Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers up to the end of Season 2 of One Piece, which is currently available on Netflix.
In Season 3 of Netflix’s One Piece, the Going Merry will be a little more crowded. By the season 2 finale, the Straw Hats had brought on two new crew members, including one they had previously seen as an enemy.
After Baroque Works agent Miss Wednesday (played by Bridgerton season 2 star Charithra Chandran) is revealed to be actually Nefertari Vivi, a princess of war-torn Alabasta, Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and his team (including Tony Tony Chopper!) befriend the princess and grow into a mission to fight for the country in Season 3.
Fans of Eiichiro Oda’s manga and anime One Piece know that this teases a popular episode in the story that director Chandran says will make up a significant portion of Season 3, which is currently being filmed in South Africa. When I first joined the live-action One Piece series, I didn’t know much about the story, but now I’m a big fan.
“When I auditioned, I didn’t know I was auditioning for One Piece and I didn’t know much about the IP,” Chandran told Variety. “But obviously, once we found out what the character was, we definitely learned her whole story. And we were so excited, because it’s such a long journey. We’re filming season three right now, but we’re excited to be able to celebrate the start of season two. It’s very exciting and it’s actually really great because we get to look back on all the great work we’ve done. And it gives us absolute joy and motivation to finish filming.”
Read more of Variety’s interview with Chandran below, including her tease about what will happen when Princess Vivi officially joins Luffy, Roronoa Zoro (Makenyu), Sanji (Taz Skyler), Nami (Emily Ladd), Usopp (Romero), and Tony Tony Chopper (Michaela Huber) in One Piece Season 3.
How did you play Princess Bibi vs. Miss Wednesday before your true identity was revealed?
I wanted it to feel very organic and seamless, and not be a complete 180, but still show some elements of how she escaped undercover for so long when she was Vivi. But as an actor, it’s really fun to be able to play that duality. What I discovered was the characteristics that both have. In other words, I think that what Miss Wednesday and Vivi have in common are elements of strategy and diplomacy, and the way they fight is clearly the same. They are both very elegant, danceable, and efficient, but are not necessarily offensive fighters. I tried to find consistent personality traits and traits that made it feel like it was just one character and was consistent throughout portraying two very different parts.
Once the Straw Hat Pirates and Vivi find out her true identity and forgive her for the actions she took against them while working undercover as Miss Wednesday, how do you think reconciliation between them and Vivi will occur?
I don’t want to speak for the Straw Hat Pirates, but what we saw in season 1 is that they all have complicated backstories as well. In terms of forgiving her and understanding the complexity and duplicitous nature of her actions, they do it very easily. What’s really difficult for Bibi is to accept that these people are really, really just as good and honest. Because she was at Baroque Works. Everyone is kind of awful there, except Mr. Nine. Mr. Nine is very cute and really redeems himself at the end of episode 3. The journey that Vivi goes on with the Straw Hat Pirates is one of truly accepting love and allowing herself to rely on them, which is a very difficult thing to do. I think so many people struggle with that.
At the end of season 2, it is revealed that Baroque Works agent Miss All Sunday is actually Nico Robin, another major character in the manga, and that she works for Mr. 0, aka Crocodile. Throughout Season 2, when Miss All Sunday learns Princess Vivi’s true identity, she becomes hostile to her, but appears to be rooting for her and the Straw Hat Pirates in a way. What does Bibi think about it heading into season 3?
In season 2, Vivi only thinks that Miss All Sunday is a psychopath and that it is a game and is toying with her. More than that, in season 2, she doesn’t think anything of it. Bibi cares about dignity, justice, purpose, and other people, so I don’t think she really respects Miss All Sunday. And since she doesn’t know Miss All Sunday’s backstory, she only thinks Miss All Sunday is crazy. I don’t think there’s anything more to it than that.
We can talk about season 3 as it approaches.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
