Every One Piece fan knows Kaido is a force to be reckoned with. Not only is he one of the Four Emperors, but he also holds the title of “Strongest Creature.” In this series, many characters’ notable features or attributes are related to their Devil Fruit. Kaido is one of these, having eaten a Mythical Zoan type Devil Fruit -- the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.
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One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda gathers a lot of inspiration from real life for his worldbuilding, referencing various cultures -- and the Azure Dragon is just one among the extensive list. Let's take a look at the real-world origins of Kaido's dragon form.
The legend of the Azure Dragon, also known as the Blue-green Dragon, originates from Chinese culture. It is considered as one of the Dragon Gods, a god associated with the weather and water. The Azure Dragon is also one of the Four Symbols -- mythical creatures seen in Chinese constellations. The Four Symbols each have a creature representing a season and direction, and the Azure Dragon symbolizes the spring season and the east. Generally speaking, Chinese dragons are often associated with the element of water.
Moreover, Chinese mythology features a well-known legend about carps turning into dragons. In the story, the Dragon Gate (called Longmen) is situated on top of a waterfall on a mountain. The river has a strong current and goes upstream. Many carps can swim through the current, but not all of them reach the gate. If a carp successfully swims against the current and jumps over the waterfall, it becomes a dragon. The popularity of this legend resulted in a famous expression in Chinese culture used to refer to a successful situation achieved through perseverance and hard work, most especially with students and their exams.
In Japanese culture, the Azure Dragon is referred to as Seiryū. It is known as one of the guardian spirits in charge of protecting the city of Kyoto. Similar to its Chinese counterpart, it is also associated with the east -- as the protector of the eastern part of Kyoto. The Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto holds a celebration called the Blue Dragon Festival in honor of Seiryū, who is believed to be an incarnation of Kannon, the Buddhist deity of compassion. According to an old legend, Seiryū comes to the temple to drink from the Otowa Waterfall every night.
The legend of the carp and the Dragon Gate is also reminiscent of how one usually enters the country of Wano, which is a similar process as shown in One Piece. The Straw Hats traveled through treacherous waters, with the Thousand Sunny struggling to navigate the strong currents. With the help of some koi fish, they were able to make it through. This is just one of the many hardships that Luffy and the others endured to get to Kaido, who currently controls Wano.
These East Asian legends served as a key inspiration behind Kaido’s character and Devil Fruit in One Piece. After all, the small detail of classifying his Devil Fruit as a fish rather than a dragon is enough of a reference to the Chinese legend. Kaido has gone through his fair share of battles, continuously proving himself to be the “Strongest Creature.” Dragons in East Asian culture are usually symbols of power, and even their number of claws symbolizes something. Kaido’s dragon form has four claws, which represents royalty in Chinese culture.
Ever since Kaido’s introduction in One Piece, he has consistently been demonstrated as a symbol of power, even more so with the title of one of the Emperors of the Sea. The reference of an East Asian dragon is strong within his character -- not just with his Devil Fruit, but also in personality. Learning about the real-world origins of the powerful Azure Dragon shows that Kaido is truly someone who is difficult to mess with.
