One Piece Recasts Major Character Following Voice Actor’s Death

In 2020, legendary voice actor Keiji Fujiwara passed away, leaving a major hole in the medium. Having played roles in several anime franchises including Dr. Stone, Pokemon, Crayon Shin-Chan, Attack on Titan, and Hunter x Hunter, Fujiwara also played the part of a major character who is preparing to return to One Piece. With said character set to appear now that Kaido has been defeated in the War for Wano Arc, a prolific voice actor is aiming to do justice to Fujiwara’s portrayal of this specific character.

For those who might not know, Ryokugyu, aka Aramaki, is a major member of the military who has Devil Fruit abilities that make him one of the most powerful members of the World Government’s forces. Thanks to the Mori Mori no Mi, Ryukugyu has the power to control plant life as well as transform himself into plants. As was shown in the manga, Aramaki’s arrival on the scene of Wano Country was a shocking one, proving that the isolated nation still has some troubles ahead of it even with the Beast Pirates defeated. The military admiral was briefly shown in the anime during the Levely Arc, though he was shrouded in shadow when talking with other members of the World Government. 

A New Ryokugyu

Ryokugyu will be voiced by Junichi Suwabe during his appearance in Wano Country and in the future of the anime adaptation. Suwabe has had some major roles in various anime franchises, including Jujutsu Kaisen’s Sukuna, My Hero Academia’s Eraserhead, Black Clover’s Yami, and Bleach’s Grimmjow to name a few. The official One Piece Twitter Acocunt shared the big news that Suwabe would be moving forward with the role of the powerful admiral.

Now that the fight against Kaido has ended with Monkey D. Luffy claiming victory, One Piece is setting the stage for its final saga in the anime adaptation. As readers have seen in the pages of the shonen manga, some big moments and battles await the Straw Hat Pirates as they prepare to sail into the sunset. While this might be their final journey, it still might be years before we see the end of the series take place.

What do you think of Suwabe taking on the role of the World Government admiral? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Grand Line.