One Piece Live Action

TV Show
STUDIONetflix
RELEASED2023

An alternate version of Earth, and one that is currently in the midst of the 'Golden Age of Pirates'. Ruthless cut-throat pirates rule the seas, and only the strongest have the chance to lay claim to the mythical treasure known as 'One Piece' that was left behind by the greatest pirate of them all Gold Roger. Years after the death of Gold Roger, a young boy by the name of Monkey D. Luffy has dreams of raising his own crew, finding One Piece, and declaring himself as Pirate King. After eating a devil fruit that grants Luffy the power to make his body like rubber, it gives him enormous strength and agility. When Luffy finally comes of age, he sets sail from Foosha Village in East Blue and sets upon his grand adventure to become the next Pirate King.

Knowledge

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One Piece Live ActionSource

Vincent Regan Trades Troy for the Marines

The role of Vice Admiral Garp, Luffy's formidable grandfather, went to Vincent Regan, an actor better known up to that point for big historical epics like Troy and 300.

One Piece Live ActionSource

Morgan Davies Plays the Marine Who Starts It All

Koby, the timid cabin boy who befriends Luffy in the very first episode and eventually joins the Marines, is played by Morgan Davies, whose earlier credits included the film Storm Boy.

One Piece Live ActionSource

A Second Wave of Casting Brought Mihawk and Kaya

During a Netflix Geeked Week event, the production revealed Steven Ward as the fearsome swordsman Mihawk and Celeste Loots as Kaya, alongside Langley Kirkwood as Captain Morgan, Alexander Maniatis as Klahadore, Craig Fairbrass as chef Zeff and Chioma Umeala as Nojiko.

One Piece Live ActionSource

The Manga Sold Over 460 Million Copies Before the Show Even Aired

By the time Netflix announced its live-action cast, Oda's original manga had already sold in excess of 460 million copies worldwide, a scale of popularity that made adapting it into live action feel like an especially high-stakes gamble.

One Piece Live ActionSource

The Adaptation Squeezes Five Arcs Into One Season

Season 1 condenses the first five arcs of the original story, everything from Luffy leaving home to arriving at the Baratie and beyond, into just eight episodes, which meant plenty of streamlining and merging of side plots along the way.

One Piece Live ActionSource

Mini Buggy Makes the Cut

Long-time readers know Buggy occasionally reduces his split-apart body parts down to a tiny, doll-sized version of himself for comedic effect. That gag from the manga and anime made it into the live-action too, tucked in as a quick visual joke rather than a major plot beat.

One Piece Live ActionSource

A Newspaper-Delivering Seagull

Early on, Luffy tries to recruit a bird for his crew that's actually a Newscoo, the seagull species from the manga whose entire job in this world is delivering newspapers and wanted posters between islands.

One Piece Live ActionSource

Zoro's Whole Introduction Is an Off-Page Fight, Brought to Life

In the manga, Zoro's confrontation with the Baroque Works recruiter was only ever referenced after the fact, never actually drawn or shown happening. The Netflix version stages the whole thing as an on-screen fight, giving fans their first ever look at a moment that had existed only in text for over two decades.

One Piece Live ActionSource

Mr. 7's Successor Was Already Waiting in the Wings

In the wider story, the numbered Baroque Works agent titles don't retire when someone dies, they just get reassigned. After Zoro kills the original Mr. 7, the position and number are picked up by a new operative who later appears working alongside Miss Father's Day during the Arabasta arc.

One Piece Live ActionSource

Ilia Isorelýs Paulino Steps Into Alvida's Boots

The role of Iron Mace Alvida, the vain pirate captain who terrorizes Koby before Luffy shows up, went to Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, an actress previously seen in Queenpins and The Sex Lives of College Girls.