also known as is a fictional character in the '' One Piece'' franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. She is the captain of the Kuja Pirates and was the only female member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea prior to the organization's disbandment. She is the current empress, known as the , of Amazon Lily and rules over the Kuja tribe with her two younger Gorgon sisters, Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold.

Concept and creation

The character of Boa Hancock was created by

manga artist A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...

Eiichiro Oda, the author of the

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series '' One Piece'', and she made her first appearance in its 516th chapter, titled "Pirate Empress Boa Hancock", which was first published in Shueisha's '' Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine on September 29, 2008.

Appearances

In ''One Piece''

Boa Hancock is a member of the all-female Kuja Tribe from the island of

Amazon Lily ''Eucharis'' is a genus of about 15–20 species of neotropical plants in the Amaryllis family, native to Central America and South America, from Guatemala south to Bolivia. Some species have become naturalized in Mexico, the West Indies, and ...

. Sold to the Celestial Dragons during childhood, she and her sisters are force-fed devil fruits and branded as slaves. Eventually freed by Fisher Tiger, the three return to their people. Hancock becomes ruler and is referred to by her subjects as "Snake Princess". Leading the Kuja Pirates, she quickly gains infamy as the "Pirate Empress" and is offered membership in the

Seven Warlords of the Sea The ''One Piece'' manga features an extensive cast of characters created by Eiichiro Oda. The series takes place in a fictional universe where vast numbers of pirates, soldiers, revolutionaries, and other adventurers fight each other, using var ...

. Despite resenting the World Government for her past enslavement, which she keeps a secret even from her kinswomen, Hancock accepts the position to protect her people. But when called upon to participate in the Government's war against the Whitebeard Pirates, she initially refuses and only reconsiders after falling in love with Luffy, who enlists her help to infiltrate Impel Down. She is also often accompanied by her pet snake , who also supports her in battles. After the most recent Levely, the Seven Warlords were disbanded, making her an enemy of the World Government again. A few weeks after her home was invaded by the Marines and the Blackbeard Pirates, she has decided to leave her home to protect her people and reunite with Luffy.

In other media

In the anime television series adaptation of ''One Piece'', Hancock's voice actress is Kotono Mitsuishi. In the Funimation English adaptation, her voice is supplied by

Lydia Mackay Lydia Marie Mackay is an American voice and stage actress, known internationally for her work for Funimation and OkraTron 5000. She has provided voices for a number of English versions of Japanese anime films, television series and video games. E ...

. Hancock is a major playable character in the '' Weekly Shōnen Jump''s crossover fighting games ''

J-Stars Victory VS is a crossover fighting video game that combines the universes of several ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' manga series, including former series and some that have been transferred to other magazines. It was released in Japan by Bandai Namco Entertain ...

'' and ''

Jump Force ''Jump Force'' is a Japanese crossover fighting game developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment featuring characters from various manga series featured in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' anthology in celebration o ...

''.

Powers and abilities

Devil Fruit

Hancock ate the Mero Mero no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allows her petrify people into stone statues, so long as they feel attraction for her. She can completely turn people to stone by hitting them with any of a variety of heart-shaped long-range attacks, as well as partially transform them by striking them physically, only petrifying the area she struck. Thanks to Hancocks unparalleled beauty and charm, very few people (male and female alike) can resist her powers, allowing her to petrify whole crews with no difficulties. Even extremely powerful people are vulnerable to her power if they find Hancock attractive. She can also return her victims to normal if she chooses by blowing a kiss. Only she can undo the effects of her power, if she dies, the next user of the Mero Mero no Mi would not be able to free her victims. A would-be victim is immune to Hancock's power if they block out their "dirty thoughts", such as by feeling strong fear or pain, or if they are not attracted to her, such as a blind man not knowing how beautiful she is.

Haki

She is proficient in both Armament Haki, and Observation Haki, as well as one of the few known characters who possess Conqueror's Haki.

Reception

Popularity

Hancock's popularity has made her a frequent subject of

cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

, causing a trend among female fans of the series in which they attempt to replicate her iconic look.

Critical response

Sean Cubillas of '' Comic Book Resources'' stated that Hancock is one of the strongest pirates in ''One Piece''.

References

External links

Boa Hancock's bio
at ''One Piece''s official website {{Pirates Female characters in anime and manga Fictional emperors and empresses Fictional female pirates Fictional slaves Fictional warlords One Piece characters Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder Orphan characters in anime and manga Anime and manga characters who can move at superhuman speeds Anime and manga characters with superhuman senses Anime and manga characters with superhuman strength Fictional characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Vigilante characters in comics Fictional sea captains Fictional treasure hunters Martial artist characters in anime and manga Fictional sea pirates Comics characters introduced in 2008