Who Plays Luffy in ‘One Piece’ Live Action? Answered

Few anime and manga characters have gained the popularity that Monkey D. Luffy has. He has been the center of One Piece since the manga’s beginning in 1997 and, 26 years later, still manages to be the endearing and captivating protagonist of a now full-fledged franchise. As one of the most enduring anime characters with a level of fame comparable to Naruto Uzumaki, Goku, and Ash Ketchum, Luffy bears much of the responsibility for One Piece‘s success. He truly carries the series with a lovable personality, a genuinely good spirit, and a steadfast belief in the power of dreams.

Hence, when Netflix set out to adapt One Piece to live-action, Luffy was one aspect of the series that the streamer especially needed to get right. As a whole, the streamer needed to tread carefully to honor Eiichiro Oda’s creation and find the right balance between honoring the source material while also making some distinctions between the anime and live-action. However, as far as characters go, the most pressure likely fell on Luffy, considering whatever actor portrayed him would truly be required to carry the show and put forward their own interpretation of one of the most beloved manga/anime characters of all time.

Fortunately, the actor that was ultimately picked for Luffy was the perfect choice. His performance will blow away franchise fans and newcomers with the charm, humor, and emotion he packs into his role. He is able to honor all of the things that make Luffy Luffy while also making the character his own in several ways. Here’s what you need to know about the actor behind Luffy.

Meet the actor behind One Piece‘s most important role

Iñaki Godoy is the actor who brings Luffy to life in Netflix’s One Piece series. Before landing the role of Luffy, the 20-year-old Mexican actor had gained recognition for his roles in two other Netflix series, Who Killed Sara? and The Imperfects. When preparing for his audition for One Piece, Godoy realized that a critical aspect of Luffy was his signature smile, which he frequently wears on his face when helping others. Hence, he tried to replicate Luffy’s smile in the audition, capturing Oda’s attention by making him laugh. Indeed, the first thing most will notice about Godoy’s portrayal is that he has Luffy’s classic smile.

However, Godoy’s performance was about much more than looking the part. He pushed himself to understand how Luffy thinks to portray his optimism, goofiness, and kind-heartedness. In recognizing that Luffy was more of a dreamer than a talker, he was able to pack a lot of emotion into the character without needing extensive monologues. Godoy even had to undergo rigorous physical training to make Luffy’s unique rubber-like composition look believable. While he tried to capture the main attributes of the original Luffy, he also made the character his own. For example, he refused to try to mimic Luffy’s anime voice and found the right tone for the character on his own, as he was determined not just to copy Mayumi Tanaka’s take on the character’s voice.

Ultimately, Godoy proved to be quite a fantastic Luffy for Netflix’s One Piece. He brings the perfect energy and understanding of Luffy to the show, while his own personal interpretations add another layer of realism to the character. It would be wonderful to see him grow further into the role if One Piece gets a season 2 renewal.

(featured image: Netflix)