Netflix’s live-action “One Piece” is setting sail again. After its record-breaking first season captivated audiences and critics, the series returned for Season 2 with a major theatrical rollout. The first two episodes premiered in more than 200 theaters across the U.S., Canada, and Japan, while the full season debuted on Netflix.
The adventure will continue with Season 3, titled “One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta,” arriving in 2027. Production has wrapped in Cape Town, South Africa, with the core cast returning, several Season 2 actors promoted to series regulars, and new performers stepping into pivotal roles.
Here’s what we know about Season 3, who is returning, and how to find casting opportunities for similar projects.
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- What is “One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta” about?
- Who is cast in “One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta”?
- Who is the casting director for “One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta”?
- What is the casting process like for “One Piece”?
- Where to find casting calls for Netflix’s “One Piece”
- What is the best audition advice for getting cast on “One Piece”?
“One Piece” follows Monkey D. Luffy, a spirited young pirate with rubberlike powers, on his quest to find the legendary One Piece treasure and become King of the Pirates. Along the way, he assembles the Straw Hat crew and sails through dangerous seas, encountering powerful enemies and islands ruled by tyrants.
Per Netflix, Season 3 brings the fan-favorite Alabasta Arc to life. After agreeing to help their new friend Princess Vivi at the end of Season 2, Luffy and the Straw Hats travel to her desert homeland, where a rebellion threatens to plunge the kingdom into civil war. Secretly fueling the conflict is Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and his criminal organization, Baroque Works, which is plotting to seize control of Alabasta.
As the stakes rise, the Straw Hats must confront formidable new enemies, navigate impossible choices, and rely on their unbreakable bonds to save Vivi’s kingdom before it collapses.
Season 3 co-showrunners Joe Tracz and Ian Stokes told Netflix’s Tudum that bringing the Alabasta storyline to the screen has been a goal for the creative team since the live-action series began, calling the arc “thematically rich, emotionally gripping, and visually spectacular.”
Returning Straw Hat Pirates are:
- Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy
- Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro
- Emily Rudd as Nami
- Jacob Romero as Usopp
- Taz Skylar as Sanji
Returning Season 2 cast members include:
- Charithra Chandran as Princess Vivi
- Mikaela Hoover as Tony Tony Chopper
- Joe Manganiello as Mr. 0
- Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday
- Sendhil Ramamurthy as Alabasta King Nefertari Cobra
New cast members include:
- Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace
- Cole Escola as Bon Clay
- Awdo Awdo as Mr. 1
- Daisy Head as Miss Doublefinger
Joe Tracz returns as co-showrunner for Season 3, teaming with Ian Stokes. Additional executive producers include Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements through Tomorrow Studios, Tetsu Fujimura, Chris Symes, Christoph Schrewe, and Steven Maeda.
The casting directors include Junie Lowry-Johnson and Libby Goldstein (“Yellowjackets,” “True Blood”), along with South Africa–based casting director Bonnie Rodini (“Around the World in 80 Days,” “Raised by Wolves”).
Learn what Lowry-Johnson and Goldstein look for in the audition room.
Casting for “One Piece” involved a nine-month global search and input from manga creator Oda. Season 1 director Marc Jobst told The Hollywood Reporter that the team saw hundreds of actors and was looking for something very specific: performers with heart, depth and humor.
Physical ability mattered, too. Jobst wanted actors who could handle both the dramatic material and the action. “I wanted actors who could be fit and strong and carry a choreography,” he said, allowing him to shoot fight sequences more fluidly without relying heavily on stunt doubles.
For Jobst, getting the cast right was more important than the scale of the production. “An audience doesn’t fall in love with a set or a location. They fall in love with people,” he said. His goal was to find actors who felt “authentic and real and grounded and human.”
Oda also helped with casting. In a letter published by Netflix’s Tudum, he said he chose actors from Japan using their photos and videos. After meeting the Season 2 cast on set in South Africa, he said they were “absolutely the perfect choice.”
“One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta” Season 3 has wrapped production. However, you can still find plenty of casting opportunities. We update these roundups weekly:
Bookmark these casting pages for even more opportunities:
Looking to get cast in similar projects? These resources can help:
- How to Audition for Netflix
- Netflix casting calls
- 12 Tips for Voice Actors Auditioning for Animated Movies
The actors’ audition stories show just how much work goes into preparing before sending in a tape. In a YouTube interview about the “One Piece” casting process, Rudd shared that she had dreamed of playing Nami for years. A longtime manga fan, she spent almost three years preparing, even cutting and dyeing her hair to match the character and posting videos that showed off her stunt ability and physical skills.
Even with all her preparation, Rudd didn’t feel confident about the tape she submitted. “I remember sending that in being like, I hate that and I’m not going to get it,” she recalled. “There’s no way. How could I with a tape like that?” Despite her doubts, she landed the role.
Godoy had a different experience. He researched Luffy before auditioning and focused on the character’s optimism and distinctive smile. After his first tape, the casting team asked him to try the scene again with a different approach to Luffy’s reaction. Godoy adjusted his performance and submitted another version. Later, he said that Oda told him he made the manga creator laugh during the audition.
For both actors, preparation went beyond learning their lines. Rudd spent years getting to know Nami while Godoy studied what defined Luffy and adjusted his performance when the casting team gave him a new direction.
