Shanks is one of the most influential pirates in all of One Piece, being a Yonko who influenced Monkey D. Luffy’s rise as the future King of the Pirates, but Shanks is perhaps the most mysterious character on the Grand Line, with conflicting motivations that almost make it seem like he’s more than just one person. From stopping the Summit War to meeting with the Five Elders in secret despite his status as a pirate, Shanks’ actions seem contradictory.

With the reveal that Shanks might not be the only person on Elbaph with Red Hair, theories have circulated as to the true identity of “Shanks”, someone with an uncanny resemblance to the Emperor of the Sea, especially now that he’s supposed to be off Elbaf. Just who exactly is this copycat, and why is he so interested in finding Loki?

Shanks’ Doppelgänger Will Destroy Elbaph

The Conflicting Agenda of Shanks

Shanks is perhaps the most notorious and powerful Yonko on the Grand Line, coming from not-so-humble beginnings as a cabin boy on Gol D. Roger’s ship, eventually rising to become Whitebeard’s equal as an Emperor of the Sea. From encouraging Luffy to pursue his dreams to ending the Summit War outright, Shanks is seemingly one of the few pirates with a heart of gold, going so far as to keep weaker pirates save on the latter half of the Grand Line, absorbing them into his vast fleet of allied ships, despite their overall weakness as pirates.

On the surface level, Shanks is not only a great pirate, but a good person who keeps his friends safe and lives life with the utmost freedom, just like Luffy. However, Shanks has many contradictory actions across One Piece‘s narrative. Shanks met in secret with the Five Elders, despite his position as Yonko, which raised many eyebrows, considering Shanks is one of the most wanted men in the world. And the reason behind his apparent meeting was to discuss the dangers of Blackbeard as a pirate and how the Five Elders should take Teach much more seriously, which is almost in character for Shanks, except for the fact that the Five Elders would never meet Shanks without good reason. But, most importantly, Shank’s iconic scar was missing from his face during his meeting with the leaders of the World Government, something not lost on most keen-eyed fans.

And now with the appearance of “Shanks” on Elbaph (or Elbaf), either Oda forgot that Shanks is currently off-island and closing in on the One Piece, or this person isn’t Shanks, and he has either a twin or a doppelgänger working in the shadows. And if there is indeed another Shanks, the potential ramifications for Elbaph are dire indeed, as Shanks has untold sway and influence across the Giant nation, being a core territory of his, after all. This fake “Shanks” may not be a Yonko, but his power on Elbaph is almost absolute considering there isn’t a current king of the island, with Harald having been murdered by Loki.

With two Shanks operating at once, this opens up the door for endless possibilities between the real one and the fake. Twin brothers, a doppelgänger, or possible devil fruit powers, the sky’s the limit, but one thing’s for sure: “Shanks” will be a key villain in the Elbaph Arc, perhaps even more important than Loki himself, especially if “Shanks” pulls the strings from the shadows. If “Shanks” has his way, Loki may have a shorter prison sentence than initially believed, but his motivations in searching for Loki are still up in the air.

Loki’s Role in the Elbaf Arc

Why Loki Will Determine Elbaf’s Fate

Loki has a claim to the throne of Elbaf, but after he murdered Harald, the former king, for a devil fruit, his future as monarch will only be achieved through violent means. And that’s assuming Loki even wants the throne, since he wants to end the world. If “Shanks” has his way, Loki will perhaps have another chance to claim the throne, but at the very least, Loki’s freedom will result in untold chaos across Elbaf.

Initially, Loki was built up to be the primary villain of Elbaph, but now that “Shanks” is in the picture, it’s far more likely the fake will have a major hand to play in future events on the island, to the point where he may replace Loki as the primary antagonist, which could create the perfect parallel between the real Shanks and Luffy now that the two are set to eventually come to blows over the One Piece. Loki’s role in the arc will likely center around his lust for power, using trickery and mischief to escape his bonds, but his wider goal of destroying the world is still unclear.

Loki’s connection to Luffy is also a point of contention, referring to himself as the Sun God to the Elbaph populace, since the giants worship the Sun God as a deity, possibly due to Joyboy’s past interventions on the island during the Void Century. It’s likely that Loki is using the name of Sun God as a way to legitimize himself in the eyes of the giants, but it’s unlikely there is a wider connection between himself and the Warrior of Liberation other than using the name to glorify himself.

“Shanks” will likely free Loki, who will rampage across Elbaph, or at the very least, seize power to fulfill his goal of destroying the world using the powers of his devil fruit, which has yet to be revealed. It’s only a matter of time before Loki escapes and comes to blows with Luffy and the Straw Hats as they find themselves in the middle of yet another crisis after arriving at a new island. But, Loki’s success will entirely depend on what “Shanks” chooses to do and his overall motivations for arriving at Elbaph in the first place. He’s already made an enemy out of Luffy for his harsh words towards the real Shanks, and it’s unlikely his lies will have any effect on Luffy, so the only real test of strength will be the reveal of Loki’s devil fruit.

“Shanks” and his Connection to the World Government

Does Shanks Have an Evil Twin?

Shanks’ backstory is vague at best and mysterious at worst. Some theories suggest that Shanks is the son of Figarland Garling, the newest member of the Five Elders. And if that is indeed Shanks’ true father, then the possibility of “Shanks” being an evil twin brother who works for the World Government isn’t too far-fetched. It would explain how “Shanks” could meet with the Five Elders without the risk of capture, but his interest in Blackbeard creates more questions than answers, since the real Shanks has quite a rivalry with Teach.

Currently, there are too many unknowns surrounding what Shanks does and doesn’t know, as it’s entirely unclear if he even knows his true lineage or not and if he does, Shanks still may not know he has a twin. The true nature of “Shanks” and his connection to the real one will become clear in time, but that mystery may finally reveal Shank’s true history and lineage, with a possible connection to the World Government and the Five Elders themselves. It’s unlikely that Shanks is completely in the dark, however, given he’s indicated previously that he knows more than he’s letting on, especially on the topic of Joyboy and mentoring Luffy after he ate the Gumu Gumu no Mi, the fruit which the Red Hair Pirates had just stolen from a secret government ship.

With the world-shattering events of Egghead, Figarland Garling has taken center stage as a key, major antagonist of the Final Saga, and it would only make sense for Oda to flesh out his character more with connections to other characters, such as the fake “Shanks” and even the real one if he actually is Shanks’ true father. Either way, it’s clear that this “Shanks” is directly connected to the highest levels of the World Government, colluding with the Five Elders and possibly even knowing some of the greatest secrets in the world.

Overall, while “Shanks” has just made his appearance on Elbaph, his time within the narrative may have been spent lurking in the shadows right under fans’ noses with how easy it is to interchange the real and fake Shanks in a given scene, with the only indicator being Shanks’ iconic scar from Blackbeard. Either way, this fake “Shanks” has a role to play in Elbaph and within the wider Final Saga of One Piece.