In October 2024, the anime adaptation of One Piece marked its 25th anniversary. Now, as it embarks on its Final Saga, the series has journeyed far since then. Following its quarter-century milestone with “One Piece Fan Letter”, the show took a six-month break. Upon resuming in April 2025, fans can anticipate improvements in animation and rhythm. The Egghead Island Arc will continue, as Luffy and his crew encounter increasingly formidable adversaries. With Vegapunk’s life at stake, the Straw Hats must employ all their cunning to dodge the Marines. As one of television’s enduring series, One Piece has experienced numerous cast and crew changes over the years. However, when it comes to voice actors, the staff are reluctant to make substitutions unless absolutely necessary.
In 2024, Kazuki Yao, the voice actor of Franky, announced his retirement due to health concerns. He said goodbye to fans at Jump Festa 2025, symbolizing his departure from the role of Franky by placing red underwear on the stage. Subaru Kimura then took over as Franky’s voice actor, picking up the item left behind. The event occurred in December, and soon after, there were rumors about Shuichi Ikeda, the voice actor of Shanks, retiring. These speculations arose when a pamphlet appeared on Reddit suggesting someone else would portray Ikeda’s most famous Gundam role, Char Aznable, in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, with Yuuki Shin listed as the new actor for this iconic character.
One Piece’s Aging Cast Including Shanks’ Voice Actor Fuels Retirement Speculations
There’s no definitive evidence suggesting that Shuichi Ikeda is leaving “One Piece” or the voice acting industry altogether. His talent agency, Haikyo, has not made any announcements about his retirement, and they recently confirmed his work on “Comedy Omnibus GP 2025.” However, fans have been discussing the possibility of Ikeda’s departure due to the reported recasting of his famous anime role as Char Aznable.
The fan account @pewpiece on X posts, “Shuichi Ikeda, the voice actor behind Shanks in One Piece, has stepped down from his legendary role as Char from Gundam. This development is disheartening, leading to worries about him potentially retiring from voicing Shanks in One Piece, given his age of 75. Although it’s just speculation at this point, it seems likely that Ikeda will soon announce his retirement. It’s worth noting that the majority of the cast in One Piece have been active for quite some time and most are above 60 years old.
The series could potentially switch out some voice actors as we approach the Final Saga. Given that many of these actors have worked on One Piece for over two decades, viewers often feel a strong bond with them and associate them with their beloved characters. @Ssimpl_y expresses, “I hope you won’t, but if you do, thank you for your service; you’ve given my favorite character so much life and essence.
Sanwyama mentions, “I understand that I’ll deeply miss him too, should he depart from Shanks. Poor fellow, he’s bound to go when he’s finally able to perform tasks like Shanks.
@TheSoulofD” suggests, “It seems quite likely. Since many of the actors are advancing in years, we might need to brace ourselves for instances like this.
Despite Shanks not playing a significant part in the narrative, he remains one of the most cherished characters among fans. He’s enveloped in mystery and makes more appearances than typical during the Final Saga of One Piece. The storyline is presently unfolding in the Elbaf Arc, hinting at thrilling plot developments concerning Shanks. As the Final Saga progresses, we can expect Shanks to make more appearances to clarify the mysteries surrounding him.
Read More
- TRB PREDICTION. TRB cryptocurrency
- GBP EUR PREDICTION
- OKB PREDICTION. OKB cryptocurrency
- TNSR PREDICTION. TNSR cryptocurrency
- HBAR PREDICTION. HBAR cryptocurrency
- RLC PREDICTION. RLC cryptocurrency
- POL PREDICTION. POL cryptocurrency
- API3 PREDICTION. API3 cryptocurrency
- SEI PREDICTION. SEI cryptocurrency
- CNY RUB PREDICTION
2025-01-17 22:40