5 Classic Anime That Shaped One Piece

Eiichiro Oda created one of the most successful franchises in history with One Piece, capturing the hearts of millions of readers and viewers. Throughout his career, Oda has spoken about the older manga and anime that captured his imagination when he was a young boy. These childhood favorites opened up a world of classic anime that gave him the tools and inspiration he needed to build his own masterpiece years later.

By looking closely at the series that left a permanent mark on Oda during his youth, fans can gain a much deeper appreciation for how the world of Monkey D. Luffy came to be. From the slapstick humor and wacky character designs of the 1970s to the high-stakes action rules of the 1980s, these older series provided the perfect building blocks for his writing. Examining these classic works, fans can clearly see the exact moments where the humor, the sense of boundless adventure, and the core rules of the One Piece universe were born.

Space Adventure Cobra’s Deep Space Exploration Inspired One Piece’s Grand Journey

Image via Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Premiering in 1982, Space Adventure Cobra follows a space pirate named Cobra who sports a laser gun hidden in his left arm. Alongside his android partner, Cobra wanders a futuristic galaxy while dealing with bounty hunters and discovering ancient civilizations. The show became famous for its sci-fi style, cool jazz soundtrack, and a wild universe where rules of physics and reality rarely applied. It was a show that celebrated freedom and the thrill of seeing what lay beyond the next star system, making it a staple of late-night Japanese television.

Cobra fakes his own death and alters his face to escape the relentless Pirate Guild, a massive criminal syndicate that seeks to control the underworld. This setup establishes a galaxy filled with corrupt organizations, ancient royal bloodlines, and hidden treasures buried on distant planets. Cobra uses the ultimate weapon called the Psychogun, which is controlled by his mental energy and allows him to shoot around corners. The series blends a gritty noir tone with completely whimsical landscapes, blending deep exploration with thrilling action.

Oda has pointed to this classic as a major inspiration for his world layout. The endless variety of Cobra’s journey mirrors the unpredictable nature of the Grand Line. Just as Cobra never knew what alien landscape or danger awaited him on the next planet, Monkey D. Luffy and his crew navigate a sea where every island features its own distinct climate, gravity, and societal laws. Cobra established the template for a tough, charismatic wanderer who relies on his instincts, an idea that Oda adapted into a colorful pirate fantasy context.

Kinnikuman’s Springman Proved Action Can Be Silly and Still Meaningful

The 1983 anime Kinnikuman began as a silly parody of traditional superhero stories before evolving into a legendary pro-wrestling battle series. The story focuses on Suguru Kinniku, a clumsy and bizarre hero who must win professional wrestling matches to retain his royal title and prove his worth to the world. The series became incredibly popular for its large roster of eccentric characters who possessed highly specific, often ridiculous themes and abilities that kept audiences laughing and cheering while immersed in the action.

Kinnikuman centers on the Chojin, a race of superhuman aliens and mutants who participate in theatrical wrestling tournaments. These characters are often designed around objects or concepts, such as a hero with a giant tea cup for a head or a villain shaped like a massive hand. Despite the goofiness of these designs, the series treats their fighting styles with respect, featuring grapple moves and personal rivalries. The characters bleed and suffer massive injuries, forcing the audience to take these bizarre wrestling matches seriously.

Oda drew from Kinnikuman when designing the combat logic of One Piece, particularly the Devil Fruit system. In Kinnikuman, a fighter like Springman could use a body made of springs to create deadly situations, proving that absurd designs could still carry high stakes and feel genuinely threatening. One Piece operates on this level by taking powers that could easily be dismissed as pure comedy, such as stretching like rubber, turning into a jacket, or spinning like a top, and utilizing them with seriousness and tactical creativity.

Chiisana Viking Bikke Changed Oda’s Perspective on What Pirates Could Be

Image via Nippon Animation

Known internationally as Vicky the Viking, this 1974 animated series was a foundational piece of Oda’s childhood and heavily influenced his view on sea adventures. The story centers on Vicky, a small, young boy who travels across the ocean with his father and a crew of burly Viking warriors. Whenever the adult warriors find themselves trapped by clever enemies or dangerous natural disasters, Vicky uses his sharp intellect, careful strategy, and problem-solving skills to save the day rather than relying on physical violence or weapons.

The world of Vicky is deeply rooted in folklore and traditional ocean sailing, showing the daily struggles of a small village crew trying to navigate the open seas. The adult Vikings are depicted as boastful, loud, and prone to fighting amongst themselves, but they possess a deep sense of loyalty to one another and their families. Vicky avoids conflict by rubbing his nose whenever he needs an idea, which triggers a spark of genius that allows the crew to build makeshift catapults, disguise their ship, or trick greedy kings.

This wholesome, adventurous take on seafaring life changed how Oda viewed pirates as a concept. Instead of modeling the Straw Hats after the ruthless, bloodthirsty plunderers found in real-world Western history, Oda built his characters around the core themes of Vicky the Viking. The Straw Hats function as a tight-knit family that thrives on camaraderie, mutual trust, and clever tactics. Luffy’s crew members value the freedom of the ocean and the thrill of discovery far more than the desire to steal wealth or inflict cruelty on others.

Oda’s Straw Hat Pirates Have Similar Traits to the Lupin the Third Crew

Lupin the Third centers on the grandson of the fictional gentleman thief Arsene Lupin as he executes impossible heists around the globe. Alongside his expert marksman partner, Jigen, and the traditional samurai, Goemon, Lupin travels the world while constantly staying one step ahead of a police inspector named Zenigata. The franchise is beloved for its fast-paced comedy, stylish action, and the deep bond shared between its highly specialized outcast protagonists who live completely outside the boundaries of normal society.

The lore of Lupin revolves around a brilliant criminal underworld where high-tech gadgets, ancient treasures, and international political conspiracies collide. Each member of Lupin’s crew is a master of a specific craft, with Jigen possessing a lightning-fast quick-draw and Goemon wielding a sword capable of cutting through steel buildings. The group also deals with Fujiko Mine, a beautiful and treacherous femme fatale who routinely betrays Lupin for money, creating a dynamic built on loose trust and constant chaos.

Oda adapted this exact group dynamic when assembling the Straw Hat Pirates. The core structure of a small, elite group of outlaws traveling from place to place while dodging the authorities is classic Lupin territory. Specific Straw Hats inherited core personality traits and visual quirks from Lupin’s crew. The sleek chivalry of Sanji, the cunning independence of Nami, and the mechanical eccentricity of Franky all share direct creative links to the classic archetypes popularized by Lupin, Fujiko, and Jigen decades earlier.

Dragon Ball Became a Staple in Shonen Anime and Inspired Oda to Make Another

Image via Toei Animation

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is widely regarded as the blueprint for modern action anime, and Oda has openly celebrated it as his ultimate inspiration. The original series follows Son Goku, a naive boy with a monkey tail who trains in martial arts and explores the earth in search of magical, wish-granting spheres. As the story grew over the years, the series pioneered the concept of escalating power levels, intense training arcs, and dramatic transformations that occurred during the absolute climax of a world-ending battle.

The lore of Dragon Ball expanded from a simple martial arts adventure into a massive exploration filled with Gods, aliens, and spiritual energy called Ki. Goku trains to push past his physical limits, defending the Earth from conquerors and demons who grow stronger with every encounter, pushing past his own limits to discover newfound powers. The series established the rule that a hero’s true strength comes from their pure intentions and their desire to protect their friends, rather than a desire for power or control.

The spiritual link between Dragon Ball and One Piece is visible in almost every single chapter of Oda’s work. Monkey D. Luffy was molded directly in the image of Son Goku, inheriting his pure heart, relentless optimism, and infamous bottomless stomach that prioritizes meat above all else. Beyond basic character traits, the progression of One Piece’s action sequences pays homage to Toriyama. Luffy’s multi-stage Gear transformations build directly upon the power-up ideas established by Goku’s iconic Super Saiyan forms.

First TV Show

One Piece

Cast

Mayumi Tanaka, Kazuya Nakai, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Christopher Sabat, Kerry Williams, Kappei Yamaguchi, Sonny Strait, Hiroaki Hirata, Eric Valette, Ikue Ootani

Created by

Eiichiro Oda

Latest TV Show

Netflix’s One Piece

First Episode Air Date

October 20, 1999