Every Norse Mythology Reference in One Piece

One Piece takes inspiration from so many mythologies, including its own roots in Japan, but most prominently featured seems to be Norse mythology, the tale of warlike gods and their adventures across the Nine Realms.

We will go over the Norse mythology references in One Piece in chronological order

Shanks and Tyr

This might surprise people but the very first Norse reference comes from Chapter 1: “Romance Dawn”.

Red-Haired Shanks shares a surprising parallel with the Norse god of war Tyr, even down to their red hair.

While both have the role of gods of war, with Shanks as a Yonko, they are notable for being more diplomatic and focused not on causing war but preventing it, to ensure the world does not sink into chaos.

Tyr while Shanks stopped the Paramount War in Marineford

Most of all, they sacrificed an arm, with Tyr losing his right arm to Loki’s son, the giant wolf Fenrir, in an attempt to lure it in a trap while Shanks sacrifices his arm for Luffy

Because Tyr is an Aesir god, we can even consider this another validation to Shanks’ connection to the Figarland Family, one of the Celestial Dragon families in Mariejoa.

Tyr’s fate in Ragnarok is to be killed by the hellhound Garm (guardian of the goddess of death, Hel) and Fleet Admiral Akainu and his Magu Magu no Mi fit the bill for this part.

Would Shanks’ final battle be with Akainu or some other fiery being?

Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent is Everywhere

One of the most recurring Norse motifs in One Piece

We first see a giant serpent, Kashigami, treated as a god of the Shandians 400 years ago prior to being lifted up to Skypiea and its descendant Nola that dwells in Upper Yard.

However, what makes the motif recurring lies in the shape of the One Piece world itself.

Notice that the Red Line wraps itself across the world, as if it was a land snake coiling the watery planet?

There is no end to the Red Line and it acts as a barrier that divides the One Piece world in half.

Aesir vs Jotnar Conflict

In a Reddit post, it was stated that the Gorosei and World Government could be compared to the Aesir gods led by Odin.

An Analysis of Parallels Between Norse Mythology and One Piece
byu/SkaldofEpics93 inOnePiece

The comparison is also compelling considering that the original Joy Boy was likely a giant and was opposed by the creator of the current world, Imu, who wanted to prevent a Ragnarok-like war by suppressing the world’s knowledge, playing it

Everything in Road’s Castle

The first few chapters of the Elbaph Arc are chock full of Norse mythology references, which makes sense since Road is cosplaying as the Sun God.

The background shows and even namedrops Yggdrasil, which turns out to actually be the entirely of the Kingdom of Warland.

Some of Road’s pets were named directly after Norse mythical creatures, such as Hilmungardr, who is named after the Midgard Serpent Jörmungandr,

His massive crow Muginn is named from a fusion of Odin’s two crows, “Huginn and Muninn”.

Loki the Accursed Prince

In Chapter 1130: “The Accursed Prince”, we were introduced to Prince Loki, a character who has only appeared as a silhouette since Chapter 858: “Meeting” in the Whole Cake Island Arc.

At 63 years old, Loki is relatively young by giant standards, being younger than his brother, the 81 year old, Hajrudin.

Loki is reviled for supposedly killing his father, King Harald, and taking Elbaph’s sacred treasure, a legendary devil fruit.

The name Loki would be familiar to anyone since it is the name of the Norse god of mischief, which does tie to the title of “Shame of Elbaph” or the “Accursed Prince”.

It is noted that Loki is actually a jotunn or a giant rather than as one of the Aesir gods like Odin.

Loki was also tied to a rock after killing Baldur, one of the Aesir and a son of Odin and is said to be the one to cause Ragnarok itself, which is what Loki tells Luffy in his first full appearance, where he proclaims that he is the “Sun God” who will destroy the world.

Of note, Loki is also the name of another jotunn, Utgard-Loki, who is a king who challenged Thor and Loki but it seems that Oda is choosing the more popular Loki.

Unrelated note but the chapter number 1130 is quite timely since the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) version, specifically the God of Stories variant of the original MCU Loki, is from Universe L1130.

Yggdrasil, the Elbaph Sacred Tree World

We end Chapter 1130 with an incredible double-page spread showing the entirely of Elbaph occupied in the Yggdrasil tree.

If you will notice, the sacred tree works similar to Elbaph as it holds the Nine Realms on its branches and roots.

The main realm of Elbaph, “Warland” seems to be settled in the middle area, which is where the realms of Vanaheim (Vanir gods), Midgard (humans), and Jotunnheim (jotnar or “giants”)

This also reinforces the connection to Norse myth because Asgard is the home of the Aesir gods ruled by Odin and these are warlike gods.

And since the Ancient Kingdom is connected to the Giants and Lunarians, you could also say that the origins of the One Piece world itself are tied to Norse Mythology.

You could consider the Ancient Kingdom the “Ymir” of this tale, where the warlike Aesir led by Odin (Imu and the 20 Kingdoms) carve out the Kingdom to build their new world order.

Ragnarok

Probably the most anticipated event in the Elbaph Arc is Ragnarok, the fated twilight of the gods that Odin has anticipated and prepared for by amassing a massive army.

A move similar to Kaido, who was the main antagonist of the earlier Wano Country Arc, who produced SMILE devil fruits to increase his forces in preparation for a world war that he intends to take part in.

Kaido even has an attack called Three Realms: Ragnarok.

In Elbaph, we see a massive sword, which could connect to Surtr the fire giant from Muspelheim will draw the flaming sword to destroy the world, just as Loki promised he would as a “Sun God”.

Of note, Luffy was prophesized by the mermaid fortuneteller, Madam Shyarly to be the destroyer of Fish-Man Island and while her prophecy has yet to transpire, if it does come true, it would align with Loki’s concept of the “Sun God” as the one to end the world.

However, the final war Oda has been setting up seems to be a war of every “realm”, from the Revolutionary Army to the different pirate factions under Luffy, Blackbeard, Buggy’s Cross Guild, with the World Government and Marines dealing with the growing threats.

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