Did you know there's a hidden character in One Piece? He's hidden but he's everywhere!
Most fans would probably not know about this but there's a hidden character in One Piece. It's not so noticeable, but this character really exists! You just need to have big eyes to spot him. You just need to find it.
This character is called パンダマン (Panda Man) or sometimes goes by the name キン肉マン (Kinnu Man, or Muscle Man).
source: One Piece website
I think now you understand why he goes with the name キン肉マン. Just look at those muscles. 😂 I don't need to describe how he looks like anymore, you can clearly see in the photo. He has the panda head and we don't know til now what his actual face looks like. He's tall, and qualified to be a model. 😅
According to Wikipedia (yes, he's there!), he's abandoned in a bamboo grove when he was young and then was raised by pandas. He became stronger because he said he saw Kaguya-hime but no one believed him.
幼い頃、両親に竹藪の中に捨てられ、パンダに育てられる。「自分はかぐや姫を見た事がある」と言ったが信じてもらえず、逆に虐められた為、強くなろうと決心した。
source: Wikipedia
The author of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda said Panda Man is a wrestler. Do you think so? Probably, given his muscular form, maybe he's a strong man.
Do you know when his birthday is? It's February 29. Why? Because it's usually hidden, just like this character. 😂
Where did I see him?
Manga Volume 106
Recently my boyfriend and I bought a One Piece manga, and yes, it's the latest one. Of course, it's in Japanese. LOL I wanted to share the details of the manga but I'm struggling understanding Japanese, though some parts I was able to read and understand. 😫 Anyways back to Panda Man, yes of course I found him in the manga!!
Can you guess where?
He's on the back cover of the manga. It's really hidden because you have to remove the cover to see him. Funny there are 2 in here. Can you spot them?
! [Click To Find Out Where Panda Man Is]
Look at Robin's face, it became Panda Man. 😂 Sexy Panda Man!
The other one is sliding in that tube-like structure. It's so small, maybe you have to zoom in to see it.
Manga Volume 104
Because I was curious, I also checked the very first One Piece manga I bought. It's 2 versions behind the latest. And to my surprise, Panda Man is also in the same spot where I found him in the latest manga.
Remove the cover and you'll see him clearly! It's just too funny!
Did you see him?
! [Click To Find Out Where Panda Man Is]
He became the cherry blossoms tree! 😂
Anime East Blue
I rewatched some episodes of the anime and look who I found!
screenshot from One Piece episode 16
He seems to be one of the men of Kuro Neko Kaizokudan (or Black Cat Pirate Crew). If you're curious, this is in Episode 16 of the anime. This is probably the very first appearance of Panda Man in the anime.
Anime Roger Era Flashback
screenshots from One Piece episode 966
The first time I watched this episode, I didn't notice Panda Man. There's just so many characters in this frame and who would have thought Panda Man was among Roger's crew? He's having oden and partying like the rest. So natural!
Anime Wano Arc
When a spy revealed his true colors (let's not reveal who he is to avoid spoilers), other pirate crews came to help. One of these crews was the Heart Pirates. When they were introduced, look who's one of them.
screenshots from One Piece episode 978
Panda Man seems to be looking skinny in this episode. 😂
Sometimes Panda Man would appear in the anime, movies and in OP games. I've yet to confirm some so probably I would be rewatching some OP films. Don't worry, I just really like to rewatch these OP films, and it's not just to find him. Finding him is just a bonus. If you find him, please give me a hint of where you found him. Or you can add it in the comments section. 😉
I like treasure hunt games, the find me ones, so I really enjoyed finding this hidden character. If my boyfriend didn't tell me about him, I wouldn't mind about it. He's such a minor character that you would barely notice so if you like finding games like me, you would surely be entertained looking for him.
The next time you watch One Piece, or read the manga or play the games, make sure to look out for Panda Man! 😉
一緒に探そー❗️
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
With love,
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.