There are quite a few characters in One Piece who go by just one name, like a pirate version of Madonna. In the Straw Hats alone, we’ve got Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Jinbe, and Brook. Sometimes, this naming convention is an indicator that the character was found as an orphan, like Nami. But more intriguingly, sometimes it’s an indicator of a secret past. Sanji, for example, was a member of the One Name Club until we learned that he ran away from his family, the Vinsmokes, who are essentially Saturday morning cartoon-type science supervillains / evil rulers.
Spoilers for One Piece Film: Red and One Piece chapter 1086 ahead!
Related: The 10 Best One Piece Characters on Attack of the Fanboy
Until One Piece Film: Red, Shanks was a member of the One Name Club as well. But, like Sanji, it turns out that Shanks is hiding something. The Five Elders casually toss a name around while wondering if Uta, like her (adoptive, as it turns out) father Shanks, is a “Figarland.” This was the first time anyone had ever mentioned the possibility of Shanks having a family name. After all, Shanks was found as a baby by Gol D. Roger and his crew. It was safe to assume he was in the One Name Club because he was orphaned.
Turns out, it’s much more complicated than that. And the ramifications of Shanks’ secret for One Piece as a whole are truly dizzying.
Important side note here: names in One Piece follow the Japanese naming convention of putting your family name first, followed by your given name. And mangaka Eiichiro Oda is extraordinarily gifted at naming in his native language: “Luffy D. Monkey” and “Zoro Roronoa” don’t pack nearly the same punch as “Monkey D. Luffy” and “Roronoa Zoro.” We all understand this subconsciously because no one calls Luffy “Monkey.” But the clarification might be helpful.
Who are the Figarlands?
The way that the Five Elders talk about Shanks being part of the Figarland family in One Piece Film: Red, you get the sense that the Figarlands might be Celestial Dragons. Which would mean that Shanks is one of the descendants of the 20 monarchs who founded the World Government. Celestial Dragons are treated as infallible gods, so long as they don’t “debase” themselves by leaving the Holy Land of Mary Geoise and abandoning their title. Which is inconceivable to most of them. To most of these World Nobles, anyone who’s not a fellow Celestial Dragon is no better than a bit of scum on the bottom of your shoe. They’re slave owners, after all.
Shanks clearly isn’t living the Celestial Dragon life. That said, we learn in chapter 1086 that the Figarlands are Celestial Dragons. So, like Donquixote Doflamingo, Shanks has that lineage but is living the life of a pirate. But there’s even more to Shanks’ particular family tree than that.
In chapter 1086, we meet another Figarland, St. Figarland Garling. Despite being a dead ringer for Mac Tonight, the “Saint” clues us in that Garling is a Celestial Dragon. But St. Figarland Garling was also the ruler of God Valley until it vanished 38 years ago, following an epic battle between the Rocks Pirates and an alliance between the Marines and the Roger Pirates. This is unusual: very few Celestial Dragons have actual jobs. Most of them just laze around, using human slaves as cars and being complete asswipes. The only exceptions to “Celestial Dragons with jobs” are the Five Elders. And Imu. Although Imu is … uh … the actual original descendent.
Anyway, the unlikely alliance in the God Valley Incident was protecting Celestial Dragons and their slaves on the island. Their presence makes it seem that God Valley was a place of importance to Celestial Dragons, hence the “god” part. Alas, God Valley no longer exists.
But there’s even more to the Figarland name than that. Garling is currently the “Supreme Commander” of the God’s Knights, an elite royal guard that acts as law enforcement in the Celestial Dragons’ home, the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. The God’s Knights rank above the Marines, meaning that their members could have even greater power than the Navy Admirals.
Has Shanks been lying to us?
Since literally chapter 1, Shanks has been painted as One Piece‘s exceedingly cool uncle. He’s an inspirational figure and the very reason Luffy wanted to become a pirate. He’s a badass and a gentleman with a heart of gold. But for a long time, a subsection of One Piece theorists have opined that Shanks could very well be among One Piece‘s ultimate villains. One Piece Film: Red inspired me to dispel these theories. He’s just such a golden guy. A hunk of a man!
Increasingly, I’m not so sure. At the very least, it’s clear there’s something complicated happening under that smooth, smooth surface. I’m not even talking about Shanks straight-up murdering Kid, which you could argue was justified because of the greater loss of life that would have resulted from Kid’s attack.
If Shanks knows he’s a Figarland, this would explain some things. Like how Shanks—an Emperor of the Sea, sure, but a pirate—easily got an audience with the Five Elders. In the middle of the Reverie, no less. Just being a “fallen” Celestial Dragon wouldn’t get you that kind of privilege. Donquixote Doflamingo is also a “fallen” Celestial Dragon who no longer lives in Mary Geoise, but he’s been denied all access to the Holy Land. He’s not even considered a Celestial Dragon anymore.
But if Shanks is from a family of especially high-ranking Celestial Dragons—a family with military rank—that’s another matter entirely. And there might be—you guessed it—even more ramifications to Shanks’ involvement than mere ease of getting an audience with the Five Elders. Shanks might be an active member of the God’s Knights. Fans have pointed out that, among the silhouettes seen when the God’s Knight’s existence is introduced, one figure looks suspiciously like Shanks.
The first thing St. Figarland Garling says on camera is, “Stand up for sub-human scum and you sink even lower!!!” He’s referring to poor Donquixote Myosgard, whom he had just executed for protecting the royal family of Fishman Island. It would come as a genuine shock if Shanks shares this opinion. It would make Shanks the greatest actor and schemer in all of history. Remember, his fleet is made up entirely of incredibly weak pirates, simply because he knows he can protect them with his clout. It’s for their sake that he attacked Kid.
Obviously, there’s a lot here. Leave it to One Piece‘s final saga to make us question the alliance of a longstanding (though mysterious) hero of the series.
(featured image: Toei Animation)
