One Piece may be setting up Loki for a major Kaido parallel

Modified Nov 27, 2024 06:30 GMT

One Piece may be setting up Loki for a major Kaido parallel (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece has gone through numerous narrative arcs, with the focus gradually shifting to Joyboy and Nika's characterization, beginning with the Wano arc. Although Luffy's Gear 5 and his fruit are directly tied to Nika, Nika's moniker of "Sun God" has become a significant plot point within the Elbaf arc, with Loki and several other characters using the title "Sun God" as a symbol of power and a subject of reverence.

The numerous mentions of Loki's supposed legendary devil fruit, combined with his self-proclaimed title of the Sun God, might serve as a setup for a symbolic confrontation between him and Luffy. It could also act as a callback to Kaido's false claim to the title of "Joyboy" and his eventual defeat at the hands of the true Joyboy.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

One Piece: Loki will follow Kaido's footsteps against Luffy

Loki's silhouette as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Loki was first introduced during the Whole Cake Island arc in Big Mom's description of her relationship with the giants and their later falling out. Although the giants and a majority of their traditions, as well as beliefs, remained obscure throughout the series, their reverence for the sun and the "Sun God" was made clear during Big Mom's flashback.

Mother Carmel managed to create an artificial sun via her Soul-Soul Fruit, which ended up being perceived as a miracle by the giants. This perception was partly due to the actual act of creating life, combined with the cultural significance of the sun, hinted at through the Winter Solstice festival, which is primarily celebrated to commemorate the "death and rebirth of the sun."

Dorry and Brogy as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The festival's significance, along with Dorry and Brogy's comments on Luffy's Gear 5 appearance, which supposedly resembles a god from Elbaf legend, makes it clear that Nika is the "Sun God" addressed throughout the myths of Elbaf. Loki's situation might be similar to Kaido's, who had previously masqueraded as "Joyboy" under a perverse misinterpretation of everything that Joyboy stood for. Loki might similarly be under such a delusion, which will pit him against Luffy, the actual Sun God.

Loki's entire theme centers around him being one of the strongest giants who has also consumed a "legendary devil fruit." This legendary devil fruit might be the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Given that the moniker of "Sun God" is heavily revered within the Elbaf giants, as seen with both Road and Loki using it as a symbol of authority and power, it is possible that the Nika fruit was the actual legendary devil fruit Loki was supposed to consume.

Luffy devil fruit as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Moreover, Luffy's devil fruit is the only devil fruit repeatedly dubbed as "legendary" in the few mentions throughout the series. Loki's devil fruit might instead be closely tied to the sun, which would explain the misunderstanding of its connection to the "Sun God."

Similar to how Kaido, who masqueraded as "Joyboy," was subsequently defeated by Luffy after his awakening as "Joyboy," Loki, masquerading as the "Sun God," will likely be defeated by Luffy, who will fully embrace his role as the "true Sun God."

Alternatively, it is possible that Loki's devil fruit is tied to Elbaf, the deity referenced in the earliest chapters of the series during Dorry and Brogy's introduction. This could set the stage for a story involving two legendary devil fruits clashing against one another.

Final Thoughts

The One Piece manga entered a hiatus following the release of chapter 1131 on November 10, 2024. Chapter 1132 is scheduled for release on December 1, 2024. The anime also entered a hiatus midway through the Egghead Island arc and will resume airing in April 2025. Fans eager to continue the story after the anime can begin reading the manga from chapter 1089.

Loki is emerging as the primary antagonist of the Elbaf arc. However, considering the average length of the series' narrative arcs, it is unlikely that his backstory and true circumstances will be revealed in the next few chapters.