Shanks

Shanks (シャンクス, Shanksu), commonly known as "Red-Haired" Shanks (赤髪のシャンクス, Akagami no Shankusu) is a fictional character and ally from the One Piece series. He is the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates and one of the Four Emperors. He is also a former member of the legendary Roger Pirates, the only group to successfully conquer the Grand Line.

Years ago before the storyline started, Shanks used to work for Gol D. Roger's crew as a cabin boy along with Monkey D. Rex, Marshall D. Teech and Buggy (Buggy and Teech became one of his adversaries after). When he came of age, he saved his friend's son named Monkey D. Luffy from a large sea monster and lost his dominant arm in the process. He is one of the pirates who inspired Luffy to go on his journey as a pirate. He found the Gum-Gum Fruit that was accidentally eaten by Luffy.

At the Battle of Navyford, Shanks managed to save Coby from a fatal blow by Akainu and aided Rex on stopping the war. they then paid their respects to the graves of Portgaz D. Ace and Whitebeard after.

"They call me “Red-Haired” Shanks. You'll have heard of me, of course?"
 * —Shanks.

Appearance & Biography

 * Voice Actor: Brandon Potter (English), Shūichi Ikeda (Japanese), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (German), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (French), Raúl Anaya (Latin American Spanish)

Biography
Captain of the Red-Haired Pirates. One of the Four Emperors. Close friend of Rex D. Monkey. One of Luffy's idols

He was one of the reasons Luffy wanted to become a pirate. Lost his left arm protecting Rex's son 10 years ago at Fushia Village. But he's still a great pirate that sails the Grand Line.

After the Battle of Navyford, he buried Trace and Whitebeard on an island somewhere in the New World.

Appearance
The most striking thing about Shanks is the color of his red hair, from which his epithet 'Red-Haired' Shanks is derived. Shanks always wears a long black cape over his shoulders. He wears a pair of sandals and is unshaven with a short, scruffy beard.

In all his appearances so far as captain of his own crew, Shanks has worn a white shirt which is only half buttoned, leaving part of his chest exposed. A large red sash is tied around his waist and holds his sabre on the right side.

Pre-Timeskip
He initially wore slightly loose brown trousers cut below the knee and collected halfway up the shin, with golden buttons down the outer leg. Recently he has been seen wearing a similar pair, but looser and with floral patterns on them. Initially, in Chapter 1, his shirt is tucked under the sash. However, in his appearances that feature him since he left Luffy's hometown, the shirt is untucked, giving him a much scruffier appearance than when he is seen in the past.

He also has three scars across his left eye, which were revealed to have been given to him by Blackbeard, the scars across his left eye seem to tingle whenever he confronts Blackbeard. He is also missing his left arm, a direct result of him saving Luffy from a Neptunian, the Lord of the Coast, when Luffy was a child.

At the start of One Piece, Shanks bore a physical similarity to Rex and Luffy.

Post-Timeskip
As Oda's style changed, Shanks became more distinct. The shape of his eyes are much sharper and narrower than they used to be. His nose has become more defined, similar to how Nico Robin's nose is heavily defined compared to those of most other characters in the series. His trademark red hair is also slightly longer, with the fringe pushed more toward the sides. It is also wavier and more slicked back, as opposed to how it was parted in the middle at the beginning of the series.


 * Hair Color: Red
 * Skin Color: Not Known
 * Eye Color: Black
 * Age: 27 (10 years ago), 37 (Pre-Timeskip), 39 (Post-Timeskip)
 * Birthday: March 9
 * Height: Not Known
 * Weight: Not Known

Personality
Shanks is an extremely laid-back man, preferring to take his time as he and his crew travels around the world rather than rushing from one place to another. Shanks is not cruel like many other pirate captains, nor does he rule over his crewmembers with fear to gain respect. His friendly nature means he will not purposely seek to harm others, and he is able to make serious people like Dracule Mihawk join in with his fun. However, despite how simple-minded he appears at first, Shanks is a complex person with some rather difficult-to-understand views; for example, he believes that if two people share very different views, it is better that they go their separate ways.

Shanks does not really care about what happens to him and will take any belittling and mockery directed at himself without fighting back and will simply laugh with his crewmates. Even losing an arm did not bother him much. However, he would never tolerates, nor forgives, anyone for harming his friends or his crewmates.

"Listen up… You can pour drinks on me, you can throw food at me… You can even spit on me. I’ll just laugh that stuff off. But… Good reason or not… Nobody, and I definitely mean Nobody, hurts a friend of mine."
 * —Shanks.

Shanks and his crew are almost always seen partying and drinking beverages whenever they make an appearance, as the captain's favorite pastimes are attending and hosting parties and banquets. According to Oda, Shanks is the one character that resembles himself the most out of all the One Piece characters, because of his fun-loving partying nature and cheerful personality.

He also is against the idea of needless bloodshed, even if honor is involved, and so far seems to only step up for a fight when a friend is in danger. He also seems to admire those who have courage, having protected and commended Coby for gathering his courage to stop the war as the young Navy man believed that it was pointless to continue.

Shanks also has skills in diplomacy, as shown when he brokered a ceasefire between the Whitebeard Pirates and the World Government. His skills in diplomacy are so great that he managed to convince Sengoku to agree with his proposition, even though Sengoku has a strong hatred for pirates.

He also likes teasing people, as demonstrated by his apparent reactions to Luffy as a child. Oda also stated that if a child asked Shanks for a Devil Fruit, he'd tease them about being ten years too young to eat one. Shanks himself was like Luffy (as a child) in his younger years.

Despite being calm and brave most of the time, Shanks sometimes reacts in ways that are not always fitting in what others expect from him, a trait noted by Buggy as having "always annoyed him". These include panicking when things go wrong or shrugging off Buggy's angry disposition towards him to greet him in a friendly manner. He also seems to carry something personal regarding Blackbeard deep within him, as when he spoke about his 3 scars to Whitebeard, he became serious about the situation surrounding Teach.

Even though he has traveled the world, Shanks believes the best drinks can be found in his hometown in the West Blue. When with Whitebeard, he also refers to it as "healing water".

Like other characters in the Japanese version of One Piece, Shanks has his own unique laugh, starting it with a "Da" (i.e. Dahahahahaha!).

Friends/Allies

 * Roger Pirates
 * Roger D. Gol
 * Red-Haired Pirates
 * Rockstar
 * Storm Fang Pirates
 * Monkey D. Rex
 * Straw Hat Pirates
 * Monkey D. Luffy
 * Buggy Pirates
 * Buggy
 * Minks
 * Dogstorm
 * Cat Viper
 * Makino
 * Marco
 * Portgaz D. Ace

Neutral

 * Seven Warlords of the Sea
 * Dracule Mihawk
 * Four Emperors
 * Whitebeard Pirates
 * Ward Newgate
 * Beasts Pirates
 * Kaido

Enemies

 * World Government
 * Navy
 * Sakazuki
 * Blackbeard Pirates
 * Marshall D. Teech
 * Kid, Apoo, and Hawkins Alliance
 * Eustass Kid
 * Scratchmen Apoo

Abilities and Powers
Little is known about what Shanks is truly capable of, as he has not been seen heavily engaged in battle yet; however, as a member of the Four Emperors in the New World, his raw physical power is assumed to be immense, and he is known to be one of the four strongest pirates in the world. Shanks did not fear Whitebeard, the world's strongest pirate, and even had enough strength to clash with him, whereas some pirate captains quivered at the mere mention of Whitebeard's name. Rockstar also used his captain's name to convey to Whitebeard the importance of the letter he delivered to him. It was also stated by the Five Elder Stars that he is one of the few people capable of stopping Teech. Admiral Akainu fought through many men and a few Warlords to get to Luffy, but did not challenge Shanks when the Emperor appeared.

He appears to be an excellent swimmer as well, having reached the young Luffy out in the middle of the sea before the Neptunian could devour him. Since Shanks was capable of swimming ten years prior to Luffy setting out on his adventure, meaning that he did not consume any Devil Fruit at the time when he was a rival to Mihawk.

According to Buggy, as a young man, Shanks was a strong fighter and, had it not been for his ideals, Buggy would have wanted him on his crew.

As a member of the Four Emperors, Shanks' name alone commands great power, as Buggy himself proved; his assertion that he previously had a "brotherly bond" with Shanks was one of the many things that earned him respect from the Impel Down inmates. In addition, Buggy did not shy from using the names of Rex, Shanks and his previous captain, Gol D. Roger, to maintain his respect among them. Even the fact that Buggy was seen back talking to Shanks was seen as a testament of Buggy's own power to the former prisoners, who were not aware that the two had always acted like this and mistakenly thinking that it was because Buggy was not afraid of a Four Emperors. Shanks commands enough power to end the war at Navyford with just words; when he stated that there was to be no more fighting, no one stepped up to challenge him, even though the Navy were fired up after the death of Ace and Whitebeard.

When Shanks offered to fight the very overconfident and pompous Blackbeard (who moments before had boasted about destroying the island and taking down Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp after having already killed Whitebeard), Blackbeard declined and decided to leave, as it was too soon for him and his crew to take on Shanks.

Furthermore, when Shanks requested that Whitebeard's and Portgaz D. Ace's dignity at death not be violated, Sengoku himself decided to call off the war and offered to take responsibility, showing that despite being a pirate, Shanks has earned Sengoku’s respect, something that no pirate other than Whitebeard is known to have achieved.

Swordsmanship
As the former rival of Mihawk who is known the world's greatest swordsman, Shanks himself is an immensely powerful swordsman. Shanks could match a blow from Whitebeard with only one arm, which is a testament of his prowess in swordmanship. Shanks is also powerful enough to easily defend against Akainu's magma fist using his sword and Armament Haki.

Shanks appears to have favored his left arm before he lost it, as he is always seen holding his sword in his left hand during flashbacks. He is presumed to have been left-handed.

Video Game Only

 * "Strike for the New World" (新世界への一撃, Shin Sekai no Ichigeki): Shanks unsheathes his saber and raises it in the air, causing red lightning to rain down and strike the ground around him, before finishing the attack with an earth-shattering forward slash from his sword. Appears as Shanks's first special attack in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3.
 * "To the heights of piracy!" (海賊の高みへ！, Kaizoku no takami e!): Shanks jabs his saber into the ground, unleashing red lightning from his Haki-infused sword (akin to his C3 final input and his C4), before sending the enemies flying with a horizontal swing of his Haki-infused sword, via a massive burst Conqueror's Haki. Appears as Shanks's second special attack in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3.
 * Observation Haki: By initiating his Observation Haki, Shanks can briefly slow his perceived flow of time via quick-thinking-ahead, and often allowing him to act sooner in accordance to his oppositions' actions. This only ppears as Shanks's Unique Action in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3. (Note: Shanks' use of Observation Haki in the game is non-canon.)
 * Red Hair (赤髪, Akagami): Shanks thrusts his saber forward which emits a small shockwave from the tip of the blade. Used by Shanks as one of his special attacks in One Piece: Burning Blood.
 * Counter: A counterattack where Shanks counters an attack with an upward sword slash that knocks the opponent into the air. Used by Shanks as one of his special attacks in One Piece: Burning Blood.
 * Charged Sword Assault: Shanks launches a quick chargeable sword slash. Used as a kind of special attack by Shanks in Shanks (Strong World) and One Piece: Burning Blood. There is a similar move predates it in Pirate Warriors 3 as Shank's C3 second input.
 * This Isn't For Show: Shanks pulls out a large shotgun and fires it. Used by Shank (Strong World) as one of his special attacks in One Piece: Burning Blood. He also uses the said gun as a part of his C2's full-input-finisher and his inverted C3's full-input-finisher in Pirate Warriors 3.
 * Betting on a New Era: Shanks changes towards the opponent and knocks them into the air with his saber, then pulls out his shotgun and shoots the helpless opponent. This Isn't For Show can be used afterwards for a follow-up attack. Used by Shanks (Strong World) as one of his special attacks in One Piece: Burning Blood.
 * Heaven Splitter: Shanks unsheathes his saber and charges towards the opponent and delivers a powerful slash to the opponent (strong enough to leave an impact of the slash on the surrounding terrain), then Shanks tells his opponent to beat it (his face showing the same glare he used on the Lord of the Coast) then raises his sword into the air followed by a burst of Conqueror's Haki, before slash the opponent with a downward slash that produces a huge slash wave. This is Shanks' Ultimate Attack in One Piece: Burning Blood.

Haki

 * Main article: Haki

Shanks can utilize and has shown mastery over at least two of the three types of Haki. Even Whitebeard complimented Shanks for his Haki when he used it on his "visit".

Armament Haki
Shanks has immense mastery of Armament Haki, which he could easily match Whitebeard, who was an extremely powerful Armament Master in his own right. The force generated from the clash of their weapons split the "heavens" above them, hinting at the incredible Armament Haki that the two Emperors had imbued into their strikes.

During the Battle of Navyford, he imbued Armament Haki into his sword in order to block a magma attack from Akainu.

Conqueror's Haki
Shanks can use Conqueror's Haki, an ability that only one in a million people can use.

After saving Luffy from a Neptunian, Shanks frightened it off with a single angry glare using this ability. Later, while Shanks was boarding Whitebeard's ship for their meeting, a large amount of Whitebeard's crew (experienced men who have survived in the New World) lapsed into unconsciousness and the ship itself began to take physical damage from Shanks's mere presence. Whitebeard's men attributed this to his superior Haki.

Oda mentioned in a SBS that Shanks could have knocked out all 100,000 pirates and mermen opposing the Straw Hats during the Merman Island Arc with his Conqueror's Haki (Luffy managed to overwhelm 50,000).

Weapons
So far, Shanks has only wielded a sword in combat. His sword is a large saber with a single edge blade and a large hand guard.

Shanks has wielded three different swords at various points in the past; two different swords during his time as an apprentice pirate aboard Gol D. Roger's ship (one around the time Buggy ate the Chop-Chop Fruit and another during a clash with the Whitebeard Pirates) and another one during his stay in Luffy's hometown.

In One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, Shanks wields a large firearm (either a shotgun or rifle) which he uses during certain combos. He also wields a similar weapon in One Piece: Burning Blood, though only as part of the moveset for his Strong World costume.

Meeting with Trace
A short while before the storyline he met Portgaz D. Ace, who thanked him for saving his little brother. Shanks responded by throwing a party to celebrate, as he did not know Rex even had a second son before Luffy.

Roguetown Arc
A few years later, while Shanks was relaxing on an island after drinking too much, Mihawk brought news that Luffy had gained a bounty of 30,000,000 Berries. Hearing Luffy had finally made his emergence, Shanks threw another party despite being already unwell from his previous drinking session.

Jaya Arc
Shanks later expressed an interest in Ace's pursuit of Blackbeard, and sent Rockstar to deliver a note to Whitebeard concerning this matter. Angry that Shanks sent him a letter, Whitebeard told Rockstar his captain must come in person and bring plenty of good rum. Elsewhere, Shanks talked on a Transponder Snail to Rockstar, where he laughed how the old man has not changed a bit and denied Rockstar the chance to redeem his honor against the Whitebeard crew before ordering him to come back. When Beckman questioned whether or not he should go to Whitebeard, Shanks told him that the crew should prepare for battle.

Anime and Manga Differences
In the manga, when Shanks is floating in the sea holding Luffy after losing his arm, blood can be seen dripping from his missing arm. In the anime, this blood is missing.

The initial scene where Shanks meets Mihawk was very small in the manga. The anime extended this scene greatly. In the manga, Shanks asks Mihawk if he would join them in celebrating while in the anime, Mihawk is seen joining in Shanks's fun.

Shanks's flashbacks of Luffy were extended and some of Buggy's were shown. Also, as the narrator talked about the war, scenes of Shanks inspecting Ace and Whitebeard's corpses were shown.

Notes & Trivia

 * In one of the SBS sections of One Piece, in reference to Shanks and Buggy's "which is colder" question, a fan asked Oda who got it right. Oda went on to explain that the Arctic was just a mass of ice and the Antarctic was a continent, which was made of land. Since land is colder than the sea (and the Arctic is frozen sea whereas the Antarctic is frozen land), Shanks was correct and the South Pole is colder.
 * Shanks shares the same birthday as Franky and Dracule Mihawk (March 9).
 * Shanks is the first character in the series to show any form of Haki.
 * In the 5th Japanese Fan Poll, Shanks is ranked the 14th most popular character in One Piece, making him the most popular of the Red-Haired Pirates and the Four Emperors.
 * Shanks' hair is depicted in a unique manner in the black-and-white manga, with it having a grey shade instead of being colored black or not colored at all like every other character.
 * In One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, Shanks' taunt action allows him to put on sunglasses, which is a reference to his Strong World costume.
 * Shanks' moveset in this game, such as the red lightning effects, is non-canon, aside from his Conqueror's Haki and generic sword strikes.