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Red-Haired Shanks has always been one of the most beloved characters in the series, a sentiment only buoyed by the upcoming general release of One Piece Film: Red. There are an excessive number of fan theories about the Yonko of all kinds, which is understandable given that he is one of the series' most beloved and mysterious characters.
As with any character-focused theory, however, some are certainly more plausible and well mapped-out than others are. Certainly for Shanks, the One Piece fandom has some theories which aren’t too realistic. There are a select few, however, with the potential to end up being true by the time author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda’s legendary series reaches its end.
Here are the 7 Shanks theories most likely to come true in One Piece.
Various explanations for Shanks’ origins, who he is dominate list of most plausible One Piece theories about him
1) Shanks is a Celestial Dragon
One of the earliest and most believable Shanks-centric theories in the series, which places him as a Celestial Dragon by birth, comes first on the list. With Shanks being 39 years old and God Valley taking place 38 years ago, the lore surrounding God Valley has only strengthened the logical consistency of this theory.
In fact, One Piece Film: Red supports this theory even further by showing that the Roger Pirates canonically found Shanks as a baby and raised him on their ship. While the film itself isn’t canon, Oda himself confirmed this specific scene to convey his canonical origins. As a result, the plausibility of Shanks being a Celestial Dragon survivor of God Valley has only increased since the film’s private premiere.
2) Shanks is evil
One theory that has gained traction as a result of recent issues contends that Shanks is actually evil within One Piece. Much of this theory was based on his meeting with the Gorosei, with the propagators of this claim arguing that his alignment with the World Government got him the meeting. He also speaks to them about a certain pirate here, furthering the theory’s credibility.
The two latest issues of the series have also only further supported this, with Shanks officially joining the race for the titular treasure at Laugh Tale. His enigmatic departure from the seas of Wano shortly thereafter only adds further intrigue to the idea, and arguably gives it another boost in credibility.
3) Shanks purposely gave Luffy his Fruit
Easily one of the more popular theories on this list is that Shanks purposely gave Luffy the Gum-Gum Fruit, which answers many questions regarding the story’s origins. It explains why Shanks was in the East Blue when he’s not from there, why he just happened to let the Gum-Gum Fruit out of his sight, and why he didn’t kill Luffy to reclaim the Fruit if he wanted it for himself.
This also gives a good answer to why Shanks was so intent on being an inspiration to Luffy, even giving him the straw hat in early One Piece and asking for it back when he’s a great pirate. It’s very clear that Shanks was intent on making Luffy a pirate, and his giving him the Gum-Gum Fruit would only further support that goal.
4) Shanks maintains the balance of powers
One incredibly possible theory, which is often pushed aside for others, is that Shanks is the one who maintains the balance of powers in the series’ world. There are certainly several times when his actions have altered the course of the world, such as a failure to convince Whitebeard regarding Blackbeard, his appearance at Marineford, and his appearance at the Reverie.
More recently, he even deterred a Marine Admiral from upsetting the power structure of a newly liberated Wano by forcing them to retreat. Even his off-screen actions have a great impact on the world, such as his stopping Kaido from entering the Marineford War. With so many of his actions clearly having such a widespread and heavy influence on the world, the theory certainly seems as plausible as any other on this list.
5) Shanks is Rocks D. Xebec’s son
Serving as almost the antithesis to the Celestial Dragon Shanks theory is the claim that Shanks is Rocks D. Xebec’s son. The ages still line up, with Shanks being 39 years old and God Valley taking place 38 years ago. The only major difference is that, instead of being the son of an unnamed Celestial Dragon family, Shanks is the son of one of the most infamous pirates ever.
Combined with Roger’s finding and adopting of baby Shanks, which One Piece Film: Red has made canonical, the theory is only further supported by acting as a foil to Garp and Ace. With every other major part of the theory already discussed and solidified as matching up, the credibility of Shanks being Rocks’ son is clear.
6) Shanks is a decoy for Rocks’ real son
On a similar note, there’s a fan theory that Shanks is a decoy for the real son of Rocks D. Xebec, that being Buggy the Clown. Also aged 39 in the contemporary story, Buggy becomes just as likely a candidate for the son of Rocks as Shanks. While his origins aren’t confirmed, there are other hints and teases that support this claim.
Oda has once said that Buggy has the potential to be one of the most powerful characters in the series, but has never lived up to it. Official Vivre Card data on Buggy also lists his origins as being in the Grand Line, where God Valley was once located. Therefore, it’s possible Roger built Shanks up as his personal protege and successor to distract from Buggy the Clown being the true son of Rocks D. Xeb.
7) Shanks can see far into the future
Finally, some fans have recently begun arguing that Shanks is able to see into the future, based on his actions in One Piece thus far. One such incident which supports this is his meeting with Whitebeard, where he speaks as though he knows for certain that Ace will lose and his capture will cause a great change in the world.
Another comes during the Marineford War, where he thanks Coby for his seconds of bravery and says that his actions greatly changed the fate of the world. There’s also his severing of Kid’s arm, which ended up saving the young Supernova’s life in Wano.
His warning of the Gorosei regarding a certain pirate and his overall presence in East Blue in the beginning of the series only further add support to this theory. Although it’s not often discussed, it’s certainly one of the more plausible theories out there on his character and role.
