While the One Piece anime might catch flak for moving at the speed of molasses at times, the manga is criticized for the exact opposite. There are several points where the story seems to accelerate unnecessarily, resulting in character introductions and reveals that are easy to miss. You might have run into this very problem, and as a result, you have no idea who Shaka is in One Piece or why you should care. Fortunately, we’re here to help with an explainer guide.
Do be aware, however, that we’ll need to dig into plot points from the Egghead Island arc. If you’re not up to date with the latest chapter, then be prepared for *Spoilers Ahead*.
Shaka From One Piece: Identity, Importance, & More Explained
As pointed out in his introduction during One Piece‘s Egghead Island arc, Shaka is one of six satellite bodies created by Dr. Vegapunk. He acts as a means of housing Vegapunk’s ever-growing intellect, and represents the Good aspects of the legendary scientist.
Shaka also serves as the leader of Vegapunk’s satellite bodies. While they may resist and argue against his orders regularly, most all of the other manifestations of the scientist’s being go along with his plans and commands due to their almost always being to the benefit of everyone.
Outside of these characteristics, he is also one of the few Satellites who either doesn’t have a face or has his face hidden by a helmet. It is still unknown what he would look like should he be able to remove his helmet, or if his face would reveal him to be an integral character whose importance to the story will play into later arcs.
Is Shaka the Traitor in One Piece?
More recently, an aspect of Shaka that has drawn particular attention is whether or not he is the traitor among the Vegapunk satellites in One Piece.
While it still hasn’t been confirmed one way or the other, there have at least been some moments and panels which can be interpreted as him acting suspiciously. In particular, he tends to provide answers which gloss over or hide important information, such as when he tells the Straw Hats that certain Den den Mushi cameras aren’t functioning properly. Likewise, he lets Luffy go off in search of Bonnie despite knowing exactly where she’d be.
These could be coincidences though, and he very well may be a red herring meant to keep people from noticing the actual traitor. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in upcoming chapters.
Hopefully this gave you a better idea of who Shaka is in One Piece. For more on the series, we’ve got plenty of related articles down below.
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