Image: Toei Animation
The veteran voice actor will replace the newly retired Kazuki Yao from the role.
The One Piece panel at Jump Festa 2025 revealed Subaru Kimura as the new voice actor for Franky, replacing the retiring Kazuki Yao for the role. The veteran has been in the voice acting Industry as far as 2005, voicing well-known character from the Doraemon series, Takeshi Goda, commonly known as Gian or Giant.
Kazuki Yao made the announcement to retire from the Franky role after he felt that a gap has formed between him and the Franky he envisions as ideal, according to the announcement made by the official X account of ONE PIECE and Kazuki Yao's official X account. Kazuki Yao also voiced Jango and Bon Clay in the anime.
Prior to the announcement, Kazuki Yao was previously absent on episode 1121 due to poor health. He was replaced by Wataru Takagi on that occasion. He was also absent from the Jump Festa 2024 One Piece panel.
The One Piece anime is on hiatus until 30 March, 2025 and the re-edited Fish-man Island saga will take its place until the return of the anime. There were also a new One Piece remake by Wit Studio coming, but its release date has not been revealed.
Subaru Takagi, the new voice actor of Franky, has already made his name voicing Gian in the Doraemon series. The German-Japanese actor has also voiced Aoi Todo in Jujutsu Kaisen and Satori Tendo in Haikyuu.
Takagi will be the new Franky, after the One Piece anime returns in 2025.
