Xolo Maridueña Officially Cast as Ace in ‘One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta’

Netflix’s live-action ‘One Piece’ has spent two seasons demonstrating that adapting one of the most popular manga franchises globally can indeed succeed, and now the series is preparing for its most ambitious chapter yet. The Alabasta arc, long regarded as one of the series’ most cherished storylines, is finally set to be brought to life in season three.

This expansion has led to a surge of new casting announcements, many of which were revealed during this year’s One Piece Day celebration. Cole Escola was confirmed early on to portray the theatrical assassin Bon Clay, setting the stage for a season filled with beloved characters finally making their live-action debuts.

Among the most significant additions is Xolo Maridueña, known for his roles in ‘Cobra Kai’ and ‘Blue Beetle’, who has officially taken on the role of Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s sworn brother and one of the manga’s key figures. Netflix confirmed the casting alongside a promotional clip featuring Maridueña reflecting on his time on set, humorously noting that he genuinely couldn’t tell if the production used 10,000 tons or 100,000 tons of sand to create Alabasta’s desert landscape.

This scale illustrates just how much Netflix has invested in bringing the desert kingdom to life. Season three, which has recently completed production in Cape Town, South Africa, is described as significantly larger in scope than its predecessors, both in terms of world-building and its expanding cast.

Maridueña joins a growing roster of fresh faces in the Alabasta arc, including Daisy Head as Miss Doublefinger and Awdo Awdo as Mr. 1, along with a more recent wave that added Emilio Sakraya as Koza, Omid Abtahi as Toto, Jamie Ward as Pell, and Nabeel Khan as Chaka. Several established cast members are also receiving expanded roles this season, including Charithra Chandran as Princess Vivi, Joe Manganiello as the warlord Crocodile, and Sendhil Ramamurthy as Nefertari Cobra.

In the narrative, Ace’s arrival holds significant importance for longtime fans of the source material. He is introduced as Luffy’s older brother in every meaningful way except by blood, having sworn brotherhood with him as children, and his journey eventually intersects directly with the larger conflict unfolding in Alabasta. Casting him alongside Vivi, Crocodile, and the other key players in the arc suggests that Netflix is treating this segment of the story as a genuine centerpiece for the season.

It’s also a reunion of sorts for Netflix, as Maridueña previously spent six seasons on ‘Cobra Kai’ before transitioning into pirate territory. His ‘One Piece’ co-star Iñaki Godoy, who plays Luffy, reportedly visited the set to spar with him ahead of filming, a detail that only heightened the anticipation once his casting was announced.

The momentum behind the franchise makes the timing particularly significant. Season two, subtitled ‘Into the Grand Line’, premiered on March 10, 2026, and amassed 320.7 million hours of viewing on the platform, clearly indicating that audience interest in the series remains strong. With season three, ‘The Battle of Alabasta’, currently aiming for a 2027 release, Netflix has ample opportunity to build excitement before Ace, Vivi, and the rest of the desert kingdom’s cast make their debut.

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