Loki in Norse Mythology
Loki is famous in Norse mythology as a trickster god, but he is equally known as the leader of the army of the dead in Ragnarok, the great war against the gods.
However, the reason Loki unleashed Ragnarok can only be described as a grudge gone out of control.
His excessive prank caused the death of the most beloved god in the land — the sun god Baldr — earning him the hatred of all the gods and a punishment of eternal torment. His response to that punishment was to summon beasts and the undead and start Ragnarok. A truly extraordinary figure.
The Death of Baldr
Baldr was the son of Odin, the supreme god, and Frigg, the highest goddess. He was the wisest, most beautiful, most gentle, and most beloved prince — radiant as the sun — with the greatest future ahead of him.
One day, Baldr had a dream that he would die. His mother Frigg, determined to prevent his death, traveled the world making every substance — animals, plants, stones, wood, metal, disease — swear an oath not to harm Baldr.
The gods then tested this by throwing weapons at Baldr, and nothing could hurt him. They were relieved.
Loki’s Trick
But Loki, filled with jealousy, devised a scheme.
He approached Frigg in disguise and asked whether she had truly made everything in the world swear the oath. Frigg replied: “There is one thing I overlooked — the young shoot of mistletoe. It seemed too weak and harmless to bother.”
Loki immediately crafted an arrow from mistletoe and set his plan in motion.
Baldr’s Death at the Hands of Blind Hod
Hod was the blind god — the son of Odin and half-brother of Baldr.
Loki found Hod and said: “The gods are all throwing weapons at Baldr for fun. Why don’t you join in?” Hod replied that he was blind and could not participate. Loki said: “Use this arrow — I’ll guide your aim toward Baldr.”
When Hod released the arrow, the mistletoe pierced Baldr and he died instantly.
Loki’s Punishment
Loki was captured and bound to rocks for eternity. A serpent was placed above him, its venom dripping onto his face forever.
His wife Sigyn holds a bowl to catch the venom, but when she must empty it, the drops fall on Loki’s face — and his thrashing in agony causes earthquakes.
Connection to One Piece’s Elbaf Arc
One Piece’s Loki in Elbaf mirrors many elements of this myth. The structure of a fallen or imprisoned figure, associated with chaos and revenge, imprisoned by the gods of Elbaf — this parallels the Norse Loki chained beneath the earth.
The “blind” element (Hod being manipulated into committing the deed) may also connect to themes of characters being used as unknowing instruments in One Piece.
Oda appears to be using the Baldr-Hod-Loki triangle as the emotional and narrative core of the Elbaf arc — with Loki’s rage against the gods as the engine of the conflict.
Ragnarok Connection
After his punishment, Loki eventually breaks free and leads the army of the dead (Hel’s forces) along with the World Serpent Jormungandr and Fenrir the wolf against the gods.
This final battle — Ragnarok — is the end of the world. The parallels to One Piece’s endgame, with ancient weapons and catastrophic war, are hard to ignore.