Summary
The author ofOne Piece, Eiichiro Oda, loves to get pretty wacky and creative with his character designs, and it’s clear he’s pulled a lot of inspiration from many different styles and periods when creating many of the key individuals seen throughout the story. One such example is the gothic aesthetic, which is known for its dark, mysterious, and brooding style, which definitely relates to more than a few characters inOne Piece.
However, considering the series is usually presented as being very upbeat and vibrant most of the time, it’s not all that often fans get to see a character who looks like they were ripped straight out of a gothic novel, but there have definitely still been a few who have shown up every now and again. With that in mind, these are the biggest examples ofOne Piececharacters who could be considered gothic in their design, personality, and overall presentation.
7Charlotte Katakuri
Katakuri Decided To Replicate The 90s Goth Fashion Style
Despite being introduced to the story fairly recently in the Whole Cake Island arc, it didn’t take long for Katakuri to become one of the most beloved villains in the entire series. While hisunique Mochi Devil Fruitabilities definitely have a lot to do with this, a lot of love has also been centered around his design, which seems to incorporate styles from numerous different eras, most prominently the gothic fashion sense of the 1990s.
With tight black leather pants fitted with spiked collars along with a short dark biker jacket, it seems as though the character’s look was heavily influenced by this specific period and style. He also ticks the box of being a quiet, brooding, and scary character due to the massive scarf that can always be seen covering his mouth, as if he weren’t already terrifying enough.
6Monkey D. Dragon
A Shady And Mysterious Leader Who Can Often Be Seen Pondering The State Of The World
Unlikehis son Luffy, Dragon certainly isn’t a man of many words. In the small glimpses of him that have been shown, Dragon is usually seen staring out into the distance while planning the next move for himself and his band of revolutionaries. As someone who always tries to cover his face and usually wears long black trench coats, there’s at least an element of gothic inspiration that went into his design.
This isn’t even mentioning his very sour personality, since it’s very rare to see this guy ever cracking a smile. Instead, fans can presume he’s always thinking about the next dangerous set of affairs that he and his group will be thrust into, which makes a lot of sense considering the amount of stress he is under as the leader of the Revolutionary Army.
5Victoria Cindry
A Once-Famous Stage Actor Who Was Brought Back From The Dead
Though Cindry only shows up very briefly near the beginning ofThriller Bark, fans are still able to learn about her tragic backstory to understand how she ultimately became a zombie in the first place. Cindry was once a well-known actress, but after falling off the stage and losing her life, she was brought back as a zombie by the mad scientist known as Hogback, who had been utterly obsessed with her for many years.
Cindry’s story feels like it would be a great plot line for a gothic novel, since it contains all the relevant themes and concepts that often appear in those books. Cindry’s zombified appearance is also more than creepy enough to be classed as gothic, making her a rather fascinating character, even though she’s only granted a limited amount of screen time.
4Nico Robin
Robin’s Mysterious Persona And Dark Humor Differentiate Her From The Other Straw Hats
Despite being joyful and extroverted as a child, Robin’s world came down after her home island of Ohara was completely obliterated by aMarine Buster call. to conceal her identity, Robin would take on a much different persona, acting as a shifty and mysterious assistant to Crocodile before she is eventually saved by Luffy and the Straw Hats.
One of the main reasons Robin stands out from her fellow nakama is her dark humor. She’s never afraid to comment on how the Straw Hats could all end up dying when entering a new island, and while this may freak the others out from time to time, it is still a very quirky characteristic that seems quite reminiscent of other fictional gothic characters. Of course, Robin also has her terrifying Devil Form, which wouldn’t look out of place in a Dracula novel.
3Gecko Moria
One Piece’s Equivalent To Frankenstein
In the canon, Gecko Moria is classed as a human, but while humans can come in all shapes and sizes in the world ofOne Piece,Moria takes this to a whole different level. As the leader of the Thriller Bark pirates. It makes sense that Moria would look at least a little spooky, but in truth, it seems like Oda was trying to insert his own version ofMary Shelly’s Frankenstein, who is one of the most prominent figures within gothic literature.
The stitches running down his gigantic head, handkerchief poking out of his collar, and razor-sharp teeth all give the impression that Moria’s body has been handmade, even though the story claims this isn’t the case. It’s also important to mention that Moria’s Devil Fruit allows him to manipulate people’s shadows, providing yet another gothic reference that helps differentiate Moria from the other warlords.
2Perona
The Spunky Former Thriller Bark Pirate Dresses Like She’s From The Nineteenth Century
Considering Perona made her debut during the Thriller Bark story arc, it makes sense why she would have such a strange and unorthodox appearance, since this specific portion of the story was clearly taking a lot of horror inspiration. While she may have bright pink hair and small colorful decorations covering her body, it’s clear that Oda was going for a very traditionalist look when creating this now fan-favorite character.
For example, Perona has a pair of giant black eyes which are honestly quite disturbing to look at, especially when paired with her menacing scowl; it creates a rather frightening aura around Perona, which feeds into her bleak personality. Oda would go even further with this design schemeafter the timeskip, making the gothic undertones of her character a lot more prevalent in the process.
1Dracule Mihawk
The Legendary Swordsman Sports A Gothic Fashion Style To Intimidate His Enemies
Considering Mihawk’s first name is only one letter away from literally spelling out Dracula, it’s pretty obvious Oda was harkening back to early Victorian Gothic novels when trying to come up with the personality and design of this former Warlord of the Sea. However, before even knowing his name, one only needs to take a quick look at Mihawk to get an idea of what he’s all about, with his dark clothes and sole crushing stare striking fear into the eyes of anybody who dares stand up to him.
While religion is often rarely spoken about in the story ofOne Piece,the fact Oda decided to give Mihawk a cross on his necklace is yet another reference to the core themes and ideas that often emerge ingothic literature. Mihawk is a fantastic character, not only because of his flashy fighting style, but also his now iconic design, which was clearly heavily influenced by the gothic world.
One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
