Best One Piece Episodes

One Piece is one of the longest-running anime, and it is certainly among the best. The anime’s quality of animation has drastically improved since the beginning of the Wano arc. With the improvement in the quality of anime, the series has made a lot of new fans.

The adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have entertained viewers for years, and one would hope that there’s plenty more to come. Each episode of One Piece is packed with adventure, action, and humor. Some episodes leave a lasting impression on the fans while others aren’t nearly as impressive. These just so happen to be the most impactful of the series.

Updated October 4th, 2024, by Suzail Ahmad: The One Piece anime has finally entered the Final Saga, which features the last stretch of arcs. The Final Saga will bring an end to the journey of the Straw Hat Pirates. The anime has been airing since 1999, which means it has been going on for 25 years. Over the years, the popularity of the anime has continued to increase, and it has slowly become a must-watch for every anime fan.

In the Wano Country arc, Toei stepped up its efforts and ensured that every episode was filled with high-quality animation. Currently, the story is focused on Egghead Island, which is home to Dr. Vegapunk, the smartest person in the world. Despite the arc being in its early stages, it has already produced some of the best episodes in the series to date. As a result, the list has been updated to include new entries that fall in the bracket of the best One Piece episode.

27 Clash! Shanks vs. Eustass Kid (Episode 1112)

After leaving Wano with his crew, it was unclear where Eustass Kid would end up. It took a while for the audience to learn that the Supernova was en route to Elbaf, the land of the giants. Eustass Kid wanted to claim the One Piece, and he was willing to go to great lengths for it.

However, there was one big impediment in his way, and that was none other than Shanks, one of the Yonko. As soon as Shanks sensed that Kid was about to wipe out a fleet, the Yonko immediately rushed towards the Supernova and used Divine Departure to end the fight. The fight was considerably shorter in the manga, so the anime did a splendid job of adding tiny details to prolong it. Furthermore, the entire sequence where Shanks charges towards Kid was superbly animated.

26 For the Beloved Pupil – The Fist of Vice Admiral Garp! (Episode 1114)

For ages, One Piece fans have waited to see what Monkey D. Garp is capable of. The Vice Admiral is a living legend who has been active since the time of Gol D. Roger. In fact, he is the only known Marine who cornered Roger and came close to killing him.

In this particular episode, Garp finally reached Hachinosu. His goal was to save his student, Koby, who had been kidnapped by the Blackbeard Pirates. Garp didn’t normally land on the island; instead, he decided to show off his strength. So, he jumped in the air and used his powerful Armament and Conqueror’s Haki to create Galaxy Impact. The attack was so potent that it nearly destroyed an entire town on the island. Seeing Garp rush and use a devastating attack certainly gave the audience goosebumps.

25 Powers on a Different Level! Luffy vs. Lucci! (Episode 1100)

Rob Lucci and Luffy had their first fight in Water 7, in which the former was the victor. Their second confrontation took place in the Enies Lobby arc, and this time, Luffy secured the victory. With the aggregate score tied, the two fighters had the opportunity to settle things in Egghead.

Both Luffy and Lucci used their awakened Devil Fruit forms in the fight. One might think that it would have been a close fight, but that wasn’t the case as Luffy hammered Lucci. Every frame in the episode was beautiful, and it reflected how much effort Toei put into creating it.

24 The Winner Takes All! Law vs. Blackbeard! (Episode 1093)

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Trafalgar Law’s first major challenge after leaving Wano came in the form of the Blackbeard Pirates. Law and his crew were ambushed near Winner Island by the Yonko’s crew. Blackbeard was waiting for one of Law, Kid, or Luffy to turn up.

After docking on the Winner Island, Law confronted Blackbeard. The fight between them was quite intense, and Law surprisingly wounded Blackbeard. The result of the battle wasn’t revealed until later.

23 The Strike of an Ifrit! Sanji vs. Queen (Episode 1061)

Since the time skip, Sanji has not been involved in many high-profile fights. The Whole Cake Island arc helped to mold Sanji’s character, but he still did not get the opportunity to fight a strong enemy. In the Wano Country arc, Sanji was finally involved in a brilliant fight with Queen.

The battle was quite emotional for the Straw Hat as Queen used all the technological weapons belonging to the Vinsmoke family. The episode beautifully encapsulated the struggle going on inside Sanji’s mind and how he eventually embraced his genetic enhancements to create a new fighting style to take down Queen.

22 The Three-Sword Style of the Supreme King! Zoro vs. King (Episode 1062)

Roronoa Zoro had a torrid time fighting against King. The latter’s Lunarian traits made it impossible to hurt him with normal attacks, and to make matters worse, Enma was continuously draining Zoro’s Haki. So the swordsman had to come up with something special to salvage something.

Fortunately, Zoro realized that the sword was testing him, which allowed him to gain control over it. The climax of the fight between Zoro and King was absolutely incredible. Every impact frame, along with the smooth animation, made the episode an absolute joy to watch.

21 Clutch! A Demon Incarnate, Robin! (Episode 1044)

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Nico Robin was introduced in the story as a top-notch assassin who worked for Crocodile, but after joining the Straw Hats, her role became to support them. She still had good fights in which she showed off her powers. After the time skip, Robin’s involvement has been kept to a minimum. She came off as merely a shadow of her former self.

In the Wano Country arc, Nico Robin finally got a chance to shine. She was up against Black Maria, one of the strongest members of Tobi Roppo. In order to defeat her, Nico Robin had to create a new technique. The animators working on the episode made sure to capture the demonic side of Robin.

20 Enter Shanks! The Ultimate War Ends at Last (Episode 489)

The Summit War was the biggest battle in the series until it was eventually replaced by the raid on Onigashima. The Summit War involved some of the biggest names in the world. Some of them were trying to rescue Ace, while the others were after his head.

Even after Whitebeard and Ace died, the war did not stop. Koby tried to be the hero, which earned him the wrath of Akainu. The Admiral was about to send Koby to a fiery grave, but Shanks arrived in the nick of time. The captain of the Red Hair Pirates asked for the war to be stopped so that Ace and Whitebeard’s deaths wouldn’t be desecrated further.

19 Straw Hat Luffy – The Man Who Will Become The Pirate King (Episode 1015)

The title of the 1015th episode carries a lot of weight. It focuses on Luffy and his journey so far. The episode has a flashback where Ace can be seen talking to Yamato about Luffy and his dreams. It also poignantly draws parallels between Luffy and Gol D. Roger.

The anime staff did a fantastic job of animating the episode and the storyboard was outstanding as well. The episode also signals the beginning of “Roof Piece,” which many viewers consider to be the best part of the Wano Country arc as it is filled with enthralling action.

18 A Barrage Of Powerful Techniques! The Fierce Attacks Of The Worst Generation! (Episode 1017)

The episode concentrates on the fight between the new generation and the old vanguard. The members of the Worst Generation were struggling to land any significant hits on the two Yonko. On the other hand, Big Mom and Kaido were enjoying themselves. They were interested to see how far the Supernovas could push them.

Once Luffy and co. gained enough confidence, they began attacking the two monsters that stood in their way. All the Supernovas focused their attacks on Kaido, and it looked like the tide was finally turning in their favor. This episode got things going, making it a thoroughly enjoyable episode.

17 Overwhelming Strength! The Straw Hats Come Together (Episode 1000)

One Piece Episode 1000 will go down in the history books. As the thousandth episode of the series, there was a lot of expectation from it, and needless to say, the staff at Toei Animation delivered on every front. They brought back the iconic “We Are,” but updated it with the current designs of the Straw Hat Pirates.

This was enough to trigger nostalgia. The episode also perfectly highlighted the differences between the past and present. It wasn’t lacking in action as it showcased the much-awaited fight between Kaido and Oden’s retainers.

16 My Crewmate’s Pain Is My Pain, Zoro Fights Prepared To Die. (Episode 377)

Since the time skip, Zoro has rarely been tested by the opponents, which is the complete opposite of his adventure before the crew entered the New World. In the Thriller Bark arc, the Straw Hats struggled a lot to get the better of Gecko Moria and his crew. The crew was absolutely battered and no one except for Sanji and Zoro had the strength to stand up. Unfortunately for the crew, Bartholomew Kuma was also present on Thriller Bark, and he was given the task to eliminate Luffy.

Kuma decided to carry out the mission, but he was stopped by Zoro. Impressed by Zoro’s spirit, Kuma offered him a deal, which involved the Straw Hat taking in all of Luffy’s pain. Without a second thought, Zoro jumped inside Luffy’s pain bubble, and in a few seconds, his entire body was covered in blood. When Sanji woke up after being knocked out by Zoro, he was shocked to see the latter covered in blood. When Sanji asked what had happened, Zoro replied, “Nothing Happened.” This moment cemented Zoro’s status as one of the coolest characters in the series, and it showed how far he was willing to go for the sake of his captain.

15 Thank You Merry! The Sea Of Separation In The Snow (Episode 312)

The Going Merry was the first proper ship of the Straw Hat Pirates, given to them by Kaya’s servant, Merry. The ship played an important role in their journey to several islands throughout the Grand Line.

After carrying the Straw Hats for a long time, the Going Merry reached its limit during the Enies Lobby arc. The damage that the ship had taken over several arcs made it impossible for it to continue. After the Straw Hats emerged victorious in their fight against CP-9, the Going Merry was given a proper funeral, which undoubtedly brought tears to many eyes.

14 Destructive! One Shot, One Kill – Raimei Hakke! (Episode 915)

This was the first episode that demonstrated the difference in strength between Kaido and Luffy. Luffy was furious when he saw Kaido attacking the ruins of Oden Castle. Thinking that his crewmates had fallen victim to Kaido’s attack, Luffy began attacking a drunken Kaido.

Luffy managed to land more attacks on Kaido, but the outcome of the fight was still the same. Once Kaido entered his human form, he used Raimei Hakke to knock out Luffy. The disparity between the power was frightening as Luffy’s attacks only made Kaido sober up, and the latter managed to take out Luffy in a single strike.

13 Raid! Inheriting Oden’s Will (Episode 995)

Oden’s flashback in this episode endeared him to the One Piece community and showed why the Scabbards were willing to die for him. The Scabbards carried the resentment towards Kaido for a long time, and when the time to let it out finally came, it made the fans emotional.

The episode showed that despite the excruciating pain, the Scabbards continued to adore Oden and continue to carry his will.

12 Feelings Put Into Fists! Luffy’s Full-Power Gatling (Episode 309)

Due to his involvement in the Water 7 and Enies Lobby arcs, Rob Lucci is considered one of the best antagonists in the series. During his fight against Luffy, the CP-9 hitman was on the front foot for the majority of the time.

Luffy was badly beaten up by Lucci, and he needed extra motivation to take down the latter. This came in the form of Usopp, who encouraged Luffy to get up and fight for his friends. Luffy and Lucci exchanged a barrage of punches, which almost made Luffy fall back to the ground. However, he remembered his promise to Usopp and unleashed one final attack, which was enough to defeat Rob Lucci.

11 Shanks Moves! Ceremony To The Rampaging Age! (Episode 316)

The episode involved two of the Yonko, Shanks, and Whitebeard. The Marines did everything in their power to prevent the two Yonko from meeting each other; however, ended up failing quite miserably.

Shanks’ entry on Whitebeard’s ship managed to get everyone off their seats. With his Conqueror’s Haki, Shanks damaged the ship and knocked out many members of the Whitebeard Pirates. The episode ended with Whitebeard and Shanks clashing their weapons and splitting the sky, a fight never to be forgotten.

10 The End Of The Battle! Oden Vs. Kaido! (Episode 972)

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As mentioned above, Oden’s flashback made him one of the most loved characters in the series. From being an outcast to becoming the hero of Wano, it’s fair to say that Oden overcame many hurdles throughout his journey.

In this particular episode, Oden clashes with Kaido. He absolutely hammers his opponent and is about to finish him off, but Kurozumi Higurashi manages to distract Oden. The distraction paves the way for Kaido to land a critical hit on Oden, which knocks out the latter.

9 Big News! An Incident That Will Affect The Seven Warlords (Episode 957)

This is the first of two episodes that were directed by Megumi Ishitani. The Seven Warlords have always been a force to be reckoned with and they also helped the World Government in the Paramount War.

However, after the Levely’s conclusion, the Seven Warlords are relieved of their duties. With the Warlord system no more, the Marines begin to pursue the remaining Warlords. In addition to the abolition of the Warlord system, there was bad news concerning Sabo, which leaves the members of the Revolutionary Army in distress.

8 A Legendary Battle! Garp And Roger (Episode 958)

The Four Emperors or the Yonko are feared throughout the world because of their insane strength. For a long time, the bounties of the Yonko were unknown, but that changed with the release of episode 958.

In this episode, Brannew reveals the ridiculously high bounties of the Yonko, and to make things even more intense, he also revealed the bounties of Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger. This memorable moment adds to the legends of the two iconic characters.