With the 2025 TV schedule winding down, I’m so glad that the year didn’t end before we got an update on when to expect One Piece Season 2. Unfortunately, it came with a bit of bad news, but only if you’re someone who is equally invested in the anime series and are current.
I’ve been enjoying both with my Netflix subscription and have successfully caught up on the anime after going through 1000+ episodes. While I’m glad there isn’t any terrible news to report on the live-action adaptation or the anime, I will say the news for one is much better than the other.
One Piece Has A Release Date Confirmed For March
We assumed that One Piece would return early in 2026, but it’s good to have confirmation that Season 2 officially has a release date in the books. Netflix officially confirmed that the live-action adaptation will be back on March 10th, and in a refreshing bit of good news, it will be released in its entirety. The streamer has a habit, as of late, of staggering episode releases, similar to what it did with Stranger Things. At least we already know that Season 3 is happening too, so there hopefully won’t be as long a wait for new episodes beyond that.
The One Piece Anime Is Going On Hiatus, But That’s Not All
Unfortunately, if you’re someone who follows the One Piece anime like I do, there was some bittersweet news. Toei Animation announced that, following the conclusion of the Egghead Saga at the end of this year, the series will go on hiatus. The hiatus will last from January to March, meaning we won’t even have new episodes from the anime to distract us for the first part of 2026.
In addition, the anime will drop its weekly release schedule and will have, at most, 26 episodes a year. Toei explained that the release would be divided into two parts to better align the One Piece anime with the manga’s pacing.
While it’s specifically not laid out what that means, I would speculate this means that we’ll get fewer recap episodes and filler content between new episodes of One Piece that advance the story. This will also give creator Eiichiro Oda and the manga team time to get further ahead of the anime adaptation, which has inched closer in the past year.
Ultimately, it’s a good thing, and I know that while January to March will be a bummer, I’ll be feasting on great content come March 2026. As someone who loves both anime and live-action series, I highly suggest that anyone who hasn’t watched one or the other get on board and get ready to be as hype as I am come springtime.