One Piece anime recasts Gol D. Roger: The new voice actor and where you've heard him before

One Piece has recently experienced another massive casting shift, which has captured the interest of the global audience since the anime has replaced the voice actor of one of the most renowned figures in the show, Gol D. Roger. As the story moves deeper into its final saga, we are beginning to see the reappearance of old characters like Roger, making voice continuity and performance even more important to the long-time viewer. The news has elicited discussion in the fandom since Roger is symbolically used as the world and themes of One Piece.

Gol D. Roger has also been recast by the anime version of One Piece as a voice performed by Shunsuke Sakuya, a voice actor who has been working in the show for a long time, which was officially announced in the credits of the final episode, episode 1153, which aired in December 2025. This is the most recent shift in the voice of the character since the production is shifting towards the long-term scheduling needs, and the circumstances of the former actor have been taken into consideration. The decision is a sign of the way the franchise has been conservative with its legacy roles in One Piece.

Gol D. Roger has been a special place in One Piece, despite his lack of screen time. Since he was the Pirate King, whose hanging led to the Great Pirate Era, Roger may be regarded as the symbol of freedom, ambition, and the thematic core of the history of Eiichiro Oda. His look is really crucial as One Piece will explore flashbacks and revelations about the past and long-awaited mysteries about the Void Century.

The recast time can also be highlighted in the larger plots of One Piece. Since now the anime is adapting the content where Roger is more in the middle of the world history rather than a one-time appearance, his voice is no longer a throwback. There is an emotional weight and authority that demands a performance in scenes related to God Valley, the last road poneglyphs, and the beginnings of the pirate era.

This shift is also a way One Piece took voice transition seriously in the past. Instead of making announcements, recasts are frequently unspoken by being confirmed by broadcast credits, allowing performances to do the talking. This approach is less concerned with the immersion and does not disregard the emotional connection of the fans to the established characters.

Masane Tsukayama, the voice actor of Gol D. Roger, worked as a voice actor between 2015 and 2025. He took over the legendary actor, Chikao Otsuka, who gave a voice to Roger until 2015. The reason given why Tsukayama was replacement was due to age and health factors, and the transition was practical rather than a redesign of One Piece.

Gol D. Roger is retold in One Piece: Shunsuke Sakuya performs a legendary role.

Shunsuke Sakuya has a high level of experience in the Japanese voice acting industry; therefore, his work on One Piece has spanned decades. His career has been distinguished by grounded, mature performances that are ideal when playing the roles of authority and morally complex individuals at the age of 60 years. His acting fits into the greater-than-life persona of Roger without necessarily needing to do it in imitation.

Sakuya may be familiar to anime fans as Kenjirou Shibazaki in Terror in Resonance and Ryuuichi Kazama in Ping Pong the Animation. He also played Sakon and Ukon in Naruto to show that he can blend menace and nuance. These acting performances are the reasons why he was a good investment to be the Pirate King in One Piece.

It also deserves noting that Sakuya is not a newcomer to the One Piece world. He has already been a voice actor of Charlotte Daifuku, one of the sons of Big Mom, and a minor character, Scotch. That experience with the tone of the franchise and its production style probably made the transition into the role of Gol D. Roger that much easier.

Narratively, the recast allows the continuity of One Piece because it is pushing into its most lore-intensive arcs. There is a growing historical exposition and emotional appeal in Roger in his dialogue, and it needs to be vocalized with vocal clarity and gravitas. Initial responses to the performance by Sakuya indicate a restrained, dominating take on the story that honors the legacy of the character.

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To sum up, the recast of Gol D. Roger in One Piece is an intelligent and needed development, and not an upheaval. As Shunsuke Sakuya replaces the role, the animation saves the honor and power of the Pirate King as he prepares to expand his role in future arcs. With One Piece nearing the much-anticipated end, the casting decision confirms the franchise’s dedication to the franchise to giving tribute to its past and a firm position in its future.

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