Eiichiro Oda has featured a number of deaths in One Piece so far but only one of them is traumatizing enough to make your brain shut down. It is the most unexpected death for any One Piece fan, and the incident shaped the way Luffy and the Straw Hats grew next.
But you would be surprised to know that the aftermath of the Marineford Battle is not just traumatizing to fans, but also to other staff members behind the anime. One cast member in particular was shell-shocked as they accidentally received a spoiler from Eiichiro Oda himself.
Usopp’s Voice Actor Found Out About Ace’s Death Before it Even Happened
Kappei Yamaguchi, the voice actor of Usopp in the One Piece anime was present at a live-stream in 2023 when he revealed a shocking truth. Apparently, the voice actor happened to be present when Eiichiro Oda was having a discussion with his editor. The discussion in particular was about Ace’s upcoming death.
This conversation took place two years before Ace’s death was published in the One Piece manga. So it was still at the planning stage when Usopp overheard the conversation. You can only imagine the kind of shock and pain Yamaguchi must have gone through once he heard the tragic spoiler.
Even more surprising is the fact that the cast member kept the secret to himself for two more years. The worst part of the whole instance is that the whole Marineford Arc must have been ruined for Yamaguchi since he knew Luffy’s tireless efforts wouldn’t pay off.
The conversation that Yamaguchi heard was regarding the last lines spoken by Ace before he died. Ace’s last words to Luffy were:
Thank you for loving me!!!!
With these heart-wrenching words, Ace bid farewell to his little brother Luffy while the latter could do nothing to save him. If Yamaguchi had overheard this particular scene, it must have been even more traumatizing to live with the full weight of the loss.
Ace’s Death in One Piece Caused His Voice Actor to Almost Quit
Toshio Furukawa, the voice actor of Ace, has expressed how he felt about his character’s death on X. News of Ace’s death was devastating to Furukawa and after getting to know the plot, he was reluctant to go to the recording studio. The death of Ace also affected the rest of the cast.
Ace’s death… The morning of the recording, I didn’t want to go to the studio… Luffy breaking down over Ace’s death…I have never seen a crying performance better than that one…
Furukawa confessed that the crying performance presented by Luffy’s voice actor during Ace’s death was actually mind-boggling. Mayumi Tanaka gave it her all, making it the best performance ever experienced by Furukawa. The voice actor of Ace also admitted that it was Tanaka’s touching performance that made him finally come to terms with Ace’s death.
Ace’s flashback scene during the Wano Arc demanded the voice actor to make a comeback. Ace’s short but impactful appearance during the Wano arc cheered up fans of the character. Let’s hope that Furukawa felt the same way as he returned to One Piece for a brief while.
You can read One Piece on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
