Franky’s Voice Actor Announces He’s Stepping Down From The Role

The One Piece anime has been on break for quite a while and, because of that, fans have, in some ways, detached themselves from it. While not much news about the One Piece anime has been flowing out as of late, earlier today, fans were shocked when a massive piece of information was finally revealed. It was made clear to the watchers that one of the voice actors of the Straw Hat Pirates would be leaving their role after years upon years of work, and that now there is need for a new voice actor to step in. This person is none other than the voice actor of Franky, Kazuki Yao.

Franky’s Voice Actor Steps Down From His Role

• Kazuki Yao Voiced Franky For About 2 Decades
• Franky’s Voice Actor Steps Down

Franky’s voice actor stepping down should come as no big surprise to the fans, especially if they are aware of how long he has been serving as a voice actor. He is a very famous voice actor and he has voiced many popular voices from many different anime. Of course, Franky from One Piece is his most popular voice, but Franky isn’t even the only character that he voices in the series. Kazuki Yao is also the voice of Bon Clay, and fans know him to have voiced Django for the vast majority of the story as well. That said, his biggest role was quite easily Franky, and it is safe to say that his voice as Franky was quite peculiar. Franky’s voice actor was perfect for his rowdy personality in the series, and that is what fans loved him for. It can be said that Kazuki did a phenomenal job as Franky, and there is no other individual that fans associate with him more than Kazuki Yao. However, the voice actor is quite old now. He’s well into his 80s and his health has been deteriorating quite fast. If fans compare his pictures from a few years ago to right now, it is clear that he isn’t in the best physical condition anymore.

The role of voice acting is too taxing for him, and, taking all things into consideration, it should be easy for the fans to understand why he is stepping down from his role of voicing Franky and other characters. Alongside the famous Straw Hats Seiyuu, he has brought many massive moments to the fans and given them real depth, as well as an emotionally charged feeling that cannot be replicated. That said, all good things must come to an end, and it is certainly very unfortunate that Kazuki Yao cannot make it to the end with the other Straw Hat voice actors. That said, he leaves behind a legacy that is untouchable. Here is Kazuki Yao’s official message to the fans:

The time has come for a sad farewell Farewell to the dude I’ve spent almost a quarter of a century with… It kinda felt like an out of body experience, but I feel like a gap has formed between me and the Franky I envision… and so, I’ve decided to get off of the Sunny for now. I feel frustrated! I feel sad!! I’m really sorry However, we’ve found a suuuperrrr replacement! Look forward to the announcement on December 22nd at Jump Festa! – Kazuki Yao

The Legacy Left Behind By Kazuki Yao

Kazuki Yao Has Been One Of The Most Beloved Voice Actors In One Piece

As the voice actor of Franky, Kazuki Yao has done a phenomenal job. Although served as the voice actor of some other characters in One Piece, such as Bon Clay even before he took the role of Franky, it is the role of the cyborg shipwright that he is known for most. Franky was introduced to the fans in the Water 7 Arc, and there, he took the role of an antagonist at first. Had Franky stayed an antagonist, this would have been Kazuki Yao’s second role as a villain and One Piece. But, at the end of things, Franky joined the Straw Hat Pirates and aided Luffy.

This made Kazuki Yao a part of a major family, and ever since then, he has stayed with the Straw Hat Pirates as a major character. Franky has had many highlights that Kazuki Yao has helped bring to life. For one, throughout the Enies Lobby arc, Franky had several incredible moments, especially where he burned the blueprints to Pluton. His fight against Fukuro was also brought to life by Kazuki, and he got the chance to utter some truly incredible words, such as Franky telling Robin that it is never a crime to exist.

On top of all that, fans know that Franky, and through him, Kazuki Yao, were absolutely sensational in the subsequent arcs as well. Thriller Bark and Sabaody were massive for Franky, and in the post-timeskip, he got better than ever before. In the Dressrosa Arc, fans got to see a hard-boiled battle between Franky and Senor Pink and this battle was once again brought to life by Kazuki Yao. Furthermore, Franky’s iconic quotes have been voiced phenomenally by him on countless occasions, and if all that wasn’t enough, then Wano gave fans enough Franky fighting material and, once again, exciting moments here and therefore for the voice actor to bring to life.

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Truly, Kazuki Yao’s performance was absolutely stellar in this segment of the story. Throughout the years, he has done a phenomenal job that cannot be replicated by anyone else. The way he brought Franky to life, making him a perfect blend of a comedic character who was often termed as a pervert, and at the same time, a cyborg who never stops dreaming and aiming higher, is truly impeccable. On top of that, Franky’s belief in Luffy has always been portrayed by Kazuki Yao to perfection, with Wano being the latest example, where he reprimandments even Nami for showing a lack of belief in the captain, which was brilliantly translated to the anime form by Kazuki. Truly, fans will never forget his service over the years, and now is the time for him to rest and enjoy the rest of One Piece as a fan himself.

Who Will Replace Kazuki Yao As Franky’s Voice Actor?

For Now, Kazuki Yao’s Replacement Remains Unknown

It is unknown who will replace Kazuki Yao as Franky’s voice actor. Fans have no clue as to who this person will be, but as revealed by Franky’s voice actor, this information will be presented to the fans during Jump Festa 2025, where One Piece is supposed to get its own stage. If fans would have to guess, it could be the same person who recently voiced Full Body, and that is Wataru Takagi. That said, this is purely speculation, and it remains to be seen who actually ends up taking this role.

Jump Festa 2025 is scheduled for December 21-22, 2025. The One Piece Stage will likely be held on December 22. Fans can watch the live stream on YouTube.

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Eiichiro Oda

Number of Episodes

1122