http://onepiecepodcast.com/2015/04/15/chao-time-the-steadfast-tin-soldier/
Written by
chaozek
Disclaimer: This article contains manga spoilers to the Dressrosa arc in One Piece.
Neuschwanstein Castle, a palace commissioned by the “Fairy Tale King” Ludwig II of Bavaria
“Once upon a time in a kingdom far far away…”
Fairy tales
, we have all heard about them. Stories set in an unspecified point in time featuring princes and princesses, humble heroes and heroines, talking animals and objects, fairy godparents, and fantastical creatures such as fairies, giants, and dragons. Whether it was during childhood or in our maturity, we’re all familiar with the classical tale of a charming prince saving the damsel in distress from some malevolent being.
Adventures in Wonderland
Town of Acacia in Dressrosa
The Dressrosa arc is also rife with fairy tale motifs. The setting of Dressrosa was inhabited by living toys and filled with buildings that resemble gingerbread houses. Various characters that are atypical in fairy tales have appeared in this arc. Scarlet, Viola, Rebecca, and Mansherry played the role of princesses. The Tontatta Tribe are little people that resides in a nearby island, where they are thought to be fairies by the general public. The gladiators in the tournament featured the giant Hajrudin and the white knight Cavendish. The main antagonist is associated with the dragon, where Doflamingo was revealed to be a former Celestial Dragon. However, Luffy’s allies include Momonosuke who can transform into an actual dragon and the current Flare-Flare Fruit user Sabo who uses dragon-type attacks.
Little Red Riding Hood (1881) by Carl Larsson
The tired trope of a
damsel in distress
has been used in various points throughout this arc. Heroes such as Luffy, Sanji, Kyros, and Leo all played a role in ensuring their safety. Princess Mansherry had served as the hostage of the Don Quixote Family, with Leo rescuing her like the archetypal knight in shining armor. In the flashback, Scarlet had to be rescued by Kyros from the evil pirates, where the two later became a couple. Hilariously, Oda even added a twist by making Law the “damsel” in distress, forcing Luffy to save him from the evil former Celestial Dragon twice, and having Cavendish attempting to carry him off to safety. Despite being in distress, the princesses are shown to be quite competent, playing the role of an assassin and a gladiatrix.
Disney’s Snow White
To make the motif more apparent, they also wore clothes referencing well-known fairy tales. Viola’s outfit during the flashback seems to be a homage to
Disney’s rendition
of
Snow White
, while Rebecca in her childhood wore the same cap as the
Little Red Riding Hood
. In some accounts of the story, a woodcutter (the girl’s father in one version) arrives to slice open the stomach of the wolf to free the girl and her grandmother, much like how Kyros had to fight Diamante to save his daughter. Playing the role of one of the heroes in the current arc, the character of Kyros seems to have been based on the lead characters in two particular fairy tales that featured toys coming to life.
The One-Legged Toy Soldier
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
“The Steadfast Tin Soldier
“
(
Den standhaftige tinsoldat
) is a fairy tale written by Danish author
Hans Christian Andersen
. First published in 1838, the story has been adapted to various media, such as ballet and animated films. It features the adventure of a one-legged tin soldier. The tin soldier was the last of a set of soldiers produced from an old spoon. Due to the limited amount of tin from the spoon, the last soldier was only made with one leg. Similarly, Kyros made his first appearance as a one-legged toy soldier.
Illustration by Vilhelm Pedersen
Early in the story, the soldier caught sight of a one-legged paper ballerina who lived in a cardboard castle, where the two later fell in love. After being warned by a jack-in-a-box, the tin soldier was suddenly cast into the streets on the next day, presumably done by the jack-in-a-box. As it rains, two boys placed the soldier on a paper boat which sailed away into the sewers. In the series, Scarlet was the beloved princess of Dressrosa, who eventually married Kyros. During Doflamingo’s invasion, Kyros was transformed into a toy and escaped with the king through the window on a rainy day.
The soldier was later swallowed by a fish, which was caught and incidentally brought back to the tin soldier’s home. Reunited with the ballerina, the meeting was short-lived as the tin soldier was thrown into the flames. The paper ballerina was also swept by the wind and into the fire. United in death, a tin heart was found in the stove after the fire had burnt out. While Kyros had survived, Scarlet received a fatal shot from Diamante and died in Kyros’ arms. He eventually reunited with his daughter, after which he began planning a revolution to topple the current regime.
Prince of the Doll Kingdom
Nutcracker
His appearance as a toy also resembles a decorative
nutcracker
. As the name implies, a nutcracker is a mechanical device used to crack nuts, as well as crustacean shells. It also comes in wooden carvings of medieval figures, such as a king and a soldier. The nut is placed in their mouths and a level in the back of the doll will be used to slam its mouth shut in order to crack it. In Germany, the nutcrackers were originally perceived as guardians due to their strong appearance.
The Nutcracker
One fairy tale that features the nutcracker is
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
. Written by German author
E. T. A. Hoffmann
, the most well known adaptation of this tale is the ballet
The Nutcracker
choreographed by
Marius Petipa
with the score of
Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky
. The story features the adventure of a girl named Marie after she was whisked away into a magical kingdom of dolls. Her favorite toy is the titular nutcracker, who she later meets in the doll kingdom. It’s revealed that the nutcracker was the prince of the doll kingdom and the Mouse King had usurped the throne. In the end, Marie broke the curse of the prince, turning him back into human. She married him after after a year as promised, living with him in the kingdom of dolls.
As noted earlier, Dressrosa was a kingdom partly populated by living toys. While Kyros is born a commoner, he was able to climb out from his position as a criminal to an army commander. He eventually became King Riku’s son-in-law and a part of the royal family. When the Don Quixote Family took over Dressrosa, Kyros along with the other citizens were transformed into the toys by Sugar. Sugar’s name may also have been a reference to one of the characters in the ballet – The Sugar Plum Fairy. Usopp was able to break the curse by knocking Sugar unconscious and restore everyone into their original form. Later on, the crew was attacked by large nutcrackers created by Sugar from the goons.
Kyros the Great
Artistic portrait of Cyrus the Great
The name Kyros is derived from the Greek
Κῦρος
(
Kýros
), though it ultimately originated from the Persian name
Kūruš. The name is more commonly known in the English sphere by its Latinized spelling
Cyrus
. Commonly seen as the name of many Persian kings, the meaning of the name had been subjected to various interpretations, where it is most commonly associated with the sun. Alternative interpretation of his name include “to bestow care” and “hero.” Due to the number of battles he won in the Colosseum, Kyros was considered the hero of the Colosseum. Despite being a serious warrior, he is shown to be caring man when it comes to his family and friends. In Japanese, Kyros’s name is written as
Kyurosu
(キュロス), sharing the same spelling as the founder of the first Persian empire –
Cyrus the Great
. Incidentally, his name is also spelled as Kyros in German, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian.
Achaemenid Empire
Succeeding the throne in 559 BC, Cyrus began rebelling against their feudal lords – the
Medes
. Leading a major campaign against them, he was able to conquer the Median empire and have all its former vassals under his control, establishing the
Achaemenid Empire
. Assuming the title of King of Persia, he began his conquest over the
Lydian Empire
,
Asia Minor
, and the
Neo-Babylonian Empire
. Creating one of the world’s largest empires, his domain extended from Indus Valley to Egypt and comprised various states of diverse cultures under a single administration.
Ruling for 30 years, Cyrus the Great has shown tolerance over various religions throughout his empire and made what is considered to be the oldest declaration of human rights. Even after his death, the empire endured and its influence remains to have a profound impact throughout history and culture. In the series, Kyros is shown to be a capable leader, having served as the army commander of Dressrosa and led the Tontatta Tribe against the Don Quixote Family. Considering Riku’s old age, he may eventually appoint Kyros to succeed him when he decides to retire. If he does, it can be assumed that he would become a wise ruler who continued Riku’s policy on maintaining his peaceful campaign among his people and allies.
“… and they all lived happily ever after. The End.”
“Chao Time” is a bi-weekly editorial feature that is posted every other Wednesday only at The One Piece Podcast website.
