Are the Five Elders’ Names Based on Planets?
The rightmost Elder’s name is Jay Garcia Saturn — containing “Saturn,” the sixth planet from the Sun.
It seems like planets might be a theme in the Egghead Arc. Vegapunk’s signature word “quasar” is also the name of an astronomical object that looks just like Stella’s head.
In the Wano Arc, the sun god Nika was resurrected, and the Shimotsuki family — whose name contains “moon” (月) — reclaimed the shogunate. Celestial imagery has appeared back-to-back.
Then came Saturn, and naturally everyone starts wondering: do the other Four Elders have planet names too? Let’s think it through.
Mapping to the Solar System
From right to left in the solar system: Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, Mercury.
Neptune is Poseidon, Uranus is a Greek god’s name — both are Ancient Weapon names, so we exclude them. Earth is excluded too.
That leaves Saturn on the outermost side. Remarkably, it aligns with Saturn’s position and the Five Elders’ formation at their first appearance.
If we apply that order, here’s what we get:
Saint Jupiter
Next to Saturn on the left is Jupiter. In English, Jupiter derives from the Roman god Iuppiter, identified with the Greek Zeus.
Saint Mars
Next to Jupiter is Mars, the red planet. The English name comes from the Roman god of war Mars, identified with the Greek Ares.
Saint Venus
Skipping Earth, next is Venus, the goddess of love and beauty in Roman mythology, identified with the Greek Aphrodite.
Venus? A bald, menacing-looking old man carrying a katana named Venus?!
Saint Mercury
The innermost planet is Mercury. The English name comes from the Roman god Mercurius, patron of merchants and travelers, identified with the Greek Hermes.
Other than Venus, the rest feel plausible enough — but knowing the names alone doesn’t really tell us much. What we really want is to discover their model.
What We Really Want Is the Real-World Model
Take the Nefertari family as an example — one of the “Twenty Kings” who could have become World Nobles.
“Nefertari” is the name of the queen of Ramesses II, considered the greatest pharaoh in ancient Egyptian history.
During Ramesses II’s reign, the Battle of Kadesh took place — history’s first officially documented military confrontation. Both sides suffered massive casualties, yet neither gained territory or reparations. It ended in a draw.
In other words:
Arabasta = Ancient Egypt
Baroque Works = The Hittites
Cobra = Ramesses II
Arabasta vs. Baroque Works = The Battle of Kadesh
This is the moment theory fans live for: discovering the real-world model behind the story. It’s that “I knew it!” feeling — like guessing the secret ingredient in a dish.
Analyzing “Jay Garcia”
Jay Garcia — J. Garcia?
Setting aside “Jay” for now, “Garcia” is reportedly the most common surname in Spain. It traces back to the Kingdom of Galicia, which existed around 410 AD.
410 AD… the 4th century… the Five Elders who know the secrets of the Void Century…
If the Void Century is modeled on Japan’s own “Blank 4th Century” in history, then the 4th-century connection becomes a significant clue.
To unravel the Void Century, perhaps studying world history from the actual 4th century — all of it — would reveal something.
The Great Migration of Germanic peoples… could that be relevant?
The Gothic princess’s name was Alwida, if I recall correctly…
The Goths who attacked Germany by land sparked the Germanic Migration — and those who attacked by sea became known as the Vikings?
This calls for a serious deep-dive into history.
Celestial Body Imagery
Even if the Five Elders’ names turn out to be a red herring, there are characters who carry strong celestial imagery.
“Ace vs. Blackbeard” is essentially the Sun vs. a Black Hole. Sabo, who inherited the title of Flame Emperor, also carries the sun’s image. And Luffy, the third brother, is the Sun God Nika.
All three brothers — Ace, Sabo, and Luffy — share the image of the Sun.
The Moon
Zoro carries the imagery of the Moon — his name includes “Shimotsuki” (霜月), and the Shimotsuki clan’s blood likely runs through him.
The Straw Hats’ top duo: Sun and Moon. A beautiful balance.
The Three Ancient Weapons
As mentioned above, Neptune (Roman) = Poseidon (Greek), and Uranus (Roman/Greek) is a rare solar-system name taken directly from Greek mythology.
Pluto’s English name is Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld — also known as Hades in Greek mythology. Because Pluto is classified only as a dwarf planet, perhaps the Ancient Weapon Pluton ended up as a man-made warship rather than a full-fledged weapon.
The Black Hole
Blackbeard embodies the image of a black hole — consuming everything with infinite gravity.
Speaking of gravity, what would happen if Navy Admiral Fujitora — the “gravity human” — got swallowed by Blackbeard? An interesting what-if to consider.