One Piece: How Netflix’s Live-Action Cast Compares To The Anime

The principal cast of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece has been revealed, and so far, it appears to be very faithful to the original anime and manga franchise. With its colorful cast of characters, fanciful fight scenes, and storylines that get more and more epic in scope and length with each installment, One Piece has long been one of the biggest and most popular anime franchises of all time. Every new installment of the One Piece franchise has had an incredible amount of care and attention brought its way, and with any luck, the Netflix adaptation will be no different.

The Netflix adaptation of One Piece was announced in July 2017 and officially went into production in March 2021; production was originally supposed to begin in August 2020, but it was delayed to September of that year because of COVID-19, and that delay was further extended to March 2021 for the same reason. There has been quite a lot of skepticism about the project because of the long history of poorly made live-action anime adaptations. The fact that the highly contentious Netflix adaptation of Death Note came out in the same year didn’t help much with that, either. One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has been announced as an executive producer for the series, however, going a long way in assuaging people’s concerns.

The live-action cast for Netflix’s One Piece being officially revealed has also helped with fan perception of the upcoming adaption. As previously stated, Oda has had personal involvement in the production of the series, so if the One Piece live-action cast has gotten his seal of approval, then it stands to reason that they can match up to the charm of the original anime characters. No production images have been released, so it has yet to be seen how everyone looks in costume, but for now, here’s a look at everyone revealed to be in the Netflix adaptation so far, along with how they compare to the original characters.

Monkey D. Luffy

Roronoa Zoro

Roronoa Zoro, the first mate and resident swordsman of the Straw Hats, is set to be played by Japanese actor Mackenyu Arata in the upcoming One Piece adaption. Oda had previously stated that Zoro would be Japanese in real life, so much like Godoy being cast as Luffy, the series is already making good decisions simply based on this merit. Mackenye also exhibits an air of toughness that’s so vital to Zoro’s character that wouldn’t be the same without it. It certainly helps that he has experience playing an anime tough guy through his role of Okuyasu Nijimura in the live-action adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable, and he even has experience playing an anime swordsman as Yukishiro Enishi in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final.

Nami

Nami, the navigator and occasional femme fetale of the Straw Hats, will be played by Emily Rudd in the Netflix adaptation. Best known for her roles in The Romanoffs and Fear Street Part Two: 1978, Rudd looks like she would be able to exude a lot of the happiness Nami gives off throughout the series, both before and after her main arc is dealt with. If nothing else, she’s made it clear that’s she very excited over being cast for the part, so there’ll be no doubt about her commitment and investment in the role.

Usopp

Usopp, the sniper and consummate liar of the Straw Hat Pirates, is set to be played by Jacob Romero Gibson in live-action. Best known for his role on Greenleaf, Gibson looks like he would be an ideal choice to play Usopp in live-action, and he certainly has the energy for the part and the enthusiasm needed to go into the role. Granted, no photos of anyone in costume have been released, so it has yet to be seen how Gibson will look with the character’s trademark nose, or if he’ll even have it in the series. But as of now, Gibson still comes across as ideal casting for Usopp.

Sanji

Rounding out the cast of Netflix’s One Pieceis Taz Skylar, playing the Straw Hat’s chef and Casanova wannabe Sanji. Out of the five cast members who have been revealed so far, Skylar’s comes across as the oddest choice, though not in a way that should be viewed as a problem. Skylar appears to have something of a muscular physique and a bit of a punkish expression, neither of which accurately reflects Sanji, who’s usually portrayed as being skinny and is often depicted as looking like something of a dandy. Neither of those things should be seen as a potential problem for the upcoming One Piece adaption, as the way an actor looks can easily be changed through makeup and costume design. Skylar showcased his acting ability well in projects like The Reserves and Villain, so there shouldn’t be any doubt about him having the ability to pull off the role.