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 the heroes and villains, which is one of the main reasons 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, but he makes them very layered. The One Piece author puts 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. Since Oda is nuanced with his work, not all One Piece fans are able to discern these themes, and it causes them to overlook certain villains. One such example is Hody Jones.
How The Straw Hat Pirates Encountered Hody Jones
The Straw Hats Fought Him In The Fish-Man Island Arc
Hody Jones was introduced in the Fish-Man Island arc, which served as the setting for the first arc after the timeskip. In this arc, the Straw Hat Pirates visited the Fish-Man Island before finally entering the New World. But what should have been a regular trip ended up being a dangerous voyage to the depths of the sea.
The people of Fish-Man Island had been discriminated against for centuries by humans and other races. The natives of the island would be attacked and sold into slavery, which is why many of them dropped the idea of ever being on good terms with them. Most Fish-Men just avoided humans, but some of them developed a strong hatred towards humankind. One such individual was Hody Jones.
Hody Jones & His Hatred Towards Humans
Hody Jones Ran On Pure Hatred
Completely disregarded his life
Only wanted to fuel hostility
Hody Jones was a racist who despised human beings, and he wanted to make sure that no other resident of Fish-Man would be on good terms with them. When Otohime was trying to promote peace between the two races, Hody Jones had her shot. This caused tensions to escalate once again.
Another thing that highlighted Hody’s fanaticism was how he was willing to destroy his own body. Hody Jones took multiple performance-enhancing drugs to fight against 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 the baseless racism in One Piece and the actual world. Hody Jones’s character proves that those blinded by racism cannot think rationally, and they can hurt everyone around them. Oda also added that kids might not be able to understand these themes, but he hopes that will change sometime in the future.
One Piece Fans Need To Appreciate Hody Jones More
Hody Jones might not have a complex personality, but what he highlights is very real. The Fish Man is a great example of how things work in the actual world. Seeing and analyzing his character can help One Piece fans learn and understand the dangers of having prejudices towards a certain race or group of people.
Another reason why Hody Jones is overlooked is because of his lackluster strength. Considering he was the first major villain Luffy faced post timeskip, fans had hoped that he would provide a big challenge. However, the young pirate was able to dispatch Hody Jones rather effortlessly. However, Hody Jones was never about strength. He 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 characters in One Piece who believe in similar ideals. The Celestial Dragons of Marijoa are the best example. They consider themselves so superior to the rest that they refuse to breathe the same air as regular people. They have access to money and other special privileges just because of their ancestry. The Celestial Dragons have no moral code, so they commit all kinds of crimes. They buy slaves, kill innocent people, etcetera. Hopefully, the era of the Celestial Dragons will come to an end in the Final Saga of One Piece.
