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One Piece themes are a very good reflection of how deceiving first impressions can be, especially considering what a lot of newcomers think of Eiichiro Oda's magnum opus. While the One Piece manga and anime give off a very innocent and fun look with Oda's signature cartoon-inspired art style, this story has touched on some very serious topics throughout the years.
When it comes to One Piece themes, elements such as Nico Robin's backstory or the evil deeds of Doflamingo are nothing but two examples of how many serious topics Oda has discussed in his work. Here are, in no particular order, ten of the most mature One Piece themes that have been explored in the series.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series and reflects the opinion of the author. There are descriptions of canon-typical violence and disturbing themes.
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The Buster Call genocide of Ohara and nine other mature One Piece themes
1) Political corruption
No one needs to overanalyze the series to see that government corruption is one of the most prominent One Piece themes. The World Government's actions, led by Imu and the Gorosei, are the biggest example of that.
Furthermore, Oda has also crafted several arcs where islands are ruled by corrupt leaders, with Crocodile in Alabasta and Doflamingo in Dressrosa being two of the most significant examples. Oda has always tried to celebrate freedom in his story, so political corruption is a very good antagonist to go up against.
2) Abuse
Several of the darkest One Piece themes were explored recently in the manga with Bartholomew Kuma's backstory and all the different traumas he went through since he was a child. However, one of the most disturbing moments was done through one character in Kuma's backstory, Ginny.
Ginny was the mother of Bonney and Kuma's beloved, which led to the possibility of them living a happy life together. But that wasn't meant to be and Ginny was taken away by one of the Celestial Dragons, with the story heavily implying that a man from that corrupt elite abused her. This is not the first time the series has touched on this theme as it has reappeared in various forms time and again.
3) Human trafficking
Donquixote Doflamingo committed most of the awful crimes on this list but he is one of the poster boys of human trafficking in the series, turning this topic into one of the darkest One Piece themes. While it was hinted at a couple of times throughout the manga, the Sabaody Arc is where people begin to witness these tragedies.
The best example of this was shown through the Celestial Dragons, with these characters often "buying" people and mistreating them. It was also revealed here that Doflamingo was heavily involved in human traffic, working as a leader in the criminal underworld.
4) Colonialism
The Skypiea Arc is one of the most divisive in the entirety of the series, with some people loving it and others finding it boring and too long. Be that as it may, one of the most underrated One Piece themes is that of colonialism, which is something that this arc touches on heavily.
Enel, the evil "God" who rules Skypiea, serves as the main antagonist of the arc, but the real conflict is between the native citizens and the Shandians, who feel that the land belongs to them. It is a very complex conflict involving nature and the question of the rightful owner of that land.
5) Genocide
Nico Robin's backstory explored several One Piece themes but one of the darkest was the element of genocide. The World Government didn't want the people of Ohara to discover the truth of the Void Century, so they decided to execute the Buster Call and burn the island to ashes, including the citizens.
It was one of the darkest and most disturbing moments in the entire series and one that gives a lot more context to the character of Robin. Akainu and Aokiji were also involved in this conflict, with the two of them serving greater roles in the story moving forward.
6) Manipulation of history
The Void Century is one of the biggest and most significant One Piece themes in the entire series since a lot of people want to know what happened in that period of the world's history. It is something that may reveal a lot about the World Government and the character of Imu.
It is also one of those relevant One Piece themes that involve the manipulation of history, which is something that a lot of people of power have done in real life. The World Government attempts to rewrite history and keep the truth of the Void Century away from people, which is probably going to change at the end of the series.
7) Racism
Racism is one of the One Piece themes that were explored in the Sabaody Arc and Fishman Island Arc, which is something that gave a lot more context to some characters, including Arlong and his respective arc, in the East Blue Arc. Be that as it may, it was one of Oda's most complex moments.
The Fishmen people were constantly rejected by humanity and the World Government, which is something that was explored through the character of Fisher Tiger. His role in the story was very significant and inspired Jinbe to become a better person and try to unite different races.
8) Experiments on children
The Punk Hazard Arc is not an arc that usually ranks high among the fandom's estimation but when it comes to One Piece themes, it does go very heavy with the element of experimentation with children. For people with children, there are moments in this arc that can be hard to take, especially considering what these kids go through.
The villain of the arc, Caesar Clown, experiments with the kids to change their anatomy, and this results in them becoming addicted to a substance disguised as candy. As the Straw Hats, particularly Chopper and Nami, try to save them, they become more aggressive because of the withdrawal effects of not consuming the substance, leading to some heartbreaking moments.
9) Starvation
Wano Country treated the topic of starvation since a lot of people living there were struggling with starvation and was one of the driving forces that pushed Luffy to fight Kaido to begin with. However, this topic is somewhat forgotten as the arc progresses, which is a running criticism of this storyline.
There is an argument to be made that this is the least developed element among the One Piece themes on this list but is still quite significant. Starvation is, sadly enough, an issue in real life and the series tried to tackle that in this arc.
10) Several forms of slavery
The Celestial Dragons are one of the most prominent evil in the entirety of the series and the protagonists when it comes to one of the most important One Piece themes, which is a common trope in the story. There have been several examples of slavery in the series, with characters like Fisher Tiger and Boa Hancock suffering that fate at certain points in their lives.
There is no denying that the Celestial Dragons are some of the most hated characters in the entire franchise and Oda has gone very far with them, making them display some awful behaviors toward people of a lower status.
Final thoughts
One Piece themes cover some lighthearted and dark topics but Oda always manages to keep them somewhat balanced throughout the series. It is executed in a way that is both compelling and intelligent, giving a lot more texture and depth to the series as a whole.
