One Piece proved to be a hit when its first season was released on Netflix in the summer of 2023. The show was a huge hit for Netflix and introduced the series to an entirely new audience, so here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Season 2 of One Piece.
When Will One Piece Season 2 Release?
One Piece’s second season was confirmed shortly after the release of the first season in a cute video featuring Eiichiro Oda. By that point, it was confirmed that scripts were being written, but there was no timeframe for when filming would begin due to the then-ongoing SAG-AFTRA Strike. Becky Clements, the head of the lead production company of the series Tomorrow Studios, said that the show could be released “12-18 months” after the strikes end. Given how the strikes ended in November of 2023, that would put the show’s release date anywhere from late 2024 to mid-2025.
That’s all wishful thinking though. In reality, it all depends on when filming begins and finishes. According to What’s On Netflix, filming for the second season is set to start in June 2024 in South Africa and is expected to last for seven months, ideally concluding in January 2025. So a 2024 release date is out of the card, though a mid-2025 release does seem to be the most likely release window, probably around the same time the first season debuted.
Who Is Returning In One Piece Season 2?
As of this writing, all of the core cast members of One Piece are set to return in the second season. While some characters who were present in the first season, like Shanks and Arlong, may make some cameo appearances, expect a lot of new cast members. Oda has teased repeatedly the appearance of Tony Tony Shopper in the second season, though no casting has been confirmed as of this time.
What Will One Piece Season 2 Adapt?
Given how the first season offered a truncated version of the East Blue Saga, it stands to reason that the second season of One Piece will adapt the next major saga, the Alabasta Saga. That saga has the Straw Hat Pirates entering the Grand Line and having to contend with a criminal organization called Baroque Works, which is led by Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The saga also sees the introduction of key crew members, like Tony Tony Chopper, the ship’s doctor, and Nico Robin, the ship’s archeologist.
The season may not begin with the Alabasta Saga though, as the show will need to make a quick pit stop in Lougetown. It’s a minor arc in the grand scope of the series, but it introduces several important characters in future arcs like Captain Smoker, who was teased at the end of the first season and is an important figure in the Alabasta Saga, as well as delivering some of the manga’s most important and iconic imagery.
How Long Will One Piece Season 2 Be?
The first season of One Piece ran for eight episodes that were approximately one hour long each. That season also adapted around 11 volumes of the manga while also including some original content and side plots. The Alabasta Saga, as well as the Lougetown arc, lasted for around 12 volumes in the manga, putting it at approximately the same length as the first season.
That being said, given how much smaller the arcs in the East Blue Saga were and how they were independent of each other for the most part, the Alabasta Saga is a lot more interconnected and culminates in a large-scale battle that gives each character a time to shine. While it’s not impossible for a satisfying adaptation of Alabasta to be done in eight episodes, don’t be surprised if it takes ten to properly adapt it.
