Image Credit: Netflix
One Piece is known for meticulously constructing important characters and events, and Netflix’s live-action adaptation is no exception. The second season, which premiered on March 10, surprised viewers with a highly impactful special appearance that even anime fans did not expect. This iconic character was originally scheduled to appear only in a few years.
The second season of One Piece surprises with a special appearance by Sabo
Warning: contains spoilers for One Piece.
If you watch closely, you can spot Sabo, a character from One Piece, in the first episode of the second season. After Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and his crew say goodbye to Loguetown and set sail for the Grand Line, the mysterious Dragon (Rigo Sanchez) watches them. Behind him, a blond man in a top hat appears briefly, whom anime fans will immediately recognize as Sabo, the chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army. Who is Sabo? If you’re not familiar with the manga or anime, here’s a brief summary: Sabo is of noble birth and, as a child, forms a brotherhood with Luffy and Portgas D. Ace (whom we meet in the third season).
At age 10, he is attacked and loses his memory. While his “brothers” believed him to be dead, Sabo is taken in by Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and eventually becomes his right-hand man. The fact that we already see Sabo alongside Dragon in the Netflix series makes sense within the chronological context of the story. For One Piece fans, however, the appearance is still a big surprise. After all, it took almost twelve years in the anime for the character to even appear.
It may be a long time before Sabo becomes important in Netflix’s One Piece
In the One Piece saga, Sabo is one of the most important characters and very popular among fans. However, at the time of the Alabasta Saga, adapted in seasons 2 and 3 of the Netflix series, his existence was not yet known. Sabo first appears in flashbacks in the so-called Summit War Saga, specifically in chapter 583 of the manga and episode 494 of the anime. Sabo’s true story as a young adult, however, begins much later: after a significant time jump in the overall plot during the Dressrosa arc.
It is only in episode 663 of the anime, or chapter 731 of the manga, that the “brothers” Luffy and Sabo, who had already regained his memories, meet again for the first time since childhood. If the Netflix One Piece series continues to closely follow the original material and does not skip any important arcs, unfortunately it will be many years before we see Luffy and Sabo fighting side by side. It is not yet known whether the adaptation will reach the point where Sabo becomes a real part of the plot. However, it is possible that the character will be mentioned again in the third season, when the Netflix series introduces Luffy’s brother, Ace.
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