The One Piece: Red movie has finally premiered in Japan, and people are loving it, judging by the box office revenue. To celebrate the movie, even the anime took a break and gave us a short three-episode filler arc focused on Uta, called the Uta's Past Arc. But is Uta actually canon in One Piece? With so much attention being paid to one movie character (and we know they're rarely canon), we thought it would be great to set the record straight, which is why we decided to write this article.

It was initially unclear if Uta would be a canon character, but with her appearance in a flashback in manga chapter 1055, where she is seen among the other Red-Haired Pirates, Uta became a canon character, which also makes the character canon. She also appeared in a small filler anime arc called Uta's Past Arc.

The rest of this article will introduce you to Uta, Shanks' supposed daughter. You'll discover some details about her, her story, and her importance in the world of One Piece. We'll give you some known biographical details about her and answer some questions about her role in the story.

Is Shanks' daughter Uta hot in One Piece?

Now, when the One Piece: Red movie was first announced, many people thought it wouldn't be canon, just like the rest of the One Piece movies. But as time went on, that seemed less and less likely, as everything that leaked about the movie suggested that the movie was actually going to be part of the One Piece canon. The movie has now premiered in Japan, and we can confirm that it is part of the larger canon, meaning that Uta is canonically Shanks' daughter in One Piece. So, how was this confirmed?

The first evidence that Uta is canon was given in the Uta One-Page Special manga, which was a three-part manga drawn by Eiichiro Oda and published in Weekly Shonen Jump issues #35, #36-37, and #38 consecutively. These stories tell us how Uta created one of her songs, which is relevant to the plot of the movie, and why Shanks left Uta.

The manga above are the first two specials, titled "New Genesis" (left) and "The World's Continuation." As for the former, the story begins with Uta listening to several people who are suffering from something and asking for help from others via a Den Den Mushi. Suddenly, she is inspired to write a new song, but she is unable to find a pen and resorts to using objects such as lipstick to write the musical notation and lyrics on the walls. When the song is finished, Uta calls it a masterpiece.

The second story begins with Uta waking up from a nightmare in which people were running through flames. She walks to the window to see the sun rising and thinks about her childhood with Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates in Foosha Village. Uta then begins digging crumpled pieces of paper out of the trash and finds one with part of the lyrics to the song "The World's Continuation." She places the paper on her desk and begins writing more lyrics.

The first of these stories was released alongside manga chapter 1055, titled "The New Era," which confirmed Uta's canon status. Namely, Shanks makes a brief appearance in this chapter and reflects on his past, giving us a flashback scene in which we see a young Uta among his team members. This officially confirmed Uta's canon status; namely, if a movie character ends up in the manga (as main canon), it means they're canon, and that's exactly what happened to Uta.

The final confirmation came in the anime when a short filler arc titled Uta's Past Arc interrupted the main story and told us a little about the character's history and his relationship with Monkey D. Luffy. Even though it was a filler arc, it was overall enjoyable and provided us with some interesting facts about Uta and his past. So, what happened in the arc?

In modern times, the Straw Hat Pirates sailed on the Thousand Sunny and heard Uta's song "New Genesis" played on a Tone Dial. Meanwhile, Uta stood alone on the shore of an island and announced that she was about to realize her dream of a concert that the whole world could enjoy. Twelve years ago, nine-year-old Uta sailed with her father, Shanks, and the Red Hair Pirates.

Shanks loved Uta with her looted jewelry but kept some of his finds, namely the Gomu Gomu no Mi, away from her. Shanks told Uta that the crew would be landing in the Goa Kingdom, and she was unimpressed by their landing spot in the remote village of Foosha. Meanwhile, 7-year-old Monkey D. Luffy spent his days eating, fighting animals, and training with his grandfather, Garp.

As the Red Hair Pirates docked, Luffy ran to their ship and encountered Uta and Shanks. While initially apprehensive about the pirates, Luffy soon began to join Shanks' crew. Uta didn't think much of Luffy and didn't want him on board; one day, she sang a song at the Parties Bar to the applause of the villagers. Afterward, Shanks asked Luffy to show Uta around the village.

The two soon engaged in a series of competitions, in which Uta usually defeated Luffy. Later, Luffy took Uta to the upper level of a windmill on the shore, where they could watch the sunset over the sea. When Uta mentioned Shanks, Luffy expressed his desire to become a pirate. Watching the sunset, Uta realized his dream of performing for the first time in front of the world.