Netflix's Epic 16-Episode Fantasy Series Returning Next Year Is A Must-Watch For Fourth Wing Fans
Netflix’s epic fantasy series will return for its third season next year, and it’s a must-watch for Fourth Wing fans. Prime Video’s Fourth Wing, based on Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series, is one of the streamer’s most anticipated projects, leading a string of other “romantasy” adaptations following the subgenre’s boom in publishing. First announced in 2023, the show is finally picking up steam; Prime recently confirmed the actors who will be portraying the story’s leading couple. Esther McGregor will play scholar-turned-dragonrider Violet Sorrengail, and Emilio Sakraya will play shadow wielder and rebel leader Xaden Riorson.
There’s nothing quite like Fourth Wing on TV right now. Romantasy books are driven by a central romance. The world-building, political conflicts, and magic system are all equally important, but Violet and Xaden’s love has the power to save (or doom) the world. While book readers can certainly watch shows like HBO’s House of the Dragon or Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to get a sense of Fourth Wing‘s scale, there’s one other, perhaps more unexpected, series they can watch to get a first feel for Xaden’s on-screen presence.
Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation is a far cry from Fourth Wing. Based on Eiichiro Oda’s epic manga and anime series, One Piece is a fun, colorful, seafaring pirate adventure, as Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat crew sail the Grand Line while searching for the titular, mythical One Piece. The show has become one of Netflix’s biggest success stories, with season 3 slated to set sail in 2027. Several new faces are joining the cast in what promises to be One Piece‘s biggest story arc yet, including Fourth Wing‘s very own Xaden Riorson, Emilio Sakraya.
Emilio Sakraya’s Characters In One Piece & Fourth Wing Are Very Similar
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Before donning his riding leathers as Xaden, Sakraya will first wear a long purple coat and sunglasses as Koza in One Piece season 3. One Piece‘s upcoming Alabasta arc will feature a kingdom on the brink of destruction, as an ongoing civil war, orchestrated by a nefarious organization known as Baroque Works, reaches its tipping point. In the conflict, Koza leads an ill-fated rebellion against the monarchy, fighting for his people’s survival during an unnatural, ongoing drought.
Xaden and Koza aren’t just similar because they both lead rebel forces. They’re similar because they’re both willing to sacrifice themselves for the people they love, fighting for the greater good despite the danger. Both characters have willingly taken on the burden of leadership and believe in what they’re fighting for; others use that sense of duty, honor, and loyalty to manipulate them for their own personal gain.
Additionally, while Xaden’s relationship with Violet is decidedly more romantic than Koza’s relationship with his childhood friend, Princess Vivi, they share a similar level of respect as they overcome their differences. Despite initially being on opposite sides of the conflict, Koza and Vivi rebuild their trust and work together to end the war, much like Xaden and Violet fall in love in spite of their violent family histories. If any Fourth Wing fans are curious about Sakraya’s upcoming performance as Xaden, his role in One Piece season 3 will undoubtedly prove why he was cast to play Yarros’ fan-favorite character.
Prime Video’s Fourth Wing Can Be Just As Big As Netflix’s One Piece
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Like One Piece, which is one of the longest-running and most successful manga and anime franchises of all time, Fourth Wing has a massive built-in fanbase.
When the third book in the Empyrean series, Onyx Storm, was published in 2025, it became the “fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years,” as reported by The New York Times. This year’s release, Threshing Day, a collection of 13 short stories detailing major characters’ first meetings with their respective dragons, had the biggest debut of 2026 in the US so far, selling 857,802 print copies in its first week (via Publishers Weekly). Two more books are planned, and Yarros’ work has been translated into more than 30 languages.
One reason Netflix’s One Piece works so well, despite the (many) failed live-action anime adaptations in recent years, is because it clearly respects and loves the source material. It never tries to make One Piece edgier or less creative. From the performances to the costumes, music, sets, and scripts, it still feels like One Piece. The adaptation fits the new medium without compromising what makes Eiichiro Oda’s work so special.
If Prime Video and showrunner Meredith Averill can do the same for Fourth Wing, it could become one of Prime’s biggest shows of all time, combining two of the most enduring and popular genres. Two of the streamer’s biggest debuts have been The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and the contemporary hockey romance sensation Off Campus (via THR). Fourth Wing combines the best of both, an epic fantasy world and large-scale conflict with a gorgeous, rewatch-worthy romance.
One Piece season 3 premieres on Netflix in 2027.
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Release Date
August 31, 2023
Network
Netflix
Cast
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Iñaki Godoy
Monkey D. Luffy
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Emily Rudd
Nami
Young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse crew embark on a daring quest for treasure and notoriety. Kicking off with the Season 1 release on Netflix in 2023, One Piece brings the adventurous world of the popular manga to life in live-action, capturing Luffy’s relentless pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure.Showrunner
Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz
Directors
Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka
Main Genre
Creator(s)
Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Eiichiro Oda
Executive Producer(s)
Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Eiichiro Oda, Tetsu Fujimura, Matt Owens, Chris Symes, Steven Maeda, Marc Jobst, Tim Southam, Joe Tracz, Christoph Schrewe
Seasons
2
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Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Network
Prime Video
Showrunner
Meredith Averill
Directors
Lisa Joy
Cast
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Esther McGregor
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Emilio Sakraya
Based on the novel series by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing follows the adventures of a young woman taken from her peaceful book-reading life and thrust into a world of danger, joining an elite group of dragon-riding warriors.Main Genre
Creator(s)
Meredith Averill, Rebecca Yarros
Executive Producer(s)
Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, Athena Wickham, Michael B. Jordan, Elizabeth Raposo, Liz Pelletier, Sherryl Clark
Seasons
1
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Young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse crew embark on a daring quest for treasure and notoriety. Kicking off with the Season 1 release on Netflix in 2023, One Piece brings the adventurous world of the popular manga to life in live-action, capturing Luffy’s relentless pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure.
Based on the novel series by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing follows the adventures of a young woman taken from her peaceful book-reading life and thrust into a world of danger, joining an elite group of dragon-riding warriors.
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