Summary
One Pieceis a series that is no stranger to tragic backstories. From some of the central heroes to relatively minor side characters, Eiichiro Oda has created dozens of individuals who owe the start of their journeys to their troubled pasts, which have been instrumental in making them the people they are today. Notable characters with tragic origins are Kuma, Chopper, Sanji, Robin, and Law, among many others.
In Chapter 1153, during the Elbaf arc, Oda finally showed the backstory of one of the series' most elusive and interesting characters;Loki, the Accursed Prince of Elbaf. While the debate is still ongoing about whether this is the saddest origin tale inOne Piece, the common consensus is that it is easily among the most messed-up, so let’s take a look at why this is.
Backstory Reveal
One Piece, Chapter 1153, “The Birth of Loki”
Ever since his very first appearance in the story, fans knew that there was going to be much more to Prince Loki than could be seen at first glance. Naturally,his impeccable design stood out most of all, which many still consider to be the best in all ofOne Piece, but despite his malicious appearance, fans made note of the fact that there is much more left to his puzzle, and that he may not be what he says he is.
Sure enough, this seems to have been proven in the subsequent chapters, since various characters have made a note of how Loki’s ‘evil’ personality seems to be a front for something and that he may be hiding some kindness underneath. Many even pointed out how being shunned from birth would have placed a negative stigma around him, and Chapter 1153 straight-up states that ever since he was young, any misfortune that befell Elbaf was automatically attributed to him.
So how did this start? Essentially, this chapter goesfar more into detail about King Haraldas well, as it shows his growth from a violent and selfish character to a wise king who wanted nothing more than peace for his land. On his travels as a vicious pirate, he came across a captured Giant from a different land named Ida, with whom he eventually fell in love and had a child with. This child was Hajrudin, but seeing how Ida didn’t belong to the line of Ancient Giants, she wasn’t allowed to be made the queen of Elbaf.
This eventually led to his meeting with Estrid, a noble from a distant village on Elbaf who did, in fact, owe her lineage to the Ancient Giants, making her fit to be the queen of Elbaf from a political standpoint. Begrudgingly, Harald went through with the marriage, and with Estrid, he had Loki, though he was away for his birth. However, this event was the catalyst to Loki’s troubled life, as he was rejected by his mother as soon as he was born.
It is said that the most unfortunate souls are those rejected from birth by their own mothers…
One of the biggest mysteries regarding the character was his covered eyes, which fans had been deliberating about for months as perhaps beingindicative of some kind of power. However, the truth is far more depressing, since Loki was born with distinct, dark eyes that were entirely uncharacteristic of anything we have ever seen before. Estrid’s baby had strange eyes that she had never come across, which, coupled with his horns, gave him a devilish appearance that horrified his mother beyond words.
Here, she would rush to steal him from the nurses and proceed to drop the child out of the castle window, all the way to the underworld of Elbaf. As if this weren’t sad and messed up enough, there was a singular panel where the newborn child, crying and covered in mud, snow, and wounds, would start to crawl up the Adam Tree to get back to the mother who rejected him. To make matters worse, this made everyone believe that he was cursed, prompting Elbaf to turn away from him completely, inadvertently making him the monster they thought him to be.
What The Truth Behind Loki’s Eyes Could Possibly Mean
Is There A New Power On The Horizon?
The biggest reason why Estrid rejected her son upon seeing him was due to the shape, color, and general appearance of his eyes, which is why Loki still covers them in the modern day. However, this is very clearly a plot point that Oda has highlighted with this character, so it’s unlikely thatLoki’s eyes look like thatfor no reason. However, judging by the lack of detail regarding them at the current moment, fans can only speculate about what this power could be.
Some think that this is some sort of legendary ability that’s never been heard of before, which Oda seeks to introduce only at this stage in the story. However, others believe that these eyes may be caused by an incredibly potent and prophetic version of Observation Haki which dials Future Sight up to 11, allowing Loki to peer much farther into the future once he can properly control it. While this may seem far-fetched, the Skypieans are living proof that one can be born with powerful Observation Haki, which could explain this too.
