One Piece Live-Action is all set to release at the end of August, and we are hyped to witness our Straw Hats in live action. Furthermore, the teasers and trailers have given us a first look at all our beloved One Piece characters in live-action in the first season. So, we have compiled a detailed character guide, comparing the actors in the One Piece live-action series to their anime counterparts. So, let’s not waste any time and have a look at the live-action and anime characters side-by-side.
Note: This article is spoiler-free and only contains the plot and characters of One Piece as revealed by the official team behind the live-action series. Thus, we have created a One Piece live-action characters comparison guide by comparing the live-action actors with the anime and manga.
1. Iñaki Godoy as “Monkey D. Luffy”
When the news of One Piece getting a live-action adaptation first surfaced, everyone’s main concern was — who would play the protagonist Luffy? Luffy is such a goofy and energetic character who is tough to imitate. But, One Piece author Oda found the perfect guy, and himself chose Iñaki Godoy to play the role of Monkey D. Luffy in the live-action series. Luffy is the protagonist in the One Piece series and aims to become the next Pirate King by obtaining the One Piece treasure.
About Iñaki Godoy, he is an actor hailing from Mexico. As a result, he has been starring in Mexican and other series such as La Querida del Centauro, The Imperfects, Who Killed Sara, MexZombies, etc. Iñaki has established himself as a good actor, and hopefully, you will see him play Luffy’s character for years to come. For now, bookmark the countdown to the release of One Piece live-action right away.
2. Mackenyu Maeda (Arata) as “Roronoa Zoro”
After Luffy, the next most important character in the One Piece world is his right-hand man, Zoro. Mackenyu Maeda/ Arata, an actor who is well-known for his roles in other live-action shows and movies was chosen to play Zoro in the One Piece live-action. Zoro is the second strongest, one of the most vital members, and also the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Mackenyu Maeda aka Mackenyu Arata is a Japanese-American actor who instantly gained popularity for his work in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Fullmetal Alchemist series. He also starred in American movies such as Pacific Rim: Uprising and is working on a handful of new projects. Makenyu’s skills with the sword were highly appreciated in other live-action shows, thus, he aptly fits the role of Zoro.
3. Emily Ellen Rudd as “Nami”
Emily Rudd is an American actress, and she has been cast for the role of Nami in the upcoming One Piece live-action series. Nami is the first female and second character to join the Straw Hats after Zoro. She serves as the Navigator of the crew and helps in navigating these treacherous oceans. She has also been an integral member of the crew right from the start.
Emily Ellen Rudd is from Minnesota and has managed to gain a massive fan base after her role as Cindy Berman in Netflix’s horror trilogy series known as Fear Street. Since then, she has been cast in series such as Hunters, The Romanoffs, and many more. This may come as a surprise to some, but Emily confirmed that she is a long-time One Piece fan and finally landed Nami’s role.
4. Jacob Romero Gibson as “Usopp”
Jacob Gibson aka Jacob Romero is filling the shoes of Usopp’s role in the live-action series. But he doesn’t have Usopp’s trademark long-nose, though (possibly a directorial decision, and a good one at that). Usopp joins the Straw Hats after Zoro and Nami during the Syrup Village arc. And for those who don’t know, he is the sniper of the Straw Hats and also serves as the repairman of the crew. He is also seen making gadgets for himself and his friend, Nami.
Jamaican-American actor Jacob Romero has donned a few hats in his career as an actor, and that includes starring in Grey’s Anatomy. He has done numerous roles, but One Piece will be his first show where he gets to have longer screen time. We believe he will shine as Usopp with his quirky, comedic personality here.
5. Taz Skylar as Sanji
Tarek Yassin Skylar aka Taz Skylar has made his way into the One Piece live-action series, playing the skilled cook and fighter Sanji. When the first exclusive sneak peek at Sanji was released, people started questioning the disappearance of Sanji’s iconic eyebrow. However, Taz looks cheerful and cool as Sanji without it anyway.
Sanji joins the crew during the Baratie arc (see One Piece Live Action episode guide) and will be the Chef of the Straw Hats. Sanji is skilled at both battle and cooking, and he is a great two-in-one addition to the crew. You can say he is the left-hand man of Luffy and together with Zoro and Luffy, they are referred to as the Monster Trio.
Taz Skylar is not just an actor as he is an award-nominated writer as well as a producer. He has done various roles in many popular movies and TV shows such as Boiling Point, The Lazarus Project, etc. in his career. After Luffy and Zoro, I highly think Taz will impress us the most as Sanji in the show.
6. Michael Dorman as “Gold Roger”
Gold Roger is the most important character in the One Piece universe and one who will be setting up the great age of pirates in the series. Michale Dorman has been cast as Gold Roger to kickstart the show with great vigor and gusto. Gold Roger is the pirate king who kicked off the great pirate era by announcing that anyone can claim the greatest treasure, which is the One Piece, he has left behind.
Michael Dorman is a New Zealand-born actor and has appeared in a variety of movies, ranging from horror to comedy, like The Invisible Man, Patriot, Triangle, etc. His appearance and demeanor in the trailer do give us a lot of hope for his character in the live-action series.
6. Peter Gadiot as “Shanks”
Peter Gadiot, the Mexican-born actor will be playing the infamous Akagami Shanks in the One Piece live-action. It’s a tough job to nail the fierce look of this red-haired pirate, but Peter could definitely pull this off. Shanks is the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates and will be an inspiration for Luffy to become a great pirate. He gives his most-valued Straw Hat to Luffy to inspire him to become a bigger pirate than him in the future and return it to him.
Although Peter was born in Mexico, he grew up in the UK, and thus, he has acted in various American, English, as well as Mexican movies and series in his career. He has done major roles in heavily popular shows such as Supergirl, Yellowjackets, Silo, etc. Even though Shanks will only have little screen time in Season 1, Peter Gadiot can leave a big impression on the fans as Shanks.
7. Vincent Regan as “Garp”
When it was announced that Garp would be making his debut in the first season, I was totally confused as a manga & anime follower. Then, it was revealed that the live-action production team had decided to make some changes to rope him into the plot (as discussed in our easter eggs article). It was a huge surprise for fans, but an even better decision is Vincent Regan portraying Garp in the live-action.
Regan looks absolutely incredible as the legend Garp. For those unaware, Garp is one of the most important marine officers and characters in One Piece history, and there is a lot more about him you will learn in the live-action.
Vincent Regan is a veteran British actor who has appeared in several movies and shows throughout his career. Some of his popular works include 300, Victoria, Troy, Ghost Rider, and more. The casting team has done a fantastic job hiring him for Garp’s role, and we’re looking forward to seeing him in the show.
8. Steven Ward as “Dracule Mihawk”
Steven Ward gets to play the role of the world’s greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, in the One Piece live-action series. Dracule Mihawk is the strongest swordsman alive in the series. He will have a brief, but important appearance in the Baratie arc. This will serve as a crucial moment for the Straw Hats swordsman, Zoro.
I have to admit that Steven looks like a carbon copy of Mihawk from the source material, and fans are just going crazy over this casting. The production team has got everything perfect, right from his iconic eyes and mustache to his costume and legendary sword (check out a list of the most powerful swords in One Piece).
Steven Ward is an actor hailing from South Africa and has assumed many roles throughout his profession. While he may not have done any groundbreaking role yet, Steven as Mihawk will serve as one and end up getting loved by the fans for sure. Mihawk is one of the legendary characters in the One Piece series, and he will become one in the live-action as well.
9. Jeff Ward as “Buggy”
If you are a fan of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013), you can easily recognize Jeff Ward. Now, he will be playing Buggy the Star Clown in the One Piece live-action series. Buggy is the captain of the Buggy Pirates, who will be one of the primary antagonists during the Orange Town arc. With the clown makeup, Jeff looks as good as real-life Buggy, and the sneak peek of his Chop-Chop Fruit powers was truly mind-blowing.
Jeff Ward is an American actor primarily known for his work in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and also in Hacks, Brand New Cherry Flavor, Channel Zero, etc. Jeff Ward is a tailor-made fit for the scary-looking yet funny clown Buggy, and we are looking forward to his performance.
10. Morgan Davies as “Koby”
The recent Evil Dead Rise horror movie turned out to be great. And if you remember the guy Danny from the movie, well, he has been cast in the role of Koby in the upcoming show. Morgan Davies has my heart, as he looks exactly like Koby. Koby will be first seen as a caretaker for the Alvida Pirates, but he wants to pursue his dream of becoming a Marine.
Morgan is an Australian actor who has acted in multiple movies, shows as well as shorts. The famous works he was a part of are Evil Dead Rise, The Girlfriend Experience, Storm Boy, etc. With the glasses and Koby’s unique hairstyle, you can tell that no one can look better than this in the live-action.
11. Aidan Scott as “Helmeppo”
Aidan Scott who is well-known after Netflix’s popular The Kissing Booth 2 movie will be seen as Koby’s friend Helmeppo in the live-action series. Helmeppo is the son of another marine officer named Axe-Hand Morgan (more on him below). When he encounters Luffy, we will witness a big turnaround in Helmeppo’s life, with him joining the Marines alongside Koby.
Aidan has acted in a handful of movies as well as TV shows. He continues to be a budding actor, and I hope his performance as Helmeppo will elevate his acting career in the future.
12. McKinley Belcher III as “Arlong”
Netflix’s ‘Ozark’ fame McKinley Belcher III has become the real-life Arlong for One Piece live-action. In the series, Arlong is a saw shark Fishman who will be playing as the major Antagonist of the Arlong Park taking place in Nami’s hometown. Therefore, it serves as one of the bigger threats to Luffy and the other Straw Hats.
McKinley Belcher III is a well-known actor as he has acted in tons of movies and shows. His most famous works include Ozark, The Art of Racing in Rain, Marriage Story, etc. We knew already that it’s going tough as hell for the live-action team to replicate the Fishman design, but they have done a pretty good job, except for the tall, massive demeanor.
13. Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as “Alvida”
Ilia Isorelýs Paulino has been cast for the role of Alvida in the One Piece live-action. Alvida is the first-ever antagonist Luffy will face in the TV series. She is the captain of the Alvida Pirates and her role will be covered throughout the first episode of the Romance Dawn arc. Alvida will also be a recurring antagonist alongside another major villain of the show.
Ilia Isorelýs Paulino is an upcoming actress and is known for her roles in The Sex Lives of College Girls, Me Time, Queenpins, etc.
14. Langley Kirkwood as “Captain Morgan”
The father of Helmeppo is Axe-Hand Morgan, and this role is played by a renowned actor, Langley Kirkwood. Morgan is a Marine captain who resides in Shells Town and will serve as yet another antagonist to the Luffy, Zoro, and Nami trio. As his name suggests, he has a steel axe switched with his right hand and a steel jaw.
Langley Kirkwood has portrayed various roles in many iconic series throughout his career. Some of them are Blacksails, Banshee, Warrior, Dredd, etc. He is an experienced actor and will definitely add more value to the live-action with his role.
15. Craig Fairbrass as “Chef Zeff”
We have yet another adept and experienced actor, Craig Fairbrass, who will be playing the role of Chef Zeff in the live-action show. Zeff is the head chef of the Baratie Restaurant, introduced in the Baratie arc (check out the Eat at Baratie! episode). Zeff has a meaningful relationship with Sanji, which will be deeply explored in the same episode.
Craig is a British actor who has acted not just in movies and shows but has also lent his voice to famous video game franchises like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and many more. He is a respected individual in cinema as well as the gaming industry. And you do not even need to ask anyone, he looks like a Xerox of Zeff from the anime. Undoubtedly, he will become one of the best characters in the One Piece live-action series.
Currently, we have only included all the popular characters based on the information and exclusive looks we have received. Therefore, we will expand the guide once the show airs successfully. In the meantime, let us know who is your favorite character in this live-action so far in the comments below.
Aparna Ukil
