There’s a lot to be excited about if you’re a fan of One Piece, regardless of the medium. Season 2 of Netflix’s live-action series is coming to the 2026 TV schedule, the anime series will finish its Egghead arc by the end of 2025, and the manga is dropping bombshell reveals as the Straw Hats journey through Elbaph. Oh, and Johnny Depp had his own brush with the fandom recently, and I’m excited to see if it goes anywhere.
Depp was at Tokyo Comic Con over the weekend, and while manga creator Eiichiro Oda wasn’t onstage with him, he still made sure the Pirates of the Caribbean star received a gift. The star seemed a bit confused about his present that evoked the spirit of Captain Jack Sparrow, but I’m thrilled and hoping it means the character could show up in, or at least inspire a new character, in One Piece.
Eiichiro Oda Gave Johnny Depp A Special Drawing Of Captain Jack Sparrow
After hearing about how Eiichiro Oda texted One Piece‘s live-action Zoro actor Mackenyu to hang out, I’m not surprised he would opt out of giving Johnny Depp something he created in person. As such, it was Japanese voice actor for Sanji, Hiroaki Hirata, who gifted Depp with a Noren door curtain with a custom drawing of Captain Jack Sparrow in the One Piece art style. Check it out:
It may seem like a random exchange, but Hiroaki Hirata is the voice of Johnny Depp in Japan. Typically, foreign countries will have one specific voice actor dub the same American actor’s voice across all their projects. Hirata has voiced Depp in thirty-six movies and counting, which may explain why he was the one to offer up the gift rather than Eiichiro Oda.
Could One Piece Bring Captain Jack Sparrow Into Its World?
If Captain Jack Sparrow appeared as an actual pirate in One Piece, I think some fans’ minds would explode. That said, I think since the actual character is owned by Disney, Eiichiro Oda’s series couldn’t actually use the character for a 1:1 illustrated recreation.
That said, the One Piece creator has a history of basing characters on actual pirates of the past, as well as iconic celebrities. While Eiichiro Oda has never explicitly confirmed he’s based characters he’s drawn on popular celebrities, fans have noticed unmistakable resemblances between many characters and some of the biggest stars on the planet. This includes actors and musicians alike, with perhaps the most bizarre one being rapper Eminem.
All things considered, One Piece could definitely introduced a Captain Jack Sparrow-inspired character, and to be honest, I’m surprised that hasn’t happened already. The premiere of the anime predates the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie by four years. This is to say, there’s undoubtedly been a chance for Oda to pay homage to Depp with some character, but has he been holding off because he may want to make a Jack Sparrow-type of pirate? I think as long as he doesn’t ask Depp to reprise the role, it could happen!
For now, I’ll keep my expectations low and wait to watch the live-action adaptations of One Piece Season 2 with my Netflix subscription. Meanwhile, I’m very invested as an anime fan to see the rest of Egghead, and the fact that e everyone involved with the live-action series is already working on Season 3.