Characters modeled from pop culture

Besides being the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda is a pop culture lover himself. He has specifically mentioned his interests in various forms of film, music and other media. Many of these fascinations show their influence on the designs of characters seen throughout his beloved manga and anime series.

These characters bear some physical resemblance to others who appear in various forms of popular culture. Sometimes the design is strictly the basis for drawing a parallel. Other times, aspects such as their personality are matched in addition to their shared physical appearance.

5 Cousin

Influenced by Yūsaku Matsuda

A former naval admiral once known as Aokiji and a current blackbeard pirate, Kuzan is a disaffected man, known for his belief that justice is rarely worth doing. His Devil Fruit allows him to control, create and become ice. His design was inspired by Yūsaku Matsuda, a Japanese actor of partial Korean descent. Matsuda appeared in a number of mainly Japanese films and television shows during the 1970s and 1980s, before his passing in 1989.

One of Matsuda's most remembered roles is Shunsaku Kudo i Tantei Monogatarior as it is called in English, Detective story (not to be confused with the 1983 Japanese film of the same name, which also featured him). The show revolves around a private detective who previously worked as a police officer in San Francisco. Western audiences may recognize Matsuda from his role as Sato in Ridley Scott's Black rain (1989), a film he worked on even while battling cancer.

A notable clue to Kuzan's inspiration is the name of his pet penguin, Camel, which shares its name with the brand of cigarettes Matsuda's character smoked Detective story. Kuzan is far from the only character inspired by Matsuda and his roles, with other examples being Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star and Spike Speigel from Cowboy Bebop.

4 Emporio Ivankov

Influenced by Dr. Frank-N-Furter

Emporio Ivankov is an officer in the revolutionary army. He is one of Monkey D. Dragon's longtime associates, and also an ally of his son, Luffy. He is a newkama, whose Devil Fruit allows him to create a variety of hormones. He can use these abilities to manipulate various aspects of himself and others, such as sex and physical appearance.

Ivankov's physical appearance is influenced by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a character from the movie Rocky Horror Picture Showwho is played by the famous British actor Tim Curry. Frank-N-Furter is a pansexual mad scientist who enjoys cross-dressing. He arouses desire in both Brad and Janet, the main couple of the musical, who were previously somewhat repressed.

However, Frank-N-Furter is not the only influence on Ivankov. Oda also noted Japanese actor Norio Imamura as an influence. Imamura created Ivankov as one of his first voice actors. However, after he was arrested, he was replaced with Mitsuo Iwata.

3 Issho

Influenced by Zatoichi

Issho, better known as Fujitora, is a navy admiral who blinded himself out of a desire to no longer see the injustices of the world. He will literally turn a blind eye to the actions of pirates and revolutionaries if he sees them as a positive outcome. His primary weapon is a shikomuze, a sword that doubles as a staff. He is the only known admiral who has not eaten a Logia fruit, instead using a Paramecia type that controls the forces of gravity.

Issho's main influence is Zatoichi, a fictional blind swordsman from the Edo period, who has appeared in many novels and films. Specifically, the late Japanese actor Shintaro Katsu's portrayal of Zatoichiis is reflected in Issho's physical appearance. But physical appearance is only one of many things Fujitora and Zatoichi have in common. In addition to also using shikomuze and loving to play, both also favor Iaijutsu, a technique that involves a combative quick draw of the sword.

2 Sanji

Influenced by Mr. Pink

Sanji is either the fourth or fifth member of the Straw Hat Pirates, depending on when you count Nami's integration into the crew. He is a skilled cook and martial artist, with his only known weakness being women. Having been the product of a genetic experiment conducted by his father before birth, Sanji has recently become even stronger after awakening this modification. But he actively maintains a desire to remain human despite that.

Sanji's design is loosely inspired by American actor Steve Buscemi, particularly his character in Reservoir dogsMr Pink. Pink is one of eight diamond thieves involved in a heist torn apart by conflicting personalities involved and the suspicions of an undercover cop in their ranks. Oda noted that there was less focus on drawing an identical character; instead, he hoped to capture the “vibe” of Mr. Pink. This has resulted in often incorrect guesses as to who Sanji is based on, with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio being a common guess. Before SBS confirmed it, Oda noted that only one Bandai employee guessed the inspiration correctly.

1 Sakazuki

Influenced by Bunta Sugawara

Sakazuki, better known as Akainu, is the fleet admiral of the marines, who receives a promotion from the rank of admiral during the time jump. He is known for his extreme adherence to Absolute Justice, which revolves around a mentality of punishing criminals no matter what. He participated in a Buster Call, which involved killing virtually every resident of Ohara to punish those who researched the Void Century. Luffy holds a grudge against him for killing his sworn brother, Ace. His Devil Fruit allows him to create, control and become magma.

Sakazuki's design is modeled after prolific Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara, who appeared in over a hundred films in his lifetime. Oda referred specifically Jingi Naki Tatakaiotherwise known as Fighting without honor and humanityas a film he hoped to channel with Akainu. He probably voiced Shozo Hirono (Sugawara's character in the film.) Also, Sakazuki's first name came from Sugawara's filmography, as he was cast in three separate films with Sakazuki in the title.