Netflix’s One Piece has finally revealed their new live-action take on Tony Tony Chopper ahead of Season 2’s premiere, and the original creator behind it all has given the design his seal of approval. One Piece‘s live-action series is now in the works on coming back to Netflix for Season 2, and has been steadily revealing many of the new cast additions that will be making their debut in the new episodes. But there’s been one that has been elusive as fans have been waiting all this time to see any hint at what the next major Straw Hat crew member would look like.
As part of Netflix’s TUDUM event this year, Netflix has debuted a new look at One Piece that finally revealed how Chopper will look like in live-action. This design has divided fans over whether or not will work in the full series, but for now fans can rest easy knowing that original franchise creator Eiichiro Oda has shared his seal of approval. In a special message to fans following the reveal, Oda explained all the work that went into this new take on Tony Tony Chopper.
A special News Coo from Oda-Sensei just dropped!
Chopper’s made his debut, and now it’s time to celebrate the crew that brought our lovely and weird doctor to life!
Gear up, Straw Hats, we’re sailing for the Grand Line!
pic.twitter.com/opCRvLnttJ
— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) June 1, 2025
Who Is Tony Tony Chopper in Netflix’s One Piece Season 2?
“The key to Season 2 is, of course, our weird talking animal,” Oda’s message to fans began. “After extensive trial and refinement by the entire team, the day has come to finally unveil him!! From his form and furs to his expressions and face, and even lighting and gravity simulation – a world – class team brought their skills together in bringing Tony Tony Chopper to life, and now he’s ready to be introduced to the world!! Check him out!!” So it’s clear that a lot of work went into this new design for the show.
As for who is behind this new take on Chopper, it was also announced that Mikaela Hoover (who fans might remember as Floor from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, or will be seen as Cat Grant in Superman this Summer) will be voicing the role and even providing facial capture. She shared the following comment after the announcement, “I am so honored, and so excited to bring Tony Tony Chopper to life for Netflix’s One Piece. Guys this is a dream. Thank you so much Oda, for trusting me with this precious little guy. I love him so much, he’s so adorable. Do not tell him that. Thank you guys, so much. I’ll see you in season two.”
RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece Season 3 Gets Major Update From Joe Manganiello
When Does One Piece Season 2 Come Out?
It was also confirmed that One Piece Season 2 will be making its debut with Netflix some time in 2026. This update might come as upsetting for some fans who were hoping to see it make an earlier debut considering the new season wrapped its production earlier this year, but it’s clear now that there’s going to be a lot of work put into what’s coming next. Chopper’s scenes alone are likely going to take a lot of time when you factor in all of the testing to even get to the final design, so it’s going to be even more effort to put him into the actual series.
Chopper plays a key role in not only the final arc we’ll see in the upcoming One Piece season, but plays a huge role in the series’ future as Luffy and the Straw Hats are in desperate need of a doctor for everything intense that happens to them in the Grand Line. There might be some debate over the design for now, but we’ll see how it all shakes out soon enough.
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