Netflix’s One Piece is full of moments that will hit totally differently for those who read the manga or watched the anime. Arguably the first universally praised live-action adaption of a famous anime, One Piece proved a lot of people wrong and delivered a surprisingly faithful version of the East Blue saga. While some big changes were made, One Piece’s cast and story both honored the source material.
One Piece will return for season 2, but the Netflix show has the potential to run for as many seasons as it wants to considering the sheer amount of chapters left to be covered. The One Piece manga has been around since 1997, whereas the anime premiered in 1999. In other words, a lot has changed since the first saga, with plenty of moments from One Piece season 1 having deeper meanings in hindsight.
10
Gol D. Roger’s Execution
Familiar Faces And A Lot Of Secrets
One Piece season 1 starts with the execution of Gol D. Roger and the announcement of his treasure, the event that would start a new age of pirates and would inspire countless people to set sail for the Grand Line in search of One Piece. The first episode of Netflix’s One Piece spotlights several key characters who were watching Gol D. Roger’s execution, many of whom we didn’t know about until significantly later in the anime.
One Piece has yet to reveal what the One Piece treasure actually is.
This includes, for example, a young Shanks. It is later revealed that Shanks and Buggy were both part of Gol D. Roger’s crew and were there when their captain was executed. Watching Gol D. Roger’s execution in live-action after you’ve seen the anime or read the manga is also interesting given how his sickness is only revealed later in the story. Lastly, over 25 years after One Piece’s first anime episode, the One Piece has yet to be found.
9
Shanks Saying Goodbye To Luffy
Shanks And Luffy Have Yet To Reunite
It has been almost three decades since Luffy and Shanks last saw each other – at least in terms of how much time has passed in the real world. In the world of One Piece, it has been a little over a decade since Luffy saw the man who saved his life and inspired him to become a pirate who would search for the One Piece. Even if Netflix’s One Piece were to catch up with every manga chapter released up until 2024, Shanks and Luffy would still not reunite in live-action.
Shanks was listed under "Rebel Forces" of Arabasta in the manga, meaning he could be incorporated into season 2 without breaking canon.
It is almost comical how Shanks is one of the most important One Piece characters despite rarely appearing. Shanks’ influence in the story – both in past and present events – is such that, even though he rarely appears in the manga, he is always listed as one of the main characters at the start of every volume alongside the Straw Hats and whoever else appears in that arc.
8
Luffy's Fruit Being Called The Gum Gum Fruit
Luffy’s Fruit Is Way More Special Than That
One Piece season 1 showed the moment Luffy ate the Devil FruitShanks was carrying, which gave the child stretchy powers and made it impossible for him to swim. While Luffy’s Devil Fruit was believed to be the Gum-Gum Fruit – a Paramecia fruit whose ability is to turn the user’s body into rubber – we eventually learned that this was not the case at all.
David Dastmalchian will play live-action Mr. 3 in One Piece season 2, but will look significantly more impressive than his anime counterpart.
There was never a Gum-Gum Fruit, and what Luffy ate was actually a Mythical Zoan fruit called Hito Hito no Mi. The actual power of Luffy’s Devil Fruit is to grant the user the same powers and abilities as Nika, the Sun God. Before Luffy, the Hito Hito no Mi had been previously eaten by Joy Boy, who lived during the Void Century and hid the treasure Gol D. Roger would one day find.
7
Buggy The Clown’s Introduction & Defeat
Buggy Is Not Just A One-Off Villain
For those who never read or watched One Piece, Buggy the Clown may have seemed like a one-off villain in Netflix’s One Piece season 1. Granted, live-action Buggy had even more presence in season 1 than his manga counterpart did during the East Blue saga, with Netflix’s version of the character showing up at the Baratie and Arlong Park. Still, at first, it’s hard to see Buggy as anything else than a joke.
One Piece Season 2's Cast
Characters
Inãki Godoy
Monkey D. Luffy
Emily Rudd
Nami
Mackenyu
Roronoa Zoro
Jacob Romero Gibson
Usopp
Taz Skylar
Sanji
Jeff Ward
Buggy the Clown
Ilia Isorelýs Paulino
Alvida
Callum Kerr
Smoker
Charithra Chandran
Miss Wednesday
David Dastmalchian
Mr. 3
Joe Manganiello
Mr. O
Lera Abova
Miss All Sunday
However, not only does Buggy briefly return for the Loguetown arc – which will be covered in One Piece season 2 after season 1 skipped it – but he continues to make appearances throughout the series. Buggy goes on to be part of the Cross Guild alongside Mihawk and Crocodile, the latter of whom will make his live-action debut in season 2 played by Joe Manganiello.
6
Zoro Promising To Have A Rematch With Mihawk
The Rematch Has Yet To Happen
Zoro vs. Mihawk was one of the highlights of One Piece season 1 and did justice to an iconic moment from the anime. The greatest swordsman in the world and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Dracule Mihawk is an incredibly powerful character who made his live-action debut in season 1. Just like what happened in the source material, Mihawk effortlessly defeated Zoro but let him live so that they could one day have a rematch.
Joe Manganiello is playing “Mr.0” in Netflix’s One Piece, and I wouldn’t mind the live-action show breaking canon to make the most of this casting.
Although Zoro’s body and pride were hurt, Mihawk saw this young swordsman had the potential to one day be an equal to him and perhaps even surpass him. That said, while Zoro eventually trained under Mihawk, they have yet to have a rematch. Similar to Shanks saying goodbye to Luffy and never meeting him again, it is fun to see Mihawk promising Zoro a rematch knowing that this has yet to happen in the manga.
5
Shimotsuki Kuina’s Death
Many Still Theorize Kuina Is Alive
Kuina’s death is one of the most tragic One Piece moments, even though it happens offscreen in a flashback. Zoro’s best friend growing up, Kuina dreamed of becoming the world’s greatest swordswoman and was the best of their class. Kuina’s dream is what inspired Zoro to keep training and be the best version of himself, particularly after she died without having the chance to pursue that dream.
Julia Rehwald will play Tashigi in One Piece season 2.
Regardless of how impactful and important to Zoro’s story Kuina’s death was, many still believe or at least enjoy theorizing that Kuina is alive. There was even a very popular theory stating that Kuina and Tashigi were the same character, although this was mostly based on the fact that they looked like each other and were both swordswomen whose stories intersected with Zoro’s. Still, it will be interesting to see whether Tashigi’s live-action debut in season 2 will reignite those theories.
4
The “Garp Is Luffy’s Grandfather” Reveal
Garp Was Only Revealed To Be Luffy’s Grandfather Much Later
Viewers who watched Netflix’s One Piece without any previous knowledge of the manga or the anime had no idea of how massive the reveal that Garp is Luffy’s grandfather was, at least in terms of comparing the differences between the live-action show and the source material. It took Eiichiro Oda several years to reveal that Garp, the Marine Vice Admiral who first appeared in the cover stories from the earlier manga chapters, was actually Luffy’s grandfather.
Luffy’s Gum-Gum techniques looked surprisingly good in live-action, but the trickiest Devil Fruit powers are to come in Netflix’s One Piece.
Luffy’s family tree can be described as a puzzle whose pieces are slowly introduced in One Piece. Garp was only revealed to be Luffy’s grandfather in episode 314 of the anime, whereas One Piece season 1 only covered the first 50 or so episodes. Garp’s role in Netflix’s One Piece was arguably the biggest change the live-action show did, and it now remains to be seen how it affects future stories.
3
Arlong’s Speech About The Fish-Men
We Eventually Learn More About The Oppression Fish-Men Face
Arlong gives a powerful speech toward the end of One Piece season 1 about how Fish-Men have been oppressed and enslaved throughout history as he promises his followers that they will take over not only the East Blue but also the rest of the sea. Arlong’s speech was not in the source material and was created for the live-action show, which had the opportunity to incorporate the history of oppression suffered by the Fish-Men that is revealed later in the story.
When Luffy and his crew finally complete half of their journey into the New World, they soon understand how delicate the balance of power is in the Sabaody Archipelago.
While Oda most likely had much of it mapped out by that point, we only learn specifics of the prejudice Fish-Men faces during the Sabaody arc. When Luffy and his crew finally complete half of their journey into the New World, they soon understand how delicate the balance of power is in the Sabaody Archipelago, including the fact that Fish-Men, mermen, and mermaids have been historically treated as inferior to other humanoid races.
2
Luffy Finally Getting A Bounty
Luffy’s First Bounty Is Nothing Compares To What Comes Next
At the end of One Piece season 1, Luffy is extremely proud that there is finally a bounty on his head. Luffy’s first wanted poster is delivered to him by Koby, an interaction that was exclusive to the live-action show since the two of them only reunited hundreds of episodes later in the anime. It is nostalgic to look at Luffy’s first bounty knowing he would soon have one of the highest bounties in the world.
Luffy's first bounty was of 30,000,000 B, whereas his currenty bounty is 3,000,000,000 B.
To be fair, Luffy’s first bounty was already pretty high for an East Blue pirate. Still, stealing from a Marine base and defeating Arlong would be very small feats compared to what Luffy was still going to do. One Piece season 1 does a good job of establishing that Luffy is already making a name for himself and even recreates a montage from later in the anime showing the world’s reaction to his bounty, but that is only the beginning.
1
The Barrel Scene
The Straw Hats Are Still Pursuing Their Dreams
One Piece season 1’s final scene was incredibly emotional and a perfect way to wrap up the show regardless if you are familiar with the source material. Going back to the young versions of the Straw Hats as they announced their dreams was a very clever decision that brought the first season full circle. However, for long-time One Piece fans, that scene was even more special.
Netflix’s One Piece saved “We Are!,” the anime’s first intro song, to the end and combined it with the show’s original score. The result could not have been more nostalgic, especially because the live-action show honored the origin stories of each of the Straw Hats and only made small changes to them. Additionally, despite some issues and tragedies, Luffy’s crew remains together to this day and are still pursuing their dreams.
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Based on the popular manga/anime series, One Piece is a live-action Netflix adaptation of the story from Eiichiro Oda. The show follows the exploits of a band of pirates, the Straw Hats, led by the energetic and adventure-loving Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy is a young man cursed with strange powers after accidentally eating a mysterious fruit. With his friends Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji, Luffy will head across the vast ocean to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece.
Release Date
August 31, 2023
Cast
Iñaki Godoy
, Mackenyu
, Emily Rudd
, Jacob Romero Gibson
, Taz Skylar
Custom image by Simone Ashmoore
English (US) ·