Luffy’s Original Voice Actor Officially Returns to One Pi...

Luffy’s Original Voice Actor Officially Returns to One Piece After 27 Years

Monkey D. Luffy looking surprised in One Piece anime

By Hannah Diffey Published 9 minutes ago Hannah is a senior writer and self-publisher for the anime section at ScreenRant. There, she focuses on writing news, features, and list-style articles about all things anime and manga. She works as a freelance writer in the entertainment industry, focusing on video games, anime, and literature. Her published works can be found on ScreenRant, FinanceBuzz, She Reads, and She Writes. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

The world of One Piece is no stranger to emotional callbacks, but few announcements have hit fans as powerfully as the return of Luffy’s very first voice actor. After nearly three decades, Urara Takano, who voiced Luffy in the 1998 OVA, has officially rejoined the franchise. This time, she steps into one of the most mysterious and legendary roles in the entire series: Joy Boy.

Her return, according to @pewpiece on X, marks a symbolic full-circle moment, bridging the earliest roots of One Piece with its most era-defining revelations. As the anime gears up for some of its biggest storylines yet, Toei’s decision to cast Takano as Joy Boy feels like a deliberate, heartfelt tribute to the series’ legacy and the fans who have followed it since the beginning.

One Piece Gets a Voice 27 Years in the Making

Urara Takano expressed deep gratitude when discussing her unexpected comeback. She recalled her brief work on One Piece nearly three decades ago, reflecting on how distant those memories now feel. To her, the time between then and now seemed almost mythical, fitting for a character as ancient and important as Joy Boy himself.

She noted how important it was to approach this new role with the same passion she brought to her earliest performances. Despite the enormous time gap, Takano emphasized her determination to carry the same creative spark she had back in the 1990s. That sense of continuity adds emotional weight to her portrayal of a character tied so closely to the world’s forgotten past.

Her comments resonated strongly with long-time fans, many of whom immediately recognized the poetic symmetry in her return. Toei’s casting choice not only honors the franchise’s long history but also invites viewers to reflect on how far One Piece has come since its earliest adaptations.

The Genius Behind Casting Joy Boy as Luffy's Original VA

Bringing back Luffy’s original voice actor to portray Joy Boy has been widely praised as a brilliant creative decision. The connection between the two characters, one the hero of today and the other a legendary figure who shaped the world centuries ago, gains new symbolic meaning through Takano’s voice. It’s a clever nod to the idea of inherited will, one of the series’ core themes.

This casting choice also reinforces the mythic aura surrounding Joy Boy, a character whose influence spans centuries of One Piece history. By giving him the voice that originally introduced audiences to Luffy, the anime subtly ties the past and future together in a single performance. It’s the kind of layered storytelling flourish that longtime fans appreciate.

With the confirmation now official, excitement around Joy Boy’s upcoming scenes has skyrocketed. Viewers are eager to see how Takano brings this ancient figure to life and how her presence may enrich some of the most pivotal arcs in years. After 27 years, her voice is once again part of the One Piece legacy, and this time in a role destined to reshape the entire world of the series.

One Piece Created by Eiichiro Oda First Film One Piece: The Movie First TV Show One Piece Cast Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi Video Game(s) One Piece: Unlimited World Red, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, One Piece: World Seeker, One Piece Odyssey Character(s) Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)

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