One Piece Just Smashed Japan's Records — Thank Shamrock's Hype, Not Luffy

One Piece dropped the Japanese voice actor for Shamrock, and the fandom did what it does best: melted down in record time. The reveal video spiked so hard that the official One Piece YouTube channel briefly ranked 3rd among the most-viewed channels in Japan. Not a bad day at the office.

"He’s Shanks' brother, after all."

That line summed up the vibe on X pretty well. Per @pewpiece, a usually reliable One Piece news feed, the ranking wave hit right after the reveal landed on November 15, 2025, with reactions blowing past the usual noise. But the character wasn’t the only draw. The voice behind him did a lot of heavy lifting.

So, who’s voicing Shamrock?

Kenjiro Tsuda. If you’ve watched literally any big anime lately, you’ve heard him. He’s Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen, Joker in Fire Force, and Nowak in Orb. When a show needs a low-pitched, cool-headed, authoritative presence, studios call Tsuda. Casting him as Figarland Shamrock feels like a layup. The energy lines up perfectly.

Fans even started calling the surge the Kenjiro Tsuda effect. And honestly, fair.

Why this casting actually matters

Beyond the hype, the reveal quietly cleared up a recent debate. One Piece gave Shamrock a distinct, very recognizable voice for his official debut, separate from his twin. That basically supports what a lot of fans have been arguing: the mysterious person who met the Five Elders earlier probably wasn’t Shamrock. The voice difference backs that up.

Where Shamrock fits in the bigger picture

Shamrock isn’t some background extra. Even before the casting news, spoilers had already painted him as a major player: Shanks' older twin brother, a high-ranking World Noble, and the commander of the Knights of God. The guy sits way up the food chain. The word going around is that he’ll be the main antagonist of the Elbaf arc, which means the story is nowhere near easing up.

There’s also a running fan theory that Shamrock lets Oda keep that Shanks aura in the narrative without overusing Shanks himself. If that’s the plan, it’s a smart way to keep that same pressure and mystique in play, just with new angles.

• The VA reveal went up on the official One Piece YouTube channel and pushed it to 3rd among Japan’s most-viewed channels on Nov 15, 2025, according to @pewpiece.
• Kenjiro Tsuda’s big roles: Nanami (Jujutsu Kaisen), Joker (Fire Force), Nowak (Orb) - basically the blueprint for stoic, commanding voices.
• Fans are labeling the surge the Kenjiro Tsuda effect, and the shoe fits.
• The distinct voice for Shamrock helps separate him from his twin and supports the idea that the earlier Five Elders meeting wasn’t him.
• Shamrock’s setup: Shanks' older twin, elite World Noble, commander of the Knights of God, and positioned as Elbaf’s main antagonist.

Where to watch and read

All current episodes of One Piece are streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available digitally via Viz Media.