Do we like them?

Do we like Shanks?

A character from One Piece (1997–present)

Our score: 8 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He's warm, laid-back and fiercely loyal, and he's strong enough that the world's most dangerous people tread carefully around him. He does have a ruthless side.

Shanks is where One Piece starts, in a way. Before the main adventure begins, his crew stops in a small seaside village, and a boy named Luffy decides he wants to be a pirate just like him. Shanks is cheerful, easygoing, fond of a drink and quick to laugh. Under that, he is a skilled swordsman and a serious leader. He once served as a young apprentice on the crew of the legendary Pirate King, Gold Roger. He later formed his own crew, the Red Hair Pirates.

As the story goes on, we learn that he has become one of the Four Emperors, the handful of pirates who hold the most power in the New World. Even so, he rarely throws his weight around. His crew is loyal to him and lives by its own code, and the rest of the world treats him with a mix of respect and fear. He doesn't appear often, but when he does, he tends to change the direction of the story.

His score is high because of how he treats people. He's generous and protective, and he trusts others to follow their own dreams. He is also a dangerous man whose crew will take a harsh approach when it wants to test or punish someone, which keeps him from a perfect mark. On balance, he's a leader you'd happily follow.

His defining moment comes in Luffy's childhood. Shanks gives up his left arm to save the boy from a sea monster, then leaves Luffy his treasured straw hat as a promise to meet again. Later, he steps into the Marineford war between pirates and the Marines to end the fighting, and his word alone is enough to stop it. These two acts show what he's about: giving up something for the people he cares about, and ending a war without starting another.