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The official character designs for One Piece Red have been revealed, and it has some major implications on the story.
Every year, Shonen Jump fans have something to look forward to at the Jump Festa. This is where major announcements are made for manga and anime, particularly under publisher Shueisha. Of course, their most popular manga wasn’t going to miss out on the Jump Super Stage.
The One Piece panel gave fans a sneak peek at the upcoming movie. Each of the Straw Hat Pirates updated their wardrobe selection, and while not much else is known about the film, these character designs may provide some context. The movie is set to be released next year on August 6, 2022.
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New character designs for One Piece Red have major hints about the movie
A lot of fans really like the latest character designs for the Straw Hat Pirates. Not much is currently known about One Piece Red, including the plot and the main villain. Nonetheless, these new costumes leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the fanbase. Here's what these character designs signal about the movie.
It’s going to be music themed
One Piece Red already gave hints about this in one of the pre-release screenshots. It features what appears to be someone of Skypiean descent, wearing headphones with a speaker. One Piece Red uses the following tagline in their promotional materials:
"An almighty voice. With fiery red locks."
The new character designs for the Straw Hats also follow suit. Each member is dressed up like they are going to a music festival. They also take on different motifs, such as Zoro's grunge style or Nami's millennial rock.
A few Straw Hats take inspiration from real-world singers. Usopp is dressed like a member of KISS, while Jinbei is doing an Elvis impersonation. Music is going to be very important in One Piece Red. Perhaps the Straw Hats will be visiting a festival of some kind, similar to Coachella.
The timeline is currently unknown
Jinbei's presence should indicate that One Piece Red takes place after the Wano arc. However, the character designs also feature some outdated references. Sanji does not have the correct eyebrows, while Zoro seems to be carrying Shunsui.
Of course, these are still early character designs for the movie. Until further information arrives, it's hard to predict where the timeline currently fits. This could potentially indicate its canon or non-canon status. Most One Piece movies are never canon to begin with, anyways.
What this means for the movie's canonicity
One Piece Red may not be canon, if the new character designs are anything to go by. Zoro and Sanji's artwork implies the movie is before Wano, while Jinbei implies it's right after it. Again, this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone familiar with how One Piece movies work.
Shanks fans might be disappointed if the movie is non-canon. However, that doesn't mean the film is unimportant, since One Piece Red could still end up like Stampede. The latter movie wasn't canon, but it contained information that certainly was (Raftel was actually Laugh Tale).
Fans are hoping that Eiichiro Oda will reveal more of Shanks' backstory. It's understandable that he might wait until the manga finally showcases him. Regardless, One Piece Red can always provide canon information that isn't necessary to the main story.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.
