Although One Piece Season 2 will stop just short of reaching the epic Alabasta storyline, there’s still plenty to look forward to in this next batch of episodes spotlighting Monkey D. Luffy and his friends. That includes the introduction of Tony Tony Chopper, the human/reindeer hybrid who will become the Straw Hat Pirates’ doctor. While it remains to be seen when we’ll get our first full look at Chopper following the teasing look that dropped last September, one of Season 2’s more monstrous characters has been shown off in a new video, and it’s getting me even more excited to see how Chopper will be depicted in the Netflix subscription-exclusive show.
One of the other key characters in the Drum Island storyline that introduces Chopper is Dalton, who’s being played by Ty Keogh in the live-action One Piece. Keogh briefly discussed his time working on the Netflix series in a video posted on Instagram and other social platforms, but take note of the bison head prop that’s on the table to the right behind him:
To provide context for anyone reading who hasn’t read the original manga or watched the anime, Dalton was the first Zoan-type Devil Fruit user introduced in One Piece. There are three types of Devil Fruits, and those who eat a Zoan type are able to transform into an animal. Dalton ate the Ox-Ox Fruit, Bison Form, allowing him to transform into a full bison or a half-bison, half-human.
So now we know that Dalton’s bison look for One Piece is at least partially achieved through practical effects, and I don’t blame Ty Keogh for wanting to bring that bison head home with him. It’s creepy, but it makes for a delightful memento of working on one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix. That said, I do think it’s safe to say CGI will also be used on Dalton’s transformed state to further sell viewers on this look.
Seeing Dalton’s bison head has me more hyped for how Chopper will look in the live-action One Piece. He ate the Human-Human Fruit, not only allowing to transform from his natural reindeer form into a full human or a hybrid, he also gained the full intelligence of a human. The teasy look at Chopper mentioned earlier revealed that his hybrid form will be achieved through CGI, which makes sense given the his smaller stature when he’s walking around like that. But when it comes to his towering human form, maybe we will indeed see an actor wearing a similar kind of practical get-up.
Rather than debuting on the 2025 TV schedule, it’s looking like One Piece Season 2 will instead be saved for 2026. However, there is already some indication that Season 3 is on the way, though it’s by no means official. Whatever the case, the sooner we can see the full scope of this depiction of Chopper, the better.
