In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the One Piece anime, Toei Animation is conducting an official poll to determine the 30 best scenes in the anime. People can vote for scenes from the beginning of the anime up to the most recent episodes of the Egghead Island arc, and the official results will be revealed in August for One Piece Day 2024.

The official results of One Piece’s top scenes won’t be revealed in August, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to see until then. Toei Animation has released an interim report of the current top 10 scenes in the One Piece anime, all of which are scenes that have constantly been hailed as the best scenes in all of One Piece.

The top 10 are subject to change by the time the results are finalized, but just the interim report does a great job of showcasing which parts of One Piece have meant the most to fans over the years.

10

Gear 5’s First Appearance Changed the Series Forever

Scene from One Piece episode 1071, “Luffy’s Peak – Attained! Fifth Gear”

One Piece episode #1071, “Luffy’s Peak – Attained! Fifth Gear”, introduced a major twist with the reveal that Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit was the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. Going right along with that, Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit and took on a new form he dubbed Gear 5, the peak of his power, and prepared to finish things with Kaido, once and for all.

The reveal of Gear 5 was one of the biggest moments in the One Piece manga, and the anime more than did it justice. Gear 5’s debut in the anime had some of the most creative and all-around gorgeous direction in all of One Piece, with every moment fully committing to the gimmick of Gear 5 making Luffy a cartoon character. The scene was a perfect illustration of how effective animation can be, and it’s no wonder it’s held in such high regard, despite how recent it is.

9

Sanji’s Confession Made For One of One Piece’s Most Emotional Moments

Scene from One Piece episode 825, “A Liar! Luffy and Sanji!!”

In One Piece episode #825, “A Liar! Luffy and Sanji!!”, Sanji tried once again to make Luffy leave Whole Cake Island, but Luffy, knowing that they both knew Pudding’s true colors, yelled at Sanji to tell him his true feelings. Sanji tried to remain distant, but his resolve wavered due to how distraught he was from everything that happened with Pudding and Reiju, and Sanji cried as he finally admitted that he wanted to go back to the crew.

Sanji accepting that he could trust his friends to help him made for incredible and emotional character work, and the animation, music, and overall direction of the scene did a great job of selling that in animation. Sanji’s confession was a great moment for his character, and best of all, it paved the way for plenty more great moments from Sanji in the years to follow.

8

Ace’s Death Marked a Turning Point for One Piece

Scene from One Piece episode 483, “Looking for the Answer! Fire Fist Ace Dies on the Battlefield!”

In One Piece episode #483, “Looking for the Answer! Fire Fist Ace Dies on the Battlefield!”, everyone scrambled to try and save Ace after he was fatally wounded by Akainu, but Ace knew better than anyone that it was too late. Ace used his last moments to thank Luffy, Whitebeard, and everyone else for loving him and giving meaning to his life, and he then died in Luffy’s arms.

Ace’s death is undoubtedly one of the most emotional moments in all of One Piece. Not only was it the first explicit death outside of a flashback, but the emotional weight of Ace finally realizing it was okay for him to be born and thanking everyone for that perfectly closed out his arc and made his death all the more poignant for it. It’s a moment that changed One Piece forever, and it’s easily one of the anime’s best.

7

Zoro’s Sacrifice Showed Why He’s Luffy’s Second-in-Command

Scene from One Piece episode 377, “The Pain of My Crewmates Is My Pain! Zoro’s Desperate Fight!”

In One Piece episode #377, “The Pain of My Crewmates Is My Pain! Zoro’s Desperate Fight!”, Zoro, in a desperate attempt to save Luffy from Bartholomew Kuma, took on all the pain Luffy had suffered in the fight against Gecko Moria. Everyone awoke thinking that Kuma just decided to let them off, but Sanji found Zoro standing in a pool of blood, and when asked about it, Zoro said that nothing happened.

Zoro’s sacrifice, commonly referred to as just “Nothing happened”, is a scene that’s always talked about in One Piece. Zoro’s willingness to sacrifice himself to protect Luffy perfectly encapsulated his dedication, and the iconic shots of Zoro surrounded by blood while barely being able to stand made that even more impactful. It was the perfect way of ending the Thriller Bark arc, and it’s easily Zoro’s most iconic moment in all of One Piece.

6

Vivi’s Farewell Forever Marked Her As an Honorary Straw Hat

Scene from One Piece episode 129, “It All Started On That Day! Vivi Tells the Story of Her Adventure!”

One Piece episode #129, “It All Started On That Day! Vivi Tells the Story of Her Adventure!”, marked the end of Vivi’s time with the Straw Hat Pirates, Vivi deciding that she didn’t want to leave Alabasta again. The Straw Hats couldn’t directly acknowledge Vivi because the Marines were nearby, but they all displayed the marks they drew on their arms as a group, which told Vivi that they would always see her as a crewmate and a friend.

The Straw Hats showing that they’ll always see Vivi as one of them with no words made for one of One Piece’s most heartwarming moments, and the direction of the scene does a great job of selling that in every adaptation of the arc. The scene cemented Vivi as an unforgettable part of the story, and it will be great to see her finally return to prominence in the final saga.

5

Robin Regains Her Will To Live in One of One Piece’s Best Scenes

Scene from One Piece episode 278, “Say You Want to Live! We Are Your Friends!!”

One Piece episode #278, “Say You Want to Live! We Are Your Friends!!”, finished telling Robin’s tragic backstory and had Robin once again insist that the Straw Hats not let themselves die over her. Things soon escalated to Luffy telling Sogeking to burn the World Government flag, an act synonymous with declaring war on the world, and with everyone going so far for her, Robin finally cried out that she wanted to live and go back with everyone.

After spending numerous episodes exploring Robin’s suffering, seeing Robin accept that it’s okay for her to live and that she has people who care about her was incredibly cathartic, especially with how much the direction emphasized the Straw Hats as a beacon of hope for Robin. The scene is easily one of the most iconic in all of One Piece, and it’s easy to see why it’s held in such high regard.

4

One Piece Created a Gorgeous Filler Scene With Yamato

Scene from One Piece episode 1015, “Straw Hat Luffy – The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King”

One Piece episode #1015, “Straw Hat Luffy – The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King”, continued the flashback of Yamato’s history with Ace and got to the point of Ace revealing Luffy’s dream to Yamato. Thanks to Oden’s journal, Yamato realized that Luffy and Roger had the same dream, all of which was expressed through him watching the two talk about it like it was happening in real time.

Yamato learning about Luffy’s dream was essentially a filler scene, but it’s easy to see why it ranked so highly. The art, animation, and direction all do an amazing job of highlighting the similarities between Luffy and Roger and how big it was for Yamato to see all of that, and it was the biggest showing of Luffy inheriting Roger’s will, by far. The scene was the definite highlight of episode #1015, and it being largely original makes that even better.

3

Nami’s Cry For Help Was One Piece’s First Big Emotional Moment

Scene from One Piece episode 37, “Luffy Rises! Result of the Broken Promise!”

In One Piece episode #37, “Luffy Rises! Result of the Broken Promise!”, Nami realizes that Arlong will never let her buy back her village, and to make things worse, she can’t stop the villagers from throwing their lives away to fight back. Nami finally cried out for help from Luffy, and Luffy agreed to do so at the top of his lungs after giving her his straw hat.

Nami’s cry for help was a great moment for both Nami and Luffy. Not only did it show that Nami had finally stopped trying to handle things on her own, but Luffy giving her his hat, something he was always protective about, showed just how much he had grown to care about Nami. Nami’s cry for help is one of the most emotional moments in all of One Piece, and over 20 years later, it’s still one of the anime’s best moments.

2

Corazon’s Last Words to Law Will Always Be a Tearjerker

Scene from One Piece episode 706, “Advance, Law! The Kindhearted Man’s Final Fight!”

In One Piece episode #706, “Advance, Law! The Kindhearted Man’s Final Fight!”, Doflamingo learned of Corazon’s betrayal and had him cornered on Minion Island to try and get the Op-Op Fruit. To protect Law, Corazon hid him in a treasure chest and used his Calm-Calm Fruit to keep him silent, and Corazon, knowing full well that he was about to die, told Law he loved him before hiding him away.

The dichotomy between Corazon knowing he’s going to die and Law’s ignorance made his death even more heartwrenching, and Corazon still finding it in him to give Law a goofy smile only further added to the tragedy. Corazon telling Law he loves him is the only top-ranked One Piece scene to not involve the Straw Hats in any way, and that’s a true testament to the overall quality of the series.

1

Merry’s Funeral Is Still One of One Piece’s Saddest Moments

Scene from One Piece episode 312, “Thank You, Merry! Snow Falls over the Parting Sea!”

In One Piece episode #312, “Thank You, Merry! Snow Falls over the Parting Sea!”, the joy of saving Robin was interrupted by the Going Merry falling apart at the seams, and the Straw Hats were forced to put her to rest. As Merry burned, Luffy apologized to Merry’s spirit for how they always got her hurt, but Merry was just happy to be with them before she finally died.

Merry’s impending death was at the heart of a lot of the drama in the Water 7 arc, and when it finally came time for her to die, the One Piece anime’s direction did everything to make Merry’s death as sad as possible. Even with the Straw Hats getting a new ship, Merry’s death and time with everyone will never be forgotten, and it’s no wonder her death is considered the best scene in the One Piece anime.

Source: One Piece official X account.