Casting Live-Action Ace For One Piece Season 2: 7 Actors Who Would Be Perfect

The excellent casting in One Piece season 1 has contributed to its overall positive reception, and with One Piece season 2 on the way, there’s a strong chance viewers will see the beloved character, Portgas D. Ace. Notable for his Mera Mera no Mi Devil Fruit, Ace is protagonist Monkey D. Luffy’s surrogate older brother. Ace’s introduction in the Arabasta arc plays a crucial role in the series’ storytelling, so the One Piece season 2 character casting is important. Although not related by blood, Ace and Luffy’s physical similarities and their affinity for helping others is the connective tissue between them.

The Mera Mera no Mi Devil Fruit grants Ace the ability to use his body to manipulate fire, thus serving as a metaphor for his hot-blooded, bad boy persona that he displays early on. As such, the proper casting of Ace necessitates hiring an actor who possesses Ace’s imposing visage and edge. Moreover, Ace’s actor needs to display a similar level of optimism and empathy as Iñaki Godoy’s Luffy, since they both possess the same vigor and zest for life. With many suitable, quality actors, Ace’s storyline in One Piece season 2 will be one of its most important inclusions.

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7 Diego Tinoco

Tinoco’s roles in On My Block and Knights of the Zodiac show his range in both dramas and action.

2021’s R and J, a modern retelling of the classic Shakespeare romantic tragedy, Rome and Juliet, sees Tinoco in his first major project. The teen drama, On My Block and the 2023 live-action anime adaptation, Knights of the Zodiac, alongside One Piece actor Mackenyu, display Tinoco’s range with challenging roles in both the drama and action genres. Considering the actor’s steadily rising star and the success of Netflix’s On My Block, Tinoco would make a good Ace because of his familiarity with dramas and action projects catered to teen audiences.

6 Danny Ramirez

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Top Gun: Maverick have seen Ramirez display the necessary charm for Ace.

Ramirez is a versatile actor who started his career in 2016 with appearances on the TV shows The Affair and Blindspot before making his feature-length debut in 2018’s, Assassination Nation as Diamond. Since then, Ramirez has found success with notable appearances in Black Mirror, Tales of The Walking Dead, and On My Block alongside Diego Tinoco. However, his work as Joaquin Torres in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Lieutenant Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia in Top Gun: Maverick perfectly display the necessary charm and flare required to accurately depict Ace in One Piece.

5 Aaron Dominguez

Only Murders in the Building highlights Dominguez’s strong onscreen presence.

Dominguez made his onscreen debut in the 2014 drama, Breathe, as Javier Roberto. Since then, he’s taken on roles that have displayed his ability to convincingly portray military and other law enforcement personnel, as seen in NCIS: New Orleans, Shaft, SEAL Team, and A24’s The Inspection. However, his season 1 appearance as Oscar Torres in Only Murders in the Building justifies his casting as Ace. As a man wrongly convicted of a crime trying to turn his life around, Oscar has both the grit he developed in prison and the sensitivity necessary to endear him to audiences.

4 David Castro

Castro’s role as Raphael Santiago in Shadowhunters demonstrates his ability to be convincing in action pieces.

Castro’s breakout role was in the 2008 romantic comedy, 27 Dresses, and displayed his solid acting chops and charm at the disarmingly young age of twelve years old. Since then, Castro has made appearances in the Mexican road comedy film, Ruta Madre, along with notable appearances in TV shows like Are We There Yet? and Blue Bloods. However, his work as Raphael Santiago in the fantasy TV series Shadowhunters stands as his most notable work. As the powerful vampire Raphael, Castro displays his range as both a charming and intelligent character, two traits intrinsic to the perpetually smiling powerhouse that is Ace.

3 Eman Esfandi

Esfandi’s work as Ezra Bridger already shows his competency with live-action adaptations of beloved characters.

Eman Esfandi is another rising star who made his feature-length acting debut in the 2018 Robert Rodriguez-directed science fiction horror movie, Hostage 911 in the role of Funny Guy. Since then, the actor has remained booked and busy with appearances in the psychedelic drama Phaedra, The Inspection alongside Aaron Rodriguez, and the Academy Award-winning film, King Richard. However, Esfandi’s most notable role is that of the live-action portrayal of the beloved Star Wars character, Ezra Bridger, in 2023’s Ahsoka. With his accurate portrayal of Ezra, Esfandi has already proven he can perfectly adapt Ace in One Piece season 2.

2 Michael Cimino

Love, Victor and Never Have I Ever are perfect examples of Cimino perfectly displaying his charm.

Arguably one of Hollywood’s most familiar rising talents, Michael Cimino’s roles in Annabelle Comes Home, Love, Victor, How I Met Your Father, and Never Have I Ever perfectly display the young actor’s adeptness at roles catered to younger audiences. Although One Piece borders more on the action spectrum of teen dramas, it’s rife with plenty of dramatic moments that are designed to challenge its younger audience intellectually as seen with many of the Straw Hat Pirates’ backstories. Despite his teen heartthrob image, Cimino’s understanding of his audience makes him a strong candidate for Ace.

1 Xolo Maridueña

Xolo’s work in Cobra Kai and Blue Beetle already proves he can handle action and dramas seamlessly.

Xolo Maridueña’s work in Fast & Furious Spy Racers and Wu-Tang: An American Saga displays the actor’s flexibility early on in his career, as Fast & Furious Spy Racers is ostensibly a children’s show, and Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga is a dramatic retelling of the greatest Hip-Hop group of all time. However, his work in both shows helped hone the necessary skills to deliver strong performances in both Cobra Kai and Blue Beetle, thus solidifying Maridueña’s status as a future A-lister – and, more importantly, serving as the basis for why he would be a perfect fit as Ace.

Considering Ace’s age as a twenty-year-old man and Maridueña’s similar age of twenty-two, he not only brings the boyish charm that makes Ace great, he also brings the appropriate energy that an older actor likely wouldn’t be capable of bringing authentically. Although Ace’s time in One Piece is short-lived, hiring the right actor is paramount to pushing the story forward, as his time with the Straw Hat Pirates has a profound effect on them, especially Luffy. With Maridueña’s range throughout his career in TV and Blue Beetle‘s success, he’s the best actor for Ace in One Piece season 2.