One Piece's Poneglyphs may be inspired by an iconic Studio Ghibli film

Modified Nov 18, 2024 14:30 GMT

The Poneglyphs are one of the best ways to develop lore, just like how they have developed one in One Piece. Even though the texts on them are still a mystery, given how their combined meaning would make some sense, they still might be one of the elements that make Oda's magnum opus one of a kind. However, these historical relics might be inspired by a media project.

In 1986, Studio Ghibli released its first animated film, with some of the most complex plot points centered around a sky island called Laputa. This movie also features an ancient kingdom and some historical relics, like One Piece. Given their similarities, the historical relics in Oda's masterpiece might be inspired by Castle in the Sky.

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One Piece: Exploring the similarities between Poneglyphs and the Castle in the Sky

The Poneglyph as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Poneglyphs are historic relics created by ancient people (the residents of the Ancient Kingdom) that contain knowledge of the past and some prophecies for the future. These historic relics are of three kinds, each telling information that might do wonders for anyone who finds them.

The most important kind of Poneglyphs is the Road Poneglyphs, which tell the directions of a certain island that is presumed to be Laygh Tale (where the grand treasure of Roger lies). These artifacts might be highly inspired by real-life Egyptian hieroglyphs that contain information from past incidents; however, their real inspiration might be in the same anime genre.

Laputa as seen in the anime film (Image via Studio Ghibli)

1986's Castle in the Sky was the first animated film by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the tale of two children, Sheeta and Pazu, who are interested in the floating island called the Laputa, which holds secrets from the past. One of the few interesting aspects of Laputa was its ancient text.

The ancient texts on Laputa were present on stone blocks, and no one could read the scriptures on them as they were written in the ancient language, the Cuneiform language.

Moreover, it was impossible to destroy them. One belief in the anime film was that the texts hold secrets from a past society that was more technologically developed than the present. Combining these points, it becomes evident that the stone blocks from Castle in the Sky might be the true inspiration behind the Poneglyphs.

Analysis and final thoughts

Eiichiro Oda has incorporated many references in his masterpiece, whether they are from mythologies or media projects: it is all but confirmed that One Piece has more than just some references.

The Poneglyphs, just like most elements from the series, might not only be inspired by Castle in the Sky but also by some other media projects and mythologies (just like the Egyptian hieroglyphs).

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Edited by Shreya Das