Even though the best Straw Hat crew member in season 2 was one iconic newcomer, this character is set to be replaced in One Piece season 3. If there were two things that One Piece has no shortage of, it would be lore and characters. Even compared to massive fantasy franchises like The Lord of the Rings and its prequel The Rings of Power or HBO’s Game of Thrones shows, One Piece has a laughable amount of in-universe story to outdo them all.
This is because the live-action Netflix show is based on the long-running manga series of the same name by creator Eiichiro Oda, which has 115 volumes to its name and is still ongoing. While The Simpsons is the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history with over 800 episodes to its name, One Piece‘s anime adaptation easily outdoes that record with over 1,170 episodes to date.
This rundown doesn’t even mention One Piece‘s animated specials, its many movies, its video games, and its upcoming Netflix animated series. It has been over a decade since One Piece earned Eiichiro Oda the Guinness world record for “most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author,” so it is not surprising that One Piece‘s fictional universe is vast even compared to other fantasy franchises. Sadly, this inevitably means One Piece can’t spend as long with each character as viewers might hope.
Vivi Was The Highlight Of One Piece’s Straw Hat Crew In Season 2
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One Piece‘s elaborate story means the show constantly needs to set up its next arc, forcing Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates to move on from supporting characters with little fanfare. This is why, even though Alabasta’s princess Nefertari Vivi was season 2’s standout character, One Piece season 3 will move on from her role. Played by Chrithra Chandran, Vivi was calm in a crisis, a born leader, and made for a compelling contrast with Luffy and the Straw Hat crew.
While Luffy is defined by his feckless and carefree attitude, Vivi’s time infiltrating the villainous Baroque Works made her harder and tougher than most of the Straw Hat Pirates. However, as season 2’s Alabasta story continued, it became clear that Vivi was only distrustful thanks to the heavy burden that her responsibilities put on her. During her time with the team, Vivi learned to lighten up while the Straw Hat Pirates learned to fight for something more meaningful than just their own treasure hunt.
As her villainous Baroque Works alter ego Miss Wednesday, Vivi was an intimidating force, but Chandran ensured that her vulnerability and humanity shone through underneath the character’s tough exterior. Vivi also displayed a natural affinity for leadership that made her the perfect person to stop Alabasta’s potential civil war, but this doesn’t mean her role will extend into season 3 of the series.
One Piece Season 3 Replaces Vivi With A New Straw Hat
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Since One Piece season 3 is set to follow the original manga’s story, Robin will soon replace Vivi as the outing’s new Straw Hat crew member. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Miss All Sunday will simply replicate Vivi’s character arc. Vivi was concerned with doing her best to lead Alabasta, whereas Robin has less of a link to an existing life, outside of her work for Baroque Works.
Where Vivi has a deep connection to her family history and home kingdom, Robin is a lone wolf who doesn’t want to get too attached to anyone. Thus, One Piece season 3’s story will be very different for the show’s new Straw Hat. Sadly though, for viewers who were enjoying Vivi’s presence in One Piece season 2, the majority of her role is now in the past.
One Piece
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