January 07, 2025
One Piece | Watching Guide | Guide for New Nakama
One Piece is a huge and time intensive endeavor that is daunting to start. This guide will help you figure out how to watch the series on your schedule!
>Buy: One Piece Products & Merchandise
Buy: One Piece Products & Merchandise
Imagine setting sail into the most expansive storytelling ocean in anime history. Welcome to One Piece, a journey that's less about watching a show and more about embarking on a grand adventure.
Since its debut, Eiichiro Oda's masterpiece has grown into a behemoth of storytelling, with more twists than the Grand Line and more paths to experience it than there are islands in the New World. Each route offers a unique voyage, from lightning-fast abridged versions to marathon-length epic expeditions.
In this guide, we'll chart the various routes through the One Piece universe. Some will be efficient, some comprehensive, some experimental, but all promise an unforgettable voyage into a story that has captured the imagination of millions worldwide.
TL;DR Recommended Reading Order:
- If you're short on time: One Pace
- If you love reading: Manga Route
- If you want the full experience: The Completionist Route
- If you're curious: Netflix live-action
- If you're patient: Wait for The One Piece
Filler Episodes and Arcs | To Skip or Not to Skip
One Piece is a long anime, there’s no way around that, but there’s plenty of good news for people who just want all the canon content in the series. As most anime watchers know, most anime series have what we can call “filler” episodes. One Piece is no exception to that.
As a whole, only around 10% of the series is filler. Now, 10% at first may not sound as much, but considering that the series has more than 1000 episodes, that means you can technically skip over 100 episodes. Whether you’re stuck in a filler arc, or think the series might be way too long for you, go ahead, and skip those. There’s no canon content on the fillers and many of these filler arcs can be a buzzkill when they are stuck right in between great arcs.
I do have to make a special remark here in favor of the G-8 filler arc, which I consider to be the only actually good filler arc.
Here’s a list of all the filler arcs in One Piece up until the Egghead Arc:
|
Filler Arc |
Episodes |
|
Warship Island |
54-61 |
|
Post Arabasta |
131-135 |
|
Goat Island |
136-138 |
|
Ruluka Island |
139-143 |
|
G-8 |
196-206 |
|
Ocean’s Dream |
220-224 |
|
Foxy’s Return |
225-228 |
|
Ice Hunter |
326-335 |
|
Spa Island |
382-384 |
|
Little East Blue |
426-429 |
|
Z’s Ambition |
575-578 |
|
Caesar Retrieval |
626-628 |
|
Silver Mine |
747-750 |
|
Marine Rookie |
780-782 |
|
Cidre Guild |
895-896 |
|
Uta’s Past |
1029-1030 |
The Completionist | Watching the Entire One Piece Series, Movies, and Specials
As you can assume from the name, this route means watching the full anime, with all the fillers included. This truly represents the full extent of the anime, but there’s more than just the 1000+ episodes to watch here.
To get the completionist route complete, you’ll also have to cover the TV specials and the movies. The quality and content of these episodes can vary a lot. Some are basically filler, some are recaps of previous events, and some expand the world of One Piece.
Here’s a list of these specials:
|
Special |
Episode |
|
Luffy Falls! Adventure in the Uncharted Ocean's Navel |
Aired after Ep. 52 |
|
Open Upon the Great Sea! A Father’s huge, HUGE Dream! |
Aired after Ep. 149 |
|
Protect! The Last Great Performance |
Aired after Ep. 174 |
|
The Detective Memoirs of Chief Straw Hat Luffy |
Aired after Ep. 253 |
|
Episode of Nami: Tears of a Navigator and the Bonds of Friend |
Aired after Ep. 560 |
|
Episode of Luffy: Adventure in Hand Island |
Aired after Ep. 578 |
|
An episode of Merry: The Tale of One More Friend |
Aired after Ep. 608 |
|
3D2Y: Overcome Ace’s Death! Luffy’s Vow to His Friends |
Aired after Ep. 658 |
|
Episode of Sabo: Bond of Three Brothers - A Miraculous Reunion and an Inherited Will |
Aired after Ep. 705 |
|
Adventure of Nebulandia |
Aired after Ep. 722 |
|
Heart Of Gold |
Aired after Ep. 749 |
|
Episode Of East Blue: Luffy and His 4 Crewmates' Big Adventure |
Special Episode |
|
Episode of Sky Island |
Special Episode |
|
One Piece Fan Letter |
Special Episode |
Some of these special episodes are recaps of events in the series, reanimated versions, and extended scenes, not to mention abridged versions of entire arcs. There’s also One Piece Fan Letter which shows a beautiful, different point of view to the Straw Hats reunion on Sabaody. It also gives glimpses into the One Piece world from the perspective of the normal people who live in it.
But, this is the Ultimate Experience we’re talking about! This goes far beyond the special episodes! One Piece also has a ton of movies. Just like everything in the series, these movies are incredibly unique and varied. While most of the movies are NOT canon, there are some mixed elements here and there that kinda fall in a grey area. Still, as a completionist, you must watch all of these to be able to have the Ultimate Experience.
Here’s a list of the movies for you:
|
Title |
Release Date |
|
One Piece: The Movie |
March 4, 2000 |
|
Clockwork Island Adventure |
March 3, 2001 |
|
Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals |
March 2, 2002 |
|
Dead End Adventure |
March 1, 2003 |
|
The Cursed Holy Sword |
March 6, 2004 |
|
Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island |
March 5, 2005 |
|
The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle |
March 4, 2006 |
|
Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates |
March 3, 2007 |
|
Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura |
March 1, 2008 |
|
One Piece Film: Strong World |
December 12, 2009 |
|
One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase |
March 19th, 2011 |
|
One Piece Film: Z |
December 15, 2012 |
|
One Piece Film: Gold |
July 23, 2016 |
|
One Piece: Stampede |
August 9, 2019 |
|
One Piece Film: Red |
August 6, 2022 |
The Speedrun | One Pace
The most common complaints about One Piece are that it’s too long and its pacing can be too slow. That what brought to life the community-project called One Pace, a fan-made solution for fans frustrated by the pacing issues and the length of the original anime.
Essentially, One Pace is a fan-driven effort to re-edit the anime, trimming down extended scenes and unnecessary reactions while keeping the core story intact. Think of it like a more efficient roadmap through the One Piece world - same destination, faster journey. Each edit is carefully crafted, with fans meticulously working to preserve critical plot points, emotional moments, and key action sequences. It's not about cutting corners, but about creating a version of the anime that feels more true to the original story's energy.
Keep in mind that One Pace is completely unofficial. It's a fan project, which means the quality and availability can vary. For those curious about an alternative way to experience One Piece, it offers an interesting - if unofficial - viewing option.
The Purist | Manga Reading
This is the most traditional and most authentic way to get the purest One Piece experience out there. The manga is the complete original blueprint, directly from the hands of Oda sensei.
Reading the manga also allows you to sail at your own pace, consuming chapters one after another as quickly or slowly as you want. It also serves as an easier way to keep track of references and foreshadowing, as you can go and quickly check back on them going straight to the chapter and panel you want.
The manga has no filler either and it even has extended canon content we never get to see in the anime. This extra content comes in the form of special cover stories that expand on the One Piece world. Of course, there’s also the always-funny and interesting SBS section (Shitsumon o Boshū Suru? - "I'm Taking Questions"). This is an extra column featured in most tankoban collections of the manga where Oda answers some fan questions and gives more insight when inquired about it.
The Newbies | Netflix Live Action
Alright, alright, hear me out. Let’s be real, the Netflix live action adaptation is, at this time, more of a curiosity than a full One Piece experience. Probably the best way to include this adaptation in the list would be as an entry point for newcomers unfamiliar with the source material.
It is a very reimagined version of the series which covers an adapted version of the East Blue saga. The live action skips a lot of the original content, not to mention that it also changes a lot of the narrative. The first season retells the origin stories of Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji, compressed into eight episodes. It hits the major narrative beats of the manga with unexpected heart and humor with some very unique twists on the source material, some good, some… not-so-good.
However, as a true One Piece-watching route, it falls dramatically short. The live-action format limits the wild imagination of Oda's world, the fantastical Devil Fruits, impossible fighting styles, and over-the-top character designs that make One Piece unique.
Patience | Wit Studio's "The One Piece"
At the time of writing, The One Piece from WIT Studio remains more of a whispered promise than a concrete watching route. Announced with little concrete detail, this remake sits somewhere between anticipation and uncertainty. While the project has generated excitement among fans dreaming of a more streamlined One Piece, the reality is that very little is actually known about it. WIT Studio's involvement sparks interest, given their reputation from anime like Attack on Titan and Spy x Family, but the actual execution remains a complete mystery.
For now, this isn't so much a "watching route" as it is a potential future option. Fans curious about this adaptation would be advised to keep an eye on official announcements, but not to put their One Piece journey on hold waiting for a project with no confirmed release date or format.
Choosing Your One Piece Adventure
One Piece isn’t just another story, it’s a journey, an adventure. Navigating the world of One Piece is like charting a course through the Grand Line - complex, unpredictable, and uniquely personal. No two fans will find their way through this epic story exactly the same.
Remember, the most important thing isn't how you watch One Piece, but how you start the journey. Every route leads to an incredible world of dreams, friendship, adventure, and the unbridled spirit of freedom that defines the series.
So pick your ship, hoist your flag, and set sail. Your One Piece adventure awaits.
Buy: One Piece Keychains
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the One Piece manga?
+How long is the One Piece anime?
+What is the quickest way to watch One Piece?
+How much of One Piece is filler?
+What is the new series called “The One Piece”?
+Are there any One Piece movies?
+How much does Netflix’s One Piece live action series cover?
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The ever-expanding world of One Piece has an immense amount of characters, most of whom feel so alive it’s almost like they...
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