Kazuki Yao was the man behind the iconic voice of Shipbuilder Frankie straw hat pirateFor about 25 years. Fans didn’t want Kazuki to separate from Frankie in any way, but his age and health concerns took a toll on the voice actor. Therefore, he recently announced his retirement from the One Piece anime series. One Piece fans were saddened by this unexpected news, but they continued to wonder who would pick up the baton from Kazuki Yao as Franky.
Over the weekend, Frankie’s new voice actor was revealed at the Jump Festa 2025 event. If you’re curious, Frankie’s new voice actor is none other than subaru kimura Who lend their voices to iconic characters, such as Aoi Todo from JJK, Hanamichi from the first Slam Dunk film, etc.
Subaru’s voice is much harsher than Kazuki’s, but he can perfectly match Frankie’s energetic character, as he did with Todo. He was trending at the time for his “Besto Friendo” voice, and he’s about to go viral with his version of Frankie’s SUUUUPERRRRR!
How to explain to someone who doesn’t watch One Piece that I’m crying over a man leaving some underwear on stage pic.twitter.com/YGNS5JI96L– Rion (@peronyawns) 22 December 2024
Kazuki Yao tells Subaru Kimura “SUUUUPPPEEER!” Teaching to speak. pic.twitter.com/Pok54X2LO3– Pookie Piece (@PookiePiece) 22 December 2024
In the above X post, we can see Yao handing over Frankie’s underwear and inheritance to Subaru. Next, we see Subaru learning how to say Franky’s iconic “SUUUUPEEERRR” line from the anime series. Looks like he’s going to do a pretty good job when we see the new voice actor in action When the anime is back from its hiatus In April 2025. She’s an interesting addition to the Straw Hat cast, so let’s see how she fares when the anime returns.
That said, what do you think about Toei Animation casting Subaru Kimura as Frankie in One Piece? Let us know in the comments below.
