ONE PIECE and Peter Pan: Commonalities and Homages
After awakening as Nika, Luffy casually flies through the sky.
How does that work, exactly? Was there any explanation for it?
Peter Pan says, “If you think happy thoughts, you can fly.” Nika is always laughing, always happy. So… is that why he can fly?
Could it be the same principle as Peter Pan?
Overlaying ONE PIECE with Peter Pan reveals a surprising number of connections. Let me compile them here.
First: the commonalities and homages.
The Shadow Separated from Its Body
In the Thriller Bark arc, shadows are severed from their owners’ bodies. This is a homage to the opening of the Peter Pan film.
↧ Peter Pan chasing his escaped shadow all the way to Wendy’s bedroom.
Tiger Lily and Amazon Lily
Hancock — the empress of the Amazons who falls for Luffy — was a Heracles homage, but she’s also a Peter Pan homage.
Tiger Lily, the Native American girl kidnapped by Captain Hook, is rescued by Peter Pan and develops feelings for him.
Amazon Lily… Tiger Lily. That’s not a coincidence.
Neverland’s Geography and Inhabitants
Neverland is home to a diverse mix of peoples:
- Native Americans
- Mermaids
- Fairies
- Lost Boys (dressed in animal costumes)
- Pirates
Every single one of these appears in ONE PIECE.
Native American Village
On the west side of Neverland, there’s a Native American settlement: tents, half-naked inhabitants, feather decorations, and villagers dancing around a fire to a drumbeat.
Shandia’s village on Skypiea has the same style — tents, totem poles, half-naked warriors with feathers — and the Skypiea arc’s ending shows them dancing around a fire.
Mermaid Lagoon
On the east side of Neverland lies Mermaid Lagoon.
Mermaid Lagoon = Fishman Island, the place of Sanji’s dream: the All Blue.
Fairy Vale
Somewhere in the north of Neverland is Fairy Vale — the valley where a fairy is born every time a human baby laughs for the first time.
Fairies in ONE PIECE = the Tontatta Tribe of Dressrosa.
Lost Boys
Deep in the forests of Neverland live the Lost Boys, dressed head-to-toe in animal costumes.
The Minks, who live deep in the forest on Zou’s back, look like animals themselves.
Skull Rock and the Pirates
On the northeast side of Neverland: Skull Rock, where the pirates stash their plundered treasure.
The pirate island marked by a skull: that’s Hachinosu.
Cross Guild is Modeled After Captain Hook and His Sidekick
Captain Hook is defined by:
- A Western noble-style outfit with a feathered hat
- A saber
- A hook for a left arm
- A crocodile that swallowed a ticking clock constantly hunting him
But Oda split Hook’s defining traits between two characters.
Mihawk got:
- Western noble-style outfit with feathered hat
- The saber
Crocodile got:
- The hook for a left arm
- The crocodile
- The ticking clock sound (the Alabasta finale used a time bomb at a clock tower)
So Crocodile and Mihawk were both modeled after Captain Hook, and their reunion in Cross Guild during the Final Saga was planned from the very beginning.
And then there’s Hook’s beloved sidekick…
Mr. Smee
Big red nose, a pirate’s striped shirt, a love of drinking, and unapologetic cowardice. Captain Hook’s boatswain, Mr. Smee, is Buggy’s model.
Clumsy and bumbling, always on the receiving end of Hook’s rough treatment.
So that scene ↑ is homaged as…
↓ This!
And that’s a wrap for today! Stay tuned.
Peter Pan & Wendy on Amazon Prime Video.