After days of teasing new cast members, Netflix has finally given fans a first look at One Piece season two, confirming that production has officially kicked off. Details are still scarce on what’s next for the Straw Hats and when the Grand Line will grace our screens, but we do have quite a bit of detail to break down. So, let’s dive in!
Our First Look at ‘One Piece’ Season 2
The first season of One Piece completely defied our expectations – delivering a fantastic rendition of the long-running manga that made its way to our best TV shows of 2023 list. And with the end of the first season promising bigger and better adventures for the crew of the Going Merry, it was a relief when One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda confirmed last year that a second season had been greenlit.
Now, after almost 10 months of waiting for the upcoming TV series, we have our first look at what’s coming. Netflix confirmed that the cast of One Piece started filming season two of the show in South Africa, where much of season one was also filmed, and shared a sneak peek into the start of production.
In the video, we see Iñaki Godoy (Monkey D. Luffy), Mackenyu (Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami), Jacob Romero (Usopp) and Taz Skylar (Sanji) reunite aboard the pirate ship Going Merry, flying in from all corners of the globe. Mackenyu shared a sneaky image on his Instagram showing the crew reunited on set, giving us another view behind the scenes before we get an official trailer from Netflix. We appreciate it.
All Cast Members Confirmed So Far
Beyond the main cast, Netflix confirmed a number of cast members, namely Ilia Isorelys Paulino as Alvida, Jeff Ward as Buggy, and Michael Dorman as legendary pirate figure Gol D. Roger, would be returning from the first season.
Over the past few days, however, Netflix has slowly revealed new characters that will be joining Luffy and his miscreant crew – or standing in their way – in season two, as well as the actors that will be playing them. Here’s every confirmed cast member that we know of so far:
- David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3
- Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5
- Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9
- Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine
- Clive Russell as Crocus
- Brendan Murray as Brogy
- Werner Coetser as Dorry
- Callum Kerr as Smoker
- Julia Rehwald as Tashigi
- Rob Colletti as Wapol
- Ty Keogh as Dalton
Lasker, known for his work in HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves, said he is thrilled to join the cast and that he adores the world of One Piece. Similarly, Kerr said he had been waiting to share the news of his casting as Smoker, a character introduced in the final moments of season one.
“All that cigar smoking is going to come in handy,” he said.
Netflix confirmed that it’ll announce more cast members at a later date, so keep your eyes peeled, but we have confirmation that Chopper and Dr. Kureha will be a big part of season two. For Dr. Kureha in particular, it’s been rumoured that Jamie Lee Curtis will step into the role after saying on the Oscars red carpet that she wants the gig, but with nothing confirmed, we can only pray.
How Many Episodes Will Season 2 Have?
The first season of Netflix’s One Piece adaptation launched with eight episodes, so it’s fair to assume that season two would have that as a baseline. However, with the success of the show (it was the number one show on Netflix globally at launch, amassing over 37.8 million views in less than two weeks), more episodes aren’t out of the question.
Plus, with the characters announced, we can get a picture of the stories the second season will be delving into. It’s likely that it’ll cover the end of the East Blue arc, while moving into the Arabasta arc: which, for context, makes up about 40 episodes of the anime. While “Captain” Usopp (Jacob Romero) told fans that there would be around 50 episodes in the next season in a fun Instagram video, we’re not going to hold our breaths for a season quite that big.
What is ‘One Piece’?
Telling the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a pirate captain searching for the hidden treasure of the late Gol D. Roger, One Piece started out as a popular Shōnen manga but has enjoyed several TV adaptations over the years. The first, a gargantuan anime series that has been airing since 1999 and is now in its 21st season, is probably the most well known. Clocking in at over 1,000 episodes, though, it’s a bit hard to get into if you’re not already invested.
Perhaps to smoothen that first impression a bit, Netflix has also greenlit a second anime adaptation of the show, made in collaboration with Wit Studio (the team behind the first three seasons of the popular Attack on Titan anime).
This new anime is called The One Piece, and tells the same general story as the manga and anime that preceded it, while aiming to fix some pacing issues and deliver a new approach to the original show. Likely, we can expect some more modern production and some of the fat trimmed, which will make for an easier introduction to the One Piece world for series newbies. Finally, there Netflix’s live-action series, which dropped its first season in 2023 and covers the first major arc of the colossal One Piece story.
When is Season 2 Coming Out?
While we don’t have any confirmation of a release date just yet, we also don’t expect to see season two drop on Netflix in 2024. With production only ramping up now, half-way through the year, and Taz Skyler, aka Sanji, recently letting slip they’d be in South Africa for a “long stint” filming the show, it’s likely that the next season will launch sometime in 2025. For now, fans can stay excited about new character and cast reveals, and wait for a more substantial trailer to get released – hopefully we won’t be waiting too long.
