A lot of people look at One Piece and find the length of the show to be especially daunting. While 500+ is overwhelming, one could get through the show faster than they think, as there are many episodes that are arbitrary to the show. I wanted to make this guide to help people understand what happens, what's essential to watch, and what you can skip.
One Piece Watching Tips:
- It's a shounen, so episodes are paced faster because a lot of thing happen within the time slot and don't acquire a lot of thinking.
- Dub vs Sub: Whatever language you like. The Funimation dub is excellent, Colleen Clinkenbeard makes a great Luffy, Chris Sabat is badass as Zoro, Luci Christian encapsulates Nami perfectly, Sonny Strait (while sounds like Krillin from DBZ most of time) fit Usopp nicely, Eric Vale is smooth as Sanji, Brina Palencia is adorable as Chopper, and Stephanie Young is sexy as Nico Robin. Seriously, this dub makes up for the wrongdoings that 4Kids did to this show in the U.S.
- STAY AWAY FROM THE 4KIDS DUB! I don't even think you can find the 4Kids dub anywhere and if you do, burn it with fire.
- Going back to episodes being shorter than you think: I once had an episode where the first 8 mins was the Toei Animation logo, the minute and a half OP, and then a recap of last episode...This 500+ long series doesn't seem so long does it.
UPDATE: I've gotten messages over the years saying that people still use this guide. Thank you. I made this list when I was just a naive college kid. I still watch One Piece to this day because it's still my favorite anime. I made this to convince people to watch the show when the Big 3 was often in debate. To quote English Voice of Zoro, Chris Sabat (who also is Vegeta and Piccolo in DBZ), "One Piece is Dragon Ball on a boat". One Piece became Dragon Ball with way more depth and meaning to the action. I update this list when I'm bored, so if you're wondering why it doesn't get updated it is because....well....I have a life. Please keep enjoying One Piece. Support Funimation's acquisition of the series. Hell, try to even support to bring it back to Toonami after ratings fell and it had to leave the American TV spot. Support One Piece. One Piece is Love, One Piece is Life.
Alright so here we go from the very beginning.
Episodes:
1-30 (Romance Dawn, Orange Town, Syrup Village, and Baratie Arc): Of course you have to watch these arcs because these are the episodes where we are introduced to our main characters.
One Piece Movie 1: For the first movie, it's pretty good.
31-45 (The Arlong Park Arc): The first major arc in the franchise (and my personal favorite arc). If you didn't enjoy One Piece up to this point then this is the arc that will change your mind. Nami's backstory is tragic and showed me, at least, how brutal and dark this show will get.
46-47 (Buggy Filler Arc): I don't remember these episodes...SKIP
48-53 (Lougetown Arc): The thing about One Piece filler is that a lot of them are actually enjoyable, this one I liked, not to mention info about Usopp is revealed.
54-61 (Warship Island Arc): While this is a filler arc, I actually got feels from this arc. All I'm saying if you have a soft spot for pets, then you'll get feels.
One Piece Movie 2: This one is fun, worth a watch.
62-67 (The Reverse Mountain and Whiskey Peak Arc): The Reverse Mountain Arc maybe a small story but make sure you remember cause it's going to be important later. Whiskey Peak is where we meet the honorary Strawhat, Vivi.
68-69 (Coby and Helmeppo): Coby and Helmeppo train and get buff, there I saved you an hour.
70-78 (Little Garden Arc): This is where we get introduced to the One Piece lore that are the Giants.
79-91 (Drum Island Arc): This arc is where we are introduced the adorable Doctor of the Strawhat Crew, Tony Tony Chopper.
One Piece Movie 3: This one is good, not great but good.
92-135 (Alabasta Arc): The Second Major Arc in the franchise. The villain of this one is Crocodile and is probably the best of all of One Piece in the sense of how devious he is. This is an arc that you better watch. Not to mention this is where we meet Robin and Luffy's Brother Ace.
136-143 (Goat Island and Rainbow Mist Arc): These are two filler arcs which is up to the viewer whether to skip or not. On the one hand, it's an entertaining arc, but in terms of actual events, nothing really happens.
144-152 (The Jaya Arc): A lot of major character development happens in this arc, so definitely watch it.
One Piece Movie 4: This is where the quality of the movies start going from just good to very good and I mean very good.
153-195 (Skypiea Arc): The third major arc in the franchise. Honestly, my biggest problem about this arc is that while it's an important arc, I feel bad for it because minimal things are heard from again...yet.
One Piece Movie 5: This movie is a little confusing but it's still pretty damn good.
196-206 (The G-8 Arc): I like this filler arc, it was fun and has a lot of great moments.
207-219 (The Long Ring Long Land a.k.a. The Davy Back Fight Arc): This arc...while fun to watch...damn is Foxy an annoying villain.
220-224 (Ocean's Dream Arc): It's a filler, but it's not bad. In fact, it actually refreshes on the series at this point, so it's worth a watch.
One Piece Movie 6: This movie takes One Piece in a completely different direction. The story is dark by One Piece standards and the animation looks nothing like One Piece. So you would think that a movie like this would be the worst right.................it's my favorite of the One Piece movies. I seriously like the dark turn it takes and the animation while sloppy is unique. Not to mention, it's directed by Mamoru Hosoda (the director of Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time). WATCH THIS MOVIE!
227-263(Water 7): Wait where's 225-226? It's Foxy Filler skip it. Anyway, Water 7 is where a lot major event happen and oddly enough it's not the major arc of the franchise. This is where we are introduced to Franky.
One Piece Movie 7: To me this the weakest of the One Piece movies, not to mention all the Gainaxing (TV Tropes look it up)
264-325 (Enies Lobby): This the fourth major arc in the franchise and the one where you will cry in this show the most. I'm not joking. Out of all the animes I have watched in my life, I have cried more in this arc than anything else. Another thing, there are FIVE recap episodes, automatic skip, and there Edo-Period episodes where One Piece is alternatively set in that period.
One Piece Movie 8: Don't bother, it's the Alabasta Arc with the updated art.
326-336 (Ice Hunter Arc): Eh, this arc is filler and is skippable. It's not bad, it's just meh. Do watch the Chopperman episode, that's funny.
337-381 (Thriller Bark): The fifth major arc (?). I can't really tell if this a major arc, I guess you can, but anyway this is where we are introduced to Brook. By the way, remember how I said remember the Reverse Mountain Arc ;)
One Piece Movie 9: Okay so this is a recap movie except with a twist. It retells the Drum Island arc except what if Franky, Robin, and the Thousand Sunny happened first.
382-384 (Spa Island Arc): This is a filler arc, which is the pool party arc and OH NO! FOXY!? DAMNIT! This filler is skippable.
385-421 (Sabody Archipelago and Amazon Lilly Arc): This arc is where everything changes, but I can't call it a major arc. In this arc, the Strawhats are disbanded, but it leaves Luffy to do his own thing which you find out.
426-One Piece Movie 10: Yes there are episodes that actually accompany this movie. People love this movie the best out of One Piece movies, yet while I love it too, Movie 6 is still my favorite, but that's just my taste. Definitely watch this one though.
422-489 (Impel Down and Marineford Arc): This is the sixth major arc in the franchise. Now in this arc, there are recap episodes which are skippable and their are also insight to what the other Strawhats are up to. I found the episodes with the other Strawhats to be skippable, because you get the idea of where they are and that's basically it for now with them. The real focus is on the Luffy in this arc.
One Piece 3D Movie: This movie is the first of One Piece shown with full CGI animation. I thought I was going to hate it, but I actually had fun with it. Just shows how excellent One Piece is.
490-516 (Post Whitebeard War Arc): This arc is the bridge to the time skip. There is filler, but it's important filler, to which...I actually skipped. Honestly, it's backstory to Luffy and Ace, but it reveal THAT much, but there are some things that are important...I'll watch it again someday.
THE TIME SKIP!
517-522 (Return to Sabaody Arc): Ah yes, two years later. Luffy has a giant scar, Zoro lost an eye, Usopp got buff, Sanji has facial hair, Nami and Robin got bigger breasts (Didn't even think that was possible), Franky is even more of robot, Brook changed from classic to funk music, and Chopper...he's still adorable.
523-574 (Fishman Island Arc): The first major arc in the New World...This arc...is too damn long. Personally my least favorite arc in all of One Piece. No sense of camaraderie among the Strawhats and lack of any real stand out moments aside from Tank Franky. But there are a lot of important plot threads here.
Z's Ambition Arc and One Piece Film Z: You don't need to see the episodes for the movie, they're pretty pointless. However, One Piece Film Z is a great great movie. Debatably and possibly better than Strong World. Definitely worth a watch.
579-625 (Punk Hazard Arc): Punk Hazard, an island that is half engulfed in flames and the other half in a Blizzard apocalypse inhabited by the notorious Caesar Clown. This is very good arc. There's emotional depth not to mention more relevant characters here.
*And that's all I can talk about for now, I will most likely update this when Arc finish. |
