Shanks, alongside the Red Hair Pirates, is set to play a major role in One Piece’s final saga – here’s everything we know about the crew so far.
We meet the red-haired pirates quite early in One Piece. They often go to the village of Foosha, where they meet little Luffy. It is thanks to this crew that the protagonist dreams of becoming a pirate himself and embarks on a great adventure.
Despite their bond, Luffy and the red-haired pirates haven’t met in a long time. But we know that their reunion is imminent since the crew, led by Shanks, will play a significant role in the final war, and possibly in the Elbaf Arc. However, we don’t know which side they will be on at this point.
Although the group is very important to the plot, we know almost nothing about them. Shanks and his team appear very little in the story. But when they do, it is striking enough to remind us of their stature, which is why we must talk about them at length.
One of the most dangerous crews in One Piece
As Shanks is one of the Yonko (aka the Four Emperors), his crew is one of the most dangerous groups in One Piece.
Eiichiro Oda/Toei Animation
The Yonko are some of the strongest characters in the series. Before the timeskip, the four emperors were Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and Shanks. After the Marineford War, Whitebeard was replaced by Blackbeard. Eventually, Kaido and Big Mom are also defeated.
This means that only Shanks remains from the old group, and thus he is perhaps the most dangerous. It seems that this is also the case, as he and his crew are known in the pirate world. Even the admirals of the Navy are wary of the red-haired pirates.
Shanks and his crew’s influence became evident during the Marineford War. When the conflict was at its height, their mere presence on the battlefield was enough to stop everything. We would later see further examples of their infamy when they destroyed the Kid Pirates during the Egghead Arc.
In One Piece Chapter 1126, the Red Hair Pirates give everyone one more reason to fear them. When the Barto Club, led by Bartolomeo, stumbles upon one of their territories, they are caught in a twisted test of loyalty and eventually, their ship is destroyed by the Yonko crew.
Who is in the Red Hair Pirates?
The Red Haired Pirates are filled with nefarious individuals and led by the mysterious Shanks.
Eiichiro Oda/Toei Animation
Although the crew size is quite large (still smaller than most Yonko crews), we only meet a few of them. Besides the leader (captain), there is a second lieutenant and eight senior officers.
Here are the known members of the Red Hair Pirates:
- Benn Beckman – first lieutenant
- Lucky Roux – Senior Officer and Cook
- Yasopp – Senior Officer and Sniper
- Bonk Punch – Senior Officer and Musician
- Monster – Senior Officer and Musician
- Snake Building – Senior Officer and Navigator
- Hongo – Senior Officer and Doctor
- Limejuice – Senior Officer
- Gab – Senior Officer
- Rockstar – Crew Member
In addition to the senior officers, the Red-Haired Pirates have many unnamed crew members. Uta, a world-renowned musician and Shanks’ adopted daughter, introduced in the One Piece: Red movie, was also part of the crew as a child.
Eiichiro Oda/Toei Animation
As a Yonko, Shanks has a lot of influence in the New World. He grants his protection to several pirate crews in exchange for their loyalty (such as Luffy’s Straw Hat fleet). Some of them are encountered in One Piece:
- The Puddle Pirates – led by Gerotini
- Social Club – Run by Fugar
- Bourgeois Pirates – led by Pururu
- The Moth Pirates – Linaria
- Nameless Pirate Crew – Oli
They all have high bonuses
Aside from their ship, the crew is also known for their high bounties. We only know the numbers for two members – Shanks and Rockstar – but given their notoriety, it’s clear that Beckman and the higher-ups also have large bounties on their heads.
Eiichiro Oda/Toei Animation
Shanks’ current bounty is 4,048,900,000 bellies.which is one of the highest bounties in One Piece. Rockstar, at the time of his arrival, had 94,000,000 bellies on his head and was still considered a rookie. Thus, the bounties of the other members must be higher than 100,000,000 bellies at least.
The Red-Haired Pirates sail through the New World aboard their ship Red Force. While it is unknown exactly when they obtained it, since they had a different ship when they visited Foosha Village, it must have been before the Marineford War.
Shanks has a huge influence on Luffy
As we all know, Luffy was greatly influenced by Shanks during the latter’s stay in Foosha Village. He was impressed by the adventures of the red-haired pirates and wanted to sail with them. Shanks, in turn, saw his former captain Gol D. Roger inside Luffy.
Eiichiro Oda/Toei Animation
Although they didn’t spend much time together, they both left indelible marks on each other’s lives. Shanks sacrificed his arm to save Luffy from a Sea King and later gave the boy his beloved straw hat, believing in Luffy’s dream of becoming the Pirate King.
Luffy still doesn’t know that the Straw Hat originally belonged to Roger. To him, it is a treasure since it was given to him by Shanks. His love and protection of the hat clearly shows how much the red-haired pirate means to him.
Despite Shanks’ questionable motives, he has always looked out for Luffy and celebrated the boy’s growing bounties. He also met Ace and made sure to give him a proper burial after the Marineford War. Recently, he tested Bartolomeo’s loyalty to Luffy in Chapter 1126.
Besides Luffy and Shanks, the Straw Hat Pirates have another connection to the Red-Haired Pirates. Usopp is Yasopp’s son, but he left Usopp’s mother in Syrup Village for a life at sea. When the two crews finally reunite, father and son will meet for the first time in years.
Since we are now immersed in the final saga of One Piece, we will now discover the red-haired pirates and learn more about them. We will also finally discover Shanks’ roots and the mysteries surrounding him.
For more on the wonderful world of One Piece, check out our guides to the Void Century, Bonney’s Devil Fruit, and Imu. You can also find out what’s happening with the One Piece reboot on Netflix.
