One Piece’s recent episode brought some humor amid its emotional storytelling by including a fun shout-out to Willem Dafoe’s famous meme.
The anime has been diving deep into Bartholomew Kuma’s tragic past, revealing heartbreaking moments as Kuma faces tough realities. But despite the sadness, the show still found a way to make fans laugh.
In Episode 1133, Kuma fights to protect his homeland by standing up to a tyrannical king and the Marines sent to retake control.
During a powerful attack where Kuma sinks all the attacking ships, one Marine is shown with an expression that looks exactly like Willem Dafoe’s “looking up” meme — a now-classic reaction image from a trailer for the 2018 film At Eternity’s Gate, where Dafoe portrayed Vincent Van Gogh.
This surprise visual gag has delighted fans and shows how the One Piece anime team is blending serious story moments with fun pop culture references.
What’s Next for One Piece?
The anime is nearing the end of Kuma’s flashback story, revealing why he became a weapon for the Marines — to save his daughter, Bonney, from a deadly illness called Sapphire Scales.
After the flashback wraps up, fans will return to the intense Egghead arc where Luffy and the Straw Hats face new dangers on Dr. Vegapunk’s island.
You can watch the latest episodes of One Piece’s Egghead Arc now on Netflix and Crunchyroll. The adventure is only getting more exciting.
