One Piece: Is Loki the Lightning Dragon Nidhogg?
Loki’s Devil Fruit is clearly Nidhogg and we have the proof built from Oda’s writing since his introduction.
With the release of Chapter 1170.and especially at Chapter 1171: “Ragnir”, we have more and more proof of Loki, Prince of Elbaph, actually carrying the Devil Fruit Nidhogg.
And the theory all ties up Loki’s themes together because this is exactly why Loki has such an ominous presence defined by fate.
What is Nidhogg
In Norse mythology, NÃðhöggr is the wyrm or dragon that gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life that connects and holds up the Nine Realms.
It is sometimes believed that the roots are trapping the beast from the world.
As the roots are located in the Underworld or Niflheim, NÃðhöggr’s gnawing could endanger the world, which leads into the role of Ratatoskr to distract the wyrm with provocative words that supposedly came from the eagles.
Within the underworld of Niflheim is the land of Náströnd (“Corpse Shore”), where NÃðhöggr devours the dead souls of the dishonorable and is a place for those guilty of murder.
With these elements, we see them tie back to Loki.
Loki is trapped by the roots of Yggdrasil, Ragnir (Ratatoskr) holds back Loki’s threat over Yggdrasil as the Guardian of Elbaph’s Treasure and Loki seeks to destroy the world itself.
Loki’s Eyes
Loki was born with unusual serpentine eyes, which caused him to be feared by his own biological mother and cast out from birth.
There has never been any character with these peculiar eyes.
There is no way such a character would have a Devil Fruit that is not related to serpents.
In Final Fantasy XIV, one of its key artifacts is the Eyes of Nidhogg, which resemble Loki’s serpentine red eyes.
Nidhogg In Story
In Chapter 1128: “RPG”, we got a cover page in color showing the Straw Hats as magicians and behind them is a purple dragon.
While this was a cover request, it could also be another subtle Oda hint.
This was two chapters before we got the introduction of Loki in Chapter 1130: “The Accursed Prince”.
The volume he appears in, Volume 111, also confirms his purple hair color, the same color as the dragon and it so happens that Loki, being an Ancient Giant descendant, has horns like the dragon.
We also see a dragon on top of the Treasure Tree Adam in the Harley Mural of Chapter 1138.
Notably, the dragon is at the top of the tree, fighting the Hellflame Serpent in a “beam struggle” or in this case, a flame struggle.
Furthermore, Nidhoggr was given only one mention in Chapter 1142: “What I’m Afraid Of” as one of the monsters the Elbaph children fear, which also includes Loki and Nika.
In this chapter, we learn that Nidhogg is the lightning dragon.
Chapter 1170 also confirms that Ragnir does not actually produce his own lightning while Loki, when using Ragnir, unleashes lightning.
Keep in mind that in the manga, Haki lightning is colored black for distinction, while any other lightning would be light-colored.
We have already seen a Dragon that can produce lightning in the form of Kaido, who does it across his humanoid and Zoan forms.
This arc also has another Dragon in the form of the Holy Knight Rimoshifu Killingham’s Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Qilin.
Relationship between Loki and Ragnir
Ratatoskr is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to carry messages between the eagles perched atop it and the serpent NÃðhöggr, making the two sides hate each other to prevent the wyrm from gnawing the roots and killing everything on the Tree of Life.
In One Piece, Ragnir is a living hammer thanks to his Squirrel Devil Fruit but notice that prior to being tamed by Loki, Ragnir does not emit any lightning.
Besides being a lowkey MCU reference, about Thor not being the “god of hammers” and having the power inside all along, it also reveals that Loki was the source of that lightning.
Nidhogg and Rocks’ Plan
The Nidhogg fruit could be tied to Rocks’ plans to revive the Galleila Ancient Giants revealed in Chapter 1166 when Loki recalls Rocks’ last words to him before leaving Elbaph.
If Nidhogg is the dragon that gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil, this means that Nidhogg will cause the literal end of the world.
More than lightning powers, Nidhogg could also have the means to free or even summon the imprisoned Giants, which could very well be literally how the world ends.
It also makes sense narratively since Imu was identified by Loki’s idol, Rocks, as the “world itself”.
And the latest content just proves that by showing Imu’s grave fear over the mysterious interloper that killed one of the Holy Knights.
The fact a Giant was able to kill one of Imu’s Knights, who have part of his essence connected to Imu, ties Loki back to him.
But there is one more bit of proof that confirms exactly why the Nidhogg fruit would be needed.
Flight and the Chill of the Underworld
Chapter 1171: “Ragnir” now has definitive evidence to prove that Loki is Nidhogg and it is by freezing an MMA/imaginary Draugr, conjured by another dragon Killingham, with Niflheim.
As established, Niflheim is the Norse underworld and is primarily known for its cold.
Furthermore, it is also tied to Brook’s ice abilities from the Yomi Yomi no Mi (Revive Revive Fruit) turned the “chill of the underworld”.
It could even tie back to how the Galleila Giants were frozen and that the power of the Underworld can thaw the ice and restore them to life.
If these centuries-old slumbering Ancient Giants were melted or thawed the normal way, they would not be revived but with the “Chill of the Underworld”, they could be brought back the same way Brook was brought back by eating the Devil Fruit of Revival.
Now there are some caveats to this theory.
While Loki tells Ragnir to show off its power in the same chapter, it is when Niflheim is used to freeze the gigantic monster.
Now there is also the possibility that Rocks actually wanted the Nidhogg Devil Fruit because its bearer is also worthy of Ragnir.
However, the hammer is also shown unleashing lightning yet Nidhogg is identified as the Lightning Dragon, so perhaps Nidhogg is exclusively the Lightning Dragon while Ratatoskr uses the Chill of the Underworld Niflheim.
Either way, acquisition of Elbaph’s Legendary Devil Fruit inevitably leads to a power connected to the afterlife, one that can restore sleeping giants to their full power, maybe as an army to counter Imu’s Domi Reversi!
Loki’s Themes are Now Full Circle
Everything from Loki’s birth to his obscured deeds and Devil Fruits all circle back everything Oda had built since his introduction in the Elbaph Arc.
We meet Loki in the Underworld, the roots of Yggdrasil.
Yet Yggdrasil is also the tree of life connecting the Nine Realms.
And the Tree of Life is also Treasure Tree Adam, as in the name of the first human being.
Serpents are creatures of deception and are easily hated and feared because they tempted Adam to sin, thus they are cast away by his descendants by instinct.
Yet the model of the “cornerstone that is rejected”, a Messianic allegory, is also tied to Loki precisely because of his serpent eyes.
And how those eyes triggered his loss of status.
A Nidhogg is a social status implying the loss of honor and the status of a villain, just like Loki after killing his father Harald to save Elbaph.
Everything adds together!!!
Loki is the destined savior of Elbaph by bearing the sins of this country.
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