One Piece star Mackenyu reveals physical toll of playing Zoro: 'It's still painful now'

From manga pages to Netflix screens

Playing Roronoa Zoro has been a dream realized for Mackenyu, but not without considerable physical cost. Speaking exclusively with Gulf News at the Middle East Film & Comic Con in Abu Dhabi, the Japanese-American actor opened up about the reality of embodying one of anime's most iconic swordsmen in Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece.

The son of legendary martial artist and actor Sonny Chiba, known for death-defying stunts in films like The Street Fighter and The Killing Machine during the 1980s and 1990s, Mackenyu grew up immersed in both the world of action cinema and the One Piece manga. That dual background would prove essential when he took on the role that has defined his international career.

Mackenyu has been a fan of One Piece since childhood, long before the live-action series became reality. When asked what drew him to Zoro originally, his answer was immediate:

The way he is not afraid, is fearless, was something I admired since I was a kid.

That admiration didn't automatically translate into enthusiasm when Netflix announced the adaptation. "I didn't really want it to be live action," he admitted during his panel appearance at the convention, which ran from September 11-13, 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. The event, the Middle East's first and largest pop culture convention since its 2012 inauguration, drew fans to see Mackenyu alongside celebrity guests including John Cena and Simu Liu.

Once he secured the role, the weight of fan expectations became tangible. "It was kind of scary. I didn't know how to bring Zoro to life at first. So there was a lot of pressure," he said. "But it felt like a dream come true."

That dream came with serious physical demands. Mackenyu, who trained extensively in Kyokushin Karate from age eight and performs his own stunts, found himself having to slow down for the cameras. Steven Maeda, the show's showrunner, revealed that the stunt team couldn't keep pace with Mackenyu's speed during fight choreography, requiring adjustments to make the action readable on screen.

Counting to one hundred

The Whiskey Peak sequence in season two became the most talked-about demonstration of that physical commitment. In the scene, Zoro takes on one hundred bounty hunters in a single extended fight. Mackenyu confirmed the number wasn't marketing hyperbole: "Of course we counted."

The sequence required careful planning and multiple takes. "There were a couple of sequences we had to do. We split it up, so the first ten, then eleven onwards," he explained. "I told the showrunners that fans would count every single one, so we had to justify a hundred opponents properly."

Season two, titled One Piece: Into the Grand Line, premiered on Netflix on March 10, 2026 after filming wrapped in Cape Town, South Africa in 2025. The series follows the critically acclaimed first season, which debuted in August 2023 to an 86% critic score and 95% viewer score on Rotten Tomatoes. The overwhelming response led Netflix to renew the show just two weeks after its premiere.

The three-sword toll

For all the choreographed combat, Mackenyu identified a different source of ongoing discomfort: Zoro's signature three-sword fighting style, which requires gripping a blade between his teeth while wielding two more in his hands.

I don't think you ever get used to it. It was painful in season one, and it's still painful now.

That pain is compounded by what the character won't do. Despite Mackenyu's martial arts background, kicking was deliberately excluded from Zoro's fighting repertoire. "I enjoy it, but it's just not part of who Zoro is," he said, drawing a clear line between his personal skills and the character's identity.

The hardest part isn't physical

During his panel appearance, Mackenyu revealed that the most challenging aspect of playing Zoro has nothing to do with swordplay or stamina. Zoro serves as the Straw Hat crew's straight man, maintaining composure amid constant chaos, and holding that deadpan expression proved more difficult than any stunt.

"It's probably the hardest part. Keeping a straight face," he said, acknowledging that his co-stars make concentration nearly impossible with their on-set antics. He admitted, with characteristic dry delivery, that he's equally guilty of breaking character between takes.

Asked how much of himself he sees in Zoro, Mackenyu pointed first to the contrasts. "I laugh a lot. That's probably the least like Zoro." The overlap, when he found it, was unexpectedly mundane: "I can sleep anywhere. I can sleep right now on this chair."

Staying true to the source

Maintaining fidelity to the original manga remains paramount for the production. Mackenyu described a direct line of communication with Eiichiro Oda, the manga's creator, who serves as executive producer and remains heavily involved in every production detail, from script approval to casting decisions and concept art review.

"We have Oda sensei on the red phone," Mackenyu joked. "I ask him, is this alright? And sometimes he says no, he doesn't like it, stop it. That's what we do on set."

That commitment to authenticity extends beyond creative decisions into physical preparation. With season three, titled The Battle of Alabasta, having wrapped filming in Cape Town in June 2026 after more than 200 days of production, Mackenyu has already begun adjusting to the desert kingdom setting that defines the upcoming arc.

Preparing for the desert

"It's definitely a different kind of heat to work in," he said of the Alabasta shoot. "It was very hot, but we got some beautiful shots out of it." The third season is scheduled to arrive on Netflix in 2027.

Maintaining the physical condition required for the role follows a straightforward regimen. "Proper dieting is the hardest part, honestly," he said. "I try to stop eating around eighty percent full rather than completely full. That's really it, there's no secret to it." Regular gym work complements the dietary discipline.

Before taking on Zoro, Mackenyu had already established himself in Japanese cinema, winning the 40th Annual Japan Academy Newcomer of the Year Award in 2017 for his role in the Chihayafuru trilogy. International recognition followed through roles in Pacific Rim: Uprising in 2018 and as the villain Enishi Yukishiro in Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter in 2021.

Despite having passed through the region previously, Mackenyu's appearance at MEFCC marked his first visit to the UAE specifically. By the time the interview concluded, one item remained on his list: a trip to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. "I haven't been yet, but I've heard it's beautiful," he said.