Although real-world countries don't exist in the One Piece universe, there has been much speculation about what their nationality would be if they were real people. This has given rise to so many theories among fans that Eiichiro Oda himself, the author of the work, answered this curiosity in a question and answer section officially published in the manga.
Although they aren't actually from those countries, this says a lot about the personality that Oda imagines for the Straw Hats, since each country has its own culture and this interferes with how each one acts. Do you want to find out what the nationalities of the One Piece characters are according to the author? Follow us and we'll tell you below!
Franky
Franky is the carpenter in Luffy's troupe and also the representative of the American nationalities among the One Piece characters. He is the least difficult to spot the references in his look and way of speaking, as they practically scream in the viewer's face.
He's almost the stereotype of an American in anime, with a Hawaiian shirt, an arrogant and spacey attitude, and randomly spouting various English words as he speaks. Franky was introduced as an antagonist, but ended up teaming up with the Straw Hats to fulfill his dream of creating and steering a ship that could sail around the world.
Brook
Some of the One Piece characters' nationalities are quite intuitive, as in the case of Franky, but Brook's is much more complicated. There's nothing in his skull-like appearance to give away where he might have come from in the real world, but Eiichiro Oda gave a historical explanation for the country chosen for the character when explaining the nationalities of the One Piece characters.
That's because Brook was Austrian and Austria was considered the European capital of music during the 18th and 19th centuries. Many musical innovations took place in this country and it was also the birthplace of the careers of great musicians such as Beethoven and Mozart. Brook joined Luffy's crew after the events on the ghost ship in the Florian Triangle and has since been the Straw Hats' musician, as well as being an excellent swordsman alongside Zoro.
Tony Tony Chopper
Chopper is regarded as the crew's mascot, but his skills go far beyond that. He is also the Straw Hats' doctor and one of Luffy's commanders. And, of course, the reindeer with human characteristics would also be among Oda's revelations of the One Piece characters' nationalities.
According to the author, Chopper would be Canadian. This would be clear from where he came from, which is basically Canada's version of the universe of the work, since it has several characteristics in common with the North American country, such as the intense cold and snow. Chopper is a reindeer who, after eating the hito hito no mi, developed consciousness and humanized physical characteristics. He is also one of the characters most loved by fans of the work.
Jinbe
Jinbe is the helmsman of the Straw Hats and was the most surprising revelation among the One Piece characters' nationalities revealed by the author. This is because many people thought that, due to his manners and traditional attire, he would actually be Japanese and this was a widespread theory among fans of the series. But in fact, Oda imagines Jinbe as an Indian.
The answer to this association goes far beyond his clothes and behavior, it lies in his species. Jinbe is a fish man, more specifically a whale shark and this species is usually found in the Indian seas. As well as being a helmsman, Jinbe is an excellent karate master and joined Luffy's troupe during the Whole Cake Island arc, after breaking all ties with the villainous Big Mom.
Trafalgar Law
Another of the One Piece characters' nationalities that may take many fans by surprise is that of Law. Usually, when we talk about people from Germany, we imagine the stereotype of tall, blond and light-eyed, but Law is nothing like that. Not even his clothes hint at any association with Germany, but according to Oda, that's where he would have come from if he had been from the real world.
This is because the German ideals of ethics, efficiency and hard work are easily perceived in the pirate. Law is an ally of the Straw Hat pirates in the plot and his biggest dream is to find One Piece, just like several of the character's other "professional colleagues".
Usopp
Usopp is one of the oldest members of the Straw Hat crew and also one of the most beloved. When Oda announced the nationalities of the characters in One Piece, he didn't say specifically which country the character was from, instead referring to him as coming from somewhere on the African continent.
It's very difficult to guess Usopp's nationality because there's nothing in his clothes or manners to indicate which country he might have come from. His personality is somewhat cowardly, but he dreams of one day becoming a brave sea warrior like his father. He joined the crew at the end of the Syrup Village Arc and left for a brief period in the Water 7 Arc, returning to his rightful place in the Straw Hats at the end of the Post-Enies Lobby Arc.
Nico Robin
Nico was originally introduced as a villain in the Alabasta saga, as the vice president of Baroque Works. However, after a well-crafted redemption arc, the then villain ended up becoming an ally of Luffy and his troupe and also an active member of the Straw Hats.
Her appearance is almost a stereotype of what Eastern European women look like. Her skin is very white, her eyes are blue and her hair is black and long, which is probably why Oda decided on Russia for the girl when he revealed the nationalities of the characters in One Piece. Another hint given in the series itself about Nico's nationality in the real world was her trip to the Tequila World bridge at Kuma's behest, the place being very similar to Russian territory.
Vinsmoke Sanji
Surprising a total of zero people, Sanji was described by the author as French if he lived in the world we know and not in the One Piece universe. With his curly eyebrows, goatee and reputation as a womanizer, how can you not think of Sanji as a stereotype of the French in the eyes of foreigners all over the world, so it's not a surprise among the nationalities of the One Piece characters.
France is known as the capital of love and also of gastronomy, so it's no surprise that Sanji is the Straw Hats' chef. The French are also known for their addiction to cigarettes and not ironically our favorite cook is also a smoker. But Sanji goes far beyond that. He is a formidable fighter and is among the four best fighters in the troupe, second only to Zoro, Jinbe and Luffy.
Nami
When Nami's name was mentioned as a possible Swede when Oda announced the nationalities of the One Piece characters, there were zero surprises for fans either. Her red hair and ambition indicated that the girl could be Swedish, and people from northern Europe are also usually quite tall, just like Nami.
Originally, Nami infiltrated the Straw Hats to rob them, as she wanted money to buy back the village she came from, which was under the power of the pirate Arlong. However, she ended up joining the troupe when they defeated the antagonist pirate. She has a dream of making a map that describes the territory of the whole world.
Roronoa Zoro
Closing the group of characters who surprised no one when their nationalities were revealed is Zoro. The swordsman of the Straw Hat troupe was revealed by Oda to be the only Japanese member of the group. But his skills with katanas, his way of dressing and also of behaving had already given this away for a long time.
He was the first official member of Luffy's crew and due to the protagonist's playful and sloppy behavior, he has often been mistaken for the true leader of the pirate group. He is an excellent swordsman, having trained from an early age. His dream is to become world's greatest swordsman and anyone who follows One Piece knows that he's on the right track.
Luffy
Now we come to the revelation that positively shocked all Brazilian fans of the series when Oda revealed the nationalities of the One Piece characters: Luffy, the series' protagonist, is Brazilian! His outfit has long been a tell-tale sign of this, as his open shirt, blue shorts and straw hat are very suited to Brazil's warm climate. Not to mention the flip-flops on his feet, which have practically become a characteristic of ours around the world.
Luffy is the founder of the Straw Hat troupe and also the leader of the pirate group. He ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi and in the process acquired the power to stretch parts of his body like elastic. His biggest dream is to find One Piece and become the King of the Pirates.
Conclusion
Some characters were obvious where they would come from if they existed in the real world, others not so much, but which of the One Piece characters' nationalities surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments! Take the opportunity to also read our article on the 15 best anime openings of all time!
Questions that might interest you:
Are there any One Piece characters that are representative of Brazil?
Yes, according to the author himself, if Luffy lived in the real world, he'd be Brazilian!
How are the ethnicities of the characters in the anime One Piece determined?
According to what the author believes to be the closest to the character culturally speaking, he publishes it in the "Always Good to Know" section of the manga, where he usually shares official trivia about the story.
