Shanks

"Red-Haired" Shanks, commonly known as "Red Hair", is the captain of the Red Hair Pirates and one of the Yonko. He is also a former member of the legendary Roger Pirates, the only group to successfully conquer the Grand Line. He is the pirate who inspired Luffy to go on his journey as a pirate. He found the Gomu Gomu no Mi that was accidentally eaten by Luffy. Shanks always wears a long black cape over his shoulders and, prior to giving it to Luffy, wore a straw hat obtained from Gol D. Roger (his former captain) that he had worn for many years beforehand and which was synonymous with his image. He initially wore slightly loose brown trousers cut below the knee and collected halfway up the shin, with golden buttons down the outer leg.

Recently he has been seen wearing a similar pair, but looser and with floral patterns on them. He wears a pair of sandals and is unshaven with a short, scruffy beard. In all his appearances so far as captain of his own crew, Shanks has worn a white shirt which is only half buttoned, leaving part of his chest exposed. A large red sash is tied around his waist and holds his sabre on the right side. Initially, in Chapter 1, his shirt is tucked under the sash. However, in his appearances that feature him since he left Luffy's hometown, the shirt is untucked, giving him a much scruffier appearance than when he is seen in the past. The most striking thing about Shanks is the color of his red hair, from which his epithet 'Red-Haired Shanks' is derived. He also has three scars across his left eye, which were revealed to have been given to him by Blackbeard, He is also missing his left arm, a direct result of him saving Luffy from a Sea King when Luffy was a child. The scars across his left eye seem to tingle whenever he confronts Blackbeard. At the start of One Piece, Shanks bore a physical similarity to Luffy. As Oda's style changed, Shanks became more distinct. The shape of his eyes are much sharper and narrower than they used to be. His nose has become more defined, similar to how Nico Robin's nose is heavily defined compared to those of most other characters in the series. His trademark red hair is also slightly longer, with the fringe pushed more toward the sides.


It is also wavier and more slicked back, as opposed to how it was parted in the middle at the beginning of the series. Little is known about what Shanks is truly capable of, as he has not been seen heavily engaged in battle yet; however, as a member of the Yonko in the New World, his raw physical power is assumed to be immense, and he is known to be one of the four strongest pirates in the world. Shanks did not fear Whitebeard, the world's strongest pirate, and even had enough strength to clash with him, whereas some pirate captains quivered at the mere mention of Whitebeard's name. Rockstar also used his captain's name to convey to Whitebeard the importance of the letter he delivered to him. It was also stated by the Gorosei that he is one of the few people capable of stopping Teach. Admiral Akainu fought through many men and a few Shichibukai to get to Luffy, but did not challenge Shanks when the Yonko appeared. He appears to be an excellent swimmer as well, having reached the young Luffy out in the middle of the sea before the Sea King could devour him. According to Buggy, as a young man, Shanks was a strong fighter and, had it not been for his ideals, Buggy would have wanted him on his crew. As a member of the Yonko, Shanks' name alone commands great power, as Buggy himself proved; his assertion that he previously had a "brotherly bond" with Shanks was one of the many things that earned him respect from the Impel Down inmates. In addition, Buggy did not shy from using the names of Shanks and his previous captain, Gol D. Roger, to maintain his respect among them. Even the fact that Buggy was seen back talking to Shanks was seen as a testament of Buggy's own power to the former prisoners, who were not aware that the two had always acted like this and mistakenly thinking that it was because Buggy was not afraid of a Yonko. Shanks commands enough power to end the war at Marineford with just words; when he stated that there was to be no more fighting, no one stepped up to challenge him, even though the Marines were fired up after the death of Ace and Whitebeard. When Shanks offered to fight the very overconfident and pompous Blackbeard (who moments before had boasted about destroying the island and taking down Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp after having already killed Whitebeard), Blackbeard declined and decided to leave, as it was too soon for him and his crew to take on Shanks. Furthermore, when Shanks requested that Whitebeard's and Portgas D. Ace's dignity at death not be violated, Sengoku himself decided to call off the war and offered to take responsibility, showing that despite being a pirate, Shanks has earned Sengoku’s respect, something that no pirate other than Whitebeard is known to have achieved.