Summary
- Character hats in One Piece showcase unique designs and can symbolize different affiliations, adding depth to each character.
- Hats like Chopper's vibrant post-timeskip hat and Napoleon's living Homie hat are iconic and creatively designed.
- The straw hat, passed down from Gol D. Roger to Luffy, is a key element in the story, symbolizing loyalty and friendship.
Alongside the incredible world-building and massive roster of intriguing characters, another reason One Piece has become such a popular and beloved series is the character designs. It's fair to say that there's a wide range of styles and outfits on display throughout the story, especially when it comes to the hats, which can either be used as a stylish decoration or a symbol to represent someone's affiliation.
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Thanks to the cartoonish aesthetic of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda has been able to get pretty creative when designing each part of a character's outfit, and the hats are no exception. However, what really makes a cap stand out is if it has that One Piece flare, such as being over the top from a visual perspective or being oddly relevant to the wider story. With all that being said, it's time to take a closer look at the hats in One Piece that have become iconic in their own unique ways.
8 Chopper's Hat (Post-Timeskip)
Chopper's Appearance Received A Splash Of Vibrancy After The Timeskip
Once the timeskip had arrived in the story, it was clear that Chopper was quickly assuming the position of being the series' general mascot in terms of merchandise and iconography. As a result, Oda decided to go all-in with his redesign to make it extra fun and colorful, with most of this being provided by his brand-new hat, which is twice the size of his own head.
The white cross at the center is a reference to Chopper's old red hat, while also referencing the fact he's the doctor of his crew who always has his hands full, considering how much Luffy and Zoro love jumping into danger. The decision to cover the hat with very soft colors ensures Chopper never looks intimidating or threatening, making for a very welcome addition to the lovable reindeer's minimalistic design.
7 Roger's Hat
Roger's Big And Bombastic Pirate Hat Is Fit For A Man With Such A Prestigious Reputation
The skull and bones is the most common insignia that can appear on a pirate hat, but the legendary Gol D. Roger adds a little bit of a personal twist to his iteration of the symbol, which highlights the captain's cheeky persona. While the hat itself is comically large, especially the curved tips at each end, the main detail that most people's eyes are drawn to first is the skull with a long curly mustache at the center.
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Another unique aspect of the hat, which often goes underappreciated, is the feathers popping out from the back, reminding fans that, despite spending much of his career traveling the open seas as a pirate, Roger is still as fashionable as they come. Roger may only have a brief amount of screentime in flashbacks here and there, but it's easy to recognize him thanks to his bushy mustache and pirate hat.
6 Marine Cap
A Symbol Of Either Justice Or Terror, Depending On Who Is Asked
Though not every Marine in the series will decide to throw on the white and green hat that they are given upon joining the force, those who are most dedicated to serving justice and upholding the status quo will always be seen wearing it. As a result, while it might seem a little basic and plain from a design standpoint, it provides an insight into how loyal a Marine is to the cause, or if they are more of the rebellious type.
Considering everyone in One Piece has their own opinions on the Marines, they will all feel differently about seeing this hat in the distance, with some viewing it as a symbol of hope while others see it as the logo of oppression and evil. The Marine hat has come to become an important piece of iconography from the series, which can say a lot about the person wearing it.
5 Sabo's Top Hat
Sabo's Childhood Is Hinted Through His Gentlemanly Top Hat
Unlike his "brothers," Luffy and Ace, who were forced to fend for themselves at a young age in the wilderness, Sabo was born into royalty, though this wasn't something that he would enjoy all that much. It didn't take long before Sabo set out to sea in order to kick off an epic adventure as a pirate, which would unexpectedly lead him to Dragon and the Revolutionaries, and while he looks a lot different when Luffy runs into him again in Dressrosa, the one thing that hasn't changed is his hat.
Oda cleverly gave Sabo a black top hat as a way to reference his wealthy upbringing since these were a common sight among those who considered themselves gentlemen in the Victorian period. Considering it can usually be seen covering Sabo's eyes, it also grants the revolutionary an aura of mystery, which helps to elevate fan intrigue in the character.
4 Law's Hat
Law's Quaint And Cozy Fur Hat Has Become Synonymous With The Fan-Favorite Character
Trafalgar D. Law actually looks like a relatively normal guy as far as One Piece standards go, but the one thing that makes him stand out from the crowd and instantly recognizable is his incredibly odd yet stylish fur hat. Law has had this dotted hat sitting on his head since the very beginning, even when he was an ill youngster living in Flevance. It was presumably a gift from his late mother, which is why Law holds onto it so dearly, but the reason so many fans have come to love it is the design.
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A bright white circular hat splattered with brown dots is something that sounds a bit too far-fetched for someone as serious as Law, but he manages to pull it off incredibly well, adding some much-needed color to his appearance. Considering how important Law has been in the story, having been a temporary crew member of the Straw Hats for quite a while, fans have gotten very familiar with Supernova's snazzy hat, which is hard not to love.
3 Ace's Hat
An Iconic Part Of Ace's Classic Cheeky-Pirate Attire
Luffy's big brother, Ace, also decided to grab a hat to keep his head cool when embarking on his adventure with Whitebeard, though not one of the straw kind. Ace's bright orange cap has become one of the most well-known pieces of attire in the entire series and is very reminiscent of classic jungle explorer hats, though with a few extra details added in to help make it as vibrant and eye-catching as possible.
The pairing of the sad and smiling faces is not only emblematic of Ace but even pirates as a whole and how, despite many of them having good hearts, they are still viewed as sadistic demons by the world at large. Even if Oda wasn't thinking too deeply about the meaning of these additions, the quirky design of Ace's hat still makes it one that oozes style and creativity.
2 Napoleon
Big Mom's Talking Pirate Hat Can Also Turn Into A Deadly Blade To Serve His Yonko Master
It's not unusual in the world of One Piece to see a pirate captain donning a cap to represent their crew, but Big Mom's hat, Napoleon, isn't just for show. While the bright pink and white skull-bones aesthetic is a very vibrant design that makes Napoleon easy to notice, what makes the hat so memorable is that it is actually a Homie, meaning it's an object that has been infused with a living soul by Big Mom.
Napoleon actually gets to express some of his personality at certain points in the story, such as when he acts all shy after Big Mom loses her memory in Wano. He can even turn into a giant sword, acting as the Yonko's primary weapon when she's looking to slice a ship or two in half. Needless to say, Napoleon isn't your usual hat, and he's an absurdly creative character who always steals the show any time he opens his mouth.
1 Straw Hat
Stylish, Mysterious, Iconic: Everyone Knows About The Legendary Hat Of Straw
The straw hat has been on a pretty wild adventure. First worn by none other than Gol D. Roger, the hat would eventually be passed down to Shanks after he joined Roger's crew and traveled with him to Laugh Tale, despite not seeing the One Piece for himself. It would change hands, or heads, once again after Luffy was gifted the hat from Shanks, and it's fair to say it's become an extremely important piece of clothing within the wider story.
Not only would the hat become known across the entire world after Luffy named his own crew after it, but a giant straw hat would even make an appearance during the Reverie, with many fans wondering what secrets this copy may truly hold. Of course, there have also been several incredibly memorable moments in the series that feature the straw hat, such as when Luffy places it on Nami's head as a way to show that he has her back during the Arlong Park arc. When someone mentions a straw hat, most people's minds will go straight to One Piece, which shows just how iconic Luffy's signature pirate hat has truly become.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
- Franchise(s)
- One Piece
- Creator(s)
- Eiichiro Oda
- Producers
- Yoshihiro Suzuki
