Although One Piece has plenty of lore, Prime Video’s Rings of Power has an even more detailed and complex backstory thanks to J.R.R Tolkien. While the ending of Game of Thrones was infamously divisive, the show’s earlier seasons still set a high bar for modern fantasy shows. Every adaptation that has followed since needed to emerge from its shadow.

While darker shows like The Witcher are often compared to Game of Thrones, one unlikely Netflix show that also has a lot in common with the HBO series is One Piece. Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a phenomenally popular manga and anime franchise that was adapted into a live-action series by Netflix in 2023.

The Only Streaming Series With More Lore Than One Piece Is On Prime Video

One Piece is a lot lighter and zanier in tone than Game of Thrones, as the show follows the misadventures of the cursed pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his compatriots, the Straw Hat Pirates. Melding action, adventure, fantasy, and even some elements of horror with a hefty dose of cartoonish comedy, One Piece is a playful, light-hearted thrill ride.

However, just because the show was fun enough to potentially become Netflix’s Stranger Things replacement doesn’t mean that One Piece tells a straightforward story. On the contrary, the show’s lore is unbelievably dense. The anime series has over 1,100 episodes, as well as 15 movies and over 100 volumes of the original manga.

The only fantasy franchise that can outdo the show when it comes to the depth of its lore is Prime Video’s Rings of Power, thanks to Lord of the Rings author J.R.R Tolkien. Developed by JD Payne and Patrick McKay, The Rings of Power is based on the history of Middle-earth gleaned from the appendices of Tolkien’s iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Scary Thing About One Piece Is That Its Lore Is Still Growing

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The fact that one of the biggest TV shows in history could be adapted from the appendices of Tolkien’s novels alone gives viewers an idea of just how complex, immersive, and expansive the author’s fictional world was. However, as One Piece season 2’s release approaches, it is worth noting that the show has one edge on its competitor.

Since One Piece’s anime series is still on the air, the show gains more and more lore by the month. The franchise is only getting more labyrinthine, more complicated, and easier to get lost the longer it goes on, whereas Tolkien’s franchise is at least limited by the writer’s work. As such, One Piece may outdo even Rings of Power in time to come.

Release Date

August 31, 2023

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz

Directors

Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka

Writers

Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand

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  Iñaki Godoy

  Monkey D. Luffy

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