Basil Hawkins is an infamous pirate from North Blue known as the “Magician” and the captain of the Hawkins Pirates. He is one of twelve pirates who are referred to as the “Worst Generation”. After encountering Kaido, he joined the Beasts Pirates and became one of the crew’s Headliners.
Hawkins’ name is derived from a real life pirate and a navigator. His given name came from Basil Ringrose, while his surname came from John Hawkins.
Hawkins’ epithet may be a reference to the first Major Arcanum in most traditional tarot decks, The Magician(“Majutsushi” in Japanese).
Hawkins can use tarot cards to apparently assist him in determining the outcome of any event, as well as the likelihood of his own success. This proves to be very helpful in many situations, as it allows him to determine the outcome of a battle and act accordingly.
His cards allow him to work out to a percentage of the chances of something happening.
In the manga, it is unknown what type of cards Hawkins uses for his cartomancy as only the back has been seen so far. In the anime, they appear to be tarot cards since the “Death (XIII)” card was seen.
In Japan, Hawkins’ birthday, September 9th, is known as ‘Fortune-telling Day’, a reference to his fortune-telling abilities. He shares his birthday with Shyarly, a fellow fortuneteller.
As a child, Hawkins had much shorter hair and wore a similar coat to the one he wears now but in pink. He wore light and dark green striped pants. He is also shown with his trademark stoic expression, possibly partaking in a tarot card reading.
Oda revealed that Hawkins was originally going to join the Shichibukai.
