1 week Ago By Ign Staff
The Straw Hat Pirates’ sprawling adventure across the Grand Line has been a staple of anime ever since the late 90s, and with more than 1000 episodes, it’s fair to say that One Piece has had more than a few unforgettable moments. Narrowing down this list to just 10 of the best moments from One Piece was an extraordinarily difficult task, and some tough cuts had to be made, but regardless, here are our picks for the top 10 One Piece moments, as of episode 1088 of the anime. Note of course that by the very nature of this feature, there are going to be for One Piece.
We are holding nothing back here, but we will inform you before each entry what episode the spoiler covers so you can skip the ones you haven’t come across yet. This moment is what solidified Zoro as the badass of the Straw Hat crew. With Luffy exhausted from his battle with Pirate Warlord Moria and the Straw Hats taken out by Warlord Kuma, Zoro is the only one left standing.
Realizing he can’t win against Kuma, Zoro offers his life in exchange for Luffy’s. Kuma agrees, but only if Zoro can take on Luffy’s injuries as his own. This emotional moment is when Zoro’s bond with his crewmates solidified, proving that despite being a pirate hunter, he was willing to give up his life to spare theirs.
Sanji has one of the saddest backstories in all of One Piece. He just can’t catch a break. Young Sanji could care less about pirates, especially Zeff, who was stranded on a deserted island with him.
Nonetheless, the subtlety of Zeff’s actions made for a heartwarming moment when Sanji finds out that Zeff sacrificed his leg so he could live. The fact that Sanji thought Zeff was a rotten, no-good pirate the entire time, only to find out that he’s one of the most selfless people he’s ever met is one of One Piece’s most memorable moments. “Roof Piece!” It’s the term fans were throwing around leading up to the end of the epic Wano story arc.
It was only a matter of time before this confrontation happened and, oh boy, did the anime step it up! Knowing fan expectations were high, Toei clearly went above and beyond for the episode. From the entrance of the Worst Generation to Luffy’s stroll past the Emperors and Kin’emon’s heartfelt plea, the emotions build in an incredible dramatic crescendo, accented with quick flashes of their journey up to that point as far back as Raizo’s safety and Pedro’s sacrifice. Finally, we see Luffy’s vibrant Red Roc punch with “We Are” booming in the background to accompany one of the biggest smackdowns in all of anime.
In only about five minutes, the sequence makes us appreciate the long and winding journey Luffy has been on, and why it’s so special. The Saboady arc is jam-packed full of game-changing moments, but there’s one moment that helped define who the Straw Hats are that came at the hands of the stoic, overpowered Kuma. Up until this point, Luffy and the crew were able to overcome even the most difficult of challenges, but there was no escape from the utter devastation that took place on the archipelago.
Even Luffy knew they didn’t have a chance, and he’s not one to give up so easily. As he watches his friends begin to disappear, he yells out in desperation to escape, not knowing it was futile. When he’s finally the last one standing, Luffy can’t help but cry in agony for not being strong enough to save his friends.
It’s the first time we’ve seen our plucky protagonist so vulnerable. With the final disappearance of the Straw Hats, we were left in shock, and it was clear from this point on the crew would never be the same after suffering such a dreadful defeat. We can’t talk about the previous moment without also mentioning the inciting incident that led to it.
If there was a list for best, or at the very least, most cathartic singular punch in all of anime, this punch would be at the top. There isn’t a single person with a beating heart who watched Episode 396 that wasn’t begging Luffy to beat the heck out of Saint Charlos at Sabaody, and when he finally did, man did Luffy make it count. What makes this so special is the build-up and payoff.
After spending the last few episodes learning why the Celestial Dragons are basically untouchable, and the serious consequences that come with laying a hand on them, it’s all the more shocking when Luffy strikes him down anyway without a second thought. The battle between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates rages on as Luffy and Ace finally begin their escape. In a brief moment of desperation, everything changed.
The sound of crying fills the air as Akainu’s magma fist plunges through the back of Ace, taking his life in front of Luffy. In Ace’s last heartfelt words, he thanks everyone for loving him as he dies on the battlefield. We feel the weight behind Ace’s death as we are stuck watching Luffy in disbelief, realizing that his life has forever changed.
It may seem odd to be emotionally invested in an inanimate object like a pirate ship, but One Piece fans are built different. The “funeral” of the Going Merry had us shedding actual tears over a dying boat. The way the focus shifts from each crew member as they relive their own introduction to the Merry while somber music plays in the background is just so beautifully done.
Then there’s the one-two emotional gutpunch of hearing the Merry’s disembodied voice saying, “I’m sorry, I wish I could have taken you farther.” followed by Luffy breaking down and apologizing for every little thing he ever did to the ship. It all adds up to one of the most heart wrenching moments in all of One Piece.
The scene featuring Luffy and Nami during the Arlong Park arc is one of the most defining moments for the Straw Hat crew. At this point, we’ve known Nami as a scheming, confident woman who can take care of herself, but her dire situation with the Arlong Pirates brings her to tears as her family and friends prepare to fight to the death. Seeing Nami drop to the ground in despair, screaming in anger as she attempts to cut her despised Arlong tattoo from her own flesh is as brutal as it is sad.
It's at this moment that we see a different side of Luffy that’s calm and serious. With the last ounce of Nami’s stubbornness whittling away, she finally says to Luffy, “Help me”. With Nami at her lowest point, Luffy gifts her his treasured straw hat and exclaims, “Of course I will!” This moment has become one of the most iconic in the series because it encapsulates what makes it great and shows why it’s so beloved amongst fans.
Though its place on this list might be controversial, Gear 5 was an event so big that it nearly broke the internet. It’s the perfect culmination of Luffy’s journey thus far. His delightful romp around Onigashima in Gear 5 was not only a joy to behold from an animation standpoint, but one that also marks Luffy’s all-important ascension into the fabled Joyboy – a moment that both tastefully encapsulates all that has occurred as well as foreshadows the coming epic of Luffy’s final steps in becoming the King of Pirates.
This moment of payoff was a hundred episodes in the making. Ever since she left the Straw Hats without saying a word out of fear of losing her friends like she lost her family on Ohara, we had been waiting for Robin to do something, anything, to show some sort of resistance to the ruthless and weasley Spandam. That moment finally comes in episode 278, where, upon gazing at her captain and crewmates on the other side of Enies Lobby, and seeing that they’re willing to go to war even with the World Government if it means having her in their lives, Robin finally responds to Luffy in one clear voice.
And that’s all that Luffy needed. With so many brilliant episodes of One Piece, it's not surprising that some of our favorite moments couldn't make the cut. But that doesn't mean we don't want to shout them out here anyway.
So here are our honorable mentions as well as all the reasons that we think they're up there with the best of the best of what Eiichiro Oda's masterpiece has to offer. It was the battle that broke the hearts of viewers around the world – and the other members of the Going Merry. After learning that Luffy has chosen to move on from their beloved ship, Usopp challenged his captain to a duel for control of the ship.
Showcasing the pair's new as well as trademark moves while also looking back at the friendship and relationship that brought them to this shocking moment, this was a huge episode for Luffy as it was the first fight that he won that didn't see him crack his trademark grin after victory. Instead this marked a gutting moment for fans of the found family at the heart of One Piece, and it left audiences and the crew in tears. Often seen as one of the most heroic moments in the long-running series, Bon Clay's choice to sacrifice themself not once but twice puts this episode up there with some of the best One Piece has ever been.
After bravely putting themself in harm's way during the Alabasta Saga, Mr. 2 (as they are sometimes known) also came through for the Straw Hat Pirates as they attempted to escape the notorious underwater prison known as Impel Down. It was here that they disguised themself as the prison warden Magellan in order to let their friends escape successfully.
This wasn't just a vital sacrifice for Luffy but it also allowed the crew to make it to Ace's execution and attempt to save him. While there is plenty of action in this episode that sees Luffy trying to obtain his brother’s Flame-Flame devil fruit, it's all about emotional moment between Luffy and an unexpected familiar figure. Yep, the return of Luffy's other sworn brother Sabo is confirmed during this episode when Luffy has an enthusiastic response to a stranger who is later revealed to be the brother who set off to sea first and was thought to have died many years before.
This was also a key moment as Luffy was happy to put his trust in Sabo to fight for Ace's devil fruit in his place. In one of the most affecting chapters of One Piece history, Sanji appeared to turn on Luffy in order to protect the Straw Hat crew from the growing threats of Big Mom and Germa 66. While Luffy refused to battle his most trusted friend, Sanji continued the beating to appease his family.
Even after this one-sided duel, Luffy never gave in and still believed in Sanji. Sanji knows this too well as he tries to fight the tears that emerge as a result of what he has done to the people he loves. The most recent episode in our honorable mentions is from the show's impressive and highly anticipated Wano arc.
It’s another epic showdown, this time between the Straw Hat Pirate Roronoa Zoro and one of the series' most feared foes, the nightmarish masked figure known as King the Conflagration. Toei put their best foot forward to produce an epically choreographed fight sequence here, and as one of the climactic battles of a momentous arc, this final battle between Zoro and King is a visually amazing scene that fans will forever remember. What were some of your favorite moments in One Piece? Let us know in the comments, and if you want more anime, check out our list of the , along with our list of the .
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