Picture: One Piece – Tomorrow Studios
Thanks to recent casting calls, seven new characters have been revealed to appear in the highly anticipated second season of the live-action One Piece series. None should be too surprising to long-term fans of the source material, but these are in addition to the previously announced new characters: Tony Tony Chopper and Smoker.
Casting calls have been underway throughout the first half of the year as the team behind the show gears up for production on season 2 over the summer. We recently learned that filming is scheduled to get underway in June, with the second season going by the codename of Project Renaissance.
While all of the characters below are obvious additions to the second season of One Piece, we’re reassured that some aren’t being cut from the story. With the exception of Crocus, all will be recurring guest stars in season 2.
Princess Vivi
Casting For: Female (17-20)
Ethnicity: Middle Eastern/North African or South Asian
Picture: Princess Vivi – TOEI Animation
There wouldn’t be an Alabasta Saga without everyone’s favorite Princess, Nefertari Vivi. Starting as an antagonist against the Straw Hats, Vivi was working for Baroque Works with the codename “Miss Wednesday.” It isn’t long before her identity is revealed, confirming she infiltrated Baroque Works to verify that her country’s “savior,” Crocodile, was behind the Alabasta’s strife. She enlists the help of the Straw Hats to liberate her country.
Nico Robin
Casting For: Female (20-39)
Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino
Picture: Nico Robin – TOEI Animation
Everyone’s favorite pirate crew mother figure, Nico Robin, joins the One Piece cast in season 2. As the right hand of Crocodile, she starts primarily as an antagonist of the Straw Hat Pirates. However, as a future member of the Straw Hat crew, Robin is a fundamental character for the remainder of the story. A paramecia devil fruit user with the power of the flower- flower fruit, her ability allows her to sprout pieces of her body from the surface of any object or living being.
Smoker
Casting For: Male (25-35)
Ethnicity: White
Picture: Smoker – TOEI Animation
Before the Straw Hats make it to the Grand Line, they cross paths with Marine Captain Smoker in Loguetown. A logia devil fruit user with the power of the smoke-smoke fruit, Smoker uses his powers to devasting effect; as physical attacks phase through his body, he can efficiently utilize the power of smoke, apprehending his targets. He also wields a jitter with a sea stone prism on the end, incapacitating devil fruit users when touched by it. As the Straw Hat crew enters the Grand Line, Captain Smoker is hot on their heels, determined to put a rookie pirate crew away before they grow too strong.
Tashigi
Casting For: Female (20-29)
Ethnicity: Asian
Picture: Tashigi – TOEI Animation
Captain Smoker’s first mate, Tashigi, is a skilled swordswoman who crosses paths with Zoro in Loguetown. Unbeknownst to her, Tashigi is the spitting image of Zoro’s childhood friend Kuina, albeit what Kuina would have looked like as an adult. Disgusted that a blade such as the Wado Ichimonji is in the hands of a criminal, she is determined to cross paths with Zoro again and retrieve one of his three swords.
Ms Valentine
Casting For: Female (20-29)
Ethnicity: White
Picture: Ms. Valentine – TOEI Animation
One of the top members of Baroque Works, Miss Valentine, is a self-absorbed ruthless assassin with the power of the pound-pound devil fruit. Without changing her physical appearance, the pound-pound fruit allows Miss Valentine to alter her body weight at will, weighing as little as 1 kilogram or as heavy as 10,000 kilograms.
Mr. 5
Casting For: Male (20-29)
Ethnicity: Black
Picture: Msr. 5 – TOEI Animation
Stylish and cocky, Mr. 5 is a powerful member of Baroque Works who uses the power of the Bomb-bomb fruit. With this power, Mr. 5 can use his body and bodily emissions to create powerful explosions. He can give physical attacks an explosive edge in close quarters and use ranged attacks by spitting or flicking bogies toward his intended target.
Crocus
Casting For: Male (65-79)
Ethnicity: Open
Crocus is an elderly man whom the Straw Hats cross paths with upon entering the Grand Line. He is a doctor who has spent years caring for the whale Laboon, but in his younger years, he once served as the doctor on Gol D. Roger’s crew.
What characters are you looking forward to seeing in One Piece season 2? Let us know in the comments below!