First look at Chopper from ‘One Piece’ Live-Action Season 2
| Photo Credit: Netflix
One Piece fans finally got a long-awaited reveal during Netflix’s TUDUM 2025 event — the first look at Tony Tony Chopper, the lovable reindeer hybrid joining the live-action series in Season 2, slated for release in 2026.
Iñaki Godoy (Luffy), Mackenyu (Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami), Jacob Romero (Usopp), and Taz Skylar (Sanji), appeared live to tease the upcoming season, which looks to expand the Straw Hat crew in a major way. At center stage was the introduction of Chopper, a shy, pint-sized, blue-nosed reindeer with a giant pink top hat.
For those unfamiliar, Chopper was introduced in Chapter 134 of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga in 2000 and made his anime debut in 2001. A reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit, Chopper can shift between anthropomorphic reindeer forms when required. His name is a nod to the Japanese word “tonakai” for reindeer.
Chopper is an integral member of the Straw Hat’s as the crew’s doctor, equipped with a fierce desire to cure any illness he encounters. But don’t let his plush-toy appearance fool you, because the little guy still packs a wallop.
“Chopper tries so hard to hide his emotions and put on a tough exterior, but underneath, he’s a big softy,” said voice actor Mikaela Hoover, who also performed facial capture for the character. Hoover, known for her roles in Beef, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and James Gunn’s upcoming Superman, described her connection to Chopper’s vulnerability and strength. “I believe there is a little Chopper in all of us. We all want to be loved and accepted.”
Visual-effects powerhouse Framestore — the team behind effects in His Dark Materials and Gravity — handled the adaptation. According to VFX supervisor Victor Scalise, the process involved close collaboration with the original manga’s art and tone. “It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve got a great team leading that process with Chopper. I think the audience, when they see him, they’re going to be very happy,” Scalise said.
One Piece Season 2 is expected to cover key story arcs from the manga, beginning with Loguetown and continuing through Drum Island, where characters like Dr. Kureha, Wapol, and Dr. Hiriluk play crucial roles. Filming for the second season has reportedly wrapped, and over 20 new characters have been added, including Crocodile, Nico Robin, Vivi, and Tashigi.
Published – June 01, 2025 10:59 am IST
