Summary
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of theOne Pieceanime, Toei Animation is conducting an official poll to determine the 30 best scenes in the anime. People can vote for scenes from the beginning of the anime up to the most recent episodes of the Egghead Island arc, and the official results will be revealed in August for One Piece Day 2024.
The official results ofOne Piece’s top scenes won’t be revealed in August, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to see until then.Toei Animation has released an interim report of the current top 10 scenes in theOne Pieceanime, all of which are scenes that have constantly been hailed as the best scenes in all ofOne Piece.
The top 10 are subject to change by the time the results are finalized, but just the interim report does a great job of showcasing which parts ofOne Piecehave meant the most to fans over the years.
10Gear 5’s First Appearance Changed the Series Forever
Scene from One Piece episode 1071, “Luffy’s Peak - Attained! Fifth Gear”
One Pieceepisode #1071, “Luffy’s Peak - Attained! Fifth Gear”, introduced a major twist with the reveal that Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit was the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. Going right along with that, Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit and took on a new form he dubbed Gear 5, the peak of his power, and prepared to finish things with Kaido, once and for all.
The reveal ofGear 5was one of the biggest moments in theOne Piecemanga, and the anime more than did it justice.Gear 5’s debut in the anime had some of the most creative and all-around gorgeous direction in all ofOne Piece, with every moment fully committing to the gimmick of Gear 5 making Luffy a cartoon character. The scene was a perfect illustration of how effective animation can be, and it’s no wonder it’s held in such high regard, despite how recent it is.
9Sanji’s Confession Made For One of One Piece’s Most Emotional Moments
Scene from One Piece episode 825, “A Liar! Luffy and Sanji!!”
InOne Pieceepisode #825, “A Liar! Luffy and Sanji!!”, Sanji tried once again to make Luffy leave Whole Cake Island, but Luffy, knowing that they both knew Pudding’s true colors, yelled at Sanji to tell him his true feelings. Sanji tried to remain distant, but his resolve wavered due to how distraught he was from everything that happened with Pudding and Reiju, and Sanji cried as he finally admitted that he wanted to go back to the crew.
Sanji accepting that he could trust his friendsto help him made for incredible and emotional character work, and the animation, music, and overall direction of the scene did a great job of selling that in animation. Sanji’s confession was a great moment for his character, and best of all, it paved the way for plenty more great moments from Sanji in the years to follow.
8Ace’s Death Marked a Turning Point for One Piece
Scene from One Piece episode 483, “Looking for the Answer! Fire Fist Ace Dies on the Battlefield!”
InOne Pieceepisode #483, “Looking for the Answer! Fire Fist Ace Dies on the Battlefield!”, everyone scrambled to try and save Ace after he was fatally wounded by Akainu, but Ace knew better than anyone that it was too late. Ace used his last moments to thank Luffy, Whitebeard, and everyone else for loving him and giving meaning to his life, and he then died in Luffy’s arms.
Ace’s deathis undoubtedly one of the most emotional moments in all ofOne Piece. Not only was it the first explicit death outside of a flashback, but the emotional weight of Ace finally realizingit was okay for him to be born and thanking everyone for thatperfectly closed out his arc and made his death all the more poignant for it. It’s a moment that changedOne Pieceforever, and it’s easily one of the anime’s best.
7Zoro’s Sacrifice Showed Why He’s Luffy’s Second-in-Command
Scene from One Piece episode 377, “The Pain of My Crewmates Is My Pain! Zoro’s Desperate Fight!”
InOne Pieceepisode #377, “The Pain of My Crewmates Is My Pain! Zoro’s Desperate Fight!”, Zoro, in a desperate attempt to save Luffy fromBartholomew Kuma, took on all the pain Luffy had suffered in the fight against Gecko Moria. Everyone awoke thinking that Kuma just decided to let them off, but Sanji found Zoro standing in a pool of blood, and when asked about it, Zoro said that nothing happened.
Zoro’s sacrifice, commonly referred to as just “Nothing happened”, is a scene that’s always talked about inOne Piece.Zoro’s willingness to sacrifice himself to protect Luffyperfectly encapsulated his dedication, and the iconic shots of Zoro surrounded by blood while barely being able to stand made that even more impactful. It was the perfect way of ending the Thriller Bark arc, and it’s easily Zoro’s most iconic moment in all ofOne Piece.
6Vivi’s Farewell Forever Marked Her As an Honorary Straw Hat
Scene from One Piece episode 129, “It All Started On That Day! Vivi Tells the Story of Her Adventure!”
One Pieceepisode #129, “It All Started On That Day! Vivi Tells the Story of Her Adventure!”, marked the end of Vivi’s time with the Straw Hat Pirates, Vivi deciding that she didn’t want to leave Alabasta again. The Straw Hats couldn’t directly acknowledge Vivi because the Marines were nearby, but they all displayed the marks they drew on their arms as a group, which told Vivi that they would always see her as a crewmate and a friend.
The Straw Hats showing that they’ll always see Vivi as one of them with no words made forone ofOne Piece’s most heartwarming moments, and the direction of the scene does a great job of selling that in every adaptation of the arc. The scene cemented Vivi as an unforgettable part of the story, and it will be great to see her finally return to prominence in the final saga.
5Robin Regains Her Will To Live in One of One Piece’s Best Scenes
Scene from One Piece episode 278, “Say You Want to Live! We Are Your Friends!!”
One Pieceepisode #278, “Say You Want to Live! We Are Your Friends!!”, finished tellingRobin’s tragic backstoryand had Robin once again insist that the Straw Hats not let themselves die over her. Things soon escalated to Luffy telling Sogeking to burn the World Government flag, an act synonymous with declaring war on the world, and with everyone going so far for her, Robin finally cried out that she wanted to live and go back with everyone.
After spending numerous episodes exploring Robin’s suffering, seeing Robin accept thatit’s okay for her to liveand that she has people who care about her was incredibly cathartic, especially with how much the direction emphasized the Straw Hats as a beacon of hope for Robin. The scene is easily one of the most iconic in all ofOne Piece, and it’s easy to see why it’s held in such high regard.
4One Piece Created a Gorgeous Filler Scene With Yamato
Scene from One Piece episode 1015, “Straw Hat Luffy - The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King”
One Pieceepisode #1015, “Straw Hat Luffy - The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King”, continued the flashback of Yamato’s history with Ace and got to the point of Ace revealing Luffy’s dream to Yamato. Thanks to Oden’s journal, Yamato realized that Luffy and Roger had the same dream, all of which was expressed through him watching the two talk about it like it was happening in real time.
Yamato learning about Luffy’s dream was essentially a filler scene, but it’s easy to see why it ranked so highly. The art, animation, and direction all do an amazing job of highlightingthe similarities between Luffy and Rogerand how big it was for Yamato to see all of that, and it was the biggest showing of Luffy inheriting Roger’s will, by far. The scene was the definite highlight of episode #1015, and it being largely original makes that even better.
3Nami’s Cry For Help Was One Piece’s First Big Emotional Moment
Scene from One Piece episode 37, “Luffy Rises! Result of the Broken Promise!”
InOne Pieceepisode #37, “Luffy Rises! Result of the Broken Promise!”, Nami realizes that Arlong will never let her buy back her village, and to make things worse, she can’t stop the villagers from throwing their lives away to fight back. Nami finally cried out for help from Luffy, and Luffy agreed to do so at the top of his lungs after giving her his straw hat.
Nami’s cry for help was a great moment for both Nami and Luffy. Not only did it show that Nami had finally stopped trying to handle things on her own, but Luffy giving her his hat, something he was always protective about, showed just how much he had grown to care about Nami.Nami’s cry for help is one of the most emotional moments in all ofOne Piece, and over 20 years later, it’s still one of the anime’s best moments.
2Corazon’s Last Words to Law Will Always Be a Tearjerker
Scene from One Piece episode 706, “Advance, Law! The Kindhearted Man’s Final Fight!”
InOne Pieceepisode #706, “Advance, Law! The Kindhearted Man’s Final Fight!”, Doflamingo learned of Corazon’s betrayal and had him cornered on Minion Island to try and get the Op-Op Fruit. To protect Law, Corazon hid him in a treasure chest and used his Calm-Calm Fruit to keep him silent, and Corazon, knowing full well that he was about to die, told Law he loved him before hiding him away.
The dichotomy between Corazon knowing he’s going to die and Law’s ignorance made his death even more heartwrenching, and Corazon still finding it in him to give Law a goofy smile only further added to the tragedy. Corazon telling Law he loves him is theonly top-rankedOne Piecescene to not involve the Straw Hats in any way, and that’s a true testament to the overall quality of the series.
1Merry’s Funeral Is Still One of One Piece’s Saddest Moments
Scene from One Piece episode 312, “Thank You, Merry! Snow Falls over the Parting Sea!”
InOne Pieceepisode #312, “Thank You, Merry! Snow Falls over the Parting Sea!”, the joy of saving Robin was interrupted by the Going Merry falling apart at the seams, and the Straw Hats were forced to put her to rest. As Merry burned, Luffy apologized to Merry’s spirit for how they always got her hurt, but Merry was just happy to be with them before she finally died.
Merry’s impending death was at the heart of a lot of the drama in the Water 7 arc, and when it finally came time for her to die,theOne Pieceanime’s direction did everything to make Merry’s death as sad as possible. Even with the Straw Hats getting a new ship, Merry’s death and time with everyone will never be forgotten, and it’s no wonder her death is considered thebest scene in theOne Pieceanime.
One Piece
Cast
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure “One Piece.” Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.
