We have all had the pleasure of seeing the renowned and powerful Red-Haired Shanks on our screens from time to time but how much do we really know about him? Okay, let’s start with the basics. We all know that Shanks, whose “Red-Haired” title is attributed to his hair color, is one of the Four Emperors of the Sea and captain of the Red Hair Pirates. We also know he is one of the strongest pirates despite having lost an arm but what’s more? Controversies have sparked about his true origins and ultimately, the possibility of him being in league with the greatest enemy of the pirates, the World Government. The mysteries and tales of this influential character will finally be unraveled in this exciting read, let’s dive in!
The Mysterious Origin of Shanks
We get some information about Shanks’ hometown when Whitebeard questions the wine brought by Shanks to a meeting. Whitebeard clearly finds this wine distasteful and asks if it’s from West Blue, which Shanks then tells us is his hometown where they produce the finest wines. This contrasts with the story of Gold D. Roger finding him in a treasure chest in God Valley just one year after Shanks is born. Two interesting theories can definitely sum up Shanks’ hometown. First, it could be that God Valley (where Roger found Shanks during the legendary war) is in West Blue which makes more sense than the second theory that Shanks was born in West Blue and somehow found himself in a chest in God Valley a year later. Either way, West Blue is his origin!
The fact that baby Shanks was somehow found in a chest during the war at God Valley has left questions about his family bubbling in the air. Who are Shanks’ parents? We can’t tell for sure, though new information in film Red suggests that his father is a member of the Figarland family. The five elders, Gorosei, specifically say this in the film Red which exposes us to a good number of things we didn’t know about the Red Hair pirates, including Shanks. Chapter 1095 of the manga gives us more than a glimpse of Saint Figarland Garling who might just be Shank’s father or twin brother because their resemblance is so striking. What is fascinating about this new discovery is that Shanks could be a Celestial Dragon. From what we have established, Shanks is a Figarland and Celestial Dragons were present during the war at God Valley…let that sink in.
Shanks Loses His Dominant Arm
How does a character as powerful as Shanks easily lose an arm? We could just blame little Luffy for getting in the way of a Sea Monster and putting Shanks in harm’s way but is that really all there is to it? Let’s find out. The relationship between Shanks and Luffy runs pretty deep as the latter regards Shanks as a father figure and mentor. To Luffy, Shanks is his hero and clearly, the Red Hair Pirates captain has a soft spot for him as well. It is this bond that makes Shanks go as far as sacrificing his arm to save Luffy. It is also this bond that drives Luffy to take some sort of revenge on behalf of Shanks that eventually gets him (Luffy) kidnapped.
This is how it all started. During the time Shanks spends with Luffy in Goa Kingdom, he teaches him how to be a pirate, and all the while, Luffy is hot-headed. This attitude of Luffy spills into Shanks’ altercation with Higuma, the leader of the mountain bandits when he insults Shanks at the bar in episode 4. Being the easy going person he is, Shanks laughs off Higuma’s insult but this isn’t enough for Luffy who later insults Higuma in Shank’s absence and gets kidnapped. The bandit’s leader then throws Luffy into the sea in an attempt to kill him when a Sea King suddenly shows up, elevating the seriousness of the situation. Luffy’s life is in danger as the Sea King rages towards him but Shanks intercepts the creature and loses his arm to the creature in exchange for Luffy’s life.
An Unbreakable Bond
The bond between Shanks and Luffy is one of the strongest in the series. No, they’re not related in any way. If you watched the scene where Shanks loses his arm, you’d just be as dazed at the realization that he did next to nothing to protect his arm from the Sea King before using his Haki to send the creature away. Shanks made this ultimate sacrifice to build Luffy into a level-headed and responsible pirate who could someday be the Pirate King. It is safe to say that Shanks considers Luffy his protege’ whom he significantly has high hopes for. This is why he never lets the boy join his crew, challenging him to start from scratch and build a crew himself.
It is evident that all Luffy’s actions leading him to become an Emperor of the Sea are in inspiration for his reverence for Shanks. One can say that Shanks behind the scenes has engineered most of the major occurrences in Luffy’s story which is at the heart of the anime. The Devil Fruit that unleashes JoyBoy in Luffy is indirectly given to him by Shanks, even though it upsets Shanks that Luffy will never be able to swim. Before Shanks leaves, he entrusts Luffy his Straw Hat which he says he’ll take back when the latter becomes a renowned pirate. Luffy goes on to form his own pirate crew which he names “Straw Hat” in honor of his mentor. Who is Red-Haired Shanks? To Luffy, the answer is rather straightforward. Shanks is his greatest influence.
Early Beginnings and Family
Remember that Roger finds Shanks in God Valley when he’s just one-year-old? Well that’s not the end of the story as the Pirate King takes the baby as his own till he’s old enough to become an apprentice for the Roger Pirates. A relationship between the two brews as Shanks considers Roger a father figure as well as a mentor.
When Shanks finds out that Roger is sick, it breaks him so much and he bursts into tears after his last conversation with the Pirate King who disbands his crew a year before his public execution. It is Roger that gives Shanks the Straw Hat which he in turn gives Luffy. It is during his time as an apprentice that Shanks meets Buggy who is also his age mate.
A Loving Adoptive Father and Friend
They work and grow closer to the extent that when Buggy falls sick, Shanks rather stay with him than join the rest of the crew to Laughtale. Buggy’s resentment towards Shanks stems from the role the latter plays in having an unsuspecting Buggy swallow a devil fruit which condemns him to a life of never being able to swim again. When Roger disbands the crew and leaves, Shanks and Buggy decide to go their separate ways.
Uta is the only member of Red Hair Pirates that eats a Devil Fruit, making her similar to Buggy in that way. Just like Roger finds Shanks in a chest, so does Shanks find Uta in a chest and adopt the two-year-old. Thus begins their father-daughter relationship. As a part of the crew, Uta is a musician which makes her special. Interestingly, she brags to Luffy about being able to call Shanks by his name and ‘father’ as he is her captain and father. Unfortunately, the father and daughter have to go their separate ways when Uta unknowingly causes havoc in Elegia and Shanks takes the fall to protect his child.
Red Hair Pirates
Talking about Shanks without shedding light on the captain’s crew should be a taboo. Shanks went on to form the Red Hair Pirates after the death of his captain, Gold D Roger. What is really fascinating about this crew is that not a single one of them has eaten a devil fruit. Meaning the prowess of their crew is solely on their Haki and natural abilities, unlike other crews. I guess it’s fair to say that Shanks crew members take after him in pretty much everything, from the mystery surrounding him to his frightening strength. This is especially impressive because the crew proves to be one of the strongest and poses a commendable challenge to the World Government. Interestingly, they now top the ranks amongst the crews closest to finding the One Piece.
Before a quick run down of Shanks crew members, recall that the first person Shanks asked to be a part of his crew is his oldest friend, Buggy. However, Buggy refuses Shanks’ offer leading them to part ways and the latter forming a crew on his own. The twelve crew members of the Red Hair Pirates we know are: Shanks, Benn-Beckman, Yasopp, Limejuice, Lucky Roux, Building Snake, Hongo, Howling Gab, Bonk Punch, Monster, Rockstar and Uta who isn’t exactly a crew member anymore. We’ll find out why down the line as we get into what relationship this singer has with Shanks in the first place. It is noteworthy that Yasopp is Shanks first crew member whom he found at Syrup Village while Benn-Beckman is his right-hand and second-in-command of the Red Hair Pirates.
The Strength of an Emperor of the Sea
Red-Haired Shanks is undeniably a fascinating character. Right from the beginning of the series, he has a bounty of over 1 billion berries on his head! Fear the man, not the bounty. Now? He has a bounty of over 4 million berries making him the 5th most wanted pirate, after the three Emperors before him and the Pirate King, in the history of the series. Yes, the World Government is certainly scared of this dude.
Remember when he goes to save Uta in the film Red? His Haki takes down Vice Admirals and even Fujitora cowers with the excuse of not wanting to fight with so many civilians present. Still on the subject of his Haki, it is arguably the most powerful as he has somehow managed to master all three. He remains the only Emperor that rose to his status without consuming a devil fruit. When he boards Moby Dick to warn Whitebeard about Blackbeard, he takes down most of the former’s crew members, leaving us in awe of him.
Can Anyone Defeat Shanks?
It’s also frightening but intriguing that this dude can also see into the future and even make changes to it! Makes one wonder just how Blackbeard managed to successfully give him three scars across his eye. His Conqueror’s Haki isn’t all that makes the Emperor powerful. He is also a highly skilled swordsman, second to none but his favourite opponent, Mihawk. Let’s clarify that all their fights have never really produced a clear winner. Even when Shanks loses his arm and Mihawk refuses to duel him, we know that the Red-Haired Emperor remains a formidable opponent. His role in ending the war at Marineford leaves him an undisputed leader. His act of giving Whitebeard and Ace a befitting burial, highlights his spirit of camaraderie. What if Shanks never lost an arm? His bounty would probably be rolling into 10 billion berries…just a thought!
