One Piece Netflix showrunner wants Chopper in Season 2 but admits he’s a “challenge”

Netflix’s One Piece adaptation has miraculously brought the wackier creations of Eichiro Oda to life and fans are hopeful for a Season 2. Though one character who may be a bit harder to bring to live-action is a reindeer in a tophat.

Netflix’s take on One Piece has been a surprising success for a live-action anime adaptation. The show has broken records for Netflix and despite no official announcement, a second season looks likely.

While not a one-to-one adaptation of the anime, the series creators have done a remarkable job with the more fantastical elements of the source material. Telepathic snail phones and fabulously ornate pirate ships are some highlights.

Despite their ability to successfully convert monstrous fishmen and iron-jawed naval officers, a toddler-sized reindeer/human hybrid may be Season 2’s biggest challenge. Co-showrunner Steve Maeda spoke with IGN about the potential obstacles of bringing Tony Tony Chopper to live-action.

While Maeda kept any plans for a potential second season of One Piece under wraps, he did speak on the possible inclusion of Chopper if the show continues. “All I know about Chopper is he’s my favorite character in the show,” Maeda revealed. “I love Chopper.”

He did however elaborate that bringing him to the show could be difficult. “It’s a challenge for sure,” Maeda conceded before highlighting other characters that could come in future seasons that pose similar issues.

“One of my favorite powers is Nico Robin’s,” he said. “And so I’m very much looking to see what that’s going to look like.” Robin has the ability to grow copies of her body parts from objects and the bodies of others thanks to her consumption of a Devil Fruit.

Thankfully the team has more than enough experience handling some of the more fantastical powers showcased in the One Piece anime. Both Buggy’s popping apart and Luffy’s stretching came out surprisingly well thanks to some costly CGI.

While Maeda described Luffy and Buggy’s powers as “really tough” to portray, he and his team were up to the challenge. Hopefully, the same effort will be applied to the usually adorable Chopper.

If you’re wondering how far Netflix’s One Piece diverges from the anime, we’ve got the biggest changes noted down. For more on the future of the live-action adaptation, check out everything we know about One Piece Season 2.