Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for One Piece Season 2.There’s always a bigger fish, and a new season of Netflix‘s One Piece means even wackier characters and even scarier villains. This time around, on their first adventure in the Grand Line, Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and his merry gang of Straw Hat pirates are going toe-to-toe with Baroque Works: The deadliest group of assassins in all the seas. Our heroes meet some members of this band of ne’er-do-wells almost instantly, but it quickly becomes apparent that one part of Baroque Works isn’t who she seems.
That, of course, is Miss Wednesday (Charithra Chandran), who is ultimately revealed to be Princess Vivi, the long-lost princess of Alabasta. Along with her trusty companion Igaram (Yonda Thomas), Vivi has successfully infiltrated Baroque Works to find out why they are so interested in her home country and discover the identity of their shadowy leader, Mr. Zero (Joe Manganiello). As a fresh new hero in Season 2 and an upcoming series regular in Season 3, Collider had quite a few questions for Chandran and her character’s future in the hit Netflix series.
How Princess Vivi’s Infiltration of Baroque Works Affects Her Relationship With the Straw Hats
COLLIDER: Miss Wednesday, who, as we now know, is secretly Princess Vivi, has been undercover at Baroque Works for an extended period of time. How do you think masquerading as an assassin has affected her as a character and as a person?
CHARITHRA CHANDRAN: I think entering into an environment that is incredibly hostile, and she is pretending to be someone else, means that your guard is up, and you don’t know who you can trust, and I think that totally changes how Vivi interacts with the Straw Hats. Because initially, she won’t let them in, and she thinks they’re too good to be true. Her arc in the season is about letting them in and learning to trust them. So, I think it totally, profoundly affects her, and the whole season is about undoing the damage that being in Baroque Works has done, in part.
Absolutely, and I have to imagine that the death of Igaram was also a huge impact on her, as well.
CHANDRAN: Absolutely, and I think that’s something that Vivi really struggles with her entire arc, which is the idea of other people making the decision to sacrifice their lives. She feels like she’s the only one who should do that, and that’s super naive, but also just kind of unfair. It’s a bit paternalistic. You have to let people be willing to make those choices if they want to.
Miss All Sunday and Mr. Zero Still Loom Over ‘One Piece’ Season 3, According to Charitha Chandran
She really does have this great balance of optimism versus pessimism that we see a lot. One example of that is in her interactions with Miss All Sunday, who, much like Vivi, becomes only more important as the One Piece story goes on. Does Vivi currently, at this point where the series ends, view Miss All Sunday purely as an enemy?
CHANDRAN: I think by the end of Season 2, she views Miss All Sunday purely as an enemy. I think she’s confused by her actions, but I think she just thinks Miss All Sunday is a crazy person who’s enjoying the game. And I think that Season 3 will obviously expand on both of our characters more in our motivations. But as far as the end of Season 2, no, she doesn’t know Miss All Sunday’s backstory, so she just thinks this is a psychopath thinking that playing with people’s lives is a game.
I would probably think the same thing if someone made arms grow off of every single person.
CHANDRAN: I mean, it’s a pretty cool power! Miss All Sunday is badass.
While on Collider Ladies Night, Rudd digs into all of Nami’s biggest Season 2 moments and teases the character’s Season 3 priorities.
Absolutely. Speaking of Season 3, one character that we’re guaranteed to see again is Joe Manganiello’s Crocodile, who we saw at the very end and looks amazing. What kind of threat does Crocodile represent for Vivi and the people of Alabasta going into Season 3?
CHANDRAN: A big one. Like, maybe the end of the country, I guess. I don’t know if I can say that.
I think that’s fair.
CHANDRAN: Yeah, a big one. He’s a threat. He’s a big bad guy. He’s scary! [Laughs]
Where the Hell Is Vivi’s Giant Duck Companion, Karoo, and Will We See Him in ‘One Piece’ Season 3?
My next question, and definitely my most important question: There’s a scene in Season 2 where Vivi and Luffy have a conversation about a big duck named Karoo. Where is he? Is he all right?
CHANDRAN: Karoo is dead.
No! Not Karoo!
CHANDRAN: No, I’m kidding, I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. I actually don’t know. What we learned in Season 2 is that Karoo is Vivi’s loyal duck companion, and who knows what Karoo is up to? Who knows?
Fingers crossed. You can’t promise me a giant duck and then not give me a giant duck.
CHANDRAN: I honestly don’t know. I guess people are going to have to watch Season 3.
- Release Date
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August 31, 2023
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz
