From Paris and Rome to Yakarta, Indonesia, and New York, a curious banner appeared in the protest places. With sunken cheeks, a wide smile and a straw hat with a red band, the figure is recognizable instantly and is raised by young manifesters who demand a change. In Katmandú, Nepal, where anger against the government broke out in September 2025, the flag became the definitive image while the flames extended through the doors of Singha Durbar, the ornate complex palatial and headquarters of the power of Nepal.
The image, which usually decorates a flag with black background, comes from “One Piece”, a very popular Japanese manga.
And what began as the fictional emblem of a pirate crew almost three decades ago became a powerful symbol of youth resistance, appearing in manifestations from Indonesia and Nepal to the Philippines and France.
As a media and democracy student, I consider the dissemination of the pirate flag of the pirates of the straw hat – which passed from the pages of the manga to the protest places – as an example of how generation Z is transforming the cultural vocabulary of the dissent.
Pop culture as a political expression
“One Piece” arrived with the birth of generation Z, created in 1997 by Japanese mangaka Eiichiro Oda.
Since then, he sold more than 500 million copies and holds a Guinness world record for his editorial success.
It generated a long-term television series, Live Action films and an industry of more than 20,000 million dollars, with merchandising licenses that generate about 720 million annually thanks to Bandai Namco, the best known company for creating PAC-MAN and Tekken.
In essence, “One Piece” follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the pirates of the straw hat, while challenging a corrupt world government in search of freedom and adventure.
For fans, the “One Piece” flag is not a casual decoration, but an emblem of challenge and perseverance. Luffy’s ability to overcome his physical limits after consuming a magical fruit became a powerful resilience metaphor, while his unwavering search for freedom against impossible adversities resonates among young people who develop in political environments marked by corruption, inequality and authoritarian excess.
When protesters adopt this flag, they not only import an aesthetic of popular culture, but are inspired by an already understandable narrative for millions of people.
The flag began to appear in the protests of recent years. He waved in the protest of “Free Palestine” in 2023 in Indonesia and that same year in New York during a proportional demonstration.
But it was in Indonesia, in August 2025, where the flag charged true political life. There, the protesters hugged her to express her frustration with government policies and the growing discontent for corruption and inequality. The occasion coincided with government calls to carry out patriotic exhibitions during the celebrations of independence, which accentuated the contrast between official nationalism and popular dissent.
The movement gained impulse when the authorities responded with strong criticisms of the use of the flag, inadvertently attracting more attention to the symbol. Government officials described exhibitions as threats to national unity, while protesters considered them legitimate expressions of political frustration.
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Why travel the flag of ‘One Piece’
The speed with which the Jolly Roger flag of “One Piece” extended through the borders reflects the digital education of generation Z. This is the first generation that grows completely online, immersed in memes, anime and global entertainment franchises. Their political communication is based on what academics call “network public”: communities that are formed and act through digital platforms instead of formal organizations.
Solidarity in this context does not require affiliation to a party or ideology. Instead, it depends on shared cultural references. A meme, a gesture or a flag can transmit meaning instantly through linguistic, religious or geographical differences. This form of connection is based on recognizable cultural codes that allow young people to identify each other even when their political systems differ.
Social networks give this solidarity reach and speed. Indonesian videos waving the flag were cut and shared in Tiktok and Instagram, reaching audiences far beyond their original context. By the time the symbol appeared in Katmandú, the Nepalese capital, in September, already transmitted the aura of youth rebellion.
Fundamentally, it was not a simple imitation. In Nepal, the flag was associated with indignation for youth unemployment and the ostentatious wealth of the political dynasties that were exhibited online. In Indonesia, it reflected disappointment with patriotic rituals, which seemed empty in a context of corruption. In both cases, the Jolly Roger flag worked as an open source: adaptable locally, but instantly legible in other places.
Part of the efficacy of the flag resides in its ambiguity. Unlike the logo of a party, the Jolly Roger flag of “One Piece” has its origin in popular culture, which makes governments difficult to repress it without seems authoritarian. During the last protests in Indonesia, the authorities confiscated banners and called them betrayal. But these repressive measures only increased public frustration.
Fiction as reality
The “One Piece” flag is not the only one that has reinvented itself as a resistance symbol.
In movements around the world, pop culture and digital culture have become powerful resources for activists. In Chile and Beirut, protesters used Joker masks as a visual way of expressing their indignation for corruption and inequality. In Thailand, the protesters turned to “Hamtaro”, a children’s anime about a hamster, parodying their main song and stirring stuffed animals to satirize political leaders.
This mixture of politics, entertainment and personal identity reflects a hybrid media environment in which the symbols extracted from the fandom gain strength. They are easy to recognize, adapt and defend against state repression.
However, cultural resonanceness alone does not explain its appeal. The “One Piece” flag became popular because it captured real -life complaints. In Nepal, where youth unemployment exceeds 20% and labor migration is common, protesters combined the emblem with slogans such as “generation Z will not shut up” and “our future is not for sale.”
In Indonesia, some protesters argued that the national flag was “too sacred” to wave it in a corrupt system, using the pirate flag as a declaration of disappointment.
The diffusion of the flag also reflects a broader change in the way in which protest ideas are transmitted through borders. In the past, what used to spread were tactics such as sitting, marches or hunger strikes. Today, what circulates more quickly are symbols, visual references of global culture that can adapt to local struggles and, at the same time, are easily recognizable in other places.
*Nuurrianti evil She is an attached professor of professional practice, Faculty of Strategic Media and Communications, Oklahoma State University
This text was originally published in The Conversation
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