Picture: Xolo Maridueña (left) has been cast as Portgas D. Ace (right)
Some huge casting news for One Piece has been confirmed today, with Cobra Kai actor Xolo Maridueña cast as Portgas D. Ace. The actor has long been rumored for the role and was also the fan favorite choice. Xolo will officially join the cast in One Piece season 3.
As fans look ahead to the release of One Piece season 2 on March 10, 2026, Tomorrow Studios will already be several months into production on season 3, which begins at the end of November 2025. Ahead of that production start, we’ve now had two major castings for the third season. Yesterday, it was revealed that Tony Award-winning actor Cole Escola had joined the cast as Bon Clay, also known as Mr. 2. And now, of course, Xolo Maridueña has been cast as Portgas D. Ace.
He has the look, the fight experience, and plenty of on-screen charisma. For many One Piece fans, there are few actors today better suited to play Portgas D. Ace than Xolo Maridueña. For a long time, he has consistently appeared near the top of fan-casting lists, so there will be plenty of satisfied fans celebrating today.
Portgas D. Ace is the commander of the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates and began sailing as a pirate two years before Luffy. He is the user of the Mera Mera no Mi, a Devil Fruit that grants him the power to create and control fire. Most importantly, he shares a deep personal history with Luffy.
Picture: Xolo Maridueña (left) and Portgas D. Ace (right)
Xolo Maridueña is an American actor best known for his roles as Miguel Diaz in Netflix’s Cobra Kai and Jaime Reyes in DC’s Blue Beetle. He also appeared as King Tech in an episode of Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Alongside his live-action work, he has become an increasingly prominent voice actor, starring in multiple animated projects, including Netflix’s Fast and Furious Spy Racers, the English dub of Sakamoto Days, Amazon’s The Boys Presents: Diabolical and Invincible, and HBO’s Batwheels.
As mentioned earlier, Xolo has been linked to the role of Ace for some time. Netflix helped fuel speculation when Iñaki Godoy visited the set of Cobra Kai season 6 in September 2024. In the behind-the-scenes video, Iñaki spent most of the time alongside Xolo, and fans quickly noticed how closely their interactions mirrored the dynamic between Luffy and Ace.
Picture: Iñaki Godoy with Xolo Maridueña (left) and Luffy and Ace (right)
Are you excited to see Xolo Maridueña in action as Ace in One Piece season 3? Let us know in the comments below!
Rating: TV-14
