Eiichiro Oda is a master at penning heart-wrenching backstories for his characters, and they never fail to tug the heartstrings of his fans. Shortly after shredding everyone’s hearts with Kuma’s tragic past, the creator has moved on to deliver another tragedy that shaped Loki, the Accursed Prince, in the Elbaf arc. As we learn more about Loki’s origins and his relationship with the townfolk on Elbaf Island, we can’t help but notice the similarities between the childhood of Loki and Naruto, one of the legendary characters in anime history.
Loki and Naruto’s Backstory Share More Similarities Than You Think
Naruto’s backstory is, without a doubt, one of the greatest backstories in the anime world, which continues to resonate with fans across generations. The primary similarity between Naruto’s and Loki’s childhoods is the loneliness that follows them right from their birth.
Naruto was orphaned as a baby and treated as an outcast by his fellow villagers, since Kurama, aka the Nine Tails, was sealed within him. On the other hand, Loki also suffered a similar fate as he was born with the eyes of the devil. Both of them were considered to be demons before they could do anything to prove that they aren’t ones to begin with.
While Naruto’s parents died right after his birth, Loki is a bit of a different case, and this is where things get even more tragic. Estrid, Loki’s mother, attempted to kill baby Loki moments after his birth because of his devilish eyes.
Fortunately, the newborn survived the fall to the underworld, but his own mother abandoned him and declared him the curse of Elbaf, who would bring more calamities to their land.
The most unfortunate of all creatures is the one whose very existence is denied by its mother in the moment of its birth – One Piece Narrator
Soon, disasters followed in Elbaf for various reasons; however, Loki was tied as the main cause behind them. Both Loki and Naruto were treated as demons and shunned by their entire village. With no family or friends, both craved some form of recognition from any person.
Despite everything happened in his life, Naruto didn’t let malice take control of him. However, it isn’t the same with Loki, as he set out on the path of destruction, unlike Naruto.
Another similarity between Naruto and Loki was that they were both deeply affected by seeing others receive love from their parents. The absence of parental love left even more scars on their heart, further aggravated by the loneliness that followed. Naruto dealt with it differently; however, Loki took the extreme step of trying to commit suicide to end the pain. Nevertheless, Loki’s innate strength saved him from demise.
Looking Forward to Loki’s Path to Redemption in One Piece
Naruto didn’t let his pain hold him back; instead, he found the strength to work harder in life to achieve his goals. In line with Naruto, Loki’s path to redemption is currently being carved out by Oda in the story. With Elbaf engulfed in chaos by the arrival of God’s Knights and Imu, it is time for Loki to step up and lend his hand in saving his village.
We are sure that Loki will soon be accepted as the hero of the village for his heroics, similar to how Naruto was accepted at the end of Pain’s Assault arc.
The whole village that rejected Loki for his eyes will finally open their eyes and see Loki for who he is. Luffy has already seen the true spirit of Loki and asked him to join the Straw Hat Pirates. As things stand, we believe it will happen as Loki will wholeheartedly join the group of people who were the first to accept him for who he is. Moreover, Loki will pass his claim for the throne to his brother, Hajrudin, and help achieve his dream of becoming the king of giants and uniting them.
Loki’s backstory indeed mirrors Naruto’s in a lot of ways, but with the pain turned up to the highest levels possible. Oda went completely no-holds-barred when it came to Loki’s past, and it still hasn’t ended in the manga. So, we will look out for more similarities between the legends as Oda unravels Loki’s origins in the upcoming chapters. Until then, let us know if you felt the same way about Loki’s backstory in the comments below.
