"Can't believe this nonsense" - One Piece fans ruthlessly tear apart a "Shanks is evil" theory, and it's hilarious

Modified Sep 05, 2024 05:00 GMT

One Piece: Shanks is evil theory enrages the fandom once again (Image via Toei Animation)

The One Piece series has sparked countless theories due to its vast amount of lore. Although Shanks has been the subject of many such theories, the "Shanks is evil" theory has recently gained popularity due to the reveal that he might be a Celestial Dragon.

Theories surrounding him have generally been based on numerous assumptions, making them highly divisive. Recently, a fan made a post pointing out how Shanks is positioned as the evil opponent against Kid in the anime's opening sequence, which has stirred a frenzy within a large portion of the fanbase.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

One Piece: Shank is evil theory enrages the fandom

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Shanks' overall position in the story has been a huge topic of debate within the fandom, especially since the reveal that Saint Figarland Garling might be his father. This, along with Shanks previously meeting directly with the Five Elders to discuss matters concerning a certain pirate and his suspicious demeanor and actions in pursuing the actual One Piece treasure, has led many fans to believe that he might actually be an endgame villain in the story.

One fan noticed how the new opening sequence of the anime features the "good" characters facing the "bad" characters, where Kid faces Shanks. The fan vaguely asserted that this might be foreshadowing Shanks as an actual villain. Given that Shanks has always been one of the most popular characters in the series, many fans pointed out that opening sequences do not indicate anything major, and the entire "evil Shanks" theory is rather baseless.

Fan reactions to the post

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The "Shanks is evil" theory has been a mainstay in the One Piece fandom outside the English-speaking community. Although there were mentions of the theory within the English fandom, it remained largely unnoticed and didn't gain widespread popularity.

Recently, however, the theory has made its way into the English fandom, despite being based on numerous assumptions. Many fans have pointed out that the opening sequence used to support the argument proves nothing, as Oda did not directly create the opening.

"Toei don't know a shit about ending of OnePiece. And they made this Opening not Oda," one fan said.

"Luffy said himself he needs to beat all 4 emperors. So by that standard Shanks is technically an enemy," another fan said.

Shanks as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Many other fans have mentioned that the assertion falls apart since Kuzan is not evil but simply an opponent to overcome. Similarly, Shanks is just an enemy and not necessarily evil.

"They are enemies doesn't necessarily mean they're evil tho, Kuzan for sure is not evil but he is an enemy," one fan wrote.

"Doesn’t really work since Kuzan is not evil, it’s more so a visualization of an obstacle that needs to be overcome to progress in the journey," another fan wrote.

Alleged spoilers for One Piece chapter 1125 reveal Saint Saturn's death and Figarland Garling's ascension to the position of an Elder. Figarland has already been heavily implied to be Shanks' biological father, so it is possible that the allegations against Shanks will be expanded upon in future chapters.