The One Piece franchise has offered anime fans a plethora of interesting characters over the years, many of whom have been shrouded in mystery and ambiguity. Uta's big reveal in One Piece Film: Red has raised a ton of new questions for One Piece fans everywhere, and many are now wondering if Uta is the true villain in One Piece Film: Red.

Uta is technically the main antagonist of One Piece Film: Red, but she is classified as a "tragic anti-villain"—not a true villain. Her sole intention was to create a new era of peace, happiness, and freedom for ordinary people in the One Piece universe, but her drive for "absolute justice" at all costs began to warp her mind and identity, eventually turning her into a villain.

Although Uta plays the role of the main antagonist in One Piece Film: Red, her identity and intentions are more of a sad case of selfless heroism gone wrong than being a true villain. Stick around to find out everything there is to know about Uta in One Piece so far, as well as whether she really is the villain she was presented as in One Piece Film: Red.

Who is Uta in One Piece?

There are several characters throughout One Piece's history who display mysterious origins and backstories, many of whom still have questionable motives to this day. Uta is still surrounded by debate and speculation, as fans still don't know much about this glamorous character, but we may know enough to piece together her true intentions.

She is considered the most famous diva in the world in One Piece (under the moniker "The World's Greatest Diva Princess") and is iconic for her singing voice. However, her voice is considered supernatural, and preliminary leaks of One Piece Film: Red have suggested that her voice will change the world in some way.

Uta's Identity and Origins

One Piece Movie: Red spoilers have revealed that Uta is actually the daughter of Shanks – who is considered one of the most powerful pirates in One Piece according to many One Piece fans. Uta is also a longtime friend of the infamous Luffy, playing a supporting role in Uta's past arc of the One Piece anime series.

The official release of One Piece Film: Red confirmed this to be true, though it was revealed that Uta was not actually Shanks' biological daughter, but rather Shanks' adopted daughter. Additional details about Shanks' past were also revealed in One Piece Film: Red, such as the fact that he was found by his caregiver in the same way he found Uta.

However, this happy father-daughter relationship was short-lived as Shanks decided to leave Uta behind. Some fans have used this act as further reason to believe that Shanks is actually evil in One Piece, though others believe this decision was solely to ensure Uta's safety throughout all of Shanks' escapades.

She was thought to be a happy, bubbly, and friendly person from a young age, and she always loved helping others. Uta started singing at a young age, and things began to take a darker turn as she began to see everything that was wrong with the world.

Devil Fruit Powers (Uta Uta No Mi)

Uta is a Devil Fruit user, using the Uta Uta no Mi, the Sing Sing Devil Fruit. This is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit in One Piece, which allows Uta to transport the consciousness of others into a virtual space known as "Uta's World." As such, the possibilities are endless—and so are her powers within this virtual space.

She possesses a handful of special abilities, other than a euphonious voice that she can use to potentially control the entire world in real life, and she can even use the unconscious bodies of those she has transported. Her mythical abilities are the most feared, as she has the power to age and even shrink others, and she can grant lives and personalities to inanimate objects.

Uta can also take flight at will, as well as summon spear drills and even armed minions that multiply out of thin air. Additionally, she is protected by a golden layer of protection that acts as a shield against her opponents. Once she assumes her combat form, she wields a drill that acts as both a spear and a sword, and her attacks are incredibly powerful and swift.

Is Uta a real villain in One Piece?

Uta, known as "Princess Uta" in her villainous form, is an incredibly difficult opponent to face. In fact, it took the Straw Hat Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, the Red-Haired Pirates, and many other powerful One Piece Marines working together to break free from her control.

The only way to escape his virtual kingdom after being transported is to wait for Uta to fall asleep—if she is killed, those inside the kingdom will be trapped forever. The government suspected that approximately 70% of the inhabitants of the One Piece universe were under his control after listening to his music.

Uta's True Intentions

Uta is determined to fight on behalf of ordinary people, including those who do not possess any type of Devil Fruit power or superhuman ability in One Piece. Aside from his position and role as the main antagonist in One Piece Film: Red, his character and placement in the One Piece universe also shed light on how non-Devil Fruit or non-Haki users may feel throughout the storyline.

She is exposed to all the violence, suffering, and brutality of the world, witnessing ordinary people and innocent civilians being killed by pirates, Marines acting within the law, and worldly nobles who may choose to enslave innocents. What makes her unique is that she uses music to support her cause, rather than fighting like most of the main characters in One Piece.

Her primary mission is to free people from suffering, though things get complicated when her intentions begin to cloud her judgment. She is determined to bring happiness and freedom to ordinary people, and she is unconcerned about the morality of her methods.

Is Uta bad or misunderstood?

Uta has her own idea about how to heal the world and create a new space where everyone can be free and happy—safe from the harm caused by the many people with supernatural powers or abilities based on law. But she cares nothing for her own well-being or the consent of others.

That being said, Uta never displayed horrific or violent behavior solely for the sake of her cause. Yet, she had to be stopped as she spiraled out of control, descending into a state of endless madness.

Her mental state finally reached a breaking point with the arrival of the Red-Haired Pirates, as her compassion and kindness were replaced by rage and hatred. This gave birth to the Demon Tot Musica, who was defeated, and Uta then realized how much harm she had done in her attempt to bring happiness and peace to the world.

For a quick glimpse into Uta's dark side, check out the "Tot Musica" music video below by Ado:

That's all there is to know about Uta's villainous stance in One Piece Film: Red, with images courtesy of the One Piece Wiki. Uta's actions may have been fueled by twisted morals and worldviews, but her intentions were always for the greater good. Over time, she seems to learn from her mistakes and proves to be more of a misguided heroine than a truly evil One Piece villain.