One Piece is one of the greatest anime ever made. It’s also over 1,100 episodes long, which means starting it in 2026 feels like signing up for a second job.

Good news: you don’t need to watch all of them.

This guide breaks down every arc in order, flags the filler you can skip, and helps you decide whether to watch the original, the remake, or some combination of both.

How to Use This Guide

Each arc is listed with:

  • Episode range (original anime)
  • Canon status (canon, mixed, or filler)
  • Skip recommendation (watch, skip, or optional)
  • Estimated watch time at standard speed

East Blue Saga (Episodes 1-61)

This is where it all starts. Luffy assembles his crew one member at a time, and every arc in this saga matters.

Romance Dawn Arc (1-3)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. This is THE beginning.
  • Luffy eats the Gum-Gum Fruit, meets Coby, and declares he’ll become King of the Pirates.

Orange Town Arc (4-8)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No
  • First encounter with Buggy the Clown. Introduction of Nami.

Syrup Village Arc (9-18)

  • Status: Canon (with filler padding)
  • Skip? Watch 9-17, skip 18 (recap)
  • Usopp’s introduction. Captain Kuro is the villain.

Baratie Arc (19-30)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? Absolutely not
  • Sanji’s introduction and one of the most emotionally powerful early arcs. Don Krieg as the antagonist, but the real story is Sanji and Zeff.

Arlong Park Arc (31-44)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? This is the arc that hooks people. DO NOT SKIP.
  • Nami’s backstory. “Help me” is one of the most iconic moments in anime history.

Loguetown Arc (45-53)

  • Status: Mixed (some filler)
  • Skip? Watch 45, 48-53. Skip 46-47 (filler).
  • The crew heads to the Grand Line. Smoker introduction.

Filler episodes in East Blue: 54-61 — Skip all of these. They’re pre-Grand Line filler.

Alabasta Saga (Episodes 62-135)

The scope gets bigger. Vivi, Crocodile, and the first real taste of what One Piece is building toward.

Reverse Mountain / Twin Cape Arc (62-63)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Laboon matters later.

Whiskey Peak Arc (64-67)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Zoro vs 100 bounty hunters.

Little Garden Arc (68-77)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Giants, wax, and the Grand Line getting weird.

Drum Island Arc (78-91)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Chopper joins the crew.

Alabasta Arc (92-130)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. This is the first “saga-level” arc and it’s incredible.
  • Crocodile, Vivi’s homeland, Luffy pushing past his limits.

Post-Alabasta Filler: 131-135 — Skip. These are standalone filler episodes.

Sky Island Saga (Episodes 136-206)

Controversial take: Skypiea is underrated and pays off later in the series.

Jaya Arc (144-152)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Blackbeard introduction. “A man’s dream never dies.”

Skypiea Arc (153-195)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No, but it’s long. If you’re struggling, push through. The ending and Noland’s flashback are worth it.
  • Episodes 196-206 are filler. Skip.

Filler block: 136-143, 196-206 — Skip all.

Water 7 / Enies Lobby Saga (Episodes 207-325)

This is where One Piece goes from “great anime” to “one of the greatest stories ever told.” If you stop anywhere before this, you haven’t really watched One Piece.

Long Ring Long Land / Davy Back Fight (207-219)

  • Status: Mixed
  • Skip? Watch 207-212 for the canon parts. Skip 213-219 (filler expansion).

Water 7 Arc (229-263)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? Absolutely not. The crew nearly falls apart.

Enies Lobby Arc (264-312)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? This is the single best arc in all of One Piece. “I WANT TO LIVE.”
  • Robin’s backstory, the crew declaring war on the World Government, Luffy vs Lucci.

Post-Enies Lobby (313-325)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Merry’s funeral. You will cry.

Filler: 220-228 — Skip.

Thriller Bark Saga (Episodes 326-384)

Thriller Bark Arc (337-381)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Brook joins. “Nothing happened.” is a top 5 One Piece moment.

Filler: 326-336, 382-384 — Skip.

Summit War Saga (Episodes 385-516)

The emotional peak of pre-timeskip One Piece. Clear your schedule.

Sabaody Archipelago Arc (385-405)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. The Supernovas, Rayleigh, and the most devastating cliffhanger in anime.

Amazon Lily Arc (408-421)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Hancock’s introduction.

Impel Down Arc (422-452)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Prison break arc with incredible pacing.

Marineford Arc (457-489)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? If you skip this, what are you even doing? This is THE war.

Post-War Arc (490-516)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. The aftermath changes everything.

Filler: 406-407, 453-456 — Skip.

Post-Timeskip: The New World

After episode 516, One Piece enters the New World. The filler gets less frequent but the pacing slows down significantly. Here’s where the One Piece remake (announced for 2024-2025) becomes relevant.

Fish-Man Island Arc (517-574)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No, but the pacing is rough. Some fans recommend reading the manga for this arc.

Punk Hazard Arc (579-625)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Law alliance begins here.

Dressrosa Arc (629-746)

  • Status: Canon but PAINFULLY paced
  • Skip? Watch it, but consider One Pace (fan edit) for this arc. 118 episodes is excessive.

Zou Arc (751-779)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Excellent pacing, major lore drops.

Whole Cake Island Arc (783-877)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. Sanji’s arc. Big Mom. Wedding Cake.

Wano Country Arc (890-1085)

  • Status: Canon
  • Skip? No. The animation quality reaches movie-level here.

Egghead Arc (1086+)

  • Status: Canon (ongoing)
  • Skip? Current arc as of 2026. Catch up and join the weekly discussion.

The One Piece Remake: Should You Watch It Instead?

The One Piece remake (by WIT Studio) started airing and covers the East Blue saga with modern animation, tighter pacing, and no filler. Here’s our recommendation:

  • New viewers: Start with the remake for East Blue, then switch to the original at Alabasta
  • Returning viewers: Use it to refresh your memory on early arcs
  • Completionists: Watch both, you coward

Complete Filler List (Skip These)

Episodes Description
54-61 Pre-Grand Line filler
131-135 Post-Alabasta filler
136-143 Pre-Skypiea filler
196-206 Post-Skypiea filler
220-228 Pre-Water 7 filler
326-336 Pre-Thriller Bark filler
382-384 Post-Thriller Bark filler
406-407 Pre-Amazon Lily filler
453-456 Pre-Marineford filler

That’s 98 filler episodes you can skip, bringing the total from ~1,100+ to roughly 1,000 canon episodes.

Total Watch Time Estimate

  • All episodes (no skipping): ~458 hours
  • Canon only (skip filler): ~417 hours
  • With One Pace edits: ~330 hours
  • At 1.25x speed: ~264 hours

Yes, it’s a commitment. But there’s a reason One Piece has been running for 25+ years and only getting MORE popular. The payoff is real.

Our Recommendation

Start watching. Don’t think about the number. Just take it arc by arc. By the time you hit Arlong Park, you’ll understand why millions of people have made this journey.

And if you’re already watching and you’re somewhere in the middle? Keep going. The best arcs are always the next one.

Last updated: February 2026