Warning: SPOILERS for One Piece Film: REDAfter the resounding success of One Piece Film: RED, fans have been wondering if the movie should be actually considered canon, considering its close ties with many important characters in the main series, especially Red-Haired Shanks. With conflicting appearances of supposedly dead characters, flashbacks, and retcons that go back decades, it’s hard to answer the question, but let’s try it nonetheless.
Usually, One Piece movies take place outside the manga and the anime’s main timeline and are thus considered non-canon. However, the most important movies have tried to remain in a grey zone, caring about the series’ continuity just enough to avoid open conflicts and contradictions. One Piece Film: RED has a difficult job with that because the manga has just concluded what is possibly its most important story arc ever, with the anime trailing only slightly behind. In theory, the movie takes place either right before or shortly after the Wano Country Arc, but there are a few conflicting elements that make it difficult to establish which of the two options is true.
One of the main appeals of the movie is that it promises to unveil more details about one of the most mysterious characters in the series, Red-Haired Shanks. The Yonko’s appearance in the movie, along with his crew, has been greatly advertised, as well as the fact that one of the main characters, Uta, is Shanks’ daughter. Considering that there is no reason to consider these story elements non-canon, the same goes for Uta’s childhood friendship with Luffy, which further reinforces the ties of the movie with the main One Piece series. However, the timeline of the movie puts all this into question.
One Piece Film: RED Is Canon, But Its Timeline Is Confusing
Judging from the status of the Straw Hat Pirates, One Piece Film: RED should take place after the Wano Country Arc. Jinbe is part of the crew, which he joined permanently only in Wano, Zoro uses his new sword Enma, and, more importantly, Luffy is recognized as a Yonko, a title he received only after beating Kaido. In the movie, Luffy also briefly uses his new form, Gear Fifth, which he acquired during that battle. However, Big Mom also briefly appears in One Piece Film: RED, alive and well in her kingdom of Totto Land, which should not be possible, as she was defeated and, apparently, killed by Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid during an epic battle in Wano, while Luffy was dealing with Kaido. This is not easy to explain, and it could even be a tease for Big Mom’s future return in the series, but for the moment it just makes One Piece Film: RED‘s timeline more confusing.
It’s important to remember that the One Piece movies are a completely different product from the manga and the anime. The screenwriters, directors, and producers enjoy a great deal of creative freedom, even if Eiichiro Oda supervises the process and has been directly involved in the past few movies. This means that One Piece Film: RED will never fit exactly into the series’ timeline, however, the majority of the elements of its story should indeed be considered canon.
