*Netflix’s high-seas adventure “One Piece: Into The Grand Line” sets sail March 10, bringing the Straw Hat crew into one of the most dangerous and unpredictable regions of the world—and for Jacob Romero’s Usopp, the journey is as emotional as it is perilous.
The series continues Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the beloved story created by Eiichiro Oda. Season 2 follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew as they venture into the legendary Grand Line, where strange islands, powerful adversaries, and extraordinary challenges await their search for the world’s greatest treasure.
Romero describes Usopp as a character driven by imagination and aspiration as much as skill. “You know, Usopp, like all the crew, I would say, is a dreamer. He’s the storyteller of the group, the sharpshooter. Also, the one that isn’t- one of the ones that doesn’t have any particular superpowers besides a slingshot and his whip, which is maybe the most important superpower.”
Despite lacking supernatural abilities, Usopp’s ambitions remain bold. “He’s on a quest to become a brave warrior of the sea. And as anyone who has investigated what it means to be brave would know, that also implies fear that is being overcome.”
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According to Romero, that tension between fear and courage is central to Usopp’s journey as the Straw Hats encounter mounting dangers in the Grand Line. “I think that that’s something that is really important in Usopp’s journey in the context of the crew. As you see each crew member dealing with certain personal obstacles and things that they want to better about themselves or overcoming themselves.”
Usopp’s growth, Romero explains, comes from learning to face fear rather than deny it. “Working with his fear and still finding his bravery is absolutely one of the most important things that I think Usopp’s story offers to the world of One Piece.”
The character’s bravado is also part of how he processes that fear. Romero reflects on how Usopp’s storytelling and exaggerated confidence can act as both a shield and a step toward becoming the hero he hopes to be.
“Yeah, you know, this idea of sometimes we have to tell stories about our own self, about what we want to be, how we want to be, even before we are those things… you have to make a shift in your mindset,” Romero says.
He adds that Usopp’s larger-than-life persona isn’t meant to deceive others. “I don’t think he’s a malicious liar or storyteller. I think that these things are coming from a real genuine place.”
For Romero, the most compelling moments come when that bravado fades and Usopp must confront vulnerability. “The balance between the moments where he presents himself to be something so grand and so big. And then you also see him in his smallness and in his fear of feeling incapable and having run out of stories to tell and run out of illusions to present to people.”
Those moments, he explains, reveal the character’s determination to keep moving forward. “It is him. And what does he do in that moment? How does he still overcome smallness, overcome fear, tap into bravery, and show up for the crew, save the day, save the people around him, and take one step closer to actually embodying what it is to be a brave warrior of the sea. So that’s what he’s going through.”
The actor is also keenly aware of the passionate global fan base behind the original story. The anime’s legacy, he says, carries both responsibility and inspiration for the cast.
“There is a lot of expectation… For all of us on the project, it’s been so clear what this means to so many people. This is a beloved story,” Romero says.
In trying to understand that devotion, Romero points to the emotional depth that defines the world of “One Piece.” “In my trying to understand what is it about this that makes people so in love with it, there is such a depth of heart that is presented in One Piece. In these side characters, in these main characters, there is a through line of real deep meaning and quality of heart and caring.”
He believes that spirit carried over into the production itself. “I think that those qualities have carried through to what we do when we show up with each other on set. From crew to cast, there is a quality of heart and understanding that this can carry a deeper lesson for people.”
Ultimately, Romero hopes audiences feel that same emotional core in the live-action adaptation. “I’m beyond honored that people feel even just a little bit like we were able to get that reflection across, you know, that that heart is still alive in our adaptation.”
“One Piece: Into The Grand Line” is written and executive produced by Matt Owens and Joe Tracz. Executive producers include Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements through Tomorrow Studios, Tetsu Fujimura, Steven Maeda, and Chris Symes.
Watch our full conversation with Jacob Romero in the clip below.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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