Given that One Piece has 1000+ episodes and has become one of the most well-known and adored anime series in the world over the course of over two decades, it undoubtedly has a fair proportion of episodes that are significantly better than the others. One Piece's single ongoing storyline makes it a bit harder to highlight outstanding episodes, but there are a few that stick in fans' memories and represent the pirate adventure story at its best.
Unsurprisingly, many of these episodes feature fights against the Straw Hats' most formidable foes, but others have simply some of the most dramatic or epic moments in the series. Some One Piece episodes are just noticeably superior to others, whether it's because they have fantastic animation, showcase epic villains, or have significant events taking place.
10 Episode #1000: Overwhelming Strength! The Straw Hats Come Together
One Piece is one of the few series in any medium to reach 1000 episodes, and it celebrated this milestone in style. The plot of the episode deals with the Minks battling Kaido and Jack, while the Straw Hats and their allies gather together to take on the Beast Pirates' Tobiroppo. However, this episode is truly memorable for a nostalgic montage celebrating all the adventures that the Straw Hats have been on for the past thousand episodes, complete with an updated version of the original One Piece opening, "We Are." Episode 1000 was the perfect moment of celebration for long-standing fans of One Piece.
9 Episode #37: Luffy Stands Up! End of a Broken Promise
The early episodes of One Piece are often somewhat dated in terms of animation but contain some classical emotional moments. Episode 37, "Luffy Stands Up!" was one of the first times viewers saw how dark One Piece could get, as well as how emotionally resonant. The episode features Nami realizing the depths of Arlong's cruelty as he steals the money she had saved up, sparking a village rebellion and forcing Nami to ask for Luffy's help, despite rejecting him all the way to that point. In one of the moments that will stay with One Piece fans forever, Luffy puts his treasured hat on Nami's head, and yells "Of course I will!", before moving for Arlong's Park. As the camera pans out, it reveals the other Straw Hats waiting for him in silence, all ready to put their lives on the line for their comrade.
8 Episode #405: Disappearing Crew - The Final Day of the Straw Hat Crew
In this episode, the Straw Hat suffer their first real defeat. After arriving in the Sabaody Archipelago and antagonizing a Celestial Dragon, the crew learns that the second half of the Grand Line is full of "monsters", such as Admiral Kizaru and the Warlord Kuma, who proceeds to swat every member of the Straw Hats away using his Devil Fruit powers.
Despite this episode not seeing a character's death, it was extremely sad for fans to watch. This is the episode where the Straw Hats, particularly Luffy, realize just how weak they actually are. Fortunately, Kuma was actually helping the Straw Hats by giving them a chance to escape from Kizaru and land in a place where they could hone their strength and abilities for two years. This episode perfectly sets the stage for the second half of One Piece and the powerful foes the Straw Hats would encounter in the future.
7 Episode #808: A Heartbreaking Duel - Luffy vs. Sanji - Part 2
In this episode, Sanji is forced to accept his arranged marriage and act aggressively toward the Straw Hats due to Judge's threats. Sanji beats Luffy mercilessly while he tries to talk with him, but Luffy is unable to do so and is eventually knocked out. Sanji then started crying after Luffy said that they needed him.
This is among the saddest episodes in the series due to the Straw Hats' infighting, mirroring Luffy and Usopp's duel in Water Seven over the fate of the Going Merry. It is particularly sad as Sanji has no choice but to stray away from his crewmates due to his father's threats. "A Heartbreaking Duel" was the emotional crux of the Whole Cake Island arc and showed just how much mileage One Piece can still get out of pitting the Straw Hats against each other.
6 Episode #1017: Barrage of Powerful Techniques! The Fierce Attacks of the Worst Generation!
With dozens of episodes coming out each year, One Piece's animation quality isn't always consistent, but recent story arcs have seen the series feature some world-class visuals that have changed fan perceptions of One Piece's animation style. There's no better example of this than episode #1017, where five members of the Worst Generation (Luffy, Zoro, Kid, Law, and Killer) continue their assault against Big Mom and Kaido. Each of them then shows some of their strongest skills together to help truly hurt Kaido for the first time.
For a lot of fans, this episode currently has the best-animated fight scene in the entire series, when the five pirates unleash their attacks one by one. While it may not be the most momentous episode plot-wise, "Barrage of Powerful Techniques" is perfect for fans of great action.
5 Episode #312: Thank You Merry! The Sea Of Separation In The Snow
As the Straw Hats crew's first real ship, the Going Merry was a big part of One Piece's early years, and its sinking was one of the most memorable and emotional moments in the series. Coming at the end of the Water Seven arc, the Going Merry's sacrifice represents the end of the crew's innocence and foreshadows the harrowing events of Marineford. One Piece manages to conjure more tragedy and self-sacrifice in the sinking of a ship than most series are capable of with a slew of character deaths.
4 Episode #968: The Pirate King is Born- Arriving at the Last Island!
This flashback episode is one of the most distinctive and best One Piece episodes. After Oden dropped his family in Wano, he and the rest of the Roger Pirates continued to sail to Laugh Tale. Unfortunately, Buggy gets sick, so he, together with Shanks, has to be left somewhere. Meanwhile, people around the world see the news of Roger reaching Laugh Tale and being declared "Pirate King".
As it is the most crucial moment in the journey of the King of Pirates, the episode was particularly exciting for long-running fans. In addition to providing crucial narrative stakes to the Wano arc, "The Pirate King is Born" made Luffy's goal of reaching the One Piece and being crowned Pirate King so much more tangible by featuring the only man in history to have done it.
3 Episode #483: Looking for the Answer - Fire Fist Ace Dies on the Battlefield
One Piece has always been a show in which fan-favorite characters typically live to see another day, which is part of what made this episode so shocking. Luffy, as well as the pirates and marines, are shocked when Akainu punches through Ace's stomach. Ace thanks Luffy and the Whitebeard Pirates for everything they have done in his final words as he passes away, smiling.
The death of a fan-favorite character, who was none other than Luffy's adoptive brother, reminded fans that this series is not all sunshine and rainbows. Even people close to Luffy can die horrifyingly like this. Ace's death continues to resonate in One Piece even 500+ episodes afterward.
2 Episode #278: Say You Want to Live! We Are Friends!!
While Ace's death may be the most tragic moment in One Piece, the most uplifting comes in episode #278. Nico Robin, after being taken into custody by the World Government and having accepted a resigned attitude towards her own life, is finally touched by the Straw Hats' persistent attempts to rescue her. Her defiant, tear-streaked cry of "I want to live!" has been quoted and re-posted by One Piece fans countless times and perfectly sums up the series' themes of friendship and hope. There would be better-animated and more action-packed episodes to come, but nothing embodies the heart of One Piece like Nico Robin's story of redemption.
1 Episode #1071: Luffy's Peak - Attained! Gear 5
It was hard not to put in the first place the most-discussed episode of One Piece ever. The anime debut of Luffy's final and strongest form, Gear 5, has been anticipated ever since it appeared in the manga. Gear Fifth's debut ended up breaking the internet, with websites and servers collapsing from the excess traffic. Considering how wild and crazy this transformation is, only the anime could have done justice to Eiichiro Oda's design and idea, and it's safe to say that it succeeded.
Gear Fifth's debut is the coronation of the amazing quality that has been the hallmark of One Piece during the Wano Kuni season. It's not just one of the most significant moments in the story, but also one whose magnitude made it shared by the entire One Piece community worldwide. Even if other episodes were more emotional, it's hard to top this one in terms of epicness and general impact.
Being one of the longest-running anime in history, it's normal that One Piece has given its fans plenty of moments and episodes to choose from in terms of favorites. However, these episodes stand out in the entire series due to their significance, quality, and the sheer impact they had on the story or on the viewers, and they will remain impressed in the memories of One Piece fans for a very long time.