10 TV Shows To Watch If You Love One Piece

The debut of One Piece on Netflix proved that a live-action adaptation of a popular anime could capture the same sense of adventure and heart that defined the original series. From its first episode, the Netflix adaptation understood Eiichiro Oda’s manga and didn’t change the original story’s tone or its characters. This is, in itself, a difficult thing to do, especially for a series has impeccable world building.

Centering on Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate with the ability to stretch his body like rubber, One Piece is a fantasy adventure series about finding the One Piece, a legendary treasure once owned by Gol D. Roger. The series’ second season was released earlier this year, with the show already renewed for a third season, which might debut next year.

Naturally, fans of One Piece might be looking for another series that can ease the wait for the show’s third installment. Finding a series with the same blend of pirate adventure, comedy, and fantasy is not an easy task, but several TV shows can provide the same sense of discovery as One Piece.

Delicious In Dungeon (2024-Present)

Unlike traditional TV shows, anime excels at having bizarre storylines, and Delicious in Dungeon is a perfect example of how strange premises can actually be an enjoyable watch. The fantasy adventure anime centers around a group of dungeon explorers led by Laios, who set out to rescue his sister after she is eaten by a dragon deep underground. With their supplies lost and no money to continue their journey, the group decides to cook and eat the monsters they defeat.

Delicious in Dungeon may not take place on the sea, but it has several elements that fans of One Piece can appreciate. Just like the Straw Hat crew, Laios’ party feels like a tight-knit group that grows closer through shared struggles and adventures. Food is central to One Piece, particularly with Luffy, and Delicious in Dungeon also takes a similar stance. Both TV shows also focus on exploring unknown worlds and encountering all manner of creatures and characters.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024-Present)

Over the years, Netflix has been adapting several beloved stories into live-action series. Following the success of One Piece in 2023, the streaming giant decided the time was ripe for a live-action Avatar show. While One Piece was a critical and audience hit, Avatar: The Last Airbender didn’t receive the same reception.

Nevertheless, the Netflix fantasy series still has some great things going for it. The adventures that the Avatar and his crew go on are engrossing, thanks to the show’s excellent worldbuilding. Sure, the series’ tone is a bit darker and less funny than One Piece, but Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph’s escapades make up for some of its shortcomings.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians (2023-Present)

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Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians was first adapted into film in 2010. However, the movies received a lot of backlash because of how they deviated from the source material. For many, the Disney adaptation of Riordan’s novels is considered superior to the films, probably because the author was part of the creative process.

While Percy and his friends are not fighting pirates or sailing across vast seas, there is still a sense of adventure that makes it such a great show. Even with the myriad of stories about Greek gods that are already available in various mediums, Percy Jackson and the Olympians manages to make the familiar mythology feel fresh.

Our Flag Means Death (2022-2024)

Released in 2022 on HBO Max, Our Flag Means Death is an unusual pirate story in that its premise is not focused on finding treasure. The dark comedy, which is loosely inspired by a true story the series follows Stede Bonnet, a man who feels trapped by the expectations placed on him, so he purchases a ship and attempts to become a legendary pirate captain despite having little experience at sea.

Even with Taika Waiki starring in the show, Our Flag Means Death debuted to little fanfare but slowly began to gain popularity through word of mouth. However, even with the show’s audience success, Our Flag Means Death was canceled after two seasons due to cost-cutting measures.

Black Sails (2014-2017)

Black Sails takes place in the early 18th century, around 20 years before the events of Treasure Island, and follows the infamous pirate Captain Flint and his crew as they struggle to survive in Nassau. Black Sails is more than a traditional pirate adventure. It’s also a TV show about survival and independence.

Although Black Sails is much darker than One Piece, both series are built around the same core idea of pirates representing freedom from a world controlled by powerful institutions. Luffy dreams of becoming the Pirate King because he believes pirates are the freest people on the sea. Similarly, Black Sails explores pirates fighting against systems that limit their freedom.

The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024)

Based on the comic book created by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy begins when 43 women around the world mysteriously give birth at the same time despite showing no signs of pregnancy. A billionaire inventor, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, adopts seven of these children and raises them as a team of gifted superheroes known as the Umbrella Academy.

Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy does not tell a typical superhero story. The characters in the show are not a perfect team like the Avengers; they are flawed, emotionally damaged people who happen to have extraordinary abilities, which in turn makes the series feel fresher than other shows in the genre. The Straw Hats may not have superpowers like the characters in The Umbrella Academy, well, except for Luffy. Yet the two shows still share several similarities, like their stories being based on a group of outsiders who find belonging with each other.

Firefly (2002)

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It’s been twenty-four years since Firefly was released, but it’s still considered one of the best space operas of all time, despite only airing for one season before getting canceled. When Firefly was first released, it wasn’t the popular series we now know it as. The show instead gained popularity after its cancellation and became a cult classic. It’s a testament to how great the show is that it still holds up, even in today’s highly competitive science fiction landscape.

At first glance, Firefly and One Piece seem like they have nothing in common, given that the former is a space adventure and the latter is a fantasy TV show. Aside from the two series featuring a group of misfits who become like family to each other, they are both adventure stories about exploring new worlds. In One Piece, the Going Merry feels like it’s part of the Straw Hats crew in the same way that Firefly’s Serenity does.

Alice In Borderland (2019-2025)

Based on the manga by Haro Aso, Alice in Borderland follows Ryohei Arisu, a young man who feels lost in life and struggles to find purpose. After a strange incident in Tokyo, Arisu and his friends suddenly find themselves in an abandoned version of the city known as the Borderland, where they must participate in deadly games to survive.

While Alice in Borderland is more similar to Squid Game or The Hunger Games than One Piece, it’s still the kind of show that fans of the Straw Hat crew can enjoy. The series is action-packed and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats with its thrilling survival games, unique characters, and mysteries.

Into The Badlands (2015-2019)

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Set in a distant future where modern civilization has collapsed, Into the Badlands is without a doubt one of the best martial arts TV shows to ever grace the small screen. The series is the perfect blend of sci-fi with its post-apocalyptic setting and action due to its highly trained fighters who enforce the power of each Baron in the series.

One of the biggest reasons One Piece is so popular is its vast world filled with rival groups, governments, pirates, and mysterious organizations. Into the Badlands also includes a similar experience through its Barons and warrior factions. Fans who enjoyed the conflicts between pirates and Marines will find Into the Badlands intriguing.

Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999)

Created by Shinichirō Watanabe, Cowboy Bebop is one of the few science fiction TV shows that has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. The show centers on Spike Spiegel, a former member of a dangerous criminal organization who now works as a laid-back bounty hunter alongside his former police officer partner, Jet Black. Their crew later expands to include the skilled fighter Faye Valentine, the brilliant young hacker Edward, and the genetically modified dog Ein.

Similar to One Piece, Cowboy Bebop is built around a group of outsiders traveling aboard a ship and encountering different worlds along the way. The Straw Hats explore islands across the Grand Line, while the crew of the Bebop travels between planets and colonies throughout the solar system.

Release Date

August 31, 2023

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz

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  Iñaki Godoy

  Monkey D. Luffy

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