Netflix’s One Piece is still sailing strong. Season 2 hit No. 1 after its March debut with 16.8 million views, while the manga recently crossed a wild 600 million copies in print.
So naturally, the casting discourse is already somewhere deep in Wano.
Susann Alicia, the German content creator known online as LienSue, has turned handmade anime costumes into a seven-figure career and amassed more than 6 million followers across her platforms. Now she’d like to add one more credit: playing Yamato if Netflix’s live-action adventure ever reaches that part of the Grand Line.
“I’ve read the manga, watched the anime and defended Yamato in more comment sections than I can count,” Sue said in a statement. “At this point, I basically am Yamato. Learning the lines would be the easy part.”
For anyone who needs the quick pirate briefing, the role is a big one. Yamato is Kaido’s horned child — a Wano arc powerhouse who idolizes the legendary samurai Kozuki Oden. Fans adore the character, who ranked No. 17 out of more than 1,500 contenders in the midterm results of this year’s global One Piece popularity poll.
Sue isn’t coming to the role cold, either. Her cosplay work has gone viral multiple times across Reddit, Instagram and Twitch since 2022 and even earned coverage from gaming publications.
In 2024, she entered streamer Emiru’s fourth annual cosplay contest as Yamato and placed second in the fan-voted Chat Favorite category, winning $2,500. The contest awarded more than $50,000 to cosplayers overall, with Sue standing out in a field packed with Diablo, Elden Ring, Destiny 2 and Final Fantasy XIV builds.
Still, the OnlyFans model knows winning over the internet in horns and a wig isn’t the same thing as stepping onto a set. “You can’t fake loving Yamato,” she explained. “This fandom would see right through it, which is exactly why I think a cosplayer should at least be in the conversation.”
That idea isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Viral cosplayer Jessica Nigri built her name on the convention circuit before landing voice roles in RWBY and Super Sonico. Even the current cast makes Sue’s pitch sound a little less wild. Emily Rudd grew up watching anime, fell hard for One Piece and said she wanted “one shot” at playing Nami. She landed the part from a single audition tape.
The good news for Sue is that she has plenty of time to make her case. Season 3 wrapped production in June and is headed to Alabasta, with Xolo Maridueña joining as Ace and Cole Escola as Bon Clay. In other words, Wano is still a long way down the map. “One Piece fans know how to wait,” she teased. “I’m just making sure Netflix knows where to find me when the story finally reaches Yamato.”
