One Piece Creator Confirms Whether Uta Is Canon or Not

One Piece has been around for decades, and at this point, only the most intense fans know its canon backward and forward. From its manga to the anime and everything in between, a lot of stories have been told with Luffy at the helm. Most recently, One Piece: Red gave fans more to chew on, and many were left wondering whether its heroine fit into the canon. And according to the series creator, the answer is yes.

The update comes from Eiichiro Oda himself as the artist did an interview in Japan this past week about One Piece: Red. It was there the artist spoke about the movie’s box office success as it is now the anime’s top-grossing feature. So as you can imagine, there was no better way to celebrate the movie than make Uta canon.

How Does Uta Fit In?

According to Oda, the girl does show up in the manga, so he most definitely considers her part of the canon. She is shown in shadow at the end of chapter 1055 when Shanks is thinking about his loved ones. Everyone from Luffy to Makino ranks on the list, and it seems Uta made the cut as well.

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Carrying on, the interview also reveals how Uta helped shaped the Straw Hat crew in canon. According to Oda, the girl inspired Luffy’s love of singing and why he even makes up his own songs on occasion. Uta also showed Luffy why it was so important for ships to have a musician as they could raise spirits and document their journeys. So while Uta did not travel with Luffy herself, we can all agree Brook was the best fit for the crew.

Clearly, Uta’s history goes way back with Luffy, and there is more to their shared childhoods than we know. One Piece: Red goes over quite a bit of that past, and despite Luffy’s feud with Uta, the pair as as close as the ASL brothers ever were. So if Oda brings Uta into the manga before it ends, well – don’t be too surprised!

What do you think about this One Piece update? Are you glad to know Uta has her own place in the canon? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.