Ever since Kazuki Yao left as the voice of Franky in One Piece, fans have been eagerly anticipating the news of his replacement. The wait ended at Jump Festa 2024 when Yao’s replacement was finally revealed. Fans have thus become intrigued and wish to know more about Franky’s new voice in One Piece.
Here is everything we know about the new voice actor.
Who is the new voice artist for Franky in One Piece?
The new voice artist for Franky in One Piece is Subaru Kimura.
The announcement of Kimura taking over Franky’s voice role took place at Jump Festa 2024. The show’s official X (formerly Twitter) account confirmed it shortly after.
Subaru Kimura is not exactly a newcomer in the voice acting scene. He has credits in many prominent anime series. Some of his notable voice roles include Aoi Todo in Jujutsu Kaisen, Haruki Hayashida in Tokyo Revengers, Ryouma Terasaka in Assassination Classroom, Satori Tendo in Haikyuu!!!, and Sakuragi in The First Slam Dunk.
Kazuki Yao previously confirmed his departure as the voice of Franky a few weeks ago, calling it “sad” and “frustrating.” He cited not being able to bring an ideal portrayal of Franky to life as the reason for his departure. Yao, who has been suffering from health problems, also had another role he had voiced Jango, taken over by another actor, Wataru Takagi.
However, Yao was not the only voice actor to exit the One Piece anime world this year. Tessho Genda, who voiced Kaido, had to also depart the franchise earlier this year. At the time of his exit, Genda’s agency mentioned that it was only temporary. (via Comic Book Resources)
Toru Furuya, who lent his vocal talents to Sabo, also stepped down after he faced backlash for his affair with a younger woman.
