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Every One Piece Arc Ranked From Worst to Best
By Dave Aubrey,
2024-08-07
One Piece is one of the most expansive manga series ever written, and it’s no coincidence that it’s also one of the most popular and – in my humble opinion – the best. The series is huge, spanning dozens of arcs over the course of more than 1,100 chapters, but it still follows a central storyline that has always been progressing towards a finale that is quickly approaching.
I’m breaking down every single arc in One Piece, from the worst to the very best. Even the worst One Piece arc is as good as your average shonen story, but the peaks are some of the best you’ll find in any story.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll love One Piece, and if you already know the story as well as I do, you just might agree with my ranking below.
Every list has to start somewhere, and in this list, it’s going to Foxy’s Long Ring Long Land arc. This arc has some really nice worldbuilding doing on, the island archipelago itself is fascinating, and so are the creatures here. But Foxy takes center stage, and he’s annoying. We all knew we weren’t going to actually lose members of the crew here, so unless the Davy Back Fights that this arc introduces are going to be relevant in the future, this will remain at the bottom of the list.
Usopp’s introduction arc is a nice callback to The Boy Who Cried Wolf, written by Aesop, whom Usopp takes half of his name from. The other half is the Japanese word for lie, in case you didn’t get the pun. I love Usopp, but Luffy getting knocked out, Zoro slipping on grease, some of the ridiculous shenanigans… Our powerhouse crew has to be put at a disadvantage, but this? This is why some people give up on One Piece early.
Punk Hazard is the first arc after our crew enters the intimidating New World. The island’s design is very cool, and the backstory tying it into a battle between two admirals? Even cooler. And even though this arc acts as a soft introduction to the motivations of two of the upcoming Four Emperors that the crew needs to take down, it falls flat. Why are the children giant? What is up with the SAD? How do Vergo, Monet, Caesar, and all the other characters introduced here tie into the greater story? You won’t find out until much later, and that makes Punk Hazard feel even more inconsequential than it actually is.
The introduction of Nami, Orange Town is a great introduction to the series’ concept of treasure. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and One Piece means this quite literally. It’s genuinely heartwarming, but Buggy distracts from all of that.
I adore Fishman Island for how it builds the world of One Piece, and by the end of the series I think it’ll be known as the place where many of the endgame secrets were first hinted at. The story of Fisher Tiger, Otohime and the Celestial Dragon, the very first mention of Joyboy – this arc has so much to tantalize the minds of observant fans, but its primary villain feels like a cheap knock-off of Arlong. Hody Jones drags down this entire arc.
Reverse Mountain is another wonderful burst of worldbuilding where Oda shows us what he’s created instead of just telling us about it, and it’s not clear at this moment how unique Reverse Mountain is, or how important the Red Line is. Laboon is cool too, but let’s face it: he became a fan favorite because of his later relevance, not because of this arc. The first mention of Raftel, or “Laugh Tale” is also very nice.
Amazon Lily
The Island of Women ends up welcoming Luffy, for one reason or another.
Luffy’s trip to Amazon Lily is mainly an introduction to Boa Hancock, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but it’s also the first time Luffy’s latent haki abilities are recognized. I’m not a fan of some of the humor at play here, but it acts as a great lead-in to Impel Down.
Return To Sabaody
The first arc that displays the crew's New World designs.
After the Straw Hats spend two years honing their skills they all return to Sabaody, quickly dispatch the same Pacifista robots that were causing them so much trouble the last time they were here, regroup, and bid a tearful farewell to Rayleigh. Not much actually happens here, but it’s full of incredible moments. Zoro being reintroduced by slicing a ship, as we saw Mihawk do in his introduction? Incredible.
Loguetown
Loguetown, named as it's the town of beginnings and endings, prologues and epilogues.
Loguetown is a set-up arc, but each member of the crew leaves an impression on someone in the town, someone that has seen great pirates pass through on their way to the New World. The introduction of Smoker’s Logia fruit is also fantastic, posing a new threat to the until now seemingly-invincible Luffy.
Thriller Bark is a bit of let down given its length, but again, it enriches the world of One Piece massively. The introduction of the Ancient Giants, Moriah talking about how Kaido defeated him, and we can’t forget about the introduction of Brook. Thriller Bark isn’t the most intense arc, but it has some of the best comedy moments in the whole series, and the finale with Kuma ends with one of the series’ most iconic panels.
Sanji’s final farewell to Chef Zeff is what I remember most fondly about this arc. Oda isn’t afraid to have his characters put their emotions on full display, full-on ugly cry, and bare all. It’s beautiful, and Zoro’s altercation with Mihawk is almost enough to make you forget all about Don Krieg and Pearl.
Romance Dawn is the opening to the entire series, and it’s primarily about Luffy, his backstory, and his current-day personality. Alvida is introduced here – a character that still shows up, occasionally, though no longer has any relevance – but more importantly we get the introductions of Zoro, Koby, and Helmeppo, the latter two still being important in the current story more than two decades later.
Jaya
One of the most mysterious islands in the Grand Line.
Jaya is the introduction to the Skypiea arc. The crew meets Cricket and his team of divers that are trying to redeem the legacy of an ancient ancestor, Montblanc Cricket. Luffy quickly becomes attached to them, and although he refused to beat down a rowdy bunch of amateur pirates when they gave the crew shit earlier, those same amateurs stealing Cricket’s treasure is more than enough reason for Luffy to deliver one of the most satisfying punches in the series. Luffy is as consistent as ever: if someone is having their liberties taken from them and they can’t stand up for themselves, he’ll do it for them.
Whiskey Peak
Those aren't needles on those cacti, they're gravestones.
The first proper island the crew visits in the Grand Line welcomes pirates – or at least gets them drunk and murders them. Afraid of having the arc be too boring, Oda follows up a battle between Zoro and dozens of enemy bounty hunters with the introduction of two even stronger foes from evil organization Baroque Works, and another ends up being a princess, pushing the story forward from this point. It’s busy, and things change gears fast, but Whiskey Peak is short and incredibly memorable.
Little Garden comes shortly after Whiskey Peak and introduces the iconic giant duo of Dorry and Broggy. They’re truly fantastic personalities that inspire Usopp to become a more determined and stronger crew member. Plus, Zoro is willing to cut his legs off if the alternative is death. One of the realest.
Chopper’s introduction arc might be the most emotionally charged of the series thus far. Chopper is one of the most adorable characters in the series, and it’s easy to see how his mentor Dr. Hiluluck inspired his outlook on life. It’s one of the sweetest self-contained stories in the whole series, and still manages to drip-feed us hints of what’s coming next.
Skypiea isn’t as beloved as most arcs in the series, but I say that’s slander. Skypiea is fantastic, and might be the first time Oda is truly allowed to flex his worldbuilding skills within a single arc. Yes, the trials were a bit boring, but Enel presents an omnipresent threat as a villain, and the finale is still one of the most thematically resonant arc climaxes of any in the series. Sorry, Skypiea is great, if you disagree you just don’t get it. Bye.
Whole Cake Island
Whole Cake Island reveals that the Four Emperors are not necessarily villains.
Whole Cake Island is primarily about Sanji struggling with his blood ties to his family dragging him away from the crew. He feels cursed by his blood, but is willing to do as they say as long as Luffy and the Straw Hats are free to go. But Luffy can’t become the Pirate King without Sanji, so he goes after him, and this is the crew’s first attack against an Emperor in their own territory, one which they come away from victorious, but only after an ally sacrifices themself. Pedro won’t be forgotten, but he played his part in bringing about the coming dawn.
Dressrosa is too long. I know, okay? I know because I watched this week-to-week. Yes, the anime version, the most prolonged version. It was brutal. But if you read through this arc from start to finish, it’s actually quite brilliant, with a lot of moving parts. It feels like Oda was truly allowed to do everything he wanted in Dressrosa, and that just ended up making it drag out a bit too much.
The first arc that really solidifies One Piece as something special, Arlong Park is when Nami joins the crew officially after Luffy frees her village. This is the first time we’ve had some truly huge emotional stakes at play in the story, and the march to Arlong Park is iconic. This is the first time One Piece becomes peak One Piece.
Buggy’s back, Crocodile’s back, Bon Kurei’s back, and we’ve got some new additions to the action with Ivankov and Jinbe. This is a dramatic prison infiltration and escape arc, with Luffy incidentally breaking scores of prisoners out of the world’s most secure prison in order to save his brother Ace. Fantastic front start to finish.
Alabasta
One of the most bittersweet farewells in all of manga.
One Piece’s first big arc, the Alabasta arc concludes everything that had been built up around Baroque Works through Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island. Crocodile ends up being the big boss, and he’s systematically sucking the moisture from the desert kingdom of Alabasta while making a bid for power. Luffy publicly thwarts Croc’s plans and brings the rain back to Alabasta, restoring peace – for now.
Zou is an interim arc, setting up how the upcoming saga will go, but it’s brilliant. Luffy’s samurai pals have been tagging along throughout two of the series’ longest arcs at this point, and now they finally tell the crew the full truth about where they come from, what happened, and what needs to happen next. The introduction of the Road Poneglyphs make Zou feel like the first arc where the end of the series was in sight, and we’ve been hurtling towards the end of this epic ever since. And I didn't even mention the giant elephant.
If you didn’t know who the true villains of the series were already, you’ll know after Reverie. While the democratic joining of nations is well-intentioned, the kings and queens of those countries turn away when they see Fishman Island’s Princess Shirahoshi being kidnapped. While the cruel Celestial Dragons didn’t get away with it, the tone was set: some rulers are greater than others, and there are quite literally no crimes deserving of punishment for those at the top.
Post Enies Lobby
The Going Merry is, well, gone, and a new ship is taking her place.
Enies Lobby is an incredible arc, and once it wraps up the crew is resting at Water 7 when the Marines show up. Then we just get reveal after reveal, worldbuilding on worldbuilding. Luffy’s personal connection to the biggest characters in the story is finally cemented, and the goal of defeating the Four Emperors is in sight, even if it’s over a decade away. Oh, and Koby and Helmeppo come back, too! Isn’t that nice.
Wano Country
A true masterpiece that represents everything that is great about One Piece.
The most recent completed arc, Wano Country is the summation of a decade of build from Oda. Everything the crew goes through on Punk Hazard, Dressrosa, and Zou, all leads to this. Wano feels like a living and breathing place, filled with an eclectic cast of colorful characters. You will laugh, you will cry, this arc is the spirit of One Piece. This also marks the climax of the Four Emperors saga, taking down both Big Mom and Kaido. Everything from here is the final saga.
Luffy’s crushing defeat and personal loss in the Marineford arc turns him into an unrecognizable emotional wreck. He’s irrational, impulsive, angry, upset, and so intensely human. For a few moments he had entirely lost all of his boundless hope and optimism, and it left him hollow. The fact that Luffy comes back from this, rebuilds his character stronger, and uses those losses to inform his next moves is inspirational. These are the moments in stories that leave a lasting impression on people, and this is why One Piece is still so popular and influential.
Marineford/Paramount War
For shonen battle manga fans, this is the best of the best.
Marineford acts as yet another multi-arc climax, as our emotions aren’t given a chance to settle during Sabaody Archipelago, Amazon Lily, and Impel Down. Marineford represents one of the most crushing losses in the series, and completely changes the tone of the story going forward. Everything Luffy and the crew accomplish after this arc is both because of, and in spite of, Marineford.
Sabaody Archipelago
Sabaody Archipelago is the site of the Straw Hats' first defeat.
Sabaody Archipelago itself is another wonderful moment to flex Oda’s worldbuilding talent, but then there’s the introduction of the Worst Generation of pirates that rival the Straw Hat crew, the Celestial Dragons, the laws of the One Piece world… The ending of Sabaody Archipelago is truly unforgettable, but even without that moment it would be a fantastic arc.
Egghead isn’t even over yet, at the time of writing, but it has been non-stop sensational. Again Oda’s worldbuilding skills are being put to work crafting Egghead Island, but the way character stories have been recontextualized and intertwined is masterful. Without spoiling anything, Egghead Island starts up as an unassuming build-up arc like Zou or Return To Sabaody, but it’s anything but. Oh, and everything that’s happened off of Egghead Island since leaving Wano? Incredible. What a story.
Water 7 layers mystery on mystery, and starts breaking down how the crew functions at its core. The Going Merry is broken and can’t be repaired, Usopp is questioning his role in the crew, Robin is being coerced away by a mysterious group, and the crew doesn’t seem to have an answer to any of it. Until they discover Robin is sacrificing herself for their sake – that’s when they know exactly what they have to do.
Enies Lobby (The Best One Piece Arc)
Enies Lobby helps the crew reform stronger than ever.
What the crew has to do following Water 7 is save Robin. Water 7 and Enies Lobby are inseparable for me, as all of the emotional highs and resonant moments of this arc are built up in the one prior. Totally unique character Sogeking makes an appearance, helping Usopp find new confidence in his position as a crewmember, and Robin is finally able to admit to herself that she wants to live freely.
This arc just might be One Piece’s peak, even now, but it’s certainly its emotional peak when you first experience it. For many this is the first arc that demonstrates Oda’s skill as a writer, and the importance of all the worldbuilding details you might’ve glanced over as a first-time reader. Enies Lobby is the first arc that cements One Piece as something truly special, and although the upcoming arcs may never hit the same highs as this one for some, you won’t want to stop reading.
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