Netflix's One Piece Replaces Zoro As The Best Fighter In Season 3

Published Nov 8, 2026, 7:08 AM EST

Craig began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016 and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. After previously writing for various outlets, Craig's focus turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally became useful. Craig has previously been published by sites such as Den of Geek.

Craig is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-elvy-5b31a3381/

One of the many great elements in Netflix's live-action One Piece adaptation so far has undoubtedly been the battle scenes. Incorporating wild Devil Fruit powers with sword fights and old-fashioned brawling, the Netflix series has landed on an action style that feels authentic to Eiichiro Oda's source material while still keeping one foot in the broadest realms of plausibility.

In One Piece's first season on Netflix, Monkey D. Luffy himself was granted the most impressive fight scene. The Straw Hat captain's final battle against Arlong proved to be a bone-crunching, fast-paced, and highly emotive clash that surpassed all bouts from episodes prior, thus cementing Luffy as One Piece's chief combatant.

Iñaki Godoy's character didn't see quite the same level of action in One Piece season 2, however. The big climax against Wapol resolved itself in relatively straightforward fashion, while Mr. 3 quickly fell to defeat once Luffy saw through his smoke and mirror antics.

Instead, it was Mackenyu's Roronoa Zoro who emerged from One Piece's second run looking like the show's best fighter. His epic deathmatch against the 100 Baroque Works agents at Whisky Peak added martial arts, acrobatics, and old-school stunt work to the show's usual brand of action, creating one of the most visually astounding sequences in any Netflix original series. With Luffy treading water against a hungry king and a talking candle, One Piece season 2 really was Zoro's time to shine.

But the pendulum is set to swing in Luffy's favor when One Piece season 3 drops in 2027. Adapting the Alabasta saga, every Straw Hat will get a featured battle if the TV series follows its source material. For his part, Zoro will go up against Baroque Works' Mr. 1, played in live-action by Awdo Awdo. Their meeting is guaranteed to be a blockbuster event that's almost but not quite as good as the rumble at Whisky Peak.

Just as no fight in One Piece season 2 could come close to matching Zoro vs. the 100 agents, no fight in season 3 is going to outshine Luffy vs. Crocodile. The violent encounter with Joe Manganiello's villain, who was introduced properly during the final moments of One Piece's season 2 finale, will be the pinnacle of the show so far, making Arlong look amateurish in comparison. It was great to see One Piece letting Luffy's first mate take center stage, but it's time for season 3 to remind everyone exactly why Luffy himself is the story's protagonist.

How Strong Are Netflix's Other Straw Hats Heading Into Season 3?

Netflix

With every Straw Hat getting a big fight in One Piece's upcoming season, this will be the show's first opportunity to truly demonstrate where each character currently sits in terms of their power level.

Chopper looked fairly strong during his scenes in Drum Kingdom, but the same happened in the anime and manga, and it wasn't long after that he found himself tossed into the so-called 'weakling trio.' It remains to be seen whether the same will happen on Netflix.

Jacob Romero's Usopp has shown shrewd cunning and the ability to take plenty of punishment, completely in line with the character as Oda wrote him.

Nami has been afforded the biggest power-up in live-action, with Emily Rudd's version more capable in battle right from the start. That makes her season 3 date with Miss Doublefinger much more interesting, and their fight could end up being a surprise highlight of 2027's episodes.

Conversely, Sanji has drawn the shortest straw (hat) so far. Netflix's series has showcased his wit and charm, and even hinted at emotional depths that won't fully surface until sometime around season 10, but we haven't seen him kicking enemies into next week that often. One Piece season 3's Sanji vs. Mr. 2 matchup will be the perfect opportunity to change that.

• 

  Iñaki Godoy

  Monkey D. Luffy

• 

  Emily Rudd

  Nami