapon’s User: Jack
• Affiliations: Beasts Pirates
• First Appearance: Chapter 801

A Shotel is a sword with a curved blade with an origin that can be traced back to around 700 BC in Ethiopia. The curve and the length of the blade may differ from one weapon to another, with some barely curvier than a katana, while others could be as curved as a sickle. The Shotel has been historically used by both mounted and unmounted warriors.

In One Piece, a Shotel is used by Jack, one of the top executives of the Beast Pirates. Jack, along with King and Queen, belongs to a group known as the All-Stars, with each of them responsible for their own armies. Jack uses two Shotels at the same time. Unlike its real-life counterpart, the curve on his Shotels is even more extreme.

2

Urumi

A Weapon Originating In India During The Sangam Period

• Weapon’s User: Diamante
• Affiliations: Donquixote Pirates
• First Appearance: Chapter 700

An Urumi is a traditional sword that originated in India. What makes the Urumi different from other types of swords is that it has a long, thin, and flexible blade. This makes the Urumi look and behave more like a sharp whip, rather than a traditional sword. The thin blade will certainly affect an Urumi’s durability, but it more than makes up for it with its speed and flexibility.

In One Piece, the one character who uses an Urumi is Diamante, one of the top executives of the Donquixote Pirates. One thing worth noting, however, is that although Diamante’s sword looks and behaves like an Urumi, it is actually not an Urumi. Diamante’s Devil Fruit power allows him to cause anything he touches, including his own body, to become flat and flexible while still retaining the main properties of the object itself, such as the sharpness of a sword. By applying his Devil Fruit power to his sword, he essentially turns it into an Urumi and uses it just like how one would fight with an Urumi in real life.

1

Chakram

A 5th-Century BCE Weapon From India

• Weapon’s User: Jango
• Affiliations: Marines
• First Appearance: Chapter 25

A Chakram is a throwing weapon that originated in India. The oldest recorded use of this weapon goes all the way back to 5th-Century BCE. The Chakram itself is a full circular blade with a sharpened edge on the outside and hollow ring on the inside. Think of it like a thin, sharp donut that can be thrown like a Frisbee. While the shape of every Chakram is the same, the circumference may vary.

In One Piece, the character who uses Chakram is a minor character named Jango. He used to be a member of the Black Cat Pirates, but then he turned his life around and became a Marine. While it’s true that Jango’s main weapon is a Chakram, he mainly uses it as a pendulum to hypnotize his enemy. When he is forced to fight, however, he will use the Chakram either as a throwing weapon or as a close-range weapon, not unlike an oversized brass knuckle. Jango keeps several Chakrams on his body and can throw them hard enough to cut through the trunk of a tree.

When it comes to unique and interesting weapons, this list barely touches the surface. It just goes to show that there are so many interesting things to find in this legendary series.