While Luffy remains the main character, no one can deny Shanks’ huge influence, especially in the story’s final arc. One Piece has been running for 28 years, but few know that Oda had concrete plans for Shanks 31 years ago. In chapter 1168, that vision finally came to life from old drafts onto official pages. Shanks appears as a Knight at the Mary Geoise Sanctuary.
Oda designed Shanks as a Knight 31 years ago
One Piece officially debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump about 28 years ago, but Oda had been developing the story long before that. In fact, he envisioned the series’ ending back when he was in college. Before Romance Dawn, the original prototype of One Piece, was created around 31 years ago, Oda had early sketches for characters including Shanks.
In those initial designs, Shanks was not a pirate but a Knight. This Knight was described as chivalrous, honorable, and kind-hearted. However, when the main story began, Shanks was introduced as a powerful pirate. It wasn’t until chapter 1168 that Oda officially revealed and incorporated Shanks’ identity as a Knight.
According to chapter 1168, Shanks’ mysterious past is gradually unveiled. About 15 years ago, Shanks returned to the Mary Geoise Sanctuary. There, he was granted the title Sword of the Gods, the trusted right hand of the Holy Knights. After more than three decades, Oda’s vision of a “Knight Shanks” has finally become reality.
However, this role did not last forever. Just two years later (13 years before the current timeline), Shanks left the Knights to return to the seas as a pirate. This was when he pulled off a shocking heist: stealing the Gomu Gomu no Mi Devil Fruit from CP9 while they were transporting it for the World Government. A year later, he met Luffy, and the rest became history.
A Pirate with the Heart of a Knight
Even after leaving the title Sword of the Gods and the Holy Knights, Shanks never lost his knightly nature. Much like Sanji, who always acts with chivalry, Shanks carries the spirit of a knight despite being labeled an “outlaw” pirate. He continues to protect the weak and uphold justice in his own way.
Oda’s revelation of Shanks’ knightly past not only deepens fans’ understanding of his mysterious origins but also highlights the author’s consistent character development over more than 30 years. Shanks will continue to play the role of a “Knight without a crown” in the final saga, regardless of which side he stands on.
This event once again proves that in Oda’s world, no detail is wasted and no draft is forgotten.