The Top 10 Most-Watched One Piece Episodes Of The Decade

There is, to put it simply, a whole lotta One Piece. For most of my adult life, there were more One Piece episodes out there than numbers in my bank account, and if you wanted to start in 2020 watching an episode a day (and considering that we get a new episode almost every week,) you wouldn’t catch up on the series until 2023. 

But which episodes have people watched the most over the past decade? Of course, you should plow into the series head-first and never skip a bit of it, but with a series this size, inevitably some episodes will be watched more than others. And since I have the almighty data, I’m gonna share those top episodes with you now.

1. Episode 1

Fans know that, as soon as the drums kick in on “We Are” and the narrator begins running down the final words of Gold Roger, it’s on. I honestly envy anyone who is starting this series for the first time. You have a lot to look forward to, and I can’t wait to burst through your wall, Kool-Aid Man style, to ask your opinions of the latest arc.

2. Episode 2

As someone who’s basically made it his whole dumb job to write about One Piece on Crunchyroll, I look at these numbers like a proud parent. A lot of people liked Episode 1 enough to move onto the second one. You go, team! I’m gonna yell support at you from the sidelines like a middle-aged soccer Dad, and then give you all orange slices when the eyecatch comes on.

3. Episode 3

This is when the episodes start to really heat up, with Zoro and Luffy teaming up to take on the Marines and Axe-Hand Morgan. When I first watched the beginning of the episode, I thought “Man, Zoro carries a third sword in his mouth? That’s kinda dumb…,” but by the end, I was 100% sold. How else would he hold it? Why would anyone carry two swords when they can put another one under their molars? Why is Zoro just so, so cool?

4. Episode 4

Here, the adventure takes a quick breather so we can bone up on Luffy’s backstory. If you don’t get goosebumps when Shanks gives Luffy his straw hat, you’re either not human or Blackbeard. Fun fact: Though this episode adapts most of the manga’s Chapter 1, they wouldn’t show how Luffy got his trademark facial scar until the Episode of Luffy TV special in 2012, 13 years after this anime episode debuted. 

5. Episode 726

This is the first time that we see Luffy’s Fourth Gear in action and it doesn’t disappoint. Doflamingo taunts Luffy and Luffy responds by turning Doffy’s spine into paste. 

6. Episode 521

As the Straw Hats slowly return to Saobaody, they (and the rest of the pirates there) find themselves cornered by the Pacifistas. Of course, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji have got a time skip under their belts, so they make short work of the Kuma Klones and get ready to head to Fishman Island. 

7. Episode 733

Okay, from the looks of it, y’all really enjoyed Luffy’s fight against Doflamingo, as it takes up 30% of the list. And why shouldn’t you? It’s great and it ends with the ol’ Luffy special: A warlord getting punched into the ground of the city he terrorized. Worked on Crocodile and it definitely works on ‘mingo. 

8. Episode 20

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised here – Most of the Straw Hats get great introductions in the anime and Sanji is no different. Luffy’s chef makes his first appearance in episode 20, right after Luffy accidentally deflects a cannonball into his restaurant. Some may say “Man, that’s awfully convenient plotting,” but it’s Luffy. They’re lucky that he didn’t somehow destroy the entire thing. 

9. Episode 522

The Straw Hats are all together here after over two years of being separated, and it’s a welcome reunion. Don’t get me wrong, I’d watch a spinoff show based around any Straw Hat pirate and I can only hope that after One Piece ends, we get Sanji’s Floating Kitchen Nightmares and Usopp’s Fables. But there’s just something special when they’re all on the same boat and having the same adventure.

10. Episode 728

And we end this list with another great installment of Luffy v. Doflamingo. In this episode, we learn that while Gear Fourth is powerful, a candle that burns twice as bright only burns for half as long. Basically, Luffy has to finish off Doflamingo fast, otherwise he’s gonna need to stall and take a quick nap. Also, I chose this image because I totally forgot about this hilarious-looking (but extremely effective) headbutt maneuver. 

Did you watch any of these One Piece episodes this decade? What is your favorite one from this list? Let us know in the comments!

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Daniel Dockery is a writer for Crunchyroll that somehow talks about One Piece for a living. You can find him on Twitter!