One Piece Is Replacing Luffy In 2027

Published Oct 21, 2026, 2:15 PM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." One Piece is coming back for season 3 in 2027, but when the Netflix series does so, it will be with another character as the central focus, replacing Luffy. So far, it is easy to say that the live-action adaptation of One Piece on Netflix has gotten several elements right. It is one of the best recent live-action anime adaptations. After Netflix's slate of projects contributed to the negative talk around such adaptations with releases like the live-action Death Note movie, it is encouraging to get such an exciting project as One Piece. Throughout its first two seasons, Netflix's One Piece has excelled at not only adapting some of the best arcs of the manga and anime, but also bringing many beloved characters to life. Chief among those is One Piece's protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. It is safe to say that getting Luffy right was crucial for the show, as that casting is the one that makes or breaks the series. Thankfully, Netflix got it right with Iñaki Godoy, who brought the necessary charisma and optimism the role asks for without ever making Luffy seem annoying or unrealistic in live-action. Luffy is One Piece's main character, and Godoy will be back to play him in One Piece season 3, which will be released on Netflix in 2027. That said, there will be a major change when the show returns for its new episodes. The reason for that is how the next arc that Netflix's One Piece is set to adapt shifts the focus of the story to another character. One Piece Season 3 Will Be About Vivi Saving Her Home One Piece season 3 has been officially titled One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta. The Netflix fantasy series' new episodes will see Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats sail to Alabasta to help Charithra Chandran's Nefertari Vivi save her home. They will have to face many dangers in the upcoming season, with Joe Manganiello's Sir Crocodile towering above the others as Vivi desperately attempts to keep the desert kingdom of Alabasta from being destroyed. This upcoming arc allows One Piece to hit one of the many high points of the source material, while also replacing Luffy in one way. After all, with One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta set to be all about Vivi trying to keep her home from falling apart, the Straw Hats will be there to offer her their support. Luffy may be the main character of the Netflix series, but it is Chandran's Vivi that will be in the spotlight come One Piece season 3. Initially appearing as a Baroque Works assassin going by Miss Wednesday, Chandran's character and true mission would later be revealed in season 2. Now, One Piece season 3 replaces Luffy with Vivi as the main focus, and it is a fitting way to keep the show fresh. Some Of The Best One Piece Stories Are Not About Luffy One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta will focus on one of the show's arcs that is not mainly focused on Luffy, and there are others just like that in the source material, with many of those ending up among the franchise's very best. That is not to say that Luffy as the central character is bad in any way, but by casting him to the side for a bit, the franchise uses one of his best aspects, which is how Luffy's optimism and camaraderie serve to inspire those around him to become their best selves and beat any adversity. That is precisely what Vivi will need in One Piece season 3 to save Alabasta and defeat Manganiello's Crocodile. Other notable arcs that worked by shifting the spotlight to other characters, with Luffy completely absent or just not as important, include Enies Lobby, Whole Cake Island, Marineford, and more. For now, One Piece's upcoming Luffy replacement in 2027 ensures that the show remains fresh, with one of its best characters getting the time to shine. Release Date August 31, 2023 Network Netflix Showrunner Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz Cast Iñaki Godoy Monkey D. Luffy Directors Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka Writers Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand Franchise(s) One Piece Creator(s) Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Eiichiro Oda