This swashbuckling show has a cavalcade cast to get to know.
Fans of One Piece have no doubt been delving into the Netflix live-action version of the hit manga series.
As they will well know, Eiichiro Oda’s story follows Monkey D Luffy and his pirate crew as they embark on a mission to find the ultimate treasure in order to earn Luffy the title of “Pirate King”.
The Netflix live-action version is said to be very faithful to Oda’s original version, with director Emma Sullivan telling RadioTimes.com: “You know that [fans] are passionate about it, but they want the best for it.”
She continued: “You want them to be happy, you know, but I think the only way we can do that is to make [Eiichiro] Oda happy. When he saw stuff that he didn’t like, we redid it.”
“So he’s the leader really, and I think if Oda says he’s happy with it, then the fans will be happy. But you know, we just hope we did our best.”
Without further ado, read on for all you need to know about Netflix’s live-action One Piece cast.
Who’s in the cast of Netflix’s live-action One Piece?
- Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy
- Mackenyu Arata as Roronoa Zoro
- Emily Rudd as Nami
- Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp
- Taz Skylar as Sanji
- Langley Kirkwood as Captain Morgan
- Aidan Scott as Helmeppo
- Jeff Ward as Buggy
- Peter Gadiot as Shanks
- Steven John Ward as Dracule Mihawk
- Craig Fairbrass as Chef Zeff
- McKinley Belcher III as Arlong
Iñaki Godoy plays Monkey D Luffy
Who is Monkey D Luffy? Luffy is none other than the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and also holds the Gomu Gomu no Mi fruit, enabling him to transform his body into rubber at will. Despite being a relatively young pirate, Luffy’s immense spirit and optimism is often what draws people into signing onto the Straw Hat Pirates’ crew.
Director Mark Jobst exclusively told RadioTimes.com of the search to find the perfect Luffy: “We were blessed to find Iñaki [Godoy] to play Luffy.”
He continued: “We did a big global search when I came on board and one of the things that we said together as a team is we needed to start casting straight away.
“We knew that this show would stand or fall on whether the audience fell in love with our cast. It was a big ask — we were looking for the right kind of actor who could, who could bring heart, soul, spirit and warmth to these characters.”
Where have I seen Iñaki Godoy before? Prior to his casting in One Piece, Godoy has had roles in the likes of La querida del Centauro alongside Who Killed Sara?, with smaller credits such as MexZombies and The Imperfects filling out his recent acting history.
Mackenyu Arata as Roronoa Zoro
Who is Roronoa Zoro? Better known as the expert swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates (hence the name Zoro), Zoro is a bounty hunter-turned-pirate who joins up with Luffy and the crew after being saved from execution by the young adventurer.
In an interview with GamesRadar, Mackenyu outlined what fans can hope to expect from his interpretation of Zoro: “Focused, driven, mysterious. These are at the heart of who he is as a person and the basis of what he wants to accomplish.”
Where have I seen Mackenyu Arata before? Before One Piece, you probably best know Arata from his role as Cadet Ryoichi in Pacific Rim: Uprising – he’s also been in a number of live-action anime adaptations including Tokyo Ghoul: ‘S’.
Emily Rudd plays Nami
Who is Nami? Nami is the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates, and the second person to ever join the crew. Originally, Nami was a part of the Arlong Pirates gang, but eventually joins forces with the Straw Hat Pirates to defeat Arlong and become their expert navigator. Unlike Luffy and Zoro’s dreams of becoming the best in their profession, Nami actually dreams of creating the biggest map of the world.
Rudd clearly has a lot of love for the character, mentioning in an interview that she’s always been the navigator of her own family, joking that perhaps she was even born to be Nami.
Where have I seen Emily Rudd before? Rudd starred opposite Sadie Sink in Fear Street: 1978, and also starred in the likes of Moonshot and Hunters.
Jacob Romero Gibson plays Usopp
Who is Usopp? If you couldn’t tell by the slingshot, Usopp is the expert sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates. He’s widely regarded as one of the funniest characters of the show because of his foolishness and comical cowardice. What’s interesting about Usopp is, at one point, it was planned for him to become the vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates instead.
Where have I seen Jacob Romero Gibson before? A relative newcomer, Gibson has had short appearances in the likes of Grey’s Anatomy and All Rise, alongside a number of short films.
Taz Skylar plays Sanji
Who is Sanji? Sanji is the extravagant cook of the Straw Hat Pirates and is actually a former prince of the Germa Kingdom due to his background as part of the Vinsmoke Family.
Unlike many of the other crew members, who seek fame and fortune, Sanji’s ultimate dream is to find ‘All Blue’, a so-called chef’s paradise. It’s said to be the location where all four of the different oceans meet, and where the rarest animals supposedly exist.
Where have I seen Taz Skylar before? Skylar has popped up in the likes of The Lazarus Project, Boiling Point, The Kill Team and even Villain opposite Craig Fairbrass, making this a fun reunion for the pair.
Langley Kirkwood plays Captain Morgan
Who is Captain Morgan? One of the main antagonists of the first season of One Piece, the treacherous Captain Morgan is a Navy captain obsessed with going after and taking down the Straw Hat Pirates. His weapon of choice? None other than an obscenely large battle-axe – but, somehow, his ego is even bigger than that.
Where have I seen Langley Kirkwood before? Langley Kirkwood has a history with action projects, appearing in Dredd, Banshee and Warrior.
Aidan Scott plays Helmeppo
Who is Helmeppo? Helmeppo is Captain Morgan’s incredibly annoying son who uses the power of his father to get others to do what he wants. Despite this super grating personality, many fans of One Piece have mentioned that Helmeppo’s appearances are often some of the best of the early parts of the anime.
Where have I seen Aidan Scott before? Apart from The Kissing Booth 2 and Power, Scott has also starred in podcast series Between the Devil.
Jeff Ward plays Buggy
Who is Buggy? He’s not quite Art the Clown, but Buggy is still pretty menacing. He is the leader of the Buggy Pirates Crew, and a formidable foe due to his ability to split his body into different pieces thanks to his Devil Fruit. As you can see, he’s got a somewhat unique appearance to him.
His story is key in episode 2, with director Mark Jobst revealing to RadioTimes.com: “You’ve got this phenomenal actor Jeff Ward who’s playing Buggy, who comes and he just roars his way onto that stage and owns the floor of the circus. I mean, it’s a huge circus. From the moment you walked in there, he just owned it. And that was amazing.”
Where have I seen Jeff Ward before? If you’re a horror fan, you may remember Ward from Brand New Cherry Flavor, or perhaps you’re more of an Agents of Shield fan – where he played Deke Shaw.
Peter Gadiot plays Shanks
Who is Shanks? Shanks plays a pivotal role in One Piece, as his interactions with a young Luffy are what inspire the hero to start his own crew when he’s older. He serves as the captain of the Red Hair Pirates.
Where have I seen Peter Gadiot before? You probably best know Gadiot from his stint on cannibal thriller Yellowjackets, and he’s also appeared in the likes of Queen of the South and Matador as well.
Steven Ward plays Dracule Mihawk
Who is Dracule Milhawk? Dracule has quite the reputation, known throughout the world of One Piece as the supposed ‘world’s strongest swordsman’. A former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he shares a connection with Zoro – in that the green-haired swordsman sees Dracule as the ultimate barrier between him and his dream.
Where have I seen Steven Ward before? Ward has appeared in shows such as Vagrant Queen and Inconceivable, with the upcoming Catch Me A Killer and Dinner to Die For also on his docket.
Craig Fairbrass plays Chef Zeff
Who is Chef Zeff? Chef Zeff is the head chef and owner of the Baratie, a floating restaurant that we can glimpse in some of Netflix’s promotional footage. He’s also essentially the father figure to Sanji, inspiring him to seek out the mystical All Blue.
Where have I seen Craig Fairbrass before? Fairbrass is no stranger to some high-stakes action, with his long-running role in the Rise of the Footsoldier franchise including the upcoming Rise of the Footsoldier: Vengeance. He’s also had roles in EastEnders, A Violent Man and Villain.
McKinley Belcher III plays Arlong
Who is Arlong? If you thought Buggy was the oddest person you’d see on this list, think again. Arlong is none other than the captain and leader of the Arlong Pirates, the gang that Nami is originally a part of when we are introduced to her.
It’s likely that we’ll follow the same storyline of Arlong having the greatest bounty in the East Blue, giving Luffy all the more incentive to take him down.
Where have I seen McKinley Belcher III before? You may have seen him in Marriage Story or Mapplethorpe, but if you’re an Ozark fan, you will definitely recognise him as Agent Trevor Evans.
Read more One Piece:
- Netflix One Piece bosses conducted “global search” to find perfect Luffy
- One Piece creator asked for changes to live-action series
- One Piece director promises “spooky” live-action adaptation
- One Piece’s Luffy and crew prepare for battle in epic final trailer
All eight episodes of One Piece will be released on Netflix on 31st August. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage, visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight, or read our guides to the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix.