Top 10 Epic Moments in One Piece
Anime, One Piece,
Top 10 Epic Moments in One Piece
One does not become King of the Pirates by being boring. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Epic Moments in One Piece.
For this list, we’re looking at the most epic scenes in Toei's long-running anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's shounen manga. Please note, spoilers will be unavoidable since the majority of these moments occur during key points in the story.
How can a single punch be this satisfying? The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the Kings responsible for establishing the World Government and are basically treated as gods. Regardless of status or occupation, everyone must respect these nobles or face the consequences. Luffy elected to face the consequences. During an auction, a particularly disgusting Celestial Dragon shoots Hatchan and plans to adopt the fish-man as a slave. Luffy's punch leads to grave ramification for the Straw Hats, but this moment embodies the pirate captain's refusal to bow down to the powers that be.
The Straw Hats' captain hogs many of the truly epic moments, but that’s not to say the rest of the crew doesn’t have their moments to shine. Permitting the former bounty hunter is not providing directions, Roronoa Zoro can be relied upon in nearly any situation. With the Straw Hats knocked out by Kuma and the battle against Gecko Moria leaving Luffy on the verge of death, Zoro sacrifices his own body in exchange for the captain's freedom and life. Once the Straw Hats regain consciousness, Sanji – the only member aware of Zoro's sacrifice – finds the swordsman bloodied from head to toe. When asked "what happened," Zoro only has this to say.
Along with seemingly lasting forever, the Battle of Marineford contains dozens of epic and heartbreaking moments. By the end, Luffy is left a comatose mess as the Straw Hats helplessly read about the War's conclusion from thousands of miles away. In an attempt to deliver a message to the crew, Luffy audaciously breaks into Marineford and rings the sacred Ox Bell for sixteen times while paparazzi capture the scene for everyone to see. Along with letting the Straw Hats know they have two years to train, this moment beckons the dawn of a new era, after the Battle of Marineford left many key players out of commission.
You know shits about to go down when Luffy reveals a new gear technique. The Dressrosa arc sees the lovable pirate going up against the detestable Doflamingo, one of the Royal Seven Warriors of the Sea. For most of the arc, Doflamingo has the stretchy hero beat in terms of speed and viciousness; then, Luffy transforms into a bouncing behemoth with tribal tattoos. Gear Fourth's design is somehow simultaneously awesome and silly, but the moment Luffy turns the tables and wipes away Doflamingo's arrogant smile deserves a standing ovation.
"One Piece" is not exactly lacking in thrilling fights – in fact, this entry happens right after a pretty awesome one – however, most of the truly epic moments are character driven. Following a grueling contest against Big Mom's powerful son, Charlotte Katakuri, Luffy takes his fedora hat and covers the unconscious Commander's wider-than-normal mouth. Constantly bullied as a child, Katakuri keeps his mouth masked to avoid ridicule. Besides showcasing Luffy's classy and respectful nature, this simple act of covering Katakuri's mouth illustrates why so many powerful people flock around the Straw Hats's captain.
Timing is everything, and Shanks knows how to make an entrance. With the Battle of Marineford already won by the Marines, any further fighting only serves to waste lives. Coby – a weak soldier with no devil fruit powers – takes a stand against Admiral Akainu's warped notion of justice to try and stop the bloodshed. Just as Coby seems set to be turned into ash, Shanks arrives out of nowhere to block Akainu's punch and effectively bring the war to an end. While so much heartbreak could have been avoided if Shanks showed up a few minutes earlier, it is better late than never.
During a brief stop in Mock Town; Luffy, Zoro, and Nami get into an altercation with the cynical Bellamy, an ardent believer that the era of pirates following their dreams is over and openly ridicules the Straw Hats for trusting in the existence of the rumored Sky Island. After the encounter, a strange man approaches the heroes and dismisses Bellamy's declaration as being absolute rubbish, stating a man's dreams will never end. The pirate even wishes Luffy luck in finding Sky Island. The fact such a great speech is delivered by one of the anime’s most detestable villains only enhances the moment.
"Arlong Park" is arguably the first major arc to properly test Luffy and the newly formed Straw Hat Pirates. Finally accepting that Arlong never planned to sell back her village, Nami breaks down and begs Luffy for help, who had been waiting to hear those exact words. After the captain leaves his hat with Nami, the rest of the crew march towards Arlong Park as a unit. While the Straw Hat Pirates form the second Zoro accepts Luffy's invitation to join his crew, one could say this moment in "Arlong Park" marks the moment when the pirates become a family.
Does a whole episode count? If Edward Newgate is involved, anything less is simply not enough to contain all of the legendary captain's awesomeness. Even while on the verge of dying, Whitebeard manages to overwhelm Blackbeard in a fight and alters the course of history by confirming the existence of Gol D. Roger's One Piece treasure. Only after suffering more than 400 wounds does the pirate finally surrender to the grim reaper, although Whitebeard remains standing even in death. As the final kicker, Whitebeard's back is shown to be clear of wounds, confirming the pirate never once ran away from a battle.
Only a fool actively declares war against the World Government. As it so happens, the Straw Hat Pirates are rarely accused of being especially bright. Captured by the Marines and set to be taken to the gallows, a dejected Robin reveals that merely being associated with her is the same as having the whole world as an enemy. After listening to the prisoner's story, the Straw Hats retaliate by burning the World Government's flag and presenting Robin with a reason to live. No matter the odds, the Straw Hats always have each other's backs.
One does not become King of the Pirates by being boring. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Epic Moments in One Piece.
For this list, we’re looking at the most epic scenes in Toei's long-running anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's shounen manga. Please note, spoilers will be unavoidable since the majority of these moments occur during key points in the story.
#10: Luffy Punches a Celestial Dragon
How can a single punch be this satisfying? The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the Kings responsible for establishing the World Government and are basically treated as gods. Regardless of status or occupation, everyone must respect these nobles or face the consequences. Luffy elected to face the consequences. During an auction, a particularly disgusting Celestial Dragon shoots Hatchan and plans to adopt the fish-man as a slave. Luffy's punch leads to grave ramification for the Straw Hats, but this moment embodies the pirate captain's refusal to bow down to the powers that be.
#9: Roronoa Zoro's Sacrifice at Thriller Bark
The Straw Hats' captain hogs many of the truly epic moments, but that’s not to say the rest of the crew doesn’t have their moments to shine. Permitting the former bounty hunter is not providing directions, Roronoa Zoro can be relied upon in nearly any situation. With the Straw Hats knocked out by Kuma and the battle against Gecko Moria leaving Luffy on the verge of death, Zoro sacrifices his own body in exchange for the captain's freedom and life. Once the Straw Hats regain consciousness, Sanji – the only member aware of Zoro's sacrifice – finds the swordsman bloodied from head to toe. When asked "what happened," Zoro only has this to say.
#8: Luffy Rings the Ox Bell
Along with seemingly lasting forever, the Battle of Marineford contains dozens of epic and heartbreaking moments. By the end, Luffy is left a comatose mess as the Straw Hats helplessly read about the War's conclusion from thousands of miles away. In an attempt to deliver a message to the crew, Luffy audaciously breaks into Marineford and rings the sacred Ox Bell for sixteen times while paparazzi capture the scene for everyone to see. Along with letting the Straw Hats know they have two years to train, this moment beckons the dawn of a new era, after the Battle of Marineford left many key players out of commission.
#7: Luffy Unleashes Gear Fourth on Doflamingo
You know shits about to go down when Luffy reveals a new gear technique. The Dressrosa arc sees the lovable pirate going up against the detestable Doflamingo, one of the Royal Seven Warriors of the Sea. For most of the arc, Doflamingo has the stretchy hero beat in terms of speed and viciousness; then, Luffy transforms into a bouncing behemoth with tribal tattoos. Gear Fourth's design is somehow simultaneously awesome and silly, but the moment Luffy turns the tables and wipes away Doflamingo's arrogant smile deserves a standing ovation.
#6: Luffy Respects Katakuri
"One Piece" is not exactly lacking in thrilling fights – in fact, this entry happens right after a pretty awesome one – however, most of the truly epic moments are character driven. Following a grueling contest against Big Mom's powerful son, Charlotte Katakuri, Luffy takes his fedora hat and covers the unconscious Commander's wider-than-normal mouth. Constantly bullied as a child, Katakuri keeps his mouth masked to avoid ridicule. Besides showcasing Luffy's classy and respectful nature, this simple act of covering Katakuri's mouth illustrates why so many powerful people flock around the Straw Hats's captain.
#5: Shanks Stops the Battle of Marineford
Timing is everything, and Shanks knows how to make an entrance. With the Battle of Marineford already won by the Marines, any further fighting only serves to waste lives. Coby – a weak soldier with no devil fruit powers – takes a stand against Admiral Akainu's warped notion of justice to try and stop the bloodshed. Just as Coby seems set to be turned into ash, Shanks arrives out of nowhere to block Akainu's punch and effectively bring the war to an end. While so much heartbreak could have been avoided if Shanks showed up a few minutes earlier, it is better late than never.
#4: Blackbeard’s “A Man’s Dream” Speech to Luffy
During a brief stop in Mock Town; Luffy, Zoro, and Nami get into an altercation with the cynical Bellamy, an ardent believer that the era of pirates following their dreams is over and openly ridicules the Straw Hats for trusting in the existence of the rumored Sky Island. After the encounter, a strange man approaches the heroes and dismisses Bellamy's declaration as being absolute rubbish, stating a man's dreams will never end. The pirate even wishes Luffy luck in finding Sky Island. The fact such a great speech is delivered by one of the anime’s most detestable villains only enhances the moment.
#3: The Straw Hats Walk to Arlong Park
"Arlong Park" is arguably the first major arc to properly test Luffy and the newly formed Straw Hat Pirates. Finally accepting that Arlong never planned to sell back her village, Nami breaks down and begs Luffy for help, who had been waiting to hear those exact words. After the captain leaves his hat with Nami, the rest of the crew march towards Arlong Park as a unit. While the Straw Hat Pirates form the second Zoro accepts Luffy's invitation to join his crew, one could say this moment in "Arlong Park" marks the moment when the pirates become a family.
#2: Whitebeard’s Last Stand
Does a whole episode count? If Edward Newgate is involved, anything less is simply not enough to contain all of the legendary captain's awesomeness. Even while on the verge of dying, Whitebeard manages to overwhelm Blackbeard in a fight and alters the course of history by confirming the existence of Gol D. Roger's One Piece treasure. Only after suffering more than 400 wounds does the pirate finally surrender to the grim reaper, although Whitebeard remains standing even in death. As the final kicker, Whitebeard's back is shown to be clear of wounds, confirming the pirate never once ran away from a battle.
#1: Straw Hats Burn the World Government’s Flag
Only a fool actively declares war against the World Government. As it so happens, the Straw Hat Pirates are rarely accused of being especially bright. Captured by the Marines and set to be taken to the gallows, a dejected Robin reveals that merely being associated with her is the same as having the whole world as an enemy. After listening to the prisoner's story, the Straw Hats retaliate by burning the World Government's flag and presenting Robin with a reason to live. No matter the odds, the Straw Hats always have each other's backs.
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