Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Total Film
Total Film
Entertainment
Emma-Jane Betts

One Piece season 3 release date speculation, story, cast, and everything else we know so far

Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy pointing on the Merry, while the rest of the Straw Hat pirates stand behind him in One Piece season 2.

It's time to set sail because One Piece season 3 is officially on its way. That's right, although One Piece season 2 was only recently released, Netflix has confirmed that we'll be venturing on the Grand Line with the Straw Hats once again in the return of what is, hands down, one of the best adaptations of the best anime series of all time. Thankfully, for all you impatient fans (like myself), there is a ton of information about season 3 already, thanks to clues from Eiichiro Oda's manga, how the One Piece season 2 ending played out, and even some new cast announcements from Netflix as well. So, if you want to know what is next for Luffy and his crew, you've come to the right place because I've gathered everything that you need to know down below. From release date speculation, cast news, story details and more, this page has it all and is also going to be frequently updated to make sure you stay on course until we hit streaming land. But beware, some minor spoilers are ahead, especially if you haven't seen the One Piece anime yet, so proceed with caution!

One Piece season 3 release date speculation

(Image credit: Netflix)

Currently, we don't know the One Piece season 3 release date, but we do know that it is definitely on its way and that we should hear news on it soon. Production on the season began back in November 2025 after it was officially renewed back in August as well. Since filming is already underway, we shouldn't have another three-year-long gap as we did for One Piece season 2. If filming goes well and post-production goes smoothly, we are hoping for an early 2028 release window. We'll keep you posted as more concrete news heads our way, though.

One Piece season 3 story: Which chapters are being adapted?

(Image credit: Netflix)

One Piece season 3's story will largely be focused on the Alabasta Arc, and we know that for a fact, given how the One Piece season 2 ending sets this up, and wraps up the arc that is just before it, the Drum Island Arc. That means we'll be seeing chapters 155 to at least 217 on our small screens, folks. The Alabasta Arc centres around the Straw Hats finally reaching the Kingdom of Alabasta to try and stop civil war, as well as defeat Baroque Works's leader, Mr. Crocodile (aka Mr. 0). The Marines get involved once again, the Straw Hats will meet someone from Luffy's past (Ace fans rejoice), and Mr. Crocodile's true motives for targeting Alabasta get revealed. Basically, a lot happens. In fact, the Alabasta Arc is one of One Piece's more chonky entries, as it covers 63 chapters of the manga and 39 episodes. For comparison, The Drum Island Arc, which took four episodes to cover in Netflix's adaptation in season 2, was only 25 chapters and 14 episodes.With this in mind, it's possible that Season 3 will cover only the Alabasta Arc, assuming it only consists of eight episodes like previous seasons. If we do get another arc at all, it will likely be the very quick Jaya arc (chapters 218-236), which basically lets us get to know the Straw Hats' future new crew member (no spoilers here), and also includes some set-up for Blackbeard being the next big villain after Mr. Crocodile's time in the sun. It would be a great cliff hanger to end season 3 on, and signal the start of the Sky Island Saga for season 4 as well. We'll keep you posted as more formal updates head our way. In the meantime, if you want to get a head start by watching the anime, you can check out our guide on how to watch all of One Piece in order.

One Piece season 3 cast

(Image credit: Netflix)

Right now, the One Piece season 3 cast is looking pretty stacked with the series main stars, but we've also already had some cast announcements for new faces as well. New additions to the One Piece cast include Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace (aka the best character of all time) and Cole Escola as Bon Clay. We expect to hear even more cast additions soon since the Alabasta arc has even more Baroque agents for us to meet.We'll keep you posted as and when new characters get confirmed, but for now, here is the One Piece season 3 cast list so far (note that some character inclusions are based on what we know from the anime; we are still waiting for firm confirmations, though).

  • Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy
  • Charithra Chandran as Princess Vivi
  • Emily Rudd as Nami
  • Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro
  • Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp
  • Taz Skylar as Sanji
  • Mikaela Hoover as Chopper
  • Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday (aka Nico Robin)
  • Sendhil Ramamurthy as Nefertari Cobra
  • Joe Manganiello as Mr. Crocodile (aka Mr. 0)
  • Rigo Sanchez as Dragon
  • Callum Kerr as Smoker
  • Julia Rehwald as Tashigi
  • David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3
  • Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace
  • Awdo Awdo as Mr. 1
  • Daisy Head as Miss Doublefinger
  • Cole Escola as Bon Clay

When can we expect the One Piece season 3 trailer?

(Image credit: Netflix)

In terms of trailers, taking into account past release patterns, we are likely in for a long wait, I'm afraid. We expect to get our first teaser for One Piece season 3 sometime in late 2027 if our 2028 release window speculation turns out to be correct. One Piece season 2 got a teaser in August 2025 and then got its trailer in February 2026 - only a few weeks ahead of its release. We'll have a better idea of when the trailer will drop once we get a release date, but for now, we can at least say that it's highly unlikely to drop anytime this year.

Is One Piece on Netflix worth watching as an anime fan?

(Image credit: Toei Animation/Crunchyroll)

While art is subjective, as an anime fan myself and long-time One Piece enjoyer, I definitely say that Netflix's live-action One Piece series is worth your time. One Piece season 1, in my opinion, struggled to fully embrace the anime's wild and larger-than-life tone, but One Piece season 2 finally perfected it. Netflix has stayed true to the anime, and from costumes to set design, seeing One Piece's world in real life is not only very impressive but is also something I'm dying to see more of. One Piece shows that anime can be adapted well into live-action when done right. It isn't a perfect recreation of Oda's work, but it's highly enjoyable and also a pretty decent alternative if you don't have the time to watch hundreds of anime episodes in one sitting as well.


For more on One Piece, check out our guide on all the One Piece filler. Or for anime, you can head over to our round-ups of all the new anime on the way.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.