The One Piece author reveals why he created Hody Jones

Key points

• Oda creates nuanced villains in One Piece to reflect real-world themes like racism and prejudice
• Hody Jones serves as a powerful example of unfounded racism in society and the consequences it brings
• Fans need to appreciate Hody Jones more for his role in highlighting important social issues.

One piece is one of the greatest anime series of all time. It is partly known for its storytelling, world-building, and incredible cast of characters. Oda pays equal attention to heroes and villains, which is one of the main reasons why they are so popular. In fact, it won't be an exaggeration to say that they like antagonists more than heroes.

Oda doesn't just create powerful villains, he makes them very layered. The author of One Piece places them in the story to serve a particular purpose. He doesn't just create villains to serve as Luffy's nemesis, but they also reflect a particular set of ideas. Because Oda is nuanced in his work, not all One Piece fans are able to discern these themes and this leads them to overlook some villains. One such example is Hody Jones.

How the Straw Hat Pirates met Hody Jones

The Straw Hats fought him in the Fishman Island story arc

Hody Jones was introduced in the Fishman Island story arc, which served as the setting for the first story arc after the time jump. In this story arc, the Straw Hat Pirates visit Fishman Island before finally entering the New World. But what should have been a normal journey turned out to be a dangerous journey into the depths of the sea.

The people of Fishman Island have been discriminated against by humans and other races for centuries. The natives of the island would be attacked and sold into slavery, which is why many of them abandoned the idea of ​​being on good terms with them. Most Fishmen simply avoided humans, but some of them developed a strong hatred towards mankind. One of these individuals was Hody Jones.

Hody Jones and his hatred towards humans

Hody Jones ran fueled by pure hatred

• He completely ignored his life
• He just wanted to fuel hostility

Hody Jones was a racist who despised humans and wanted to ensure that no other Fish-Man residents were on good terms with them. When Otohime was trying to promote peace between the two races, Hody Jones had his chance. This caused tensions to rise once again.

Another thing that highlighted Hody's fanaticism was how he was willing to destroy his own body. Hody Jones took several performance-enhancing drugs to fight humans. He didn't seem to care about their side effects on his body as long as they helped him get what he wanted.

According to Eiichiro Oda, Hody Jones was created to highlight unfounded racism in One Piece and the real world. The character of Hody Jones demonstrates that those blinded by racism cannot think rationally and can hurt everyone around them. Oda also added that children may not be able to understand these issues, but he hopes that will change in the future.

One Piece fans need to like Hody Jones more

Hody Jones may not have a complex personality, but what he brings out is very real. The Fish Man is a great example of how things work in the real world. Seeing and analyzing his character can help One Piece fans learn and understand the dangers of having prejudices against a certain race or group of people.

Another reason Hody Jones gets overlooked is his lackluster strength. Considering he was the first big bad Luffy had to face after the time jump, fans were hoping he would pose a great challenge. However, the young pirate managed to eliminate Hody Jones without any effort. However, Hody Jones has never dealt with force. It was included in the story as a tool to help fans understand racism and its impact on a group of people.

Aside from Hody Jones, there are many other One Piece characters who believe in similar ideals. Marijoa's Celestial Dragons are the best example. They consider themselves so superior to others that they refuse to breathe the same air as normal people. They have access to money and other special privileges only because of their ancestry. Celestial Dragons have no moral code, so they commit all kinds of crimes. They buy slaves, kill innocent people, etc. Hopefully, the era of the Celestial Dragons will end in the Final Saga of One Piece.

One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.