Netflix's One Piece: Are The Straw Hats Friends In Real Life?

Bringing "One Piece" to life comes with plenty of challenges, but Netflix plans to overcome live-action anime hurdles with this adaptation. Eiichiro Oda's world is vast, and the Straw Hat Pirates are beloved characters, so it was of the utmost importance for the series to recapture that magic. Thankfully, the entire cast of Netflix's "One Piece" embodies not only their characters but their relationships with their fellow crew members as well, which is more than likely due to the actors' similar off-screen friendships.

"One Piece" fans will be happy to know that the cast of the Netflix series are friends in real life, growing close during the time they spent together filming in South Africa. In an interview with Decider, Emily Rudd, who plays Nami, said, "We all kind of spent time with each other equally, but I spent a lot of time with Iñaki [Godoy] and we definitely developed this older-sister-younger-brother dynamic." She described their relationship as playful, saying the Luffy actor's mood was infectious, so they couldn't help but have fun when the cameras weren't rolling.

As for her other co-stars, Rudd reminisced on their good times too, saying, "Then Jake [Romero], Taz [Skylar] and I just bopped around Cape Town and everything, checking out all of the nightlife and restaurants after filming." Rudd ended the interview by saying, "Getting to hang out with everybody outside of work and on set was a dream. I couldn't have asked for a better cast."

As if Emily Rudd's comments weren't enough to convince anyone that the "One Piece" cast are friends in real life, Netflix released a video with the actors sharing their behind-the-scenes pictures, and it didn't take long for them to dive into their on-set stories as well.

Zoro actor Mackenyu and Jacob Romero reminisced on their good times with Iñaki Godoy, whether it was his photobombing or general silliness. Rudd revealed an ongoing selfie war among certain cast members, saying, "It started with Iñaki, where he would take naps in the morning in the makeup chair, and so I would take selfies while he was sleeping." Other victims include Rudd herself after Godoy learned of her sneaky selfies and Langley Kirkwood, Netflix's Ax Hand Morgan. The most wholesome behind-the-scenes moment revealed is Taz Skylar having jumped into the water to keep Godoy company while he filmed an underwater scene. "Such a Taz-y move," both Rudd and Godoy commented.

Clearly, the "One Piece" cast are friends in real life, sharing countless memories from filming. Because of their strong off-screen bond, the live-action adaptation thrives on Netflix, with Eiichiro Oda firmly believing they couldn't have found a better group of actors to bring his characters to life. "Above all, I want to call attention to how perfect the Straw Hat cast are," Oda said in a video posted on the show's official Instagram. "It's like you're watching the Straw Hats in real life."