Netflix’s New One Piece Officially Replaces Luffy as the Main Character

Netflix is here with LEGO and One Piece. No, not as two separate entities. Monkey D. Luffy might be the captain, but when it comes to telling tall tales, the Straw Hats have a certain long-nosed specialist who can make even their wildest adventures sound completely ridiculous. And Netflix is finally letting him run his mouth.

LEGO ONE PIECE flips the usual storytelling perspective by putting Usopp in the narrator’s seat, with Tony Tony Chopper listening to his gloriously exaggerated accounts of the crew’s adventures. The two-part animated special, which premiered on September 29, 2026, turns familiar pirate escapades into a brick-built comedy where the truth might need a little creative assistance.

LEGO One Piece Puts Usopp in the Spotlight Instead of Luffy

Usopp and Tony Tony Chopper as minifigures from Netflix’s LEGO One Piece. [Credit: Netflix]

Netflix’s LEGO ONE PIECE is more than another excuse to turn the Straw Hats into adorable plastic figures and send them charging into danger. Announced as part of Netflix’s expanding ONE PIECE universe, the special retells the adventures depicted in the first two seasons of the live-action series, covering the East Blue and the journey into the Grand Line.

The format is a two-part animated special, with each episode running approximately 30 minutes. The project premiered globally on Netflix on September 29, 2026, and was produced in partnership with the LEGO Group, Shueisha, and Atomic. Tom Hyndman serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer.

Rather than presenting the crew’s exploits exclusively through the familiar perspective of Luffy’s quest, the special has Usopp recounting their adventures to Chopper, who has only recently joined the crew in the story’s timeline. Netflix’s official synopsis even describes Usopp as the Straw Hats’ “most reliably unreliable narrator,” which might be the most accurate job description this compulsive exaggerator has ever received.

The voice cast also brings familiar faces back into the LEGO adventure. Iñaki Godoy voices Luffy, Emily Rudd voices Nami, Mackenyu voices Zoro, Jacob Romero voices Usopp, Taz Skylar voices Sanji, and Mikaela Hoover voices Chopper.

How Usopp’s Perspective Changes Netflix’s LEGO One Piece Story

Usopp is arguably the perfect choice for a narrator because storytelling has always been one of his defining traits. Before he became a genuine pirate, he entertained Kaya with tales of adventure and ran through Syrup Village shouting that pirates were coming. The joke was that nobody believed him. Then actual pirates arrived, and his warnings suddenly became a little less ridiculous.

Imagine Luffy charging into battle with his trademark grin. Through a conventional retelling, we see a fearless captain throwing himself at danger because that’s simply who he is. Through Usopp’s narration, however, that same moment could become a legendary account of a perfectly calculated assault, complete with a heroic supporting role for the sniper who was probably screaming internally.

The possibilities for comedy are practically endless. The LEGO format only makes them sweeter: exaggerated reactions, over-the-top action, and brick-built chaos suit a narrator who has never allowed a shortage of facts to interfere with a good story. Netflix has confirmed that the special embraces Usopp’s liberal use of dramatic license, although the precise embellishments should be judged by watching the episodes rather than treating every possible gag as confirmed.

There is also a surprisingly emotional reason this storytelling choice works. Usopp’s lies aren’t simply a running gag. His habit of telling stories began partly as a way to bring hope to his sick mother, Banchina, by pretending his absent father was returning with pirates. He later used stories to entertain Kaya, who was confined to her home because of illness. Behind the bluster is a boy who learned to use his imagination to make difficult circumstances feel a little less bleak.

That makes his role as Chopper’s storyteller especially fitting. Both characters know what it means to feel vulnerable, and Usopp’s dramatic accounts could turn the crew’s dangerous experiences into something more welcoming for his newest listener. It’s an opportunity to revisit the Straw Hats’ early adventures through humour and imagination without losing sight of the friendships underneath all that chaos.

Is Usopp the perfect storyteller for Netflix’s LEGO ONE PIECE? Share your thoughts in the comments!