From its humble yet nostalgic roots in the ’90s to the animation overhaul of the Wano Arc, One Piece’s anime has come a long way in the last two decades. In fact, looking at One Piece’s earliest episodes side-by-side with its newest ones, it’s hard to believe it’s even the same series anymore.
Be it bringing Luffy’s cartoonish Gear Five moves to life or fleshing out seemingly mundane scenes with stunning anime-original sequences, modern One Piece goes far beyond simply adapting the original source material. Amongst these, a handful of modern One Piece episodes even offer more than pure spectacle, making Eiichiro Oda’s storytelling all the more enthralling.
All of One Piece’s Major Villains Ranked Weakest to Strongest
One Piece has a surprisingly fiendish rogues gallery, but the worst of its worst have reached nightmarish proportions in strength.
10
Episode 1122
“The Last Lesson! Impact Inherited”
For many, especially fans who watched One Piece’s anime first, Koby is one of the earliest characters fans are introduced to, and no other episode better captures how far he’s come than Episode 1122. Whether it’s the stark imagery of Koby questioning why he joined the Navy or Garp’s flashy Galaxy Divide, this seemingly unassuming episode very quickly turns out to be anything but.
Yasunori Koyama’s direction is certainly top notch, with the entire second half of the episode building up to Koby’s big moment, which turns out to be much more emotional than anyone could have anticipated. As for Koby’s Honesty Impact, the explosion that obliterates Pizarro’s massive island-sized hand might just be one of the best explosions in One Piece so far.
9
Episode 1114
“For the Beloved Pupil – The Fist of Vice Admiral Garp!”
Right off the bat, Episode 1114 makes it clear that it’s going to be a special one. The high quality animation kicks in right with Garp’s entrance, with impact frames packed into every step he takes. Meanwhile, at ground level on Fullalead, the camera circles around the island, putting into perspective the grand scale of Garp’s Galaxy Impact, even before he lands the punch.
The Galaxy Impact stays true to its name, sending ripples across the island. This is where the episode director, Katsumi Ishizuka’s storyboards once again steal the show as every one of these ripples is felt thanks to the detail put into animating the buildings crumbling away and characters being blown away by the impact.
In a series like One Piece that is defined by the younger generation taking the helm, it’s rare to see an older character like Garp get a moment like this, and Episode 1114, if not the entire battle between Garp and Kuzan is a pleasant surprise for precisely this reason.
8
Episode 1112
“Clash! Shanks vs. Eustass Kid”
Shanks’ fight against Kid was one of the most anticipated episodes of the first half of the Egghead Arc, and One Piece’s anime did not disappoint in the slightest. In fact, the anime truly represents the grand scale of the battle, brought together with Wataru Matsumi’s precise artistic direction and storyboards
The episode features the work of many skilled animators such as Tu Yong Ce, Ziwei He, and Akihiro Ota. While the first half of the episode does linger a while on Shanks’ fleet and York’s machinations on Egghead, it quickly shifts the mood once Kid pulls out Damned Punk.
The second half of the episode then gives the battle the full spotlight, and delivers fully on fans’ expectations. A notable highlight of the episode is the sequence of Shanks foreseeing Kid’s devastating attack using Future Sight, animated by Ota, which is set apart from the rest of the fight by its distinct color scheme.
Be it the explosions, the ships, or the sea itself, every detail is meticulously animated, and the episode only gets better from here on out with Shanks’ counterattack. Tu Yong Ce’s cut of Shanks sprinting across the ship towards Kid is another very impressively animated part of Episode 1112, with the anime even elevating Shanks’ Divine Departure by having it very fittingly take the form of a Gryphon, the namesake of his sword.
7
Episode 1153
“The Upheaval of an Era! The Color of the Supreme King That Leads Luffy”
As the title suggests, the highlight of Episode 1153 of One Piece is, of course, the moment Emet unleashes Joyboy’s Conqueror’s Haki, which slowly branches out from the island.
This stunning sequence by Vincent Chansard especially features some strong character acting with a very expressive shot of Luffy reacting to Joyboy’s Haki, looking shocked and even somewhat afraid.
The scene also makes use of some very interesting storyboarding and camerawork with gorgeous cuts that pan across the sea to Emet, and another that pans up Luffy’s body as he feels Joyboy’s Haki.
The final moments of the Five Elders closing in on Emet are also quite the visual treat, with more brushwork frames. Narratively, the episode also ends on a very exciting note with Joyboy making his first ever appearance in One Piece.
6
Episode 1100
“Powers on a Different Level! Luffy vs. Lucci!”
One Piece had to do something special for its 1100th episode and what better way than to bring back one of Luffy’s most memorable pre-time skip opponents for a rematch. Episode 1100 wastes no time diving right into the fight between Luffy and Lucci, starting out strong by giving Luffy a proper Gear 5 transformation sequence.
While Gear 5 made its debut during the Wano Arc, the battle against Kaido never properly revealed Luffy’s transformation itself, and Episode 1100 takes a very unique approach, revealing just how Luffy’s hair turns white from its roots.
The episode also features what might be one of Luffy’s most menacing smiles in all of One Piece just before he charges at Lucci in yet another gorgeous sequence by Akihiro Ota.
As another episode directed by Nozomu Shishido, Episode 1100 knows just how to keep viewers on the edge of their seats throughout and as far as the Egghead Arc goes, Episode 1100 may be one of its best action-focused episodes.
5
Episode 1152
“Her Father and Mother’s Legacy! Bonney’s Nika Punch”
After the emotionally devastating rollercoaster that was Kuma’s flashback, Episode 1152 of One Piece gives fans the ultimate catharsis as Bonney finally strikes back against St. Saturn. The first half of the episode is quite eventful by itself with the revelation about Professor Clover’s D Clan lineage, Emet fighting off the Five Elders, and Atlas sacrificing herself to help the Straw Hats and Lilith escape.
That said, the star of the episode is undoubtedly the second half, wherein Bonney stands up to St. Saturn, once again taking on a Gear 5-like form using Distorted Future. Episode 1152 of One Piece is yet another directed by Nozomu Shishido and it best shows in the execution of Bonney’s transformation scene.
From here on out, the episode only gets better as Luffy and Bonney team up against Saturn, zipping across and dodging each of his poisonous fangs. Memories of Saturn’s cruelty towards Kuma and Ginny flash across the screen before Bonney inevitably winds up her Nika Punch.
What follows is a gorgeous sequence by Chinese animator, Tu Yong Ce, complete with a slow-motion punch and brush-work style impact frames that make this moment all the more satisfying to behold.
4
Episode 1062
“The Three-Sword Style of the Supreme King! Zoro vs. King”
Zoro and King’s fight in Episode 1062 of One Piece might easily be one of the best episodes of the Wano Arc after the Gear 5 episodes.
One thing that especially stands out about this episode is its excellent score, which makes sure to complement the softer moments of King and Kaido’s backstory while also giving Zoro’s classic motif a whole new spin for the epic climax of the battle.
Animation wise, the entire fight between Zoro and King is an absolute spectacle to behold, with Katsumi Ishizuka’s storyboards and Vincent Chansard’s animation prowess coming together to give Zoro his best fight in all of One Piece.
Furthermore, while the episode goes heavy on the effects and the impact frames, it never feels like too much. The episode director, Ryosuke Tanaka, manages to not only maintain that balance but give the episode its own unique, artistic identity, especially in the way that it uses color, thus setting it apart from other major fights in the arc.
3
Episode 1072
“The Ridiculous Power! Gear 5 in Full Play”
It’s been nearly three years since Gear 5 first made its anime debut, and no other One Piece episode has quite garnered the same amount of excitement to date. Episode 1071 nearly broke the internet, crashing multiple streaming servers. However, in terms of a proper introduction to Gear 5 and its capabilities, Episode 1072 is arguably better.
Episode 1072 gives fans a much clearer look at Gear 5, with Luffy busting out many new moves, including Gum-Gum Jumprope. The episode has quite a unique cartoonish flair, with some very expressive moments from Yamato, Momonosuke, and the Straw Hats animated by Keisuke Mori.
That said, one scene that’s especially memorable is when Luffy beats his chest with his fist and re-enters Gear 5, with this unforgettable sequence having been brought to life by Akihiro Ota and Shinya Ohira. The episode also features excellent storyboards by Megumi Ishitani and Bahi JD, brought to life by an absolute dream team of animators.
2
Episode 1136
“Kuma’s Life”
Episode 1136 of One Piece might just be one of the series’ saddest episodes to date. The episode starts out pretty standard with Bonney setting sail to find Kuma, who is unfortunately forced to keep his distance and observe from afar.
That said, it is still nice to see the events of Thriller Bark and Sabaody from Kuma’s perspective. The second half of the episode is where things begin to take an emotional turn as Vegapunk is ordered to completely erase Kuma’s memories, but not before a beautiful sequence takes fans through Kuma’s memories.
The entire sequence, though original to the anime, truly elevates Kuma’s final conscious moments, with stark, meaningful imagery representing the loved ones Kuma has lost over the course of his life, his belief in Nika, and his sacrifice for Bonney.
And, the final punch to the gut is, of course, Kuma’s final message to Bonney, wishing her a happy tenth birthday that he will never get to witness for himself.
1
Episode 1015
“Straw Hat Luffy! The Man Who Will Become the King of the Pirates!”
Before One Piece Fan Letter came along, the anime episode that truly put its key staff in the spotlight was Episode 1015. Directed by Megumi Ishitani, Episode 1015 takes a relatively mundane chapter of the manga and expands it with one of One Piece’s most distinctive anime original scenes to date.
The episode starts out strong with Yamato’s flashback, setting the cinematic atmosphere for Yamato and Ace’s conversation by the fire with some beautiful, dynamic lighting. The real show starts when Ace tells Yamato about Luffy and his dream, and in an almost dream-like sequence, fans see Yamato connect the dots and recognize the parallels between Luffy and Roger.
As the sun rises on a scenic shot of Onigashima, Yamato bids farewell to Ace, clutching onto his vivre card against the rising sun just before the anime brutally cuts to it burning away into nothing, highlighting Ishitani’s meticulous storyboarding. Huge credit also goes to Keisuke Mori, the animation director for the entire first half of the episode.
Whether it’s the animation, direction, or the score, Episode 1015 is an absolute masterpiece.
Meanwhile, the second half of Episode 1015 jumps straight into the action, with Luffy finally reaching the rooftop only to walk right past Kaido and Big Mom. Be it Luffy’s uniquely detailed character design, the two massive Emperors framing him on either side, or the rare shot of Luffy’s perspective as he walks up to the Akazaya, this half of the episode is beautifully executed in its own right.
And it only gets better as Luffy begins building up Ryuou. A side-scrolling montage featuring vignettes from the Wano Saga eventually builds up to Takashi Kojima’s stunning animation of Luffy punching Kaido with Red Roc as “We Are” plays in the background.
Safe to say, whether it’s the animation, direction, or the score, Episode 1015 is an absolute masterpiece, and its unlcear whether One Piece will ever be able to top it.
