The Correct Order To Watch One Piece (Including The Movies)

Few works of modern fiction have the kind of legendary reputation or the wealth of stories as "One Piece." Whether the original manga by Eiichiro Oda or the anime adaptation of the same name, "One Piece" has outlasted many of its would-be successors and several of the titles it inspired.

"One Piece" follows Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy who dreams of becoming king of the pirates and finding the titular One Piece, a legendary treasure left behind by the previous pirate king, Gold Roger. To achieve his dreams, Luffy sets out to assemble a crew and navigate the Grand Line, a treacherous ocean route home to many dangers, and occasionally gets involved in toppling local governments and inciting revolutions. 

The animated "One Piece" adaptation is so good it's transcended mediums and even became the rare anime to get a live-action remake that is actually genuinely good. Still, the length of this adventure is without a doubt the most daunting aspect of getting into "One Piece," with the 27-year-old manga and also the 25-year-old anime being both over 1,100 chapters and episodes each. It takes a gargantuan effort to get into the story, especially if you include the films. (There are almost as many "One Piece" movies as there are "Pokémon" films!) That's not even accounting for filler episodes and arcs that are original to the anime series.

With that in mind, if you're trying to get into "One Piece" and you aren't sure where to start, or what to skip, this guide is for you.

The "One Piece" anime itself is pretty easy to follow. Whether you watch it on Crunchyroll or Netflix (though the latter doesn't have all episodes), the show is neatly separated into story arcs, each of which build into the next one. If you want to add the movies, it's best to watch them after the right story arc, like so:

• "One Piece" episodes 1-18 (up until the end of the Syrup Village arc)

• "One Piece: The Movie"

• "One Piece" episodes 19-53 (until you reach Loguetown, but before Reverse Mountain)

• "One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure"

• "One Piece" episodes 54-129 (the end of Alabasta) 

• "One Piece: Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals" (this one is tricky to place because it directly contradicts some additions to the crew)

• "One Piece: Dead End Adventure"

• "One Piece" episode 130-193 (until the end of Skypiea)

• "One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword"

• "One Piece" episodes 194-224 (until the end of the Ocean's Dream arc)

• "One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island"

• "One Piece" episodes 225-228 (until the end of Foxy's Return arc)

• "One Piece: The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle"

• "One Piece" episodes 229-429 (until the end of the anime-only Little East Blue arc)

• "One Piece Film: Strong World"

• "One Piece" episodes 430-578 (until the end of the anime-only Z's Ambition arc)

• "One Piece Film: Z"

• "One Piece episodes 578-750 (until the end of the Dressrosa arc)

• "One Piece Film: Gold"

• "One Piece" episodes 751-896 (until the end of the Cidre Guild arc)

• "One Piece: Stampede"

• "One Piece" episodes 897-1030 (the end of the Uta's Past arc)

• "One Piece Film: Red"

Though none of the movies are very specific in their setting, this order will ensure you see the progression of the Straw Hat Pirates crew as they add new members. This will also prevent you from being lost when one of the movies suddenly introduces characters you've never met before.

Like the vast majority of anime movies based on TV shows, the "One Piece" movies aren't canon. This means that no matter how high the stakes of each movie are, their events don't really matter because they will be retconned or ignored by the next episode. That also means that if you want the strict canon "One Piece" experience that is closest to Oda's source material, then you can safely skip them (alongside the dozen or so filler arcs that aren't adapted from the manga).

Except, you'd be missing out on some of the best "One Piece" stories if you skip the movies. That's because they offer audiences the chance to see Oda's world and characters reimagined by other creative forces, beloved characters in zany one-off situations outside of the main story, and characters that they'd probably never meet in the manga. It's why anime movies like these end up being mostly fan service — because they're a chance for fans to see things they otherwise couldn't, like a pseudo-reunion between Luffy and Shanks.

As for "filler," that is a dirty word used by purists. Sure, not all anime filler arcs are good, but some offer delightful stories that are as good as the canon arcs, like the G-8 arc.