Fans are curious about why Franky’s voice actor was replaced in the popular animated series, One Piece. Previously, Kazuki Yao lent his voice to the beloved shipwright of the Straw Hats Pirates for many years before calling it quits. A new voice actor replaced him. The new actor’s involvement in the series received mixed reviews.
Here are all the details on the reason behind Yao’s departure and Franky’s new voice actor.
Who is Franky’s new voice actor on One Piece?
Subaru Kimura currently voices Franky in One Piece.
He is a German-Japanese actor and rapper. During his early career years, he engaged in several theatrical productions. He made his acting debut with Mimakin while studying in elementary school. Over the years, he has voiced several renowned characters, such as Gian in the Doraemon series, Aoi Todo in Jujutsu Kaisen, King Shark in Suicide Squad Isekai, and Ryōma Terasaka in Assassination Classroom, among others.
In 2025, he succeeded Yao in taking over his voice role of Franky. His voice first appeared in Episode 1123 of One Piece. However, his vocal performance has received mixed reviews. This is because he was previously involved in a controversy related to African cultures, which drew backlash and made him a subject of scrutiny.
Why Subaru Kimura replaced Kazuki Yao’s Franky in One Piece
As Yao felt a creative disconnect between him and an “ideal Franky,” he decided to step away from voicing him.
On X, he announced his departure, sharing a heartfelt note. It read, “A sad farewell has come to me, a farewell to the man I’ve spent nearly a quarter century with… Maybe it was an out-of-body experience, but a gap has formed between me and the ideal Franky… so I’ve decided to get off the Sunny for now. Frustrating! Sad!! I’m seriously sorry, but I’ve prepared a super replacement! Looking forward to the JF on 12/22.”
However, many speculate that, as Yao is 65 currently, his retirement plans and health concerns might have influenced his decision to step away. Before his parting, many also noticed a slight change in Franky’s voice. Moreover, the One Piece account also revealed on X that due to “poor health,” he is parting ways with the series in 2024. This led to fans worrying more about his health and flooding his inboxes with kind messages.
