A three-decade-old manga symbol may seem an unlikely rallying cry for disaffected young people in 2025, but the “One Piece” pirate flag has been at the forefront of recent protests against government corruption and repression, from Jakarta to Paris to Kathmandu.
Depicting a skull with hollow cheeks, a broad grin and a straw hat, the flag is “an example of how Gen Z is reshaping the cultural vocabulary of dissent”, said Nuurrianti Jalli, from the School of Media and Strategic Communications at Oklahoma State University, on The Conversation.
What is One Piece?
It is a hugely popular Japanese manga created by artist Eiichiro Oda. First published in 1997, it holds the Guinness World Record for the most copies published in the same comic book series by a single author. It has sold more than 500 million copies and spawned a long-running TV series, live-action films and a reported $20 billion industry that generates hundreds of millions of dollars a year for Bandai Namco, the company behind Pac-Man that owns the merchandising rights.
“One Piece” follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Monkey D. Luffy, who stand up to repressive rulers, fight against slavery, racism and xenophobia, and travel the globe trying to bring down the world government and its navy that rules the seas.
Their flag, the “Jolly Roger”, is “unmistakable” to fans, said Le Monde, and is “one of the most recognisable logos in popular culture”.
Why was it adopted by Gen Z?
It is perhaps no coincidence that the “One Piece” concept “arrived at the birth of Gen Z”, said Jalli on The Conversation. For fans who grew up with the comics, the flag is “not a casual decoration but an emblem of defiance and perseverance”.
The ability of the lead fictional pirate, Luffy, to “stretch beyond physical limits after consuming a magical fruit has become a powerful metaphor for resilience”. Alongside his “unwavering quest for freedom against impossible odds”, he resonates with today’s youth who are navigating their way through a political world “marked by corruption, inequality and authoritarian excess”.
Yet, “part of the flag’s effectiveness comes from its ambiguity”. It is not like a “party logo” with a clear, defined identity. It “originates in popular culture, which makes it difficult for governments to suppress without appearing authoritarian”.
Where has it appeared?
Cropping up sporadically at protests over the past couple of years, the symbol went viral over the summer during the “Dark Indonesia” student protests that swept across cities in response to budget cuts and growing military influence in civilian affairs.
As well as the flag itself, graffiti of the image has appeared on walls, on the street and stuck to car windows. Its spread is a “symbol that we love this country, but don’t completely agree with its policies”, one Indonesian resident told the BBC. But its use has drawn condemnation from lawmakers, with the deputy house speaker calling it an “attempt to divide the nation”. Another suggested it bordered on treason.
Perhaps because of this, it has quickly become the defining image of youth-led demonstrations across the region, including anti-corruption marches in the Philippines and recent protests that have toppled the government in Nepal.
Most recently, it has been spotted at demonstrations in Slovakia, Rome, New York and Paris. Its meaning has obviously “resonated across borders”, said The Guardian, as “a symbol of defiance and hope for Gen Z protesters”.
Straw-hat skull seen at protests in Indonesia, Nepal and France shows how young people are ‘reshaping the vocabulary of dissent’