Eiichiro Oda (born 1 January 1975) is a Japanese manga artist best known as the creator of One Piece, one of the most popular and best-selling manga series in history. Since its debut in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1997, One Piece has sold over 500 million copies worldwide, earning a Guinness World Record for “the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author.”

Born in Kumamoto, Japan, Oda showed a passion for drawing from a young age, inspired by anime, manga, and pirates. At age 17, he won second place in the Tezuka Award for new manga artists, which launched his professional career. After working as an assistant to several established manga artists, Oda created One Piece, following the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew in their quest for the legendary treasure.

Oda is admired for his intricate world-building, memorable characters, and long-term storytelling that blends action, humor, and emotional depth. His work has expanded beyond manga into a massive multimedia franchise, including anime, films, video games, and live-action adaptations. Despite global fame, Oda maintains a famously intense work schedule, continuing to craft One Piece’s epic narrative into the 21st century.