Highlights
- Shanks is the longest-reigning Emperor in the New World of One Piece, a rank achieved without a Devil Fruit but with powerful Haki.
- Despite being a pirate, Shanks is laid-back and avoids conflict, enjoying travel, drinking, and banquets.
- Shanks has close relationships with Dracule Mihawk, Dorry & Brogy, Monkey D. Luffy, and more.
The world of One Piece is filled with pirates, but the New World is dominated by four pirate captains. These four Emperors are some of One Piece's strongest characters, and Shanks is now the longest-reigning Emperor. He has achieved this rank without the power of a Devil Fruit, but he possesses extremely powerful and advanced Haki. Shanks is connected to several One Piece characters, but only a handful of them can be considered his friends.
One Piece: 7 Strongest Unnamed Devil Fruits
These powerful Devil Fruits don't have a name yet in One Piece.
Shanks may be a pirate, but he is not arrogant, and he prefers to avoid conflict. He is a laid-back person who enjoys traveling the world with his crew, and his favorite pastime involves drinking and banquets. That being said, Shanks is ruthless when he is forced to fight for real.
9 Dracule Mihawk
Friendly Rivals
Dracule Mihawk is the world's strongest swordsman, and he wields Yoru - one of the world's 12 Supreme Grade swords. In the past, Mihawk and Shanks sought each other out so they could duel, and their clashes were said to be very intense. These duels would have continued, but Mihawk lost interest when Shanks lost his arm.
That being said, Mihawk retains a friendly relationship with Shanks, but Shanks is far more energetic when the two meet. When Mihawk informed Shanks about Luffy's first bounty, Shanks threw a party and celebrated with his former rival. During the Summit War, Mihawk apologized to Shanks before using a full-force attack on Luffy.
8 Dorry & Brogy
Long-Time Acquaintances
Dorry and Brogy are the co-captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, and they first appeared during the Arabasta saga when the Straw Hats ran into them on Little Garden. Shanks met the Giants when he was younger, and they hit it off.
One Piece: The Best Villains, Ranked
Luffy and the gang have come up against some incredibly dastardly villains but these fearsome foes stand above the rest.
Dorry and Brogy refer to Shanks as "brother", which proves that they share a special bond. While the Red Hair Pirates were in Elbaf, the Kid Pirates posed a serious threat to the citizens, and Shanks asked both Giants for their assistance. This shows that Shanks also respects them as warriors.
7 Makino
Close Friend
Makino is the bartender of Foosha Village - the town where Luffy grew up. Shanks met her when his crew visited the village, and they developed a close friendship. When Higuma assaulted Shanks in the bar, Makino cared for his well-being, and he willingly cleaned up the mess that Higuma caused. Afterward, Makino cleaned him off.
Makino was very grateful to Shanks for saving Luffy's life, and she holds a great deal of respect for him because he was willing to sacrifice an arm. Makino is not fond of pirates, but she still considers Shanks to be a good person.
6 Monkey D. Luffy
Saved His Life & Entrusted Him With The Straw Hat
Shanks met Monkey D. Luffy in Foosha Village, and the future Straw Hat captain took an immediate liking to him. Shanks inspired Luffy to become a pirate, and he still views Shanks as a role model and personal hero. Luffy owes his life to Shanks, and he still considers Shanks' straw hat to be his most precious treasure.
Shanks has been monitoring Luffy's progress for years, and he was proud of him for defeating Kaido and becoming one of the Four Emperors. They have not seen each other since Luffy was a child, but Shanks is eager to reunite with him at the right time.
5 Buggy The Clown
Childhood friends & Former Crewmates
When they were children, Shanks and Buggy were apprentices with the Roger Pirates. They fought quite often, but they were able to hold friendly conversations from time to time. When Buggy became ill, Shanks willingly stayed behind to care for him while the rest of the Roger Pirates went to Laugh Tale.
That being said, Buggy blames Shanks for his accidentally eating a Devil Fruit and losing a treasure map. As a result, Buggy continues to hold a grudge against Shanks. Despite this, Shanks still considers Buggy to be a good friend. Even Whitebeard acknowledged how close the two were, and others have described their relationship as brotherly.
4 Uta
Adopted Daughter
Uta was the main villain of One Piece Film: Red, but she is a canonical character. She and Luffy are childhood friends, but she is much closer to Shanks - who views her as a daughter. Shanks rescued Uta from pirates when she was two years old, and she joined his crew as a musician.
One Piece: 6 Characters Who Can Rival Monkey D. Dragon
Monkey D. Dragon is one of the most powerful One Piece characters, but there are some who can pose a threat to him.
Shanks cared for Uta and encouraged her to become a singer. He left Uta with Gordon, so she could develop her abilities, and when she accidentally destroyed Elegia, he assumed the blame so she would not feel guilty. She hated Shanks for abandoning her, but they reconnected by the end of the film. He still considers Uta to be part of his family, and he was willing to fight two admirals to protect her.
3 Lucky Roux
Long-Time Crewmate
Lucky Roux is the cook of the Red Hair Pirates, and he is one of the crew's senior officers. He is the one who found Luffy's Devil Fruit, and he is known for his huge appetite. He also appears to be a very fun-loving individual, but he will kill if he needs to.
Lucky is one of Shank's most trusted crew members, and he is close to Shanks at all times. Lucky proved how loyal he is pretty early on in the series when he shot one of Higuma's men for pointing a gun at Shanks.
2 Yassop
Long-Time Crewmate
Yassop is the sniper of the Red Hair Pirates, and he was the first person to join Shanks' crew. They met two years after Roger's execution, and Shanks sought him out because he heard that Yassop was the best shot in the East Blue.
One Piece: Every Haki Grade, Ranked
Haki is a powerful ability in One Piece that every character should know how to use if they want to win.
At first, Yassop refused to join Shanks, but his wife convinced him to follow his dream of becoming a pirate. This is the reason why he feels so grateful to Shanks. They have known each other for over 13 years, and Yassop is always by Shanks' side.
1 Benn Beckman
Right-Hand Man
Benn Beckman is Shanks' right-hand man, which means that Shanks trusts him more than anyone. They have known each other for over a decade, and Benn is always close to Shanks - just like Lucky and Yassop. He understands how Shanks operates, and he was the one who told Luffy about Shanks' daily responsibilities as a pirate captain.
After so many years, Benn is still amazed by some of Shanks' foolish actions. He was glad that Shanks saved Luffy, but he could not believe how panicked he became when Luffy got kidnapped. He was also surprised that Shanks wanted to get drunk when he was already very hungover.
One Piece (1999)
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Seasons
- 20
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
