The One Piece Film Red anime movie is one heck of a trip for long-time fans of the series. Not only does it put Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates front and center, but it also introduces Uta; who, by all intents and purposes, is considered Shanks’ daughter. If you’re like most discerning fans though, you’ve probably been left wondering: Is Uta Shanks’ real daughter in One Piece Film Red, or is their relationship a little less simple than sharing a bond by blood?
Fortunately for you, we’ve constructed this detailed explainer guide on the subject to help clear things up.
Are Uta and Shanks Related in One Piece Film Red? Answered
The truth of the matter is that Shanks and Uta aren’t related by blood in One Piece Film Red.
Instead, Uta is Shanks’ adopted daughter. This occurred when he found her in a treasure chest that he and the Red Hair Pirates plundered during a raid against an enemy pirate crew. Realizing that they had no way of finding her real parents – or if her parents were even still alive, given that pirates had her in their possession – he decided to see the occurrence as fate and took her in to raise her as his own alongside his crew members.
He kept her by his side for nine years, and it was during this time that he met Luffy in Fusha Village. Luffy then met Uta, and the two became fast friends as they constantly competed to see who was better in a variety of areas. She then left with Shanks on a temporary voyage to Elegia, where Uta gained Shanks’ permission to study music alongside Gordon, one of the island’s inhabitants. She then went on to gain the love and admiration of the island’s residents through her great skill in music and singing.
Did Shanks Abandon Uta on Elegia?
However, her being left behind by Shanks proved to be a terrible mistake, and drives the conflict that plays out in One Piece Film Red.
While training on Elegia, Uta discovered the Tot Musica, a demon that can be summoned through the perfect recitation of a song that contains it. Not knowing this, Uta finds the song and sings it, unleashing the Tot Musica upon Elegia. Shanks then arrived only to find the Tot Musica destroying Elegia and slaughtering its inhabitants. He then defeated the demon alongside his crew, but not before it successfully killed everyone except Uta and Gordon.
Shanks then decided to take the blame for the tragedy, sparing Uta of the sad reality of what she’d caused. He took off with the island’s treasure, and left uta in the care of Gordon under the condition that he tell Uta that she had been abandoned and the Red Hair Pirates were only ever interested in getting the island’s treasure using her.
Though Uta discovers the truth about a year after the tragedy, she still blames Shanks for choosing to abandon her instead of helping her deal with what she’d done. This hatred turns into a grudge, and is what fuels her desire to enact the New Genesis plan over the course of the film.
So that about wraps things up for now, though. Hopefully this cleared up whether or not Uta is Shanks’ real daughter in One Piece Film Red. For more on the series, check out any of the related articles down below. We’ve also got plenty of other One Piece guides and features to check out, including a guide on who the man marked by flame is and a list of every One Piece arc, ranked.