Kazuki Yao Retires From Voicing Franky in One Piece Anime

Kazuki Yao has officially announced his departure from the role of Franky in the ONE PIECE anime. The announcement of his successor is scheduled for Jump Festa 2025 on December 22. The announcement was made via the anime's official X account, accompanied by Yao's statement that he feels a disconnect between himself and the ideal Franky he wishes to portray. Additionally, a graduation ceremony for Yao is planned to take place at the Jump Festa event.

The official announcement states that the decision followed prolonged and thorough discussions. The voice actor was previously substituted by Wataru Takagi for episode 1121 owing to health concerns. Notably, he was the sole Straw Hat Pirates voice actor not present at the ONE PIECE '24 event.

Yao has been the voice of Franky since the character's first appearance in Episode 233, broadcasted in Japan on May 22, 2005. His roles also include Bon Clay and Jango in the series. Below is his personal statement.

A heartbreaking farewell has come.
I’m parting ways with someone I’ve walked alongside for nearly a quarter of a century…
It feels like an out-of-body experience. A gap has formed between me and the Franky I envision as ideal…
So, I’ve decided to disembark the Sunny for now.

Frustrating! Heartbreaking!!
I’m truly sorry 🕴️ but we’ve prepared a su-per successor!

Look forward to Jump Festa on December 22!

• Kazuki Yao on stepping down as Franky in ONE PIECE

The ONE PIECE anime is presently on a break to 'recharge,' and the edited version of the Fish-Man Island Saga will be broadcast in its stead until the series resumes on March 30, 2025.

This year, the ONE PIECE anime has been commemorating its 25th anniversary with various projects and collaborations. These include a Las Vegas event, a T-shirt collaboration with UNIQLO, a phone accessory line with CASETiFY, and a special recap video, among others.

Additionally, there is an anticipated anime remake by WIT Studio and the second season of the live-action series, which has recently received a new message from the creator, Eiichiro Oda.

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