Netflix's One Piece: Who Narrates The Live-Action Series & Why Is He So Perfect?

With Netflix's "One Piece" adaptation right around the corner, fans still have many questions about how the manga and anime will be adapted into a live-action setting. But they can at least rest easy in one aspect. Throughout the manga, viewers learn more about events and characters thanks to an omniscient narrator. The anime also utilizes a narrator, voiced by Mahito Ôba, to a lesser extent. The live-action "One Piece" will use this storytelling device, and now, we know it will be legendary actor Ian McShane.

While much of the cast of "One Piece" comprises younger performers, with the upcoming Netflix series being their biggest project to date, McShane is a Hollywood veteran. His filmography dates back to the 1960s, and he still regularly performs. Recently, he's probably best known for portraying Winston in the "John Wick" franchise as well as for roles in "Deadwood" and "American Gods." 

McShane's involvement should be exciting for anyone as he has such an iconic voice. But McShane is perfect for more reasons than one.

With over 100 credits to his name, it's safe to say Ian McShane has played pretty much every type of character there is. However, it's worthwhile to note how he played Blackbeard in 2011's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." "One Piece" follows Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), who with the help of the Straw Hat Pirates, seeks out the One Piece to attain the status of King of the Pirates. While it's likely a coincidence, McShane has played one of the most famous pirates of all time, so his voice will likely be welcome by fans when the new Netflix series comes out. 

There's still the question of how substantial McShane's role will be in the show. The narrator features prominently in the manga but only shows up at the beginning of the anime. On the one hand, if a show's going to get Ian McShane, they might as well use him as often as possible because no one could get tired of that voice. Then again, it's probably pretty expensive to get McShane on any show, even if he's just narrating, so maybe they will use him seldomly due to cost reasons. 

Either way, it's awesome seeing an actor of McShane's caliber play a part in "One Piece." Just don't expect him to physically appear, as the narrator remains separated from the action.