Shanks and Shamrock Theory: Is Shanks Playing Both Sides?
Is Shanks Playing Both Sides? The Mystery Deepens in One Piece
On November 2, 2025, One Piece shocked its fanbase with what initially seemed like a minor announcement, but it reignited one of the series’ most complex mysteries. Kenjiro Tsuda—the voice behind Yonji and Kento Nanami from Jujutsu Kaisen—has been cast as Figarland Shamrock, commander of the Knights of God. This casting choice, according to Eiichiro Oda, is no accident.
The fact that Tsuda replaces Shuichi Ikeda—the longtime voice of Shanks—has sparked intense speculation. It raises an important question: who, between Shanks and Shamrock, truly met with the Five Elders during the Reverie? If Oda is indeed playing with our expectations through voice casting, the twist could be even more unsettling than we thought.
The Reverie Arc: What’s Behind That Cloak?
In the Reverie Arc, Oda gave us a cryptic scene: Shanks meets privately with the Five Elders to warn them about “a certain pirate.” The moment is deliberately vague, avoiding showing Shanks’ left arm and only focusing on the side of his face opposite the scar—almost as if Oda wanted to suggest that it might not be him after all.
For years, fans believed the person under the cloak could be Shamrock, Shanks’ lost twin, a member of the Figarland family, and a servant of the World Government. This theory seemed solid when Oda officially introduced Shamrock in Chapter 1137. However, with Tsuda’s casting, this once-clear theory is now called into question.
The fact that Shamrock doesn’t share the same voice actor as Shanks—something that would be expected from identical twins—puts the whole theory into doubt. Could it actually have been Shanks who met with the Five Elders?
Shanks Under Suspicion Again: Is He Playing Both Sides?
Shanks has always been one of One Piece’s most enigmatic characters: a hero to Luffy, a symbol of balance in the world, but also a man with access to the most secretive parts of the World Government. After the revelation of his Figarland heritage, Oda has made Shanks even more ambiguous.
If it was truly Shanks who appeared before the Five Elders, it would suggest that Shanks has unrestricted access to Mary Geoise, possibly because of his noble blood, and that he hasn’t hesitated to use this power. But who was he trying to warn? The suspects range from Blackbeard and Luffy to even Loki, the imprisoned prince of Elbaf. Whatever the answer, the possibility that Shanks has been secretly working with the Government casts doubt on his image as a free and just pirate.
Oda’s Duality Game: Shanks vs. Shamrock
With Kenjiro Tsuda’s casting, Oda appears to be playing a clever game of confusion. The creator seems to delight in showing two brothers who represent opposing forces: Shanks, the symbol of freedom, and Shamrock, the paladin of divine power. Both are part of the same Figarland legacy, separated by an ancient secret.
The anime director has confirmed that Oda personally oversaw the casting choices, which suggests that the difference in voice actors is part of the greater narrative mystery. Oda may be telling us that Shanks and Shamrock are not simply twins, but two sides of the same coin—two men born of the same destiny but separated by a dark pact with the Five Elders.
Perhaps Oda is hinting that the true story behind Shanks and Shamrock isn’t just about their twinship, but about their roles in the ongoing conflict between freedom and power. Could Shanks have made a dangerous deal with the World Government, one that forever alters his image?
The Ultimate Betrayal: Is Shanks the True Villain?
As One Piece continues to evolve, the perception of Shanks is being reshaped. Once seen as the ultimate symbol of freedom, Shanks is now shrouded in mystery, and his possible involvement with the World Government raises questions about his true intentions. What if Shanks isn’t the hero we’ve always believed him to be, but someone far more complex and possibly even a traitor to his own ideals?
Oda has always enjoyed blurring the lines between hero and villain, and with Shanks, he may be leading us to a powerful revelation about his true nature. What if, in the end, Shanks is not just hiding a secret, but committing an act of betrayal that could change everything we know about One Piece?
For now, we’re left with more questions than answers. But one thing is certain: One Piece has never toyed with the perception of its fans in such an open and dramatic way. And if Shanks is truly guilty—not just of a secret but of a betrayal—it would be a shocking turn of events in a world full of pirates, heroes, and hidden motives.
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