Summary
- The Netflix adaptation of One Piece had to make difficult decisions about which characters to include due to budget and time constraints.
- Some characters, like Gaimon and Mohji, were left out because their designs and scenes would have required a significant portion of the budget.
- While some characters, such as Chouchou and Woop Slap, make brief appearances or cameos, they may have a more significant role in future seasons of the live-action series.
Netflix’s One Piece series has largely satisfied longtime fans and new audiences alike, but even if it had to make some harsh decisions when it came to cutting out major characters. Perhaps the most successful live-action anime adaptation to date, One Piece has taken on the colossal undertaking of adapting Eiichiro Oda’s manga epic that has been running since 1999. Faced with condensing a shonen saga with an anime spanning well over one thousand episodes, it’s no surprise that Netflix had to make some decisions in trimming down the events of One Piece, notorious for its filler content.
In tackling the task of formatting the first 95 chapters of the One Piece manga into a mere eight hour-long episodes on Netflix, it was inevitable that some characters the Straw Hat Pirates encounter would be missing. The two biggest threats to side characters in the story were budget and time. One Piece features some truly creative and downright bizarre character designs, and while the Netflix adaptation has done amazingly in capturing the likes of Buggy and Arlong, some creatures featured in the manga and anime were beyond even the scope of One Piece‘s jaw-dropping 18 million dollar per-episode budget. The time crunch also means some less-important characters had no choice but to be squeezed out of what could be shown on-screen, although some that didn’t make the cut may return in the future.
11 Gaimon
A curious castaway, Gaimon was once a pirate, becoming stranded on the Island of Rare Animals after hunting for the island’s hidden treasure. Ironically, his body is trapped in a treasure chest due to an accident that befell him while scaling the island’s dangerous cliffs in his search. Gaimon later meets the Straw Hat Pirates after having established himself as the Island’s protector, befriending the rare animals that lived there and protecting them from poachers.
Unfortunately, the entire sub-arc of The Island of Rare Animals was skipped for the show, meaning Netflix’s straw hats had no chance of encountering Gaimon. Even if they had visited the islands, Gaimon’s appearance would make for a particularly challenging live-action character, his body contorted into the treasure chest he wears. Still, the Island of Rare Animals makes a brief appearance as an One Piece Easter egg in the end credits, hinting that the Island’s guardian could still be out there in the live-action universe.
10 Mohji & Richie The Lion
In the Manga, Mohji The Beast Tamer is Buggy’s first mate, a fiercely loyal Chief of Staff for the Buggy Pirates. True to his name, Mohji is known for his pet lion, Richie, a fearsome beast who functions as Mohji’s primary method of attack. Mohji first appears in the Orange Town Arc, where he serves as a minor antagonist and gets beaten by Luffy.
Despite being a high-ranking member of the Buggy Pirates, Mohji doesn’t show up in the Netflix adaptation. His battles in the manga unfold on the streets of Orange Town, whereas in the live-action version, the Buggy’s circus is where the majority of the arc’s action takes place. Not only that, but his association with a massive beast like Richie the Lion would require a hefty portion of the budget. Despite being the first massive animal the Straw Hats encounter, it seems a fight with Mohji and Richie wasn’t in the cards for Iñaki Godoy’s Luffy.
9 Chouchou
Primarily featured in the same arc, Chouchou technically does have an on-screen appearance in the Netflix series. Chouchou is a dog living in Orange Town who quickly trots through a shot of the townspeople in episode 2, after the town is saved by the Straw Hats. In this brief appearance, Chouchou isn’t directly named, and Netflix-only watchers would have no idea how significant the pooch was to the Orange Town arc.
In the manga and anime, Chouchou is the pint-sized guardian of the pet food shop of his late owner, Hocker. After a brief encounter with a caged Luffy, the small dog bravely stands up to Mohji and Richie when they threaten the shop, despite being obviously outclassed. As Mohji and Richie’s fight didn’t occur in live-action, there was little reason to include Chouchou beyond a simple cameo, despite his commendable bravery.
8 Momoo
Featured in the Arlong Park arc, Momoo is a massive sea beast utilized by the Arlong pirates as an enforcer. Despite his almost cute appearance, the mer-cow is a force to be reckoned with, powerful enough to destroy entire villages. However, in the manga and anime, he is easily intimidated by Luffy and Sanji. He even tries to flee at the sight of them during the Straw Hats’ assault on Arlong Park, only being persuaded to fight through Arlong’s sheer force of will.
As a beast of kaiju-like proportions, any episode that would’ve included him would’ve had to devote a hefty chunk of their budget towards the CGI set piece that a live-action Momoo would entail. Momoo is more of a beast of comic relief than anything else, something which One Piece already has in spades. For such a cowardly enemy that doesn’t hold much screen time, it’s easy to see why Netflix opted not to include Momoo.
7 Woop Slap
The Mayor of Foosha Village, Woop Slap is a stern leader and guardian. Disliking pirates, Woop Slap was the biggest critic of Luffy’s dream of becoming one. Despite this, he is still a beloved leader who truly cares about his village, Luffy included, as evidenced when he pleaded with Higuma to spare Luffy’s life when he was just a young boy.
While he doesn’t appear as a major player in the live-action story, Woop Slap does make a cameo appearance in the Netflix adaptation in Episode 2, standing among the villagers as Shanks leaves. Other than his role as a mayor, Woop Slap is significant in the series due to his knowledge of Luffy’s parentage. Fans have also ascribed other theories regarding Woop Slap’s knowledge, his comments of Luffy fulfilling his destiny by becoming a great pirate raising questions. This significance may leave him with a speaking role later on as Netflix’s One Piece continues.
6 Usopp’s Fans
Before joining the Straw Hats, the Usopp of the source material was shown to have a cadre of young admirers. Tamanegi, Piiman, and Ninjin form the Usopp Pirates, a small crew headed by Usopp himself before he left to join the Straw Hats. More playing at being pirates than actually acting as a veritable crew, the three kids look up to Usopp, eagerly taking part in his pranks and eating up his stories. They’re also shown to be able to handle themselves in a crisis, alerting their village to an impending pirate attack.
Unfortunately, Usopp’s crew and his tearful decision to disband them upon joining the Straw Hats was an emotional moment that was left out of the live action adaptation. While the overall beats of the Syrup Village arc remain in place, the inclusion of Usopp’s “crew” may have been a missed opportunity. This rings especially true considering the relative lack of development Usopp receives compared to the other Straw Hats.
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4 Hachi
Hatchan, also known by his nickname, Hachi, is a tentacled swordsman and minor antagonist faced by the Straw Hats in the Arlong Park arc. Hachi serves as one of Arlong’s key officers and fellow fish-man, notable for his six arms and the fearsome Six Sword Style he wields with them. Hachi is also notable for being Momoo’s caretaker, responsible for the fear the Arlong pirates are able to command using the sea beast.
Obviously, adapting Hatchan’s unique biology into live action would be a costly and difficult endeavor. The effects that would be demanded to fulfill Hachi’s appearance and fighting style would be incredibly costly, so it makes sense he was cut for budgetary reasons. That said, it would’ve been a treat to see the juxtaposition of Hachi’s relatively friendly demeanor contrasting with his terrifying appearance in live-action.
3 Johnny & Yosaku
Johhny and Yosaku are a pair of fishermen-turned bounty hunters that also appear in the Arlong Park arc. Old friends of Zoro from his past as a bounty hunter, the pair are similarly expert swordsman, utilizing their talents to reel in dangerous bounties. A largely comedic duo, Johhny and Yosaku maintain a front of seriousness that is quickly eroded by emotional situations, Yosaku in particular being prone to tears.
The pair serve as brief allies to the Straw Hats, first meeting them in a chance encounter and directing them towards the Baratie upon learning that the crew is in search of a chef. Later, they aid the Straw Hats in their assault on Arlong Park by recognizing their strength, and even wind up giving their swords to Zoro as replacements for his battle with Hatchan. In streamlining the Arlong Park arc, however, Johnny and Yosaku were just one of many characters who simply couldn’t make the cut, not being significant enough to justify precious screen time.
2 Jango
Appearing in the Syrup Village Arc, Jango is a secondary antagonist serving Kuro, in his task of inheriting Kaya’s wealth. A hypnotist, Jango was hired to use his powers of suggestion to force Kaya into writing Kuro into her will, before then being killed by Kuro’s own Black Cat Pirates. A fearsome fighter, Jango wields the power of hypnotism along with his razor-sharp pendant, giving Luffy one of his more difficult fights early on.
Jango is an odd villain, even by One Piece standards; He has a background as a dancer, and the goatee on his chin is actually the stem of a mushroom, the cap of which supposedly gave him his powers of hypnotism. However, he wasn’t important enough to include within Netflix’s version of the Syrup Village arc. That being said, his name does appear in a wanted poster in Shells Town, keeping him from being completely forgotten.
1 Tashigi
Making her first appearance in the final arc depicted by Netflix’s One Piece, Tashigi is perhaps the most important character left out of the live action version of events. Tashigi serves as a Marine Officer under the employ of Captain Smoker, and has the skills to back up her high position. In the manga and anime, Zoro is treated to the sight of her cutting down two rogue pirates with expert swordsmanship. This, along with her appearance, reminds him of his late childhood friend, Kuina, prompting the start of a rivalry.
As the live-action series moves further past the East Blue Saga and into the future, Tashigi will likely be included in later seasons, especially considering the significance the live-action series has placed on the Marines. Her arc as a minor antagonist to rival to uneasy ally of the Straw Hat pirates is too good to pass up. Netflix’s One Piece has its work cut out for it when it comes to deciding which characters to cut and which to keep, but of all the missed characters, Tashigi has the surest shot of appearing later.
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