Oda Revealed He Had to Change a Straw Hat’s Name Because It Was Too Similar to This Naruto Character

One Piece has already introduced a plethora of characters with unique and memorable names. The name Monkey D. Luffy is forever etched on the minds of the many fans of the long-running series created by Eiichiro Oda. However, among the names Oda gave his characters in One Piece, one Straw Hat member almost had the same name as the famous character in Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga series.

It’s not unusual for anime characters to have similar names. No law requires Japanese authors, regardless of their fame, to avoid giving their characters names that resemble or even match those from other works unless it causes trademark or legal disputes. So, it’s no surprise that unexpected name overlaps can also occur between One Piece and Naruto, especially given their vast character lists.

Eiichiro Oda and His Naming Sense in One Piece

Every One Piece Character Has a Unique and Memorable Name

One Piece has a vast character list with unique and memorable names.
Most character names in One Piece have different inspirations and stories.

Clearly, the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, enjoys naming his characters, from the Straw Hat Pirates down to the villains and side characters. Most of these characters have playful and charming names, often layered with cultural and historical inspirations and hidden meanings, as well as puns and wordplay. Of course, like with many other Japanese manga artists, Eiichiro Oda also struggled to come up with memorable names that would click with the audience.

One of the most interesting character names in One Piece belongs to none other than the main character himself, Monkey D. Luffy. Fans have always wondered why Oda named Luffy like that, knowing the letter “L” is rarely used and often replaced with the letter “R” in Japan. However, past interviews revealed that Oda wanted to capture a sense of “manliness” reminiscent of Dragon Ball’s characters.

Say you want to live.—Monkey D. Luffy

Apart from Luffy, one Straw Hat pirate also has an intriguing history when it comes to the origin of their names. This Straw Hat is well-loved by fans, and even those who are not into One Piece probably know them for their striking charisma. However, if fans have been truly paying attention to the One Piece manga and anime series, they can easily spot which among the Straw Hats almost had the same name as the legendary shinobi, Naruto Uzumaki.

Eiichiro Oda Almost Named Sanji, Naruto in One Piece

Sanji Has Traces of Naruto

When anime fans hear the name “Naruto,” there might be two things that quickly come to their minds. Obviously, the first one has to be the titular protagonist of Masashi Kishimoto’s magnum opus, Naruto, while the second one could be the “narutomaki,” the delicious ramen topping with pink and white spirals. However, there could have been a third one if only Oda had not changed Sanji’s original name.

According to Oda, Sanji’s original name was Naruto. One Piece fans could have been calling him that all along if the quick change had never happened in the past. But even after this change, fans can easily spot lingering traces of the original name in Sanji’s character design. His distinctive swirling eyebrow is an obvious visual hint to Naruto. His original name could have been a perfect fit for his iconic brow and most likely a target of puns and jokes in the series.

Sanji’s name was originally Naruto. But when Naruto manga started, I knew it was going to be a long-running series, so I quickly changed his name. Do you see Sanji’s eyebrows swirling? -Eiichiro Oda

Still, the name Sanji ended up being a perfect fit for the character. Coincidence or not, the “San” in his name can be interpreted as “three” in Japanese, making it a subtle nod to his place in the Vinsmoke Family. Funny, the “ji” in his name basically means “time” or “hour,” making the literal English translation of Sanji’s name “three o’clock.” Because of this, there have been rumors that Oda came up with Sanji’s name at the exact moment when the clock struck three.

Why Did Oda Change Sanji’s Original Name?

Possible Reasons

Since Oda knew that Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga series would be long-running, he quickly changed Sanji’s original name. While the reason wasn’t exactly explained in great detail, Oda might have switched Sanji’s name to simply avoid confusion and mix-ups. Another possible reason could be that he wanted to show respect to Kishimoto, as well as exercise prudence and originality in his work.

Messing with a cook of the sea is a good way to get yourself killed. Remember that well.—Sanji

Regardless of the real reason, Vinsmoke Sanji is undeniably one of the most popular names in anime. Many fans have been inspired by this name, so much so that they have even named their children, as well as their pets, after the infamous cook of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece.

Source: X (formerly Twitter)

One Piece

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