The second season of the One Piece live-action series was a huge success. The show held the number one spot on Netflix for two weeks, while audience reviews have been largely positive as well.
Now, fans are wondering when Season 3 of the live-action series will begin. There are also many questions surrounding the story and casting of the continuation. Let’s break down everything we know so far.
One Piece Season 3 on Netflix: Possible Release Date
A third season of One Piece was officially confirmed back in August 2025, with filming in Cape Town, South Africa having been underway since November 2025. Production on the new episodes is expected to wrap up in June 2026.
Based on that information, it’s not unreasonable to think that One Piece Season 3 could arrive as early as summer 2027 or spring 2028. Though of course, that’s purely speculation for now. We’ll update this article as more details are announced.
There was a gap of two and a half years between Seasons 1 and 2 of One Piece, though that wasn’t solely due to filming and the demanding post-production process. A sweeping Hollywood strike in 2023 delayed production on countless series across the industry.
If strikes and other disruptions stay out of the picture this time around, there’s no reason to expect another wait that long.
It’s also worth noting a few changes behind the scenes. Following the completion of Season 2 filming, series creator Matt Owens stepped away from the production for mental health reasons. His co-showrunner Joe Tracz will now take the lead alongside Ian Stokes, who has been part of the writing team from the very beginning.
How many episodes will Season 3 have?
The first two seasons of the One Piece Netflix series each consisted of eight episodes. It’s very likely that Season 3 will follow the same format. However, instead of covering multiple arcs, the new season may focus entirely on the Arabasta Arc.
One Piece Season 3: Returning Cast and New Characters
Of course, the familiar faces of the Straw Hat crew will return in Season 3 of One Piece. The characters will once again be portrayed by the actors from the previous seasons, including Iñaki Godoy (Monkey D. Luffy), Emily Rudd (Nami), Taz Skylar (Sanji), Mackenyu (Roronoa Zoro), and Jacob Gibson (Usopp).
Chopper has now officially joined the crew as well and is voiced by Mikaela Hoover. Charithra Chandran will also return as Princess Vivi.
Several characters introduced in Season 2 who are not part of the Straw Hats are also set to return. Confirmed cast members include:
- Callum Kerr as Smoker
- Julia Rehwald as Tashigi
- Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday, aka Nico Robin
- Joe Manganiello as Mister 0, aka Crocodile
- Sendhil Ramamurthy as King Cobra
In addition, a number of new characters have already been announced, along with the actors who will portray them:
- Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace (Luffy’s brother)
- Awdo Awdo as Mister 1 (Baroque Works agent)
- Daisy Head as Miss Doublefinger (Baroque Works agent)
- Cole Escola as Mister 2, also known as Bon Clay (Baroque Works agent)
It’s very likely that many more characters will appear in Season 3, although their casting has yet to be revealed. There may also be additional cameo appearances. In Season 2, fans were treated to appearances by Brook, the musician, as well as the cunning Bartolomeo in Loguetown. Even Revolutionary Army leader Sabo made a brief cameo.
The Straw Hats’ Next Adventure: What Season 3 Will Cover
The live-action series is based on Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga, and while the show has always taken its share of creative liberties, we can get a pretty good sense of where the story is headed. After the adventures in Loguetown, Laboon, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island, the journey now leads to Alabasta.
Compared to every arc that has come before it, the Alabasta Arc is quite lengthy, spanning from Chapter 155 to Chapter 217 in the manga and covering episodes 92 through 130 in the anime. It’s entirely possible that Season 3 will be set exclusively in the desert kingdom of Alabasta.
Vivi was introduced in Season 2, where it was revealed that she is the princess of the Kingdom of Arabasta. Her homeland, however, is being torn apart by a civil war orchestrated by the mysterious boss of Baroque Works, Sir Crocodile, also known as Mr. 0. Determined to bring down Baroque Works and save her kingdom, she has the Straw Hats’ promise to help her do just that.
It’s not just the Straw Hat crew making their way to the desert kingdom, though. Marine Captain Smoker and his partner Tashigi are also heading there, intent on uncovering the connections between Baroque Works, the missing princess, and the Straw Hat Pirates.
We’ve already crossed paths with some of Baroque Works’ agents, but in Arabasta the Straw Hats will have to face the organization’s most formidable members head-on. That includes Mr. 1, Miss Doublefinger and Mr. 2. They’ll likely also encounter Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas as well. And of course, the man pulling all the strings, Sir Crocodile, will have to be dealt with once and for all.
How long will the One Piece Netflix series run?
The One Piece manga is famous for its length. For nearly 30 years, Eiichiro Oda has been writing and illustrating his legendary story, which is now approaching its grand finale. So far, the live-action series has only adapted a small portion of this massive epic.
It’s no surprise, then, that fans are wondering how long the Netflix adaptation will continue.
Of course, adapting the entire One Piece story is nearly impossible. The production would likely take decades and require an enormous budget. However, creator Eiichiro Oda already seems to have a plan for how the story could reach a satisfying conclusion in live-action form.
In an interview with The Movie Podcast, actor Mackenyu, who plays Zoro, explained:
“He has a vision to where he wants to end. Not end, but where he wants us to take the live-action to. And we all know about it. We know where he wants to go up to. That hyped me up a lot. There’s a specific arc he wants us to go up to.”
