| Kanjuro | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kanjuro |
| Series | One Piece |
| First | One Piece Chapter 909 (2018) |
| Creator | Eiichiro Oda |
| Species | Human |
| Affiliation | Beasts Pirates (as samurai ally) / Nine Red Scabbards (deceptive) |
| Occupation | samurai, artist, spy |
Kanjuro
Kanjuro is a fictional samurai character in the manga and anime series One Piece by Eiichiro Oda. Introduced during the Wano Country arc, he plays a pivotal role as both an artist and a covert antagonist whose actions significantly affect the Straw Hat-led rebellion and the fate of Wano Country. His betrayal and subsequent redemption arc have been focal points for themes of loyalty, deception, and political intrigue in the series.
Kanjuro first appears in Wano as one of the retainers associated with the Nine Red Scabbards, the samurai sworn to serve Kozuki Oden's family. Presented initially as a loyal painter and companion to Kin'emon, Kanjuro later is revealed to have been a long-term infiltrator and spy for Kurozumi Orochi and the Beasts Pirates under Kaido. His duplicity shapes key plot developments: sabotaging the samurai's plans, framing allies, and endangering the rebellion to restore the Kozuki legacy. The character's arc intersects with major entities and characters across the franchise, including Monkey D. Luffy, Trafalgar D. Water Law, Eustass Kid, and the Allied Forces during the Onigashima Raid.
Kanjuro is depicted as a tall, stocky male with traditional Wano attire influenced by Japanese samurai aesthetics, including a topknot and decorated kimono. He carries a set of brushes and a paintbox that double as tools and weapons. Personality-wise, he projects the demeanor of a genial, artistic retainer: talkative, boisterous, and theatrically patriotic about the Kozuki house. Behind this façade, Kanjuro demonstrates calculated coldness, duplicity, and a pragmatic willingness to commit treachery to further the aims of his secret masters, notably serving the Kurozumi lineage's long-term plan. After his exposure, his characterization shifts toward guilt, self-sacrifice, and attempts at atonement.
Kanjuro's actions are central to the political and military developments in the Wano arc. Initially traveling with the exiled retainers—Kin'emon, Kawamatsu, Kikunojo, Raizo, and Ashura Doji—he gains trust and joins the effort to restore Kozuki Momonosuke and overthrow Shogun Orochi and Kaido. Secretly, however, Kanjuro has been a mole who reports to Kurozumi operatives; he is responsible for forging documents, murdering allies, and sabotaging the Kozuki's strategies. His most consequential betrayal is leading to the capture and execution of the original Nine Red Scabbards and the fall of Kozuki Oden years prior, a historical betrayal that reshapes Wano's power balance. During the Onigashima Raid, Kanjuro's past is exposed, precipitating confrontations with the Scabbards and the Straw Hat Pirates. The revelation catalyzes further military engagements involving Beast Pirates divisions, Numbers, and Tobi Roppo members.
Kanjuro wields the Fude Fude no Mi—a Devil Fruit later revealed to be the Brush-Brush Fruit variant—granting him the power to animate paintings and objects drawn with his brushwork. This allows creation of animated clones, functional weapons, and complex traps, enabling espionage and battlefield manipulation. He demonstrates skill in traditional samurai combat and strategic subterfuge, though he lacks the raw physical power exhibited by figures such as Kaido or Roronoa Zoro. Kanjuro also exhibits artistic craftsmanship tied to Wano cultural motifs, producing forged scrolls and illustrations used for misinformation. His Devil Fruit power intersects with thematic motifs about art as creation and destruction in One Piece.
Kanjuro's social network in the narrative crosses multiple factions. Publicly allied with the returning retainers of Kozuki Oden—including Kin'emon, Kawamatsu, Kikunojo, Raizo, Denjiro (later revealed), Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi—he secretly serves the Kurozumi Family and the Beasts Pirates led by Kaido and his right-hand, Orochi's collaborators. His deception involves interactions with Kanjuro's handlers among the Kurozumi conspirators and the Shogunate's corrupt apparatus. After exposure, his relationships fracture: former comrades seek retribution, while some allies from the rebellion—such as members of the Straw Hat Pirates like Sanji and Usopp—temporarily detain or confront him. His later attempts at reconciliation and sacrificial acts aim to repair bonds with the Kozuki family and the scabbards before the arc's climax.
Critical and fan reception to Kanjuro has focused on his role as a major plot twist in the Wano narrative. Reviewers highlighted the effectiveness of his betrayal in deepening Wano's tragedy and raising stakes for the Allied Forces. Commentary often contrasts his artistic persona with the moral depravity of his treachery, prompting discussions on themes of identity and loyalty in manga storytelling. Kanjuro's Devil Fruit ability sparked interest among readers for its creative applications in combat and espionage, and analysts have noted how his arc influences character development for figures such as Kin'emon and Momonosuke. The character's actions have lasting in-universe consequences, reshaping power structures in Wano, fueling vengeance narratives, and contributing to the broader conflict that culminates in battles involving Big Mom's crew and other major pirate powers. Eiichiro Oda's handling of Kanjuro remains a frequently cited example of long-term plotting and character subversion within One Piece.
Category:One Piece characters Category:Fictional samurai