It’s not even been a month since Netflix dropped season two of its live-action One Piece adaptation, and it’s already revealed when we can expect season three. We’ve not long to wait, either, as the anime’s Alabasta Arc will be adapted for the show’s third season in time for it to hit Netflix in 2027.
One Piece Returns For Season Three Next Year
Even though there will only be a year between seasons two and three, Netflix naturally doesn’t have much to show us yet – it’s good, but it’s not that good. However, the platform is confident enough that it confirmed on Twitter today that the live-action versions of the Straw Hat Pirates will be embarking on their Alabasta Arc next year.
Spoilers for One Piece season two from this point on, although if you’re reading an article about what’s to come in season three, I’m assuming you’re all caught up.
Those of you who have seen season two and are avid One Piece fans beyond the live-action version of the show alone will likely be unsurprised that the Alabasta Arc – the 11th in the One Piece saga – is where Netflix’s take on the story is where we’re headed next. Season two ended with the Drum Line arc and the introduction of Tony Tony Chopper, the events of which lead directly into Alabasta.
The adaptation has jumped around a little bit when it comes to One Piece arcs, but it would have been very odd, and even a little jarring, for the show to deviate from proceedings so much that season three didn’t kick off with Alabasta. It’s nice to have confirmation that’s where we’re headed, of course, but the real story here is the much smaller gap between seasons.
One Piece Needs Short Gaps Between Seasons
There was an almost-three-year wait between seasons one and two of One Piece, so confirmation that the wait for season three will be far shorter – potentially just one year, maybe 18 months if it releases in the second half of 2027 – is a welcome surprise. It’s also necessary if Netflix wants to properly tell the full, albeit condensed compared to the manga and the anime, One Piece story.
Adapting anything animated into live action is a daunting task, but doing so for One Piece, a series with such a long history and a dedicated fanbase, must have been downright scary. So far, Netflix has nailed the assignment. Season one was well received, and season two debuted to a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Now throw shorter wait times between seasons into that successful mix, and Netflix continues to do everything right by One Piece.
- Release Date
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August 31, 2023
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz
- Directors
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Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka
- Writers
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Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand
