“One Piece” Frankie voice actor Kazuki Yao steps down, and successor candidate announced at Jump Festa 2025

“One Piece” Official graduation ceremony.

[Notice of replacement of Franky role]

Kazuki Yao, who is currently playing the role of Franky in the TV anime “ONE PIECE”, will be graduating from the Straw Hat Pirates.

This decision was made after long discussions. …

— ONE PIECE Staff[Official]/ Official (@Eiichiro_Staff) December 8, 2024

Kazuki Yao was born on June 17, 1959 (now 65 years old). After dropping out of college, he joined the theater troupe. In the 1980s, he debuted as a voice actor in the OVA work “Birth”. His dubbing works include “Initial D”/”MF GHOST Fuel Truck Body” “Soul” Koichiro Iketani, “History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi” Takeda Kazuki, “Legend of the Abyss” Dist, etc. Among them, Yao not only voiced Frankie in “One Piece”, but also Mr. 2 Von Clay, Jacks, etc.

Yao said in his The gap… So I decided to leave the Thousand Suns for the time being. I feel so sad! But I’ve prepared a super successor! Let’s meet at Jump Fes!”

A sad farewell has come
We have lived together for nearly a quarter of a century.
Farewell to the guy who came…
You could call it an out-of-body experience, but my
With my ideal Frankie
A gap has formed between them…
I decided to get off the Sunny for a while.
did. regrettable! sad! !
I’m seriously sorry🕴️
I prepared a super hot pot!
Looking forward to JF on 12/22♬

— Kazuki Yao (@yaochan_defu) December 8, 2024

Although neither the official nor Yao himself stated the reason for his resignation, recent photos of Kazuki Yao attending an event at Tama Plaza Nursing School show that Yao’s figure is much thinner than before.

Anyway, please take care of yourself, Mr. Yao, and thank you for your contribution over the past 20 years.