Loki's path in One Piece may be inspired by Kishimoto's Naruto series

Modified Jan 08, 2025 03:30 GMT

One Piece is filled with inspirations from different mythologies and other media, and each of these inspirations even seems logical when considered from a broader perspective, but there aren't any inspirations from modern works. However, there might be an inspiration from Naruto in the series, centered around the recently unveiled accursed prince of Elbaph Island.

Like Naruto Uzumaki, Loki was considered an anomaly among his people (as given by his title). Loki was also known as a trickster and had a harsh childhood, similar to Naruto. An interesting detail was how Itachi and Kisame (two people from Akatsuki) were sent to kidnap Naruto Uzumaki, similar to how two Holy Knights arrived on Elbaph to deal with Loki.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece manga series and has the author's opinion.

One Piece: Exploring the relationship between Loki and Naruto Uzumaki

Loki as seen in the manga (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

Loki is the son of King Herald and the accursed prince of Elbaph Island. While the reason behind his notorious title is yet to be revealed, it might be due to something related to his birth. Quite surprisingly, this ties in with the protagonist of the Naruto franchise, Naruto Uzumaki.

Just like the accursed prince, Naruto was also 'cursed' because the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was sealed inside him on his birth. Loki's powers might be related to something similar because, in Norse mythology, Loki is connected to a snow fox. However, this isn't the only detail that connects these two.

Just like Naruto Uzumaki, Loki might have had a harsh childhood leading to him getting the name 'trickster' (as Naruto also played tricks on others for attention). These two are further connected through the people who tried hunting them. In Naruto, after the death of the Third Hokage, two mysterious people, Itachi and Kisame, appear in the Hidden Leaf Village to capture the protagonist.

The mysterious character as seen in the manga (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

Similar to this incident, two mysterious personalities appeared on Elbaph Island in One Piece, presumably Holy Knights, to capture Loki. Another odd similarity might be the resemblance of one of these two mysterious figures with one main character.

Itachi is Sasuke's brother and these two had similar faces. The Shanks' lookalike is presumably Shanks' brother (as both are considered the children of Garling). These brothers in Naruto eventually collide, hinting that Shanks and his lookalike might eventually cross paths and engage in a heated battle with each other. So, the inspiration for Loki from Naruto Uzumaki might be true.

Final thoughts

Naruto as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The purpose of this article is not to showcase that Eiichiro Oda copied Naruto but to show that one character from One Piece might be inspired by Masashi Kishimoto's magnum opus.

While both authors have paid tribute to each other in the past, their respect for each other's works might run deeper than what the fans think. On the other hand, this theory looks legit from every perspective but take it with a grain of salt just to be on the safe side.

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Edited by Bharath S