Everything we know about Shanks in One Piece – is he a villain?

Red-Hair Shanks is one of the most mysterious characters in One Piece, so here’s everything we know about the Yonko.

The One Piece manga doesn’t fall short of mysteries surrounding the characters. Shanks was introduced at the beginning of the series and is still one of the most important figures. Since he rarely appears, whenever he does, it’s always an exciting moment.

Despite getting less screen time, he is still one of the most beloved characters in One Piece. As one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, he is one of the most powerful characters in the series. Luffy met Shanks when he was a kid and, ever since, he’s been aspiring to become a pirate just like him.

In the Final Saga, Shanks will be one of the key players aiming to acquire the One Piece. Here’s everything you need to know about the mysterious pirate.

Shanks stole Luffy’s devil fruit from the World Government

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Luffy acquired the ability of Gomu Gomu no Mi after mistakenly eating the fruit that Shanks brought to Foosha Village. It was believed to be an ordinary Paramecia type that makes the user’s body rubbery. However, One Piece Chapter 1044 reveals the true nature of Luffy’s devil fruit.

It’s a Mythical Zoan type, Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. After experiencing a near-death situation, Luffy awakened his powers during his fight with Kaido and transformed into a mythical being called Nika, the Sun God.

Shanks stole the fruit from the World Government, which was a very risky move. The World Government desperately wanted that power and finally got their hands on it after 800 years. He appears to be aware of the fruit’s true abilities since Luffy’s bounty poster, where he is flaunting Gear 5, didn’t surprise him.

Shanks has the blood of a Celestial Dragon

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Gold D. Roger found Shanks when he was an infant abandoned in a treasure chest in God Valley. Roger adopted the baby and raised him with his crew members. However, the God Valley flashback reveals that Saint Figarland Garling, the commander of the Holy Knights, looked exactly like Shanks in his younger days.

This more or less confirms that Shanks has the blood of a Celestial Dragon. In One Piece Film: Red, Gorosei plans a strategy to stop Uta and her crazy plan of mass murder. They decide it’s only best to eliminate such a threat.

However, Gorosei hesitates for a second before giving out the order since she was from the Figarland bloodline. This was the first time the series ever mentioned the Figarland bloodline. But since Uta is Shanks’ adopted daughter, the series has yet to delve deeper into it.

Shanks is the Killer of Observation Haki

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Even after more than 1100 chapters, Shanks remains the strongest so far in terms of haki. His Observation and Conqueror’s Haki are unparalleled. Furthermore, Shanks is also called the “Killer of Observation Haki.”

He disrupts his opponents with his powerful Conqueror’s Haki and prevents them from deploying Observation Haki. So far, Shanks is the only character capable of such a feat. His future sight allows him to foresee events up to 10 seconds ahead, thereby giving him a tactical advantage in fights.

Shanks currently has two primary goals

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While we may not know much about Shanks’ true motives, his primary goals are to defeat Blackbeard and look for the One Piece. Shanks knows Blackbeard is a major threat to the world, as it’s how he got his face scar.

In Chapter 1056, he sees Luffy’s new bounty poster and tells Benn Beckman that it’s time to find the One Piece. The chapter also implies that Shanks had been waiting for Luffy to awaken his devil fruit before actually making a move.

He has a connection with Gorosei

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One Piece Chapter 907 shocked One Piece fans with Shanks’ shocking visit to Mariejoise. It is the capital of the World Government, where its top brass reside and govern. That place is under the jurisdiction of the Holy Knights, and Celestial Dragons even live there.

It’s almost impossible to invade but Shanks was welcomed by the Gorosei. However, the world’s highest authority wasn’t too eager to speak with him because of the risks involved. Shanks says he wants to talk about a “certain pirate.” Whether that pirate is Luffy, Blackbeard, or someone else is currently unknown. 

Is Shanks a villain in One Piece?

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Shanks is not a villain in One Piece, but he does appear to have strange motives. As a Yonko, he traveled all the way from the New World to a small village in the East Blue. It’s also unclear if he wanted Luffy or someone else to have the power of that legendary devil fruit.

A Japanese native speaker on Twitter/X clarified Shanks’ dialogue in Chapter 1056, “The kanji in that scene is used for ‘take by force’ (奪う), suggesting that Shanks plans to steal One Piece from its legitimate possessor. He likely knows who the true owner of One Piece is, which is why he chose this wording.”

Nonetheless, his reason for going after the One Piece doesn’t appear to be selfish. Shanks has never shown any indications of being an “evil” character, but he’s still a pirate. Oda’s got room to put a bunch of real twists and turns into the story with Shanks’ character.

Now that the Egghead arc is over, you can read about why Egghead is the best arc so far. For more from the high seas, check out our article on a potential traitor and our ranking of the strongest Straw Hats.