Zoro’s Voice Actor Storms Into Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 With the Most Overpowered Domain Expansion Yet
Roronoa Zoro isn’t just a standout in One Piece—he’s an anime phenomenon whose aura and evolution have forged a fanbase fierce enough to rival entire franchises. Here’s why the Straw Hat swordsman keeps turning casual viewers into diehards.
If you like your anime heavy hitters with gravel in their voice, this is one of those casting updates that just makes sense.
The news
Per an announcement at Jump Festa 2026 (via Comic Natalie), Kazuya Nakai — yes, Zoro himself — is joining Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 as the voice of Kinji Hakari. Season 3 is set to premiere on January 8, 2026, with MAPPA adapting the Culling Game arc from Gege Akutami's manga.
Why this casting hits
Roronoa Zoro is basically a one-man crowd-pleaser in One Piece, and Nakai's been the voice behind that presence since day one. His signature low, steady delivery gives Zoro that 'do not mess with this guy' gravity — and that's exactly the energy Hakari lives on. If you know the manga, Hakari is built to steal scenes: swagger for days, intensity to match, and the kind of power that puts him right up near Yuta Okkotsu. Putting Nakai on that feels like a layup.
So, who is Kinji Hakari?
Hakari is a third-year at Tokyo Jujutsu High, except he isn't exactly the model student. He got himself suspended for being, let's call it, aggressively independent. Even so, he's ridiculously strong. In the Culling Game, he jumps in to help Yuji and the others, and his style is all risk-reward chaos — luck-driven, explosive, and unpredictable. Every fight with Hakari turns into a nail-biter, and he tends to bend the flow of a battle (and the plot) around him.
- Premiere: January 8, 2026
- Arc: The Culling Game — a nationwide survival contest with strict rules and zero chill
- Tone shift: More nonstop fights, new faces, higher stakes
- New voice: Kazuya Nakai as Kinji Hakari
- Power check: Hakari is portrayed as operating in the same neighborhood as Yuta Okkotsu
- Where to watch: Jujutsu Kaisen is currently streaming on Crunchyroll
The takeaway
Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 was already going to be loud. Adding Kazuya Nakai to bring Hakari to life should crank the volume even higher. If he brings the same presence he gives Zoro, expect Hakari to walk into the Culling Game and immediately feel like the guy everyone needs to keep an eye on.