The arrival of March 2026 marks a major milestone for the One Piece live-action series. Netflix’s One Piece Season 3 production is already underway in Cape Town, South Africa.
Fans are celebrating the casting of iconic manga characters. New stars have joined the new season to play powerful devil-fruit users. Many character choices reflect high-quality storytelling and visual accuracy.
Scoop: Season 2 just hit number 1 in over 40 countries since its March 10 release. If you haven’t finished the finale, watch out for the Mr. 0 face reveal, it is Gomu Gomu Great.
One Piece: Primary Season 3 Casting Details
The table below highlights the confirmed actors for the One Piece Alabasta Arc as of March 2026. These roles represent the most influential figures in the Grand Line.
| Character Name | Actor Name | Role Type | Key Power |
| Sir Crocodile | Joe Manganiello | Main Villain | Sand Manipulation |
| Portgas D. Ace | Xolo Maridueña | Major Ally | Fire Generation & Control |
| Nico Robin | Lera Abova | Secret Agent | Multiple Limbs |
| Bon Clay (Mr. 2) | Cole Escola | Officer Agent | Face Mimicry |
| King Cobra | Sendhil Ramamurthy | Royal Leader | Political Wisdom |
Joe Manganiello, Lera Abova, and Sendhil Ramamurthy were promoted to series regulars for the new season. Xolo Maridueña and Cole Escola are some new additions.
One Piece: Joe Manganiello as Sir Crocodile
Joe Manganiello is officially confirmed as the ruthless pirate warlord Sir Crocodile. The villain is a highly relevant and fan-favorite character in the entire fandom. Joe Manganiello brings a deep voice and physical presence to the leader of Baroque Works. Crocodile represents the first member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea that Luffy confronts directly in the Grand Line.
- Secretly operates as the president of the Baroque Works organization.
- Uses the Suna Suna no Mi Devil Fruit to control sand and dehydrate enemies.
- Has Crocodile’s trademark coat and gold hook.
- Plans to trigger a civil war in Alabasta while actively searching for an ancient weapon.
Scoop: Joe Manganiello is back in South Africa for Season 3 filming. Expect his sand-based CGI to take nearly a year to polish in post-production.
While filming wraps in 2026, Season 3 is expected to release in the mid 2027 due to heavy digital effects work. The Alabasta Arc requires complex particle simulations for Sir Crocodile’s sand and Ace’s fire.
If done right, each grain of sand and flame flicker must be calculated individually to look realistic next to the actors. This high level of detail takes much longer to process than standard scenes, which explains the year-long wait for the new episodes.
One Piece: Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace
Xolo Maridueña joins the cast as Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s older brother. The actor is known for his role as Miguel in Cobra Kai and for playing Blue Beetle in the DC film. Ace is a Whitebeard Pirates commander and one of the most powerful fire devil fruit users in the world.
- Ace arrives primarily to check on Luffy and briefly reunite with him during the Alabasta storyline.
- His Mera Mera no Mi Devil Fruit generates fire at his will.
- The classic ASCE tattoo is said to be included in the costume design.
- Maridueña is known for doing his stunts himself, so he might perform many of the fight sequences and action choreography.
Note: The official “Into the Grand Line” podcast (March 13), featuring Iñaki and Xolo reflects their real-life chemistry as a perfect D. Family.
One Piece: The Supporting Agents of Baroque Works
Netflix has cast several performers to fill the ranks of the Baroque Works organization. The production team uses a mixture of CGI and practical effects to portray the characters’ devil fruit abilities.
- Mr. 1 (Daz Bonez): A lethal assassin played by Awdo Awdo who can transform his body into steel blades.
- Miss Doublefinger: An agent played by Daisy Head who can grow spikes from her body.
- Mr. 2 Bon Clay: Played by Cole Escola, a theatrical fighter who combines ballet with martial arts.
- Miss All Sunday: Played by Lera Abova, Nico Robin (Miss All Sunday) serves as the vice president of Baroque Works. She later becomes an important part of the entire story.
Each villain serves as a major opponent for one Straw Hat member. This allows the Alabasta storyline to feature multiple simultaneous battles. These fights ensure that every character has a significant role in the upcoming season.
Scoop: Industry leaks suggest Season 3 will cover Alabasta exclusively across 8 episodes, with a projected release date of Summer 2027.
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