‘One Piece’ Star Charithra Chandran Reveals What That Epic Finale Cliffhanger Units Up for Season 3

Editor’s be aware: The beneath interview comprises spoilers for One Piece Season 2.One Piece Season 2 is lastly right here, and if the 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is any indicationit is fairly darn good. Netflix‘s wildly entertaining adaptation of the legendary anime and manga collection continues to be some of the stunning and interesting exhibits within the present golden age of streaming. Gorgeous results on each the sensible and digital sides, a narrative that is trustworthy to the supply materials but is aware of when to deviate, and maybe most significantly of all, a dynamite solid.

Season 2 introduces all method of wacky characters because the Straw Hats transfer “Into the Grand Line,” together with David Dastmalchian‘s gleefully vile Mr. 3 and Mikaela Hoover because the lovable Tony Tony Chopper. Nonetheless, arguably the second season’s most necessary new character, Charithra Chandran‘s Miss Wednesday (AKA Princess Vivi), has the distinctive process of saving her homeland of Alabasta from the nefarious Baroque Works group. After an epic cliffhanger, Collider had the chance to talk with Chandran about her character’s emotions within the aftermath of Season 2, in addition to how the Bridgerton and Dune: Prophecy star’s work in 2025’s wackiest motion film helped put together her for One Piece‘s amplified stunts.

Vivi Is Prepared To Turn into a Chief by the Finish of ‘One Piece’ Season 2

COLLIDER: I would actually simply like to know what’s actually going via Vivi’s thoughts because the credit are rolling on Season 2, now that she is aware of she’s going again to her homeland. Is she feeling hopeful, scared, anxious, the entire above?

CHARITHRA CHANDRAN: I feel it is many blended feelings. I might say decided, resolute is how she feels, and to be trustworthy, now that she is aware of the Straw Hats are going to assist her, truly it is… I would not say hopeful, however extra hopeful than she’s felt all through the season. In order that they have a mission. They know what their North Star is, so that offers you steering to plan.

One factor I like concerning the present is how wealthy and numerous and the way a lot tradition all these totally different islands have. How does Alabasta as a society actually inform Vivi as a personality going into this upcoming season?

CHANDRAN: What she sees of Alabasta is sort of a actually community-minded society, a really communitarian society of people that look out for one another. And whereas she is a princess, I consider her as like an individual of the folks. Her notion of management is de facto serving. It is a very Jesuit type of management, proper, which is {that a} chief would not get their toes washed; a pacesetter washes folks’s toes. I consider it as a rustic the place the folks actually care about one another, which is why she is somebody who so deeply cares about her folks.

One other factor I simply love concerning the present is the stunning stage of practicality. Actual units, actual props, actual make-up. All of it appears to be like superb on display screen. As an actor, I have to think about it’s only a deal with, on this very digital-intensive world, to have issues which might be so tangible.

CHANDRAN: It makes it a lot simpler! When you may simply react to the surroundings round you, and you do not have to think about after which react. It simply streamlines the method, and I feel permits for higher performances. I acknowledge how fortunate we’re to have such unbelievable units in a time the place you do not actually get units on this scale anymore.

Charithra Chandran’s Work in ‘Struggle or Flight’ Helped Prep Her for ‘One Piece’s Bold Stunts

One other factor that appears so good is the motion sequences. There’s one motion sequence that actually stands out with Mr. 9 and Zoro, when he mainly goes full John Wick. Though he is like a complete POS within the time that we all know him, when he’s advised the reality about Vivi, he goes to bat for her, fairly actually. Does that inform that Vivi actually is exhibiting affect as a personable chief?

CHANDRAN: That is a very good query. I do not essentially assume that Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 have a real partnership, proper? As a result of, whereas Vivi has this purpose as Miss Wednesday to infiltrate Baroque Works, as a way to hold her cowl, it requires her and Mr. 9 to succeed on their missions. So it’s to her profit to develop this partnership. It says much more about Mr. 9 and the Baroque Works brokers, proper? As a result of it is really easy to imagine that every one these characters are black and white, and so they’re both wholly good or wholly unhealthy. And I say this as Vivi, who is sort of wholly good, and Mr. 9 exhibits you that really, that is not true.

Whereas we’re on the subject of motion, each character actually does have their very own distinctive combating type. This can be a present the place a man kills a T. Rex by kicking it, and Vivi, in fact, has her personal distinct combating type. How did you put together for the motion sequences so far as Vivi goes, along with her distinctive yo-yo knives?

CHANDRAN: Yeah, I feel they’re primarily based on Indonesian poi, and we name them the “Peacock Slashers.” I knew that it was a stunts present, and, clearly, within the manga, Miss Wednesday has fights. However I actually wasn’t knowledgeable that I would be doing stunts in that approach. I arrived in Cape City and I obtained put in stunt rehearsals, nevertheless it was such a enjoyable expertise, as a result of I actually hadn’t performed something on that scale earlier than, and the stunt crew was so, so good. It is humorous as a result of I watched my fights, and the opposite Straw Hats are so sensible on the stunts, proper? They’re far more competent than I’m. I watch again these stunts, and I am so impressed by how good they appear. As a result of once I’m doing them, I am like, “Oh, okay, I hope that is working,” nevertheless it simply goes to indicate you the way good our crew is, our crew is like. I actually assume the credit score goes to them.

Your One Piece character bears a variety of similarities to a different character you performed in Struggle or Flight. They’re each characters which might be hiding their true identification, and it seems they’re secretly badass the entire time. Is it honest to say that Struggle or Flightboth straight or not directly, had an affect in your efficiency?

CHANDRAN: I feel that if I hadn’t had stunt expertise on Struggle or FlightI might have felt far more intimidated by the stunts for One Piece. And I had a very pleasing expertise doing these stunts, so I positively went into stunts in One Piece with a superb angle versus worry or anxiousness about it, however I have not actually considered that. In so some ways, they’re so totally different. However you are proper, they’re clearly concealing identities for a better good and folks wish to harm them. I imply, my goodness, my subsequent character needs to be somebody who folks do not wish to kill. That will be good.

You’ve got additionally had the privilege of being part of so many nice worlds, along with One Piece. Bridgerton being one, Dune: Prophecy being one other. Is there one other world you’d ever actually wish to return to, be it a kind of like Bridgerton or Dune: Prophecyor possibly even Struggle or Flightwhich actually did go away the door open for a sequel?

CHANDRAN: Yeah, all of them! Each job has taught me a lot, and I’ve such enjoyable reminiscences of all of it. So I would be wanting to return for all three, really.

Season 2 of One Piece is streaming now on Netflix.