A character important to Shanks has been confirmed as part of the canon for the anime.
Spoiler alert: The following article contains excerpts from episode 1082 of the One Piece anime and discusses the events in the film One Piece Film: Red.
The anime by One Piece is just before the end of the Wa no Kuni arc. The new arc will continue from December 3, 2023, in which Luffy and Co. will meet new allies.
Shortly before the arc change, Shanks also made a small appearance. The red-haired pirate showed what powers lie dormant within him and even drove away an opponent. In his flashback, a character could also be seen for a few moments who, thanks to the anime, is now completely part of the official story.
One Piece: Gifted Singer is now canon
Who is the person you are talking about? We’re talking about Shank’s foster daughter Uta. She has an important role in the film One Piece Film: Red, but the film is not an official part of the One Piece story. That’s why Uta has never been considered canon until now.
But suddenly Uta appears in a flashback of Shanks. He thinks of a few moments in his life when a small child suddenly jumps around dancing. Although only a silhouette can be seen, Uta can be clearly identified based on her hairstyle.
You can find the excerpt at minute 1:10:
Link to YouTube content
So Uta is now canon, i.e. part of the official history. She was already shown in the manga and was therefore considered canon, but combined with her appearance in the anime, it is now undeniable that she is a part of Shanks’ past.
Oda also confirmed in Shonen Jump issues numbers 35 and 38 that Uta is canon and therefore Shanks’ adopted daughter.
Keep in mind that the events from the film are not part of the story of One Piece. So Uta played an important role in Shanks’ life, but she’s not as crazy as she was in the movie. Neither the manga nor the anime have revealed exactly what happened to her.
It also stands to reason that Luffy’s enthusiasm for music came from Uta. The two interacted as children and Luffy will have picked up on how much Uta sang and danced.
Uta probably won’t be seen in the anime or manga, but at least we now know that she’s part of it. If you want to watch the entire episode, you can currently only watch it on Crunchyroll. You need a paid subscription to watch the episode without ads.
What do you think: Will Uta appear again in the anime and manga?
