This Little Known Animated Series Was a Key Inspiration for One Piece

One Piece is a Shonen manga icon, lasting not only throughout the golden age of Jump, but still managing to maintain a worldwide audience today. And while One Piece feels like such an essential cornerstone of the animanga landscape, it has not been around forever. There was indeed a “before time”. And in this “before-time” this landmark series found its own inspiration. Indeed, Oda remembers very clearly the influences that drove him to create One Piece.

Much like One Piece has gone on to influence generations of Shonen Jump authors who grew up reading the manga, Oda too drew on his inspirations from very early childhood when creating his stories. While other Jump icons like Dragon Ball were clear inspirations, there is one influence that may be even more shocking. It can’t be found in Jump or any other Japanese manga magazine. Instead, it originated all the way over in Germany, and was a little story about a little Viking.

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Vicky the Viking

Oda’s Love of This Viking Animation Drove His Pirate Fantasy

Vicky the Viking is an animated series that originally aired in the 1970’s, adapted from a novel published in 1963. The story follows the protagonist, Vicky, the son of a village chief, as he sets out on adventures with a larger crew to find new adventures (you may be starting to see some parallels). But Vicky is probably not what you’d expect from your typical Viking. Rather than being particularly strong or formidable, he is instead notable for his intelligence, and he uses his wits to assist the crew on their adventures.

Each episode features new challenges for the crew to overcome. Being a children’s adventure, there is a lot of humor, but also a lot of difficult challenges that the crew must face. And while at first the crew are wary of his eagerness to help, Vicky quickly becomes an essential part of the team.

When it aired, Vicky the Viking first premiered in Germany, and received a Japanese Dub for release in Japan. It was also shown in Austria and the UK, but not many other places in the world.

How Oda Drew Inspiration

Oda Wanted to Capture the “Spirit” of the Series

You may be surprised to hear that Vikings inspired the pirate fantasy that is One Piece, but while they might bring to mind different images and aesthetics, they feature a lot of the same tropes. Seafarers that maintain a crew, exploring the seas for treasure or excitement. Oda saw this series when he was a boy, and he credits it as his inspiration and love for pirates today.

There is even a page in an early One Piece volume where Oda talks about Vicky the Viking. He says, “When I was a kid, I used to enjoy watching an animated TV series called Chiisa na Viking Bikke (“Little Viking Vicke”). The show was about the adventures of a boy named Vicke, who wasn’t very strong but was very clever, and a group of Vikings who were very strong but not so smart. Their adventures were very fun and entertaining…That’s probably how I started liking pirates.”

While you will be unlikely to find a character that is taken 1-to-1 from Vicky the Viking (though some fans claim to have spotted drawings of Vicky in the manga), as Oda says, it is more about the spirit of the series that he sought to pay homage to in One Piece. However, you may be surprised to learn that there is another popular manga author who did not shy away from a more distinguishable tribute.

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There’s Another Popular Series that Vicky Inspired

Was Vinland Saga Inspired by Vicky the Viking?

With One Piece being the best-selling manga of all time, it is impressive for any series that can claim to have inspired it. But, amazingly, Vicky the Viking is also responsible for inspiring another popular manga and animated series. You may have guessed it, but Vinland Saga creator Makoto Yukimura also credits Vicky the Viking for inspiring his story.

With Vinland Saga being one of the most prominent Viking-themed manga, it might be easier to see where its inspiration came from. However, it doesn’t possess the same prevalence of humor that Vicky and One Piece do. That being said, Yukimura has made a more deliberate effort to shout out his adoration for the series in his work. In a rather unassuming panel of the manga, you can see members of the crew from Vicky in the background. They don’t have dialogue or involve themselves in the plot, but it is a fun easter egg in a series that can often get quite dark.

Vicky the Viking is a Testament to the Reach of Stories

Vicky is a Small Viking with a Big Impact

While Vicky the Viking isn’t often spoken about nowadays when discussing animation, it is incredible how these stories can have a lasting impact on the kids and people that watch them. When the original author of the book, Runer Jonsson, published his novel in 1963, he probably didn’t think about just how far his story would travel, and just how long his story would be relevant. But, generations later, that story traveled all the way across the world and inspired a whole different culture of kids. And in turn, their stories have gone on to further inspire people a world away from them.

Episodes of Vicky the Viking are available to watch on YouTube and Amazon Prime where available.

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