The live-action adaptation of One Piece is right around the corner, and it appears that fans are divided when it comes to the real depiction of the four blues. Whether it may be Sanji’s broad shoulders or the casting altogether, One Piece fans are absolutely ruthless and unforgiving when it comes to representation of their favorite pirates at sea — and rightfully so. Considering the debacle derived from past live-action adaptations (erm — Death Note), all these fears are naturally a valid response by anime and One Piece fans alike. With the exception of one critic: the straw hats’ nationalities.
One Piece is written by Oda Togashi, a Japanese writer popularized for the creation of the most profitable manga to have ever existed. Introducing the lives of odd pirates joining together in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, One Piece quickly became the best-selling manga in Japan, and all over the world. Considering it is created in Japan, one might assume the actors portraying these characters should be Japanese, but in this case, that will never happen.
Over the course of the manga’s publication, Oda has always replied to fan questions in the SBS question. In one of these instances, a fan questioned the author regarding the straw hats’ nationalities if they were to live in the real world, to which Oda promptly answered, based on each character’s appearance. On that note, for all those who believe all the actors should be Japanese, here are the Straw Hats’ real nationalities.
Monkey D. Luffy — Brazilian
According to Oda, the leader of the Straw Hats would derive from South America, namely, from Brazil. Luffy’s first language would be Portuguese, and his normal attire would surely make justice to the South American country’s weather. Known for its high temperatures in most of its territory, the captain’s open red shirt, blue shorts, and woven sandals — more often known as “waraji” — would be the ideal attire for any Brazilian living in the Southern Hemisphere. Personality-wise, Brazilians are known for their happy demeanor, sharing their good humor and easy-going lifestyle with the captain of the Straw Hats. Although the actor portraying Luffy is not Brazilian nor Portuguese, Iñaki Godoy is from the neighboring Latin country of Mexico, proving to be a great choice to play the beloved and well-humored Luffy.
Roronoa Zoro — Japanese
Perhaps in an unsurprising turn of events, the only Japanese member of the Yonko’s pirates is the right hand of Luffy. As per the author, Zoro would be Japanese if he lived in our world, which makes sense. The combatant and swordsman’s style was always leaning towards traditional Japanese elements, and while Wano is a nod to Oda’s culture, the straw hats’ new outfits just fit Zoro like a glove. Even if bandanas aren’t typical accessories used in Japan, Zoro does wear a “haramaki” underneath his open green jacket, a typical Japanese item of clothing that covers the stomach.
Nami — Swedish
If the Straw Hats’ navigator was from the planet Earth that we know today, she would be from Sweden — according to Oda Togashi. The ambitious and strong-willed Nami would apparently be a descendant from the northern regions of Europe, likely obvious from her hair color, which is a far more prominent hue in Northern Europe than in the rest of the continent. Aside from her hair color, Swedes are known for being tall and most of all — wealthy. The country’s GDP per capita is certainly an appealing quality for Nami, who likely wouldn’t at all mind living in one of the coldest regions in the European continent.
Usopp — African
This time, Oda was a bit vaguer with Usopp than with the rest of the crew. The One Piece author confirmed that the Straw Hats’ sniper is of African descent. While Oda didn’t specify the country, Usopp would be from the African continent if One Piece was set on the Earth that we know today. Although there has been plenty of discussion regarding Brook’s race as white-passing versus his nationality, it appears that Usopp is the only Black and African member of the crew. On the cover of Chapter 790, Oda drew the Straw Hats in different countries’ attires, where he put the sniper wearing traditional Brazilian clothing, which undoubtedly also fit Usopp perfectly.
Vinsmoke Sanji — French
In an unsurprising turn of events, Sanji — was he not living in the fictional world — would be French. Although the cook sports bright blond hai — a not-so-common feature in France — his twirly eyebrows and goatee point at a much more stereotypical image of a Frenchman. The Western European country is often seen as a romantic capital in the world, as well as known for its unmatched gastronomy — all of which, are obvious common features with the cook. Sanji’s love for food, and most of all, for romance (read: women) are characteristics that pop into anyone’s mind when they think of the loyal cook in the Straw Hats. On a fun note, the French also have a reputation for being smokers — much like our favorite cook.
Tony Tony Chopper — Canadian
From being the Straw Hats’ pet to their unbelievably genius doctor, Chopper can now add “Canadian” to his list of titles. According to Oda, the anthropomorphic reindeer known for his sweet tooth would derive from the northernmost lands in the North American continent. Much like his own hometown in One Piece, Chopper grew up in a place where cold and snow were the most prevalent weather conditions, making his Human-Human fruit come in handy, as he still has reindeer fur to keep him warm. His sweet tooth is also a likely response to Canada’s sweet maple syrup, which Chopper certainly would not have had enough of.
Nico Robin — Russian
Originally from the country of Ohara in the world of One Piece, Robin would come from the cold region of Russia if she lived in the real world that we know today. The Straw Hats’ archeologist, other than her physical appearance, has little to no connections to the transcontinental country. Robin’s fair skin, with her blue eyes and dark long hair, make up for a very stereotypical image of Eastern European traits, and it is most likely the reason why Oda placed the archeologist as Russian. An interesting detail worth pointing out is that, after the events at Sabaody Archipelago, Kuma sends Robin to a bridge called Tequila World, which is eerily similar to Russian lands in its architecture and most of all, extreme weather.
Franky — American
Eccentric, and downright bizarre, Franky would quite obviously be from the United States if he lived in the real world. Although the shipwright grew up in Water 7, inspired by Italy’s Venice, Franky is very obviously inspired by the stereotypical image of American citizens. He is loud and slightly arrogant, his favorite drink is Coca-Cola, he often sports a Hawaiian shirt and he has an obsession with weapons — so that checks out. The shipwright is also known for his constant use of English verbatims for which he is known — Super! His appearance is also, allegedly, inspired by Canadian-American Jim Carrey’s own eccentric persona in Ace Ventura.
Brook — Austrian
The Straw Hats’ musician would, according to the author, originate from Austria. While his appearance doesn’t necessarily allude to the Central European country, Brook’s Austrian roots make sense once taken into consideration with Austria, the European music capital of the 18th and 19th centuries. The country served as the grounds for musical innovation, as well as the birthplace of several famous composers, and where Beethoven and Mozart developed their musical careers. For this historical reason, Brook’s connection to Austria is plenty justified, considering the musician is a jack-of-all-trades at his craft, playing all kinds of musical instruments even during fights.
Jinbe — Indian
One of the most surprising revelations during the SBS quiz was Jinbe’s nationality. As per Oda’s words, the helmsman of the Straw Hats would be Indian, which surprised fans who often tied the Fishman to Japan due to his politeness and standard Japanese attires. While there is little connection between Jinbe and Indians — especially when it comes to physical appearance — there are a few reasons why Oda might have chosen India as the helmsman’s origin country, one of them being his race in the One Piece universe. As a Fishman, Jinbe is a Whale Shark, a type of shark often found in the Indian Ocean, justifying his geographical placement. He is also an advocate for freedom and independence, which many have pointed out are striking causes fought by Indian revolutionary Mahatma Gandhi.
While most of these nationalities are quite obviously chosen due to stereotypical physical appearances that are often generalized or even untrue reputations, these are the nationalities picked by the author. In spite of this fun question, at the end of the day, none of these choices have any truth to them, since ultimately, none of these countries actually exist in the four blues. They are, however, proof that the actors chosen to portray the characters ought to derive from many different backgrounds, whereas picking solely Asian-American actors would simply prove to be a nonsensical and untrue choice by Netflix.
One Piece is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll, as the Straw Hats fight against the Emperors of the Sea in Wano. The live-action will be available during the Summer of 2023 on Netflix.