The Best One Piece Moments of All Time

The Straw Hat Pirates’ sprawling escapade crossed the Grand Line has been a staple of anime ever since the precocious 90s, and with much than 1000 episodes, it’s just to accidental that One Piece has had much than a fewer unforgettable moments. Narrowing down this database to conscionable 10 of the champion moments from One Piece was an extraordinarily hard task, and immoderate pugnacious cuts had to beryllium made, but regardless, present are our picks for the apical 10 One Piece moments, arsenic of occurrence 1088 of the anime.

Note of people that by the precise quality of this feature, determination are going to beryllium major spoilers for One Piece. We are holding thing backmost here, but we volition pass you earlier each introduction what occurrence the spoiler covers truthful you tin skip the ones you haven’t travel crossed yet.

10. Luffy’s Pain (Episode 377)

This infinitesimal is what solidified Zoro arsenic the badass of the Straw Hat crew. With Luffy exhausted from his conflict with Pirate Warlord Moria and the Straw Hats taken retired by Warlord Kuma, Zoro is the lone 1 near standing. Realizing helium can’t triumph against Kuma, Zoro offers his beingness successful speech for Luffy’s. Kuma agrees, but lone if Zoro tin instrumentality connected Luffy’s injuries arsenic his own. This affectional infinitesimal is erstwhile Zoro’s enslaved with his crewmates solidified, proving that contempt being a pirate hunter, helium was consenting to springiness up his beingness to spare theirs.

9. Red Leg’s Leg (Episode 26)

Sanji has 1 of the saddest backstories successful each of One Piece. He conscionable can’t drawback a break. Young Sanji could attraction little astir pirates, particularly Zeff, who was stranded connected a deserted land with him. Nonetheless, the subtlety of Zeff’s actions made for a heartwarming infinitesimal erstwhile Sanji finds retired that Zeff sacrificed his limb truthful helium could live. The information that Sanji thought Zeff was a rotten, no-good pirate the full time, lone to find retired that he’s 1 of the astir selfless radical he’s ever met is 1 of One Piece’s astir memorable moments.

8. Arrival of the Worst (Episode 1015)

“Roof Piece!” It’s the word fans were throwing astir starring up to the extremity of the epic Wano communicative arc. It was lone a substance of clip earlier this confrontation happened and, ohio boy, did the anime measurement it up! Knowing instrumentality expectations were high, Toei intelligibly went supra and beyond for the episode. From the entranceway of the Worst Generation to Luffy’s stroll past the Emperors and Kin’emon’s heartfelt plea, the emotions physique successful an unthinkable melodramatic crescendo, accented with speedy flashes of their travel up to that constituent arsenic acold backmost arsenic Raizo’s information and Pedro’s sacrifice. Finally, we spot Luffy’s vibrant Red Roc punch with “We Are” booming successful the inheritance to travel 1 of the biggest smackdowns successful each of anime. In lone astir 5 minutes, the series makes america admit the agelong and winding travel Luffy has been on, and wherefore it’s truthful special.

7. Ultimate Defeat (Episode 405)

The Saboady arc is jam-packed afloat of game-changing moments, but there’s 1 infinitesimal that helped specify who the Straw Hats are that came astatine the hands of the stoic, overpowered Kuma. Up until this point, Luffy and the unit were capable to flooded adjacent the astir hard of challenges, but determination was nary flight from the utter devastation that took spot connected the archipelago. Even Luffy knew they didn’t person a chance, and he’s not 1 to springiness up truthful easily. As helium watches his friends statesman to disappear, helium yells retired successful desperation to escape, not knowing it was futile. When he’s yet the past 1 standing, Luffy can’t assistance but outcry successful agony for not being beardown capable to prevention his friends. It’s the archetypal clip we’ve seen our plucky protagonist truthful vulnerable. With the last disappearance of the Straw Hats, we were near successful shock, and it was wide from this constituent connected the unit would ne'er beryllium the aforesaid aft suffering specified a dreadful defeat.

6. Don’t Be Mad…(Episode 396)

We can’t speech astir the erstwhile infinitesimal without besides mentioning the inciting incidental that led to it. If determination was a database for best, oregon astatine the precise least, astir cathartic singular punch successful each of anime, this punch would beryllium astatine the top. There isn’t a azygous idiosyncratic with a beating bosom who watched Episode 396 that wasn’t begging Luffy to bushed the heck retired of Saint Charlos astatine Sabaody, and erstwhile helium yet did, antheral did Luffy marque it count. What makes this truthful peculiar is the build-up and payoff. After spending the past fewer episodes learning wherefore the Celestial Dragons are fundamentally untouchable, and the superior consequences that travel with laying a manus connected them, it’s each the much shocking erstwhile Luffy strikes him down anyhow without a 2nd thought.

5. The Punch That Changed the World (Episode 483)

The conflict betwixt the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates rages connected arsenic Luffy and Ace yet statesman their escape. In a little infinitesimal of desperation, everything changed. The dependable of crying fills the aerial arsenic Akainu’s magma fist plunges done the backmost of Ace, taking his beingness successful beforehand of Luffy. In Ace’s past heartfelt words, helium acknowledgment everyone for loving him arsenic helium dies connected the battlefield. We consciousness the value down Ace’s decease arsenic we are stuck watching Luffy successful disbelief, realizing that his beingness has everlastingly changed.

4. A Funeral (Episode 312)

It whitethorn look unusual to beryllium emotionally invested successful an inanimate entity similar a pirate ship, but One Piece fans are built different. The “funeral” of the Going Merry had america shedding existent tears implicit a dying boat. The mode the absorption shifts from each unit subordinate arsenic they relive their ain instauration to the Merry portion somber euphony plays successful the inheritance is conscionable truthful beautifully done. Then there’s the one-two affectional gutpunch of proceeding the Merry’s disembodied dependable saying, “I’m sorry, I privation I could person taken you farther.” followed by Luffy breaking down and apologizing for each small happening helium ever did to the ship. It each adds up to 1 of the astir bosom wrenching moments successful each of One Piece.

3. Luffy… Help Me… (Episode 37)

The country featuring Luffy and Nami during the Arlong Park arc is 1 of the astir defining moments for the Straw Hat crew. At this point, we’ve known Nami arsenic a scheming, assured pistillate who tin instrumentality attraction of herself, but her dire concern with the Arlong Pirates brings her to tears arsenic her household and friends hole to combat to the death. Seeing Nami driblet to the crushed successful despair, screaming successful choler arsenic she attempts to chopped her despised Arlong tattoo from her ain soma is arsenic brutal arsenic it is sad. It's astatine this infinitesimal that we spot a antithetic broadside of Luffy that’s calm and serious. With the past ounce of Nami’s stubbornness whittling away, she yet says to Luffy, “Help me”. With Nami astatine her lowest point, Luffy gifts her his treasured straw chapeau and exclaims, “Of people I will!” This infinitesimal has go 1 of the astir iconic successful the bid due to the fact that it encapsulates what makes it large and shows wherefore it’s truthful beloved amongst fans.

2. The Return of a Legend (Episode 1071)

Though its spot connected this database mightiness beryllium controversial, Gear 5 was an lawsuit truthful large that it astir broke the internet. It’s the cleanable culmination of Luffy’s travel frankincense far. His delightful romp astir Onigashima successful Gear 5 was not lone a joyousness to behold from an animation standpoint, but 1 that besides marks Luffy’s all-important ascension into the fabled Joyboy – a infinitesimal that some tastefully encapsulates each that has occurred arsenic good arsenic foreshadows the coming epic of Luffy’s last steps successful becoming the King of Pirates.

1. I Want to Live! (Episode 278)

This infinitesimal of payoff was a 100 episodes successful the making. Ever since she near the Straw Hats without saying a connection retired of fearfulness of losing her friends similar she mislaid her household connected Ohara, we had been waiting for Robin to bash something, anything, to amusement immoderate benignant of absorption to the ruthless and weasley Spandam. That infinitesimal yet comes successful occurrence 278, where, upon gazing astatine her skipper and crewmates connected the different broadside of Enies Lobby, and seeing that they’re consenting to spell to warfare adjacent with the World Government if it means having her successful their lives, Robin yet responds to Luffy successful 1 wide voice. And that’s each that Luffy needed.

What were immoderate of your favourite moments successful One Piece? Let america cognize successful the comments, and if you privation much anime, cheque retired our database of the apical 10 anime of each time, on with our database of the biggest anime coming successful 2024. And for everything else, support it present connected IGN.

Note: This ranking was updated connected April 7, 2025. It was primitively published connected Feb. 27, 2020.

This database was written by Mitchell Saltzman, Mike Mamon, Jay Park, and Rosie Knight, a fewer of the biggest One Piece fans astatine IGN. Thanks for checking it out, and fto america cognize successful the comments which moments would marque your apical moments successful One Piece list!