Why One Piece’s Absalom Rarely Gets His Own Official Merchandise

Absalom of the Graveyard One Piece Base Shop Acrylic Stand

The Character: Absalom and the Thriller Bark Arc

Absalom is a supporting villain from One Piece’s Thriller Bark Arc, the gothic horror-themed storyline collected in volumes 46 through 50 of the manga (2007–2008) and adapted into anime between 2007 and 2009. He serves as a subordinate of Gecko Moria, operating as a graveyard keeper — hence his alias, “Absalom of the Graveyard” — and carries a shovel as his primary weapon in battle. What makes him visually striking is his heavily modified body: surgeon Dr. Hogback transplanted tissue and organs from lions, dogs, and cats onto him, leaving visible stitching and bandages across his face and head. The lion-derived features are what connect to the phrase “Strong Lion” printed on the acrylic panel. Beyond his appearance, Absalom possesses the Suke Suke no Mi, a Devil Fruit that grants the power of invisibility. He is not part of the main cast, but he plays a meaningful role in the Thriller Bark storyline and carries a dedicated following among fans of that arc.

What This Item Is and Where It Comes From

The product is an acrylic stand — a format known in Japan as an “akusuta” — which became a standard format for anime and gaming merchandise from roughly the mid-2010s onward, well after the Thriller Bark Arc itself aired. The construction is two parts: a flat, die-cut transparent acrylic panel printed with the character’s official artwork, fitted into a circular base. The blue base carries “ONE PIECE BASE SHOP” in white lettering, identifying this as a product from a specific official retail channel. The copyright marking ©EO/S — shorthand for Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha — confirms it as a fully licensed item. Acrylic stands prioritize faithful reproduction of official character art over three-dimensional sculptural detail, making them squarely a display and collection format rather than a traditional figure. The exact nature of the “Base Shop” — whether a permanent venue, a pop-up, or an event space — is not definitively documented, but the designation is unambiguous: this item was not sold through standard retail distribution.

One Piece’s Merchandising Landscape and Where Absalom Fits

One Piece is among the highest-selling manga series ever published. Serialization began in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997, the anime has aired since 1999, and the franchise has built an active fanbase across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Its licensed merchandise output is enormous — but it follows the cast’s prominence closely. Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and the central crew appear across dozens of product lines in every format imaginable. Supporting characters from arc-specific storylines, Absalom among them, are merchandised far less frequently. An officially licensed acrylic stand centered specifically on Absalom is uncommon in both the Japanese domestic market and especially in international circulation. For collectors who focus on the Thriller Bark Arc, or who are building a roster that reaches beyond the main crew, that kind of official representation from a shop-exclusive release carries its own particular interest.