Since the translation into German usually takes some time, many fans of One Piece watch the anime with the original Japanese voices. However, one voice actor, who has been there since the first appearance of a Straw Hat pirate, is now retiring.
Who is it about? Kazuki Yao has been voicing Franky since 2005, but has also been heard in the roles of Bon Curry and Jango. He bid farewell on X with the words that he has decided to leave the Thousand Sunny:
The difficult farewell has finally come. After nearly 25 years together, it’s time for our paths to part… It feels surreal, as if I am no longer in my body, and there is this gap between me and the Franky I always wanted to be. So I have decided to leave the Sunny for now. This sucks! It hurts!! I’m really sorry!
The voice actor of Franky has particularly become known for his raspy voice. In his role, he often shouts a loud “SUPER,” which has become Franky’s trademark. That there is such a message suggests that this was not a spontaneous decision, but a lengthy process.
Kazuki Yao also voiced in the movie One Piece Stampede:
Kazuki Yao gives an outlook on Franky’s future
What happens next? The Japanese voice actor will soon be replaced, after all, Franky is still part of the story. Yao revealed that it will be announced soon who will take over the role. At Jump Festa ’25, which will take place on December 22, 2024, his successor is expected to be revealed.
Presumably, the new voice will then be heard in the upcoming episodes of the Egghead Island arc. Currently, the anime is on a longer break until April 2025. Instead, there is a remake of the Fishman Island arc to watch.
Why is he stopping? Yao has not revealed an official reason for his retirement. One possible reason could be his age, as he is 65 years old. This places him in the middle range of the voice actors of the Straw Hat pirates: the age range here goes from 55 to a full 78 years.
Another reason could be a possible health issue. As early as October 2024, the voice of Jango had to be replaced for an episode due to Yao’s health status (via X).
Whatever the reasons for his retirement may be, we wish him all the best for the future and are curious to see who his successor will be!
Franky was abandoned by his parents at a young age. Through the backstory of a villain from One Piece, it could be that we know who his father is: The team behind One Piece may have revealed Franky’s father – and you could have seen it much earlier
