You don’t always need a piece of this.
There’s only one band of motley crew pirates led by a plucky young guy in a straw hat – and boy does One Piece have enough episodes to prove it. But which of these are filler you can skip?
First airing on screens back in the late 1990s, the series is now over 1,000 episodes deep, with new One Piece episodes still airing now with an ending still quite far away.
The show follows a legendary high-seas quest, with Luffy setting off from his small village with a big dream to become the King of the Pirates. Along the way, Luffy and his friends get into plenty of scrapes and strange situations, leading to his current fight with arch-rival Kaido.
The appetite for more episodes isn’t letting up, with Luffy’s Gear 5 recently animated for the first time ever. On top of this, fans can no stream the live-action version of Luffy’s adventures over on Netflix.
But before all of that, it can be difficult for first-time viewers to know where to start for the best. If you’re wanting to watch One Piece in order but are short of time, here’s a comprehensive guide of the One Piece episodes you do – and definitely don’t – need to get into the swing of all things pirate.
Which One Piece episodes are essential to watch?
The great thing about One Piece is that there are so many episodes to watch – but that can also be a downside.
For those who want to get into the anime but have never seen an episode before, it can feel exceptionally daunting to wade into such a high level of episodes.
Before you give up on Luffy and the gang, fear not… there are a few episodes that are absolutely essential viewing for any type of One Piece fan.
Find the unmissable episodes below:
- Season 1, episode 1: “I’m Luffy! The Man Who’s Gonna Be King of the Pirates!”
- Season 8, episode 239: “The Criminals Are the Straw Hat Pirates? The Bodyguards of Water 7”
- Season 9, episode 278: “Say You Want to Live! We Are Friends!!”
- Season 10, episode 373: “The Conclusion Arrives! Deliver the Finishing Blow”
- Season 11, episode 402: “Overwhelming! The Navy’s Fighting Weapons, the Pacifistas”
- Season 14, episode 483: “Looking for the Answer! Fire Fist Ace Dies on the Battlefield”
- Season 15, episode 517: “The Beginning of The New Chapter! The Straw Hats Reunited!”
- Season 17, episode 658: “A Big Surprise! A True Identity of the Toy Soldier!”
Each of these episodes is crucial to understanding the overall plot, revealing vital information that viewers cannot afford to skip over.
Which One Piece filler episodes can you skip?
At the same time, there are plenty of One Piece filler episodes that purely feel as though they are filling a gap.
The so-called filler episodes don’t really add any value or new information to the overall One Piece story, whittling down the overall series watchlist to something much more palatable.
If you only want to watch essential One Piece episodes, avoid the below filler arcs:
- Episodes 54-61: Warship Island arc
- Episodes 131-135: Post-Arabasta arc
- Episodes 136-138: Goat Island arc
- Episodes 139-143: Ruluka Island arc
- Episodes 196-206: G-8 arc
- Episodes 220-224: Ocean’s Dream arc
- Episodes 225 and 226: Foxy’s return arc
- Episodes 326-335: Ice Hunter arc
- Episodes 382-384: Spa Island arc
- Episodes 426-429: Little East Blue arc
- Episodes 575-578: Z’s Ambition arc
- Episodes 626-628: Caesar’s Retrieval arc
- Episodes 747-750: Silver Mine arc
- Episodes 780-782: Marine Rookie arc
- Episodes 895-896: Cidre Guild arc
Skipping the above episodes will still bring you back up to speed with the Wano Country arc, which is currently airing on a weekly basis.
The live-action One Piece series could also be considered to be filler, as it recounts the same sequence of events as seen in the East Blue saga. That being said, there are plenty of changes made along the way, meaning there’s a brand-new perspective ready for viewers to watch.
Where to watch One Piece in the UK
One Piece episodes are currently available for UK viewers to watch on Crunchyroll, Disney Plus and Funimation. The live-action One Piece series is also available to stream on Netflix.
You can catch One Piece on Crunchyroll. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on.
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