Who Is Iñaki Godoy The Rising Star Behind ONE PIECE Season 2

There's a specific kind of magic that happens when an actor doesn't just play a beloved character — they become them. It's rare. It's almost impossible to manufacture. And yet, from the moment Iñaki Godoy slapped on a straw hat and flashed that unmistakable rubber-limbed grin, millions of One Piece fans around the world exhaled a collective breath they didn't even know they'd been holding. That's Luffy. That's actually him.

But who exactly is the 22-year-old Mexican actor who somehow pulled off the seemingly impossible task of bringing the world's most beloved manga pirate to life? Where did he come from? How did he land the most coveted role in anime adaptation history? And what does the arrival of ONE PIECE Season 2: Into the Grand Line on Netflix on March 10, 2026, mean for his rapidly ascending career? Pull up a seat on the Going Merry, because this is a story worth telling.

From Mexico City to the World Stage

Early Life: Born to Perform

Iñaki Godoy Jasso was born on August 25, 2003, in Mexico City — a place that feels, in retrospect, almost cosmically appropriate for someone who would grow up to embody one of fiction's most chaotically energetic characters. His mother is an accomplished painter specialising in animated art, and that early immersion in creativity and storytelling clearly left its mark. Mexico City is one of the largest, loudest, most culturally vibrant cities on earth — and if you watch Iñaki Godoy work, you can feel all of that energy crackling through every single scene.

He has a younger sister named Mia, whom he considers his best friend — a relationship that has shaped both his character and his advocacy work, as we'll get to shortly.

The Stage at Four — Where It All Began

When he was four years old, his mother enrolled him in a musical theater school for kids called "Stage Company," at the historic "Teatro Libanes." As soon as his feet touched the stage, his life changed. That's not a retrospective exaggeration. The boy who would later describe himself as someone who "spoke too much at just the age of two" had found his natural habitat. By the time he was nine, the decision was made — and as he describes it: "When I turned nine years old I told my mom I wanted to be a professional actor. She told me I had all her support, but that I had to ask my teachers what to do."

Think about that for a second. A nine-year-old, so serious about his craft that he arranges a meeting with his teacher to ask for a career roadmap. That same precision and intentionality would later define every major professional decision he made.

How Iñaki Godoy Built His Career From the Ground Up

First TV Roles: La Querida del Centauro and Blue Demon

At the age of thirteen, he landed his first major role in the American Spanish-language Telemundo series La Querida del Centauro, where he played Amadeo "El Gato". For two seasons, he held his own in a production far larger and more demanding than most teenagers ever experience. This was followed by supporting roles in Blue Demon, La Querida del Centauro, and several other series, each one adding another layer to a CV that was building quietly and methodically toward something bigger.

He also leaped film during this period, starring in Go Youth! (¡Ánimo Juventud!), his film debut, which was nominated for Best Film at the 18th edition of the Morelia International Film Festival — a significant achievement for a debut feature and a young actor still in his mid-teens. The nomination was a signal to the Mexican film industry that Godoy wasn't just a talented kid. He was a genuinely serious artist.

Who Killed Sara? — The Netflix Breakthrough

For Netflix, Godoy is known for his role in the Mexican crime-drama series Who Killed Sara?, in which he portrays Bruno. The show became one of Netflix's biggest Spanish-language hits, watched by audiences across Latin America, Europe, and beyond. For Godoy, it was the moment the world — or at least a very large slice of Netflix's subscriber base — first noticed him.

During the filming of Who Killed Sara?, the pandemic hit and production stopped. He had to lock himself in his house,, and it was during this time that his passion for screenwriting came to life. He took screenwriting workshops and wrote several scripts. The lockdown that derailed so many careers actually deepened his. He didn't just survive the pause — he used it to become a more complete creative artist.

The Imperfects: His First English-Language Role

His next show was The Imperfects, where he plays Juan Ruíz, the chupacabra character. It was his first English-speaking show, and he filmed it in Canada when he was seventeen. Stepping into an English-language production as a seventeen-year-old from Mexico City, in a country where he didn't grow up, in a language that wasn't his first — that takes a specific kind of confident fearlessness. It also, in hindsight, looks very much like the warm-up act for what was about to come.

Landing the Role of a Lifetime: Monkey D. Luffy

How He Got Cast in One Piece

Godoy was announced as the lead role of Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix's One Piece live-action adaptation in 2021, when the main cast was revealed via a series of "wanted posters" in November of that year. He was eighteen years old. The announcement sent the internet into a tailspin — not of scepticism toward Godoy specifically, but of the general anxiety that any beloved property generates when it's announced as a live-action adaptation. The track record of such projects is, to put it diplomatically, not great.

But something about Godoy's energy — visible even in the earliest promotional materials — felt different. He had the infectious, slightly unhinged optimism of Luffy without performing it. It seemed to come from somewhere genuine.

The Weight of Playing an Iconic Character

Playing Monkey D. Luffy is not a small thing. Eiichiro Oda has been writing this character since 1997. The manga has sold over 500 million copies. Some people grew up with Luffy as one of the formative fictional figures of their entire childhoods. The stakes of getting it wrong were enormous, and Godoy understood that completely.

One Empire reviewer stated that "no one shines as bright as Iñaki Godoy" — a verdict that reflected the consensus view that emerged after Season 1 premiered. But that praise didn't come from luck. It came from preparation.

Studying the Manga and Talking to Oda-sensei Directly

Godoy studied the manga thoroughly, picked out his favourite scenes, Luffy's poses and lines, and before filming, shared with the showrunners what he felt they absolutely had to include. He didn't just show up and act — he advocated for his character's integrity from the very beginning. And then he had access to a preparation tool most actors can only dream of: "Talking directly with Oda-sensei was a huge support for me," the actor said.

Having the creator of the character himself as a resource — someone who can tell you directly what Luffy is thinking, what he feels, what makes him him — is the kind of advantage that transforms a good performance into a defining one.

One Piece Season 1: Breaking the Live-Action Anime Curse

The eight-episode first season was released on Netflix on August 31, 2023, and two weeks after its release, Netflix renewed the series for a second season. Two weeks. That's how fast the verdict came in. For context, most shows wait months for renewal decisions. The speed of Season 2's greenlight was a statement: One Piece hadn't just worked — it had exceeded every expectation Netflix had.

What Critics and Fans Said About His Luffy

The praise for Godoy was consistent and emphatic. Critic Angelica Bastién observed that Godoy "did a tightrope walk of a role" as Luffy, noting that "there just aren't characters like him in white-colonial media — men whose kindness is essential to their being and for whom friendship is tantamount." That observation cuts right to the core of why Godoy's performance worked so well. Luffy isn't a dark, conflicted, brooding hero. He's joyful and kind and absurdly optimistic. Making that compelling — rather than annoying — in live-action requires real craft. Godoy made it look effortless.

ONE PIECE Season 2: Into the Grand Line

One Piece Season 2, officially titled One Piece: Into the Grand Line, premiered on Netflix on March 10, 2026, dropping all eight episodes at once. The season adapts five manga arcs: Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island. Production ran from June 24, 2024 through February 4, 2025, filming primarily in Cape Town, South Africa.

What Changes in Season 2 for Luffy

In Season 2, Luffy is "still this optimistic, happy-go-lucky guy" who'll do anything for his friends and go to great lengths to achieve his dreams. Now that he has his crew, "nothing is impossible for Luffy," Godoy says. "He's very, very excited about his adventures."

Season 2 will unleash "fiercer adversaries and the most perilous quests yet," with Luffy and the Straw Hats sailing toward the Grand Line — a legendary stretch of sea where danger and wonder await at every turn. The Grand Line is where One Piece truly becomes One Piece — where the world expands into something vast and strange and magnificent. And with the introduction of beloved new characters, a fully CGI Tony Tony Chopper, and the dangerous Baroque Works organisation as the season's central antagonists, Season 2 is the first real test of whether the show can scale its ambitions to match what the source material demands.

The Straw Hat Bond Behind the Scenes

One of the most compelling aspects of the One Piece cast is how genuinely they seem to like each other — and the behind-the-scenes stories from Season 2 confirm that the friendship you see on screen is absolutely real. Filming took place in Cape Town, South Africa, and the schedule was intense — some days beginning with a pickup at 4:30 in the morning. Mackenyu recalled that Iñaki is usually very energetic and talks constantly from the morning, but on some days he doesn't talk at all — and the whole cast can immediately tell how tired he is by his mood when he walks into the makeup room.

Emily Rudd explained: "It's not just because filming is hard. Iñaki is like a baby. He runs around with toddler-level energy and then suddenly needs nap time." Mackenyu chimed in simply: "Exactly — a baby." Prompting Iñaki to joke: "I am baby!" The relationship between the five main cast members feels less like colleagues and more like a genuine crew — which is, of course, the entire emotional premise of the show they're making.

The Man Behind Luffy: Who Is Iñaki Godoy Off-Screen?

The 80-Day Caribbean Sailing Adventure

If you needed one story to understand who Iñaki Godoy is as a human being, this might be it. Following the completion of One Piece's first season, Godoy spent 80 days sailing in the Caribbean, during which he learned to cook and navigate using compasses and constellations.

Let that sink in. He plays a pirate who sails the seas. And his response to finishing the job was to go actually sail the seas for 80 days. This isn't a PR stunt or a sponsored Instagram moment — it's the action of someone who genuinely lives the values his character embodies. Adventure, curiosity, and the total willingness to throw yourself into the unknown.

Learning Japanese for the Fans

Godoy began studying Japanese in early 2024 after being cast as Luffy, stating he wanted Japanese fans to be able to speak with Luffy directly. Think about the thoughtfulness behind that decision. Japanese fans — the original fans, the people who grew up with this character — deserve to hear Luffy speak to them in their own language. That kind of cultural respect and empathy is not something you can fake, and it has earned Godoy a level of genuine affection from Japanese One Piece fans that is rare for any Western actor in an anime adaptation.

Supporting His Sister Mia and the Alopecia Project

His younger sister Mia has alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, and he has publicly supported the Children's Alopecia Project: Grupo México to raise awareness for children with the condition. This advocacy work — quiet, consistent, and personal — says more about his character than any interview or profile ever could. He's not leveraging his platform for a cause that looks good from the outside. He's using it to protect and support the person he loves most in the world. That's who Iñaki Godoy is when the cameras are off.

What the Future Holds for Iñaki Godoy

In August 2025, Netflix renewed One Piece for a third season, which went into production in November 2025, ahead of the second season's premiere. Season 3 is already filming, which means Godoy's tenure as Luffy is set to extend at least through 2027 and beyond. And with industry observers already calling One Piece "probably Netflix's next Stranger Things", the trajectory of this show — and its leading man — points in only one direction.

Beyond One Piece, Godoy has made clear that his ambitions extend behind the camera as well as in front of it. He has stated that screenwriting and directing are just as big a passion as acting for him, and that in the future he wants to make his own movies. He took online filmmaking and screenwriting courses at NYU. He writes his own scripts. He studied the craft during a global pandemic, rather than waiting for the world to reopen. When a performer who is already this successful is also this driven to learn, to grow, and to tell stories in new ways — the ceiling genuinely disappears.

Conclusion

Iñaki Godoy is 22 years old. He was born in Mexico City, started performing at age four, landed his first major TV role at thirteen, made his Netflix debut at seventeen, and became a global star at twenty. He has spent 80 days sailing real oceans to understand his fictional pirate. He has learned Japanese to speak to fans in their own language. He has studied every panel of a 27-year-old manga to honour the character he was trusted to bring to life. And in Season 2 of ONE PIECE: Into the Grand Line, he does it all again — with the confidence of someone who has earned the right to wear that straw hat. The world's favourite pirate couldn't have found a better vessel. And we haven't seen anything yet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How old is Iñaki Godoy, and where is he from?

Iñaki Godoy Jasso was born on August 25, 2003, in Mexico City, Mexico. That makes him 22 years old as of 2026. He is a Mexican actor who began his career in the Mexican television industry before gaining international recognition with Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece.

2. How did Iñaki Godoy get the role of Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece?

Godoy auditioned for the role of Luffy in Netflix's live-action One Piece adaptation and was officially announced as the lead in November 2021. His boundless energy, genuine love for the character, and deep preparation — including studying the original manga thoroughly and communicating directly with series creator Eiichiro Oda — helped him land and ultimately master the iconic role.

3. What other shows and movies has Iñaki Godoy appeared in before One Piece?

Before One Piece, Godoy built an impressive résumé in the Mexican entertainment industry. His notable roles include Amadeo "El Gato" in La Querida del Centauro (2016), Bruno in Netflix's Who Killed Sara? (2021), and Juan Ruíz in Netflix's The Imperfects (2022) — his first English-language production. He also starred in the film Go Youth! (2020), which was nominated for Best Film at the Morelia International Film Festival.

4. What is ONE PIECE Season 2 about, and when did it release on Netflix?

One Piece Season 2, officially titled One Piece: Into the Grand Line, premiered on Netflix on March 10, 2026, dropping all eight episodes at once. The season adapts five manga arcs — Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island — and follows Luffy and the Straw Hats as they sail into the treacherous Grand Line, facing deadly new enemies including the secret organisation Baroque Works.

5. Is Iñaki Godoy returning for One Piece Season 3?

Yes. Netflix renewed One Piece for a third season in August 2025, and production began in November 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa — even before Season 2 premiered. Godoy confirmed his enthusiasm for the continuation, particularly highlighting his excitement about friend and Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña joining the cast as Portgas D. Ace in Season 3.