In an interview for the December 2009 issue of American Shonen Jump, which was shared by u/Forsaken-Ad1940 on Reddit, the One Piece mangaka revealed how he develops a concept for a Devil Fruit. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one single thing – desire.
Eiichiro Oda Reveals His Process of Creating Devil Fruits in One Piece
User Forsaken-Ad1940 shared a bunch of details from Oda’s interview where he talked about different aspects, ranging from Tashigi and Kuina’s similarity to Luffy’s mother. During the interview, the One Piece manga creator was also asked about how he comes up with different powers of the Devil Fruits in the story, and Oda finally revealed his secret.
He stated:
When I think up a Devil Fruit, I always try to come up with something that fulfills a human desire. In the end, I don’t think it’s worth drawing one unless it makes you want to eat it when you see one.
According to Oda, human desire is the main component required to create a Devil Fruit. This perfectly aligns with Vegapunk’s theory about the origin of these fruits, which he revealed during the Egghead Island arc in One Piece. He pointed out that he only draws Devil Fruits if he thinks it will motivate others to eat one.
Just like Oda, Vegapunk stated that Devil Fruits are actually manifestations of different human desires and dreams, representing varied branches of human evolution in the story. Both definitions reflect the fact that the Devil Fruits are basically created because of someone’s urge to attain unnatural powers.
Devil Fruits and the Nature of Human Desire
In One Piece, Devil Fruits are strange and magical fruits that give amazing powers to anyone who eats them. These powers can turn normal people into fighters who can control fire, ice, animals, or even reality itself. They allow characters to go far beyond what is naturally possible and often decide the path of their lives. But these powers always come with a price. The biggest cost is losing the ability to swim, which is especially dangerous in a world covered by oceans.
The symbolic nature of the Devil Fruits highlights the human tendency to want more than what is naturally available. The powers of these Devil Fruits represent ambition, greed, and curiosity that have driven both great achievements and devastating downfalls throughout the One Piece history. They reference the spectrum of human desire that can either build or destroy anything with its willpower.
Eiichiro Oda uses Devil Fruits not just as a plot device, but as a philosophical reminder of how unprecedented power can shape our destiny, but they always come with hidden costs. Do you think the One Piece mangaka will give us a detailed plotline focusing on the origins of Devil Fruits and their concept in the story? Let us know below!
One Piece is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
