We may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Learn more.

Is One Piece Film: Red canon?

With the new One Piece movie introducing Shanks' daughter Uta, many are wondering if One Piece Film: Red is canon to the anime or not

One Piece Red: Uta and Shanks

Is One Piece Film: Red canon? One Piece is one of the best anime series of all time, but it is also one of the most intense to keep track of. Since releasing in 1999, the show has seen plenty of sagas, arcs and has accumulated over 1000 episodes. It’s a lot to keep up with, and now with the latest movie One Piece Film: Red hitting our screens, you may be wondering if you have another thing to add to your pirate watch list.

While most anime movies are pretty much cut and dry as non-canon standalone flicks, One Piece Film: Red is a bit tricky, thanks to its main antagonist Uta. Uta, a pop star trying to trap the entire world in a fantasy realm, is introduced as Shanks’s daughter and Luffy’s childhood friend. It’s a pretty big connection that has many fans wondering if the new adventure movie will be referenced and followed up in future episodes of Luffy’s quest for the One Piece.

Well, The Digital Fix is here to clear up all your confusion regarding the Grand timeline. Here we go over the big question – is One Piece Film: Red canon?

Is One Piece Film: Red canon?

Suppose you aren’t a fan of your series pumping out anime movies; well, it’s good news because One Piece Film: Red isn’t canon to the One Piece TV series. Like every One Piece movie before it, Red doesn’t tie into the story of the main show or that of the manga, either. So, you could look at it as filler.

YouTube Thumbnail

The film firmly breaks away from the story of the One Piece manga, as it very passively shows Shanks and Luffy semi-reuniting as they team up to stop Uta’s plans and save the world. Now, as fans will know, at the end of the Wano arc, Shanks is pretty clear that he won’t be seeing Luffy again until the time is right (aka until they clash over the One Piece in a battle to become the new pirate king). So yeah, the events of One Piece Film: Red are very much not canon – cut and dry.

But, before you start considering giving One Piece Film: Red a miss, while it is technically a standalone animated movie, it does introduce some elements that you’ll want to know going forward into the series. As mentioned above, the new character Uta is introduced into the franchise as Shanks’ adoptive daughter – giving us a new dimension to the beloved One Piece character. It’s a small detail, but an emotional one that is still worth tuning in for.

One Piece Film: Red is out in cinemas now. For more colourful fun, here is our list of the best anime characters of all time.