Shanks is one of the legendary Yonko in the One Piece series based on the manga written by Eiichiro Oda. The red-haired pirate is also one of the strongest characters in the series. Apart from that, his mastery over the three forms of Haki makes him formidable and uncontested in terms of strength.
Although Shanks is one of the strongest characters in the series, his meeting with The Five Elders raises questions about his motives. It also led to several fans speculating him to be a villain in the series. However, a fan theory speculates that Shanks is a protector and guardian of One Piece and might not be a villain.
Shanks’ ambiguous motives in One Piece
From protecting Luffy to inspiring him to be a pirate, Shanks is a respected and feared pirate in the One Piece series written by Eiichiro Oda. Apart from being a Yonko, he is one of the strongest characters in the series. His mastery over the three forms of Haki proves he can match up to elite pirates.
However, his motives are ambiguous, especially for the One Piece treasure. Besides, his meeting with the Five Elders concerning a “certain pirate” led fans to speculate about his potential rivalry with Luffy.
Besides, his motive and interest in pursuing One Piece have raised questions regarding his true persona. This stems from his meeting with Gorosei and his pursuit of the treasure. To add to that, theories surrounding Shanks’ knowing of the sun god fruit also raised questions regarding his true intentions.
Shanks might be the guardian and protector of One Piece
Shanks is not only one of the strongest pirates in the series but one of the four Great Emperors, aka Yonko. His mastery over the 3 major Haki is because of his training under Silver Rayleigh, the first mate of Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Besides, Shanks was a part of Roger’s crew when he was a kid. He’s also one of the very few pirates who haven’t consumed any devil fruit.
While several fans pointed to him being a villain because of his ambiguous motives, some speculated that he might be a guardian of One Piece. A user named @AniVerseOnline uploaded a video speculating about Oda hinting at Shanks being a potential guardian on YouTube.
Apart from carrying Gol D. Roger’s will, fans speculate he might be holding a key to the famous treasure. A user @KingKaos420- pointed to the possibility of Shanks being a guardian appointed by Rogers to protect the treasure on Reddit.
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byu/bebernas from discussion
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Another user named @Saqib1493 pointed out Eiichiro Oda’s use of Griffin as a symbol of guardian and protector on Reddit.
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Shanks’ Gryphon blade and Oda’s use of the symbolism of Griffin underscores a Greek legend. Griffins were mythical creatures that were used to guard the king’s treasures and gold. These creatures had an eagle’s head and a lion’s body. Besides that, griffins were considered to be as majestic as dragons.
To say the least, the Greek myth of Griffin intersects with Shanks’ Haki and his strength coupled with his nature to protect the surrounding people. Moreover, Eichiro Oda’s use of symbolism and folklore may have a kernel of truth to it. As for Shanks being a guardian and protector, we only have speculations to turn to since the theories aren’t debunked as of now.
One Piece is available for streaming on Crunchyroll
