Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Reveals Four New Cast Members for the Alabasta Arc
Casting announcements have become something of a ritual for Netflix’s live-action ‘One Piece,’ with each new season revealing its characters in carefully staged reveals that get fans buzzing months ahead of release. The series has built a reputation for thoughtful casting choices that manage to satisfy both longtime manga readers and newcomers discovering the Straw Hat crew for the first time.
That tradition continued this weekend at ONE PIECE Day ’26, the franchise’s annual event held in Tokyo, Japan. Alongside major film announcements for the broader franchise, the live-action series used the occasion to reveal its next wave of Season 3 additions.
Four new actors have officially joined the cast of ‘One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta’: Emilio Sakraya as Koza, Omid Abtahi as Toto, Jamie Ward as Pell and Nabeel Khan as Chaka. The announcement arrived at the tail end of the stage show, following the reveal of the second worldwide character popularity poll results, which once again crowned Luffy as the franchise’s most popular character.
Each new addition steps into a role central to the Alabasta storyline, one of the most beloved arcs in the entire ‘One Piece’ saga. Sakraya takes on Koza, Princess Vivi’s childhood friend and the leader of the Alabasta Rebel Forces, a character whose arc is deeply tied to the kingdom’s brewing civil war. His previous credits include “Rheingold,” “Those About to Die” and “Fortitude.”
Ward has been cast as Pell, widely considered the strongest warrior in Alabasta and one of the kingdom’s head royal guards, known in the source material for wielding the powers of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Falcon. Ward previously appeared in “The Gentlemen” and “His Dark Materials,” bringing experience in both crime drama and fantasy adaptation to the role.
Khan joins as Chaka, the second head guard serving alongside Pell and acting captain of the royal guard during Igaram’s absence. Known for his work on “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” and “Strike Back,” Khan rounds out the kingdom’s protective forces alongside Ward’s Pell.
Rounding out the group is Abtahi, cast as Toto, the village elder of Yuba and Koza’s father. Abtahi brings recognizable genre credentials to the role, having previously appeared in “The Mandalorian” and “American Gods.”
These four newcomers join a Season 3 cast that already includes several previously announced additions, including Cole Escola as Bon Clay, Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace, Daisy Head as Miss Doublefinger and Awdo Awdo as Mr. 1. They’ll appear alongside the franchise’s returning core cast, including Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp and Taz Skylar as Sanji.
According to Netflix’s official synopsis, Season 3 finds the Straw Hat Pirates entering the treacherous Grand Line as war brews in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, Princess Vivi’s homeland. A rebellion threatens to tear the nation apart, secretly fueled by Sir Crocodile and his underground syndicate Baroque Works, forcing the crew to confront both a civil war and a dangerous Warlord of the Sea to save Vivi’s kingdom.
Production on the season has already wrapped in Cape Town, South Africa, putting the show on track for its previously announced 2027 release on Netflix. Ian Stokes and Joe Tracz continue serving as co-showrunners, writers and executive producers for the third installment.
The live-action adaptation has built significant momentum since its 2023 debut, with the first season topping Netflix’s global English TV rankings with 18.5 million total views and 140.1 million hours viewed. With Season 2 having already brought the story through the Drum Island arc earlier this year, fans now have a clearer picture of just how faithfully the show intends to bring Alabasta’s beloved cast of characters to life.
Which new One Piece Season 3 character are you most excited to see?
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