One Piece: Ace, Chopper & These 3 Characters Could Change Everything In Season 2

"One Piece" is a famously massive work of fiction, leaving no shortage of material for Netflix's live-action TV show to adapt from author Eiichiro Oda's original comic book series. Furthermore, Season 1 of the Netflix show moves through its story at a brisk pace, single-handedly covering the major events of roughly 95 "One Piece" chapters in total. Its anime adaptation, meanwhile, spends 44 episodes on that same material.

Presuming it continues at this same pace, fans can expect the already confirmed "One Piece" Season 2 to introduce a fair number of major characters. A post-credits scene at the end of Season 1 already confirms that Marine Vice Admiral Smoker will join the upcoming season, which is unsurprising given his involvement in the brief story arc that should come next. With that in mind, here are five characters who are also likely to show up at some point during the new season, and whose involvement will significantly impact the live-action "One Piece" series moving forward.

Portgas D. Ace is popular character among "One Piece" fans, ranking ninth, for example, out of 1,174 possible choices in a character poll published to the franchise's official YouTube channel in 2021. If the live-action series mirrors his character's arc in the manga, Ace won't be in Season 2 for very long. Nevertheless, given his popularity, he may well be one of the most anticipated additions to the Netflix adaptation.

While the particulars of Ace's relationship to Luffy (Iñaki Godoy in live-action) become clearer in subsequent storylines, he's introduced as Luffy's brother — which comes as a surprise to the Straw Hat Crew just like the revelation that Marine Vice Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan) is his grandfather. Ace is also a member of a crew led by Edward Newgate aka Whitebeard, one of the four most powerful pirates in the world.

Ace first appears in the manga during the Alabasta Arc, which will most likely begin at some point in the latter half of Season 2. While on one hand it's possible that Season 2 could end before the Alabasta Arc, given Ace's significance to "One Piece" it's also entirely possible that his importance will grow in the live-action series just like Koby's (Morgan Davies) in Season 1 compared to his manga counterpart. Ace's introduction, then, could very well happen at any point during the upcoming season.

Anyone at all familiar with imagery from the "One Piece" anime or manga has likely noticed a small reindeer boy in Luffy's crew. This little guy is named Tony Tony Chopper. He was originally a run-of-the-mill reindeer before eating the Human-Human Fruit, which granted him a human brain and the ability to take on various humanoid forms.

Chopper, in fact, is all but confirmed for Season 2. The video Netflix shared to the "One Piece" live-action series' Twitter account announcing the new season's confirmation closes on footage of Eiichiro Oda sketching Chopper. Of course, the biggest question his addition raises is whether or not he'll be brought to life in CGI. The appearances of fantastical characters in Season 1 like pirate Captain Arlong (McKinley Belcher III) are largely combinations of make-up and prosthetics, but Chopper's distinct size and shape mean that this option is effectively unfeasible. So, either Chopper will become the show's first major CGI character, or differ significantly in appearance from his manga counterpart.

Chopper's storyline, notably, should also involve a character named Dr. Kureha, whom none other than Jamie Lee Curtis has expressed interest in portraying (via Anime News Network), so fans of Curtis' legendary body of work perhaps have reason to look forward to his introductory story arc for this reason as well.

During the Reverse Mountain Arc — which is most likely to happen at the end of Episode 1 or in Episode 2 of "One Piece" Season 2 — Luffy and his crew meet a mercenary named Miss Wednesday. While she's initially their adversary, the Straw Hat Pirates learn that she's not actually subservient to the criminal Baroque Works organization like she claims, but attempting to infiltrate it for the sake of the Kingdom of Alabasta. Her true name, it turns out, is Nefertari Vivi and she's Alabasta's princess.

From that point on, Vivi joins the Straw Hat Crew — some might argue unofficially, whereas others consider her as valid a member as can be. Full member or not, Vivi accompanies the Straw Hats on a number of adventures across multiple islands on their way to Alabasta. Since Season 2 is most likely to conclude at some point during or at the end of the Alabasta Arc, Vivi may well be a Straw Hat Pirate for the majority of the upcoming season.

Vivi's closest companion, meanwhile, is a large, rideable duck named Karoo, whose realization in live-action will present a similar challenge to Chopper's. Karoo is arguably the best comic relief character in the Alabasta Saga, so his introduction is one further reason to anticipate Vivi's first appearance in live-action.

The leader of Baroque Works and the main villain of the Alabasta Saga is a legendarily powerful pirate with a hook for a hand named Crocodile. Whether or not "One Piece" Season 2 actually makes it to Alabasta, the members of Baroque Works pose a threat to the Straw Hat Crew for the balance of their journey to Vivi's kingdom, meaning that Crocodile's involvement in the upcoming season is a near certainty.

Even more than 1000 chapters into the original manga series' ongoing run, Crocodile remains one of the most iconic villains in the franchise's history. The same character poll in which Portgas D. Ace placed ninth, for example, saw Crocodile taking the 17th spot. The only villain to rank higher was Charlotte Katakuri, whose introduction takes place more than 700 chapters after Crocodile's debut. So, his realization in live-action is arguably weightier than any of the villains who have or will come before him, and even many who will follow.

Barring an increase in prominence like Koby's in "One Piece" Season 1, Nico Robin is unlikely to play a significant role in Season 2. That said, she's still a character many "One Piece" fans are looking forward to seeing in live-action given her importance immediately after the storyline that's expected to conclude the upcoming season.

Robin, of course, ends up becoming a member of the Straw Hat Pirates and therefore a key character for the balance of the series. During the Alabasta Arc that will most likely lead in to Season 2's end, Robin seems to be a villain, though with more of a neutral alignment than explicitly evil intentions. In her villain era Robin is nicknamed Miss All Sunday and is a high-ranking officer in the Baroque Works organization, second only to Crocodile. Robin will most likely remain Miss All Sunday for the majority if not all of Season 2, but her introduction will nevertheless serve as fans' first look at a character who will become a member of the show's core cast in the near future.