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If you ask any One Piece fan what some of their most hated characters in the series are, most of the responses will be fairly similar. Many would say Arlong for his treatment of Nami and Cocoyashi Village, including Akainu for how evil he is while pretending to be good. They'll also name Captain Foxy, but for different reasons than the ones mentioned above.
However, every One Piece fan remains unanimous in their hatred for Celestial Dragons. They are essentially the nobles of the series' world, embodying every negative trait of humanity one could imagine, from slavery to pompousness to abuse of power, with the majority of them having almost no redeeming traits.
So, when a series fan posted on Reddit that some German media could have been a source of inspiration for these characters, it sparked a lively debate among fans.
Follow along as this article fully breaks down why a One Piece fan has likely found series author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda’s inspiration for this much-hated group.
Fans discuss The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’s inspirations on One Piece's Celestial Dragons and more
Reddit user u/PossibilityLow5482 recently posted to the One Piece subreddit, pointing out what they believe to be Oda's probable source of inspiration for Celestial Dragons.
The Celestial Dragons are frequently portrayed as enemies of humanity, embracing slavery and a hierarchy in which those lower than them cannot advance.
u/PossibilityLow5482’s post appears to compare the Celestial Dragons to The Adventures of Baron Munchausen's Moon King and Queen. The post includes images of the two Munchausen characters as well as the family of Celestial Dragons Saints Rosward, Charlos and Shalria.
There are many similarities between the two images, including hairstyles, and overall outfit design.
In the comments, people also say that the Moon King's name is Ray D. Tutto, which is an Italian pun that means "king of everything." Oda took two things from this story: the letter D. and the fact that his main character, Monkey D. Luffy, wants to be the King of the Pirates.
In the comments, people have pointed out other similarities between the Munchausen stories and One Piece's Celestial Dragons that have nothing to do with the Moon King and Queen. One commenter explains how the Baron von Munchausen character is similar to a real-life Usopp, known for telling absurd and unbelievable lies, which appear to have influenced Oda's series.
Munchausen, for example, claims to have stood on top of a cannonball to cause it to travel at a much faster rate, similar to what Admiral Kizaru is seen doing in his introduction. Another fan notes that Van Augur's design, as well as the world hole at Enies Lobby, appear to be inspired by the Munchausen franchise and its stories.
In any case, it's clear that the Munchausen stories inspired not only One Piece's Celestial Dragon, but also many of its most absurd and iconic scenes.
Keep reading Sportskeeda for more One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news.
