Netflix’s One Piece Live-Action Season 2 Hints At Excluding a Fan-Favorite Character

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Please be aware that this article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! The second season of Netflix’s popular live-action series, One Piece, is almost here. Following the huge success of the first season in August 2023, Season 2 will premiere on March 10th, 2026. Though fans have waited a bit longer than expected, this season promises to include some of the most exciting story arcs. The trailer has already given us a glimpse of fan-favorite characters like Nico Robin, Princess Vivi, and Tony Tony Chopper, among others. While the live-action series stays true to the original manga, it isn’t a direct, scene-for-scene recreation.

The show leaves out and alters parts of the original story to fit everything into a shorter episode count. With the source material—a manga with over 1100 chapters and ongoing—a complete adaptation would be incredibly long if it didn’t cut content. This means some less important characters won’t make it into the live-action version. As the second season nears, fans haven’t even seen Karoo, Princess Vivi’s beloved pet duck, suggesting he may be excluded as well.

Netflix’s One Piece Live-Action Might Exclude Karoo From The Story

We’ve already seen most of the new characters for the next season, including Princess Vivi, who is typically accompanied by Karoo. Since Karoo, a very fast bird used for travel in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, wasn’t featured in the trailer, it’s unlikely he’ll appear in the show.

When a powerful warlord threatens her kingdom, she goes undercover, joining the shadowy organization known as Baroque Works. Throughout this dangerous mission, Karoo remains a loyal companion, frequently assisting her in critical moments. He also becomes a cherished friend to the Straw Hat Pirates, as they journey together, battling villains to protect the kingdom of Alabasta.

Karoo isn’t a central figure in the story, but he’s a fan favorite thanks to his cute design and part in the narrative. Bringing him to life in a live-action adaptation would require significant CGI work – likely as much as for the character Chopper. Given Karoo’s limited role, that level of effort seems unrealistic. It would be disappointing if the series completely left him out, especially considering his close relationship with Vivi.

Several Beloved One Piece Characters Were Never Introduced in The Live-Action

One Piece is known for creating even minor characters that fans really connect with. Over the years, the series has featured so many people that it’s impossible to include them all in the live-action adaptation. While the first season left out a lot of fan favorites, even those with small roles made an impact. For example, Chouchou, a dog from early in the story, is still remembered for his touching backstory. Similarly, Zoro’s old allies, Johnny and Yosaku, are often overlooked but provided some of the funniest moments in the East Blue Saga.

It’s a shame that live-action fans are missing out on Jango, who I always thought was one of the funniest villains in the whole series. But honestly, the biggest surprise for me was leaving out Hachi in the first season. He ends up being really important during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc! While they could still introduce him later, the show really missed an opportunity to show his development after what happened at Arlong Park. It would have been great to see that journey.

The story is being altered by leaving out certain characters, which allows plotlines to be resolved quickly. The first two seasons, each with eight episodes, are planned to cover around 150 chapters before starting the Alabasta Arc in season three. Given the challenges of production, it’s understandable that the second season will likely also cut characters, and it won’t just be Karoo.

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2026-02-17 23:41