Why Netflix’s One Piece Needs to Fix Its Zoro Problem in Season 2
Netflix’s live-action One Piece series was a surprise hit. Many fans and critics say it’s one of the best anime-to-live-action adaptations ever made. It brought the world of One Piece to life in an exciting and faithful way. But even though the show is great, there is still one thing that could be improved in Season 2—Zoro's personality.
Zoro, played by Japanese actor and musician Mackenyu, is one of the most important characters in One Piece. He’s a loyal swordsman and a key member of the Straw Hat Pirates. In the live-action show, Zoro is strong, serious, and cool—but he’s missing something that makes him special in the anime and manga: his funny side.
In the original One Piece anime and manga, Zoro is not just serious—he’s also funny. A lot of the humor comes from how serious he is. He takes himself so seriously that it becomes a running joke. Fans love this side of him. For example, in the anime, Zoro often gets lost—even on straight roads—which is hilarious. There’s even a scene where he gets stuck in a chimney or strangles his friend Chopper by accident. These moments make Zoro feel more human and fun.
In Season 1 of the Netflix series, there is a small nod to Zoro’s terrible sense of direction when he gets lost trying to find Kaya’s mansion. But that was just a quick joke. There weren’t many other funny moments. Most of the time, Zoro just looks cool and serious. This made him feel different from his anime and manga version.
It’s likely that Netflix made Zoro more serious in Season 1 on purpose. They wanted to show how strong and mysterious he was to new viewers. They also needed to build up his tough image before showing his lighter side. But now that fans are familiar with Zoro, Season 2 is the perfect time to show more of his funny and lovable personality.
There are many chances in upcoming storylines where Netflix can include more humor for Zoro. For example, in the anime, there’s a famous moment where Zoro laughs at the villain Pica’s squeaky voice, even though Pica is supposed to be scary. It shows that Zoro can laugh and not take everything so seriously. Moments like these are important for Zoro’s character development.
Zoro’s humor helps balance his serious side and makes him more relatable. Fans already love Mackenyu’s performance, but adding this layer to Zoro in Season 2 could make him even better—and maybe even improve on the anime version!
One Piece Season 2 will likely explore bigger storylines, introduce new characters, and dive deeper into each crew member. If Netflix adds more of Zoro’s comedic moments, it will help make the show even more fun and faithful to the original.