Next month, Netflix is bringing back the live-action Straw Hat Pirates as One Piece’s second season arrives on the streaming service on March 10th. As fans wait to see Luffy and his crew visit live-action locales like Loguetown and Little Garden, Netflix is already working on season three. With production underway, there are plenty of new characters who have already been confirmed to appear in the upcoming season. In a big new reveal, a surprising fan-favorite character has been revealed in a way that many anime fans might not have seen coming.
For those who might need a refresher, One Piece’s third season is set to take Monkey D. Luffy and his fellow Straw Hats to the desert island of Alabasta. So far, the likes of Ace, Luffy’s brother, the villainous Bon Clay, Mr. 1, and Miss Doublefinger have been cast. On top of these heroes and villains, some characters are expected by fans, given how close the live-action adaptation has been to the source material so far. In a recent photo of an image created by One Piece’s Eiichiro Oda, the manga artist portrays the Straw Hat Pirates along with their new ally Vivi and her trusty bird, Karoo. In Alabasta, the bird becomes an instrumental part of the Straw Hats, so it makes sense that Karoo would arrive in the upcoming third season.
Karoo’s One Piece Arrival is Imminent
Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
Karoo, for those who might be unfamiliar, would be quite difficult to pull off without the use of CG animation. The rideable fowl is a trusted ally to Vivi and follows the Straw Hats as they attempt to free Alabasta from Baroqueworks’ influence, led by the villainous Crocodile. Luckily, Netflix’s One Piece is quite familiar with bringing the Grand Line’s strangest characters to life. In anticipation of season two, the streaming service highlighted a future member of the Straw Hat Pirates who will need heavy CG to hop aboard the Going Merry.
As many fans know, Tony Tony Chopper is perhaps the biggest new character set to arrive in One Piece’s second season. In the build-up to Netflix’s live-action adaptation returning to the screen, the platform has confirmed that Chopper will be brought to life using computer-generated animation. Set to be voiced by Mikaela Hoover (Guardians of the Galaxy, Superman), the reindeer doctor has been one of the most anticipated characters to join this production for quite some time.
Karoo appearing in the live-action adaptation should not come as that big of a surprise, considering how slavish to the source material Netflix has been so far. While there have been some changes made to the live-action series, mostly when it comes to streamlining storylines, Vivi’s partner being left on the sidelines would make for quite the surprise. As season two approaches, we might learn more about the upcoming third season sooner rather than later.
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