One Piece Cast: Get to Know the Straw Hat Pirates

This article contains light spoilers for the One Piece manga and anime.

Technically the heroes of One Piece, the Straw Hat Pirates, are villains in their own right. But like any good outlaw story, the truth is always more complicated than just who’s right and who’s wrong. The Straw Hats are pirates, which means they don’t abide by the laws of the World Government. Instead, they fly a jolly roger and sail in search of grand adventure, treasure, and ultimately freedom. Monkey D. Luffy is our main character, he’s unquestionably a hero, and is as strong as he is stupid. He’s very strong and he’s very stupid, but in a lovable, goofy way that draws people to him like a magnet. 

One Piece is from the mind of Eiichiro Oda, who began the series as a manga in 1997. Immediately successful, an anime adaptation followed soon after, which remains on the air to this day. Oda claims that the manga is winding down, having recently entered its final saga. But with the live-action adaptation hitting Netflix, now is a great time to take a closer look at the characters we meet in the story’s very first saga, East Blue. 

Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy

Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, making him a rubber man.

Luffy is the kind of guy to make friends wherever he goes. With a goofy demeanor and joyful outlook, as well as a small stature, his overwhelming strength isn’t immediately apparent. It helps that he ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, a mystic treasure that gave his body the characteristics of rubber. He can stretch to his heart’s content and can resist damage from physical attacks, like when he bounces bullets out from his belly, or letting a club smash into his squishy head to no effect.

There are plenty of strong people in One Piece, many of them unquestionably stronger than Luffy, but what sets him apart is his indomitable spirit and unflinching devotion to his dream of becoming the King of the Pirates. It’s an unofficial title that was once bestowed upon Gold Roger, the first and only man to conquer the unconquerable stretch of sea, the Grand Line. To Luffy, becoming the King of the Pirates means becoming the freest man in the world. He extends that freedom to nearly everyone he meets, knowing that he can’t be free if his friends aren’t. That’s why he agrees to help anyone who asks for it. That’s why you can’t help but root for him.

In the live-action series, he’s portrayed by Iñaki Godoy, a Mexican actor who might have been born for this role. He looks like Luffy, he acts like Luffy, and he feels like Luffy. And that’s coming from Luffy’s legendary creator Eiichiro Oda himself, who saw Godoy and said “That’s Luffy.”

Mackenyu is Roronoa Zoro

Swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates. Fights with three swords, including one in his mouth.

Zoro is as dependable as they come. With the drive to become the world’s greatest swordsman and the strength to back it up, the no-nonsense straight man was the first to join Luffy’s crew of pirates. Ironically enough, Zoro started his adventure as a bounty hunter, targeting dangerous pirates wanted by the World Government to test and grow his strength. Weirdly, he fights with three swords, one in each hand and another in his mouth. In a world where eating a magical fruit can turn your body into rubber, biting down on a sword’s handle and whooping ass with it isn’t much of a stretch. He’s quick to talk trash to friend and foe alike, but only because he knows he can back it up.

He’s portrayed by Mackenyu, a Japanese-American actor who grew up with One Piece. In the diverse world of One Piece, Zoro is one of the more recognizably Japanese characters, fighting with the spirit and weapons of a samurai. To prepare for this role, he trained in swordsmanship extensively and brings a gruff air to his stunt-filled performance.

Emily Rudd is Nami

Thief and Navigator. Good with a Bo Staff and has a keen understanding of weather patterns.

What Nami says goes. End of story. She doesn’t have ferocious strength like her allied crewmates, but she can hold her own in combat and is charming as all get out. But most of the time, it doesn’t even come to blows because by the time her target realizes they’ve been had, Nami is long gone. She specializes in pulling one over on pirates specifically, but her true love lies in the open sea. She’s a tremendous cartographer, with a dream of mapping the world’s many waterways.

Portrayed by Emily Rudd, recognizable for her parts in the Fear Street movies and the music video for DJ Snake and Justin Bieber’s “Let Me Love You.” 

Jacob Romero is Usopp

Marksman of the Straw Hat Pirates. Serial liar with excellent aim.

Usopp is the Straw Hats’ resident coward, a self-described weakling prone to telling outrageous lies. He’s also their sharpshooter, armed with a slingshot and an overflowing bag of tricks. He fights inventively, if not effectively, with gimmicky moves that could only be accomplished with his keen sense of aim. He’s liable to goad his opponent into a jaw-dropping reaction, then rockets tabasco sauce or rotten eggs into their wide-open mouth, scorching their throat. Despite his soft body and extreme anxiety, Usopp isn’t one to leave a score unsettled. Even when he flees mid-battle, tears and all, he can always find the determination to make a stand. He doesn’t have the overwhelming abilities of his crewmates, but he fights for what is right in his own lovable way. 

Portrayed by Jacob Romero, the live-action Usopp isn’t sporting the signature Pinocchio nose, but he can still gin up a tall tale like no one else. 

Taz Skylar is Sanji

Chef of the Strawhat Pirates. Loverboy who won’t use his hands in a fight.

There are two things Sanji loves – cooking and women. He wasn’t seeking fame or fortune when he became an expert chef at the notorious sea-faring restaurant Baratie, popular with pirates and the Navy alike. He’s in it for that warm fuzzy feeling of serving a wonderful, nourishing meal to the hungry, no matter who they may be. Cooking is so important to him that he built his entire fighting style around kicks, just to leave his hands unblemished for the kitchen. 

And yet, there’s one thing Sanji loves more than cooking – and that’s the ladies. He’s quick to fall in love and not afraid to declare it, on sight. And like his conviction to save his hands for the kitchen, Sanji refuses to lay a toe (remember, kicks) on any woman, no matter how serious of an opponent she may be. As extra as he may be, he is kind of a gentleman with a soft side, a pounding heart, and an incredible amount of strength that makes him as useful in a fight as he is at keeping the Straw Hats satiated at sea.

Portrayed by Taz Skylar, who prepared for the role with months of training in both martial arts and the art of cooking. 

Jeff Ward is Buggy the Clown

Captain of the Buggy Pirates. Ate the Chop-Chop Fruit, can chop himself up into pieces.

Buggy the Clown is one of the first bonafide pirates we meet in One Piece. With the full-on clown makeup, the big red nose, and a crew with a literal circus-like atmosphere, Buggy the Clown lives up to his epithet and his ruthless behavior warrants his status as a wanted man. He relies on his Chop-Chop powers to fight, which weirdly allow him to separate his body into pieces, conveniently rendering cutting attacks wholly ineffective. After all, who could chop up a man who’s already chopped up himself? He also has an interesting backstory, having come up on the same ship as Luffy’s mentor, the pirate “Red-Haired” Shanks. But for however terrifying Buggy may seem, he is, in fact, an idiot quick to bluster and always reliable for a good laugh at his expense. 

Portrayed by Jeff Ward, a character actor best known for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. who gives appropriate amounts of unhinged menace in the trailers.

McKinley Belcher III is Arlong

Captain of the Arlong Pirates. A fish-man with the power of a sawfish shark.

The first big-bad of One Piece is really big and really bad. As a fish-man, Arlong was born with a greater-than-human strength and the physical characteristics of a sawfish shark, granting him incredible dexterity underwater. This advantage underwater makes him a natural enemy to Devil Fruit users, who have been cursed by their powers with the inability to swim. Fish-men are rarely seen outside their island in the Grand Line, if they are seen at all. And yet, wherever they go, “regular” humans meet them with violence, hate and fear, a clear metaphor for racism. As a pirate, Arlong uses his incredible strength to rule over a small island out in the sticks, away from the watchful eye of the World Government. He learned to rule as humans ruled him – with ruthless violence. He’s the perfect One Piece villain. Strong, plainly wrong, and still somehow relatable. 

Portrayed by McKinley Belcher III, known for his dramatic work on TV, including Ozark and The Passage.

Peter Gadiot is Shanks

Captain of the Red-Haired Pirates. Swordsman and idol to Luffy.

Gold Roger might’ve kicked off the great era of piracy, but it was “Red-Haired“ Shanks who inspired Luffy to become the pirate he is today. They met when Shanks’s pirate crew used Luffy’s hometown as a base of operations for their pirating activities when Luffy was young. It was through Shanks that Luffy learned that true strength is best used for protecting those you love dearly. It was also through Shanks that Luffy acquired his Gum-Gum powers after he accidentally ate the much sought-after treasure Shanks fought hard to acquire in a moment of idle snacking. While we don’t see much of Shanks, his presence forever looms large throughout One Piece, waiting for Luffy to catch up to him in the Grand Line.

Shanks is portrayed by Peter Gadiot, recognizable from his roles in Queen of the South and Yellowjackets.

Steven Ward is Dracule Mihawk

Former Pirate, current Warlord of the Seas. World’s strongest swordsman.

Dracule “Hawk Eyes” Mihawk is unquestionably one of the most powerful men in the world. Even though he used to run wild as a pirate, he’s currently employed by the World Government as a Warlord of the Seas, which allows him a level of freedom under the banner of the good guys. So long as he goes after dangerous pirates and comes when called (like a dog many pirates might say), he can continue his piratical activities. He is also the towering figure that Zoro must surpass to claim the mantle of world’s strongest swordsman. He fights with a giant black blade that has the destructive power of military grade artillery, but doesn’t seem to command any devil fruit powers. The source of his overwhelming strength is both a mystery and an inspiration for the Straw Hat’s fledgling swordsman.

He is portrayed by Steven Ward, who replicates Mihawk’s smoldering persona, piercing eyes, and best of all, his signature pointy facial hair.

Morgan Davies is Koby

Cabin Boy of the Alvida Pirates. Weak and meek, but willing to change.

Koby is one of the first people Luffy meets on his journey, and though they both dream big, Koby lacks the power and the will to free himself from the clutches of his pirate captor, Captain “Iron Mace” Alvida. Unlike Luffy, Koby dreams of joining the Marines, they’re the good guys after all, to protect citizens from ruthless pirates like Alvida. Ironically enough it’s only thanks to Luffy’s strength that Koby is inspired to find his backbone and begin his parallel journey into the Navy, sure to become a great rival to Luffy. He might even be due for a major-major glow up.

Koby is portrayed by Morgan Davies, known for roles in The Girlfriend Experience and Evil Dead Rise.

Alexander Maniatis is Klahadore FKA Captain Kuro

Former Captain of the Black Cat Pirates. Wears gloves with swords attached to every finger, is extremely smart.

Notorious for his ruthless conduct and meticulous planning, Captain Kuro was heroically killed by the Navy, who put an end to his pirating ways for good. But, in reality, Kuro is a pirate who got out of the game before the game got him. Tired of being hunted as “Kuro of a Thousand Plans”, he faked his death with the help of his hypnotist first-mate who – this is real and not made up – looks exactly like Michael Jackson. He’s alive and well, living as a butler to a wealthy family on the same small island home to the Straw Hat’s future sharpshooter, Usopp. He fights with an incredible, super-human speed that he pairs with gloves where every finger has a full sword attached to the end.

Portrayed by Alexander Maniatis, a striking actor from the series’ filming location of South Africa.

All eight episodes of One Piece are available to stream on Netflix now.