For having so few appearances, Red Hair Shanks is one of the most beloved characters in One Piece.

He’s the charming epitome of everything a pirate should be in this world. Seeking out adventure, fun and bonds of friendship above all else. As one of the Four Emperors, he’s an incredibly strong and influential figure, but that’s not the side of himself that the audience was introduced to. Instead, the audience first met him as the wise mentor to Monkey D. Luffy. Even though Shanks was only in Luffy’s life for a year, he made enough of an impact that Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. Shanks was successfully shown to be everything Luffy admired about him and more, leaving fans eager to see more of him.

Shanks isn’t in the series very much at all. In fact, there are very few things known about him. Much of his past has slowly been revealed in more recent years, but he’s still a figure shrouded in mystery. This has led to the idea of Shanks being evil or in some way antagonistic to Luffy to become a well known fan theory. Very little about what he’s actually up to has been shared, and what is known is occasionally dubious. However, there have been several moments throughout the anime that highlight how much Shanks values Luffy. The latest chapter, One Piece Chapter 1132 “Adventure in Elbaph”, has another moment reafirming their relationship. Plus, Shanks is shaping up to be very important to the events of this arc.

Shanks Has Always Been Suspicious in One Piece

He Has Connections to the World Government

The theory that Shanks is evil doesn’t have much evidence going for it, but that doesn’t change the fact that Shanks is a character that comes with more questions than answers. There are several years of Shanks’ life that have yet to be explored. Not only has much of his time with the Roger Pirates been left up in the air, but the beginning of his own pirating adventure has only shown his interactions with Luffy. There are questions like “when and how did Shanks find out about the Gum Gum Fruit” or “why exactly did Shanks put off going for the One Piece for so long”. His time as a Roger Pirate must have made him very capable, but Shanks waited several years before sailing the Grand Line and becoming an Emperor. Even as an Emperor, fans don’t know what he’s done.

Shanks has spent a greater percentage of his life as a pirate than any other character.

Shanks has been sailing on his own for 19 years now, but he didn’t leave for the Grand Line until 12 years ago.

He knew about the real name of the Gum Gum Fruit and seemingly sought it out. Shanks knows more about the world than most other characters.

The most suspicious part of Shanks’ actions was the meeting he had with the Five Elders. The Five Elders are antagonists through and through. They have no morals and are tied to Imu, who may be the biggest villain in this whole story. Despite their distaste for pirates, Shanks managed to gain a meeting with them. While some fans have speculated about an evil twin, there’s no reason to think it was anyone other than Shanks who met with them. He decided to share information with them, too. Plus, there’s a high chance that Saint Figarland Garling is related to Shanks, giving him even stronger ties to the Celestial Dragons. The balance of power and subsequent politics of One Piece are complex, so there are plenty of reasons Shanks could have to meet them. However, it still isn’t a good look for him.

Luffy’s Allies Aren’t Safe From Shanks

Bartolomeo Was Wrong and Paid For It

Shanks has never made a move directly against Luffy. He’s even been shown to help Luffy in various ways. His fondness for Luffy doesn’t extend to Luffy’s allies. In the cover stories, Bartolomeo the Cannibal was shown destroying a town that wouldn’t denounce Shanks for Luffy. As the island was in Shanks’ territory, he stepped in to stop the pirates causing trouble. Bartolomeo’s crew was easily rounded up. Shanks seemed to gain respect for Bartolomeo because he was willing to drink poison for Luffy, but Yasopp still destroyed the Going Luffy Senpai. The current state of the Barto Club is unknown.

Eustass Kid had picked a fight with Shanks long before he and Luffy were allies. Shanks let Kid go after taking his arm. Kid kept up this grudge against Shanks and sought to harm Shanks’ allies after Wano. At this point, Shanks demolishes Kid’s ship in retaliation. Luffy and Kid were not allies at this point, and Kid picked the fight. Shanks had no reason to show mercy, but it does prove that his fondness for Luffy doesn’t extend very far. Bartolomeo’s situation isn’t the same as Kid’s, but they both attacked Shanks. Unlike KId, Bartolomeo’s ship was destroyed in his first encounter with Shanks, despite their shared connection to Luffy.

Shanks Hasn’t Stopped Caring About Luffy

Shanks is Still Part of Luffy’s Life

Shanks can be seen as giving mixed signals from his interactions with Bartolomeo, but he still cares about Luffy. Shanks has been keeping an eye on Luffy through the news ever since Dracule Mihawk showed him Luffy’s wanted poster. He and his crew were both thrilled and proud of Luffy’s progress. On top of that, Shanks made sure Buggy the Clown returned Luffy’s Straw Hat to him during the events of Marineford. During this arc, Shanks admitted to wanting to see Luffy again, but he valued the promise they made to each other too much to break it just for that. While Shanks has many reasons for being involved in the Paramount War, Luffy became one of his highest priorities when he needed Shanks.