Anime Arcs You Can Skip In One Piece

The One Piece anime has over 1100 episodes that are all part of the same interconnected storyline. Since this is one of the most popular shonen franchises in the world, a lot of people want to catch up with this world-changing series before it reaches its inevitable conclusion in the future.

Do those people have to watch every single one of those episodes, or is there an arc that can be skipped? Of course there is, since Toei Animation has added a lot of filler scenes, episodes, and even entire arcs that were not part of Eiichiro Oda’s original work and, therefore, have no effect on the main plot. These are some examples of One Piece arcs that can definitely be skipped.

Updated on September 4, 2024, by Julián Fernández Loyarte: As the One Piece anime gained more popularity, thousands of people are now interested in watching it, but some are still intimidated by its extensive length. This list was updated in order to include a few more arcs from the anime that should definitely be skipped, like the Post-Arabasta Arc, which is just a bunch of random disconnected episodes put together, and the Marine Rookie Arc, a generic filler arc that is reminiscent of the classic G-8 Arc.

12 Warship Island Arc

The First Filler Of The Series

Toei was forced to make a difficult decision in 2001: They had to create some filler episodes in order to prevent their anime adaptation from catching up with the One Piece manga. The result was the Warship Island Arc, which is well-known for being the very first filler arc created for this anime.

This is a totally harmless arc, but it’s also nothing special since it introduces a bunch of generic characters that are never seen again after it’s over. To make things even worse, the Warship Island Arc contradicts events that happen in later canonical arcs, like Zoro nonchalantly cutting through steel chains, something that he actually has to learn to do during the Arabasta Arc.

11 Post-Arabasta Arc

A Pointless Series Of Character-Centric Episodes

It’s evident that the animated adaptation of the Arabasta Arc was quite ambitious and overwhelming, so it seems that Toei Animation needed to produce a breather in the form of a small but insignificant filler arc immediately after it. Appropriately named the Post-Arabasta Arc, this is a harmless but really uninteresting arc that should definitely be skipped.

It’s made up of 5 episodes, each one centered around a different member of the Straw Hat Pirates (except for Luffy and Robin, weirdly enough), and each one of them feels like an average and generic One Piece endeavor, with the occasional flashback that reminds viewers what the motivations of each main character are.

10 Goat Island Arc

A Nice But Irrelevant Story About Goats

The name says it all: The Goat Island Arc tells the story of Zenny, an old man stuck on an island that is filled to the brim with goats. This character always had the dream of becoming a pirate alongside them. So, the Straw Hat Pirates help him accomplish this dream before he passes.

This may be a short arc, but it features a really heartwarming story about someone trying to accomplish their dream, which is truly what One Piece is all about. However, it is still just another side-mission for the main cast, and Zenny’s story has zero impact on the rest of the anime’s plot.

9 Ruluka Island Arc

An Interesting Yet Generic Adventure

Toei Animation always had a disadvantage when it came to coming up with plots for filler arcs, since it’s almost impossible to match Eiichiro Oda’s creativity and clever writing. As a consequence, some of their original arcs can feel quite generic and forgettable, and the Ruluka Island Arc is definitely one of them.

This is far from a bad story, as the concept of the mysterious Rainbow Mist is truly fascinating, but most of the characters in this arc feel extremely generic, even by One Piece standards. Not to mention that neither they nor the Rainbow Mist are ever mentioned again, so it’s not essential viewing.

8 Long Ring Long Land Arc

A Hilarious Arc That Was Ruined By The Anime

The Long Ring Long Land Arc is divisive among One Piece fans, as the game of Davy Back Fight against the Foxy Pirates is extremely goofy and funny, but it doesn’t seem like it has any true impact on the overall story of the series. Nevertheless, this is still a hilarious arc, and Foxy himself is one of the most entertaining antagonists in the series.

As if this wasn’t already a lighthearted enough arc in the manga, Toei Animation made some big changes that made it even less relevant and more disconnected from the rest of the plot. Not only was the Day Back Fight extended with a few additional games – which are nowhere near as fun as the canonical ones – but the climactic encounter with Admiral Aokiji at the end was completely removed from the anime adaptation, and it was relegated to being part of an entirely different filler arc instead. This means that there’s no real reason to watch the Long Ring Long Land Arc, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great time.

7 Ocean’s Dream Arc

A Story That Was Created For A Video Game

In 2003, Bandai Namco released the video game One Piece: Ocean’s Dream! for the original PlayStation. Like any other game that is based on a pre-existing series, it features a brand-new story that is mostly disconnected from its source material, so it can exist by itself without continuity problems.

Two years later, Toei Animation decided to adapt the plot of this game into an anime-original arc, known as the Ocean’s Dream Arc. This story is fascinating, as it explores the minds and backstories of the Straw Hat Pirates after their memories get stolen (with the only exception being Nico Robin). Though it is a fun and moving arc, it is ultimately irrelevant because of the context in which it was created.

6 Foxy’s Return Arc/Spa Island Arc

Foxy Became The Anime’s Preferred Villain For Filler Content

Even if Foxy was originally created as a canonical villain for the manga, it seems that Eiichiro Oda didn’t have many plans for him, so he let Toei Animation reuse him and his crew as many times as they wanted. As a result, he became a recurring character in the anime, despite the fact that he has been absent from the manga for over 21 years (until recently).

Foxy, Hamburg, and Porche star in both Foxy’s Return and Spa Island Arcs, and they are responsible for some hilarious and lighthearted moments that most One Piece fans are going to enjoy. But Foxy is a character that doesn’t really work well outside the original context he was created for. So, regardless of how entertaining they can be, neither of these arcs is mandatory material for viewers who want to catch up with this long story.

5 Ice Hunter Arc

A Thrilling Arc Centered Around A Flag

At first glance, the Ice Hunter Arc may seem like any other traditional One Piece arc: The Accino Family are a group of odd yet entertaining villains who are surprisingly strong (and their patriarch even has Devil Fruit powers). This arc features some really interesting battles, and it’s even set in the unique location of Hyokaido.

Most viewers are initially tricked by the surprising quality of this arc, as it’s 100% filler and nothing that happens in it has any impact on future events of the show. What’s even weirder is that Don Accino’s Devil Fruit, the Atsu Atsu no Mi, is extremely similar to the Netsu Netsu no Mi that was eaten by Charlotte Oven, a canonical character who would be introduced 11 years later.

4 Z’s Ambition Arc

A Filler Arc For A Non-Canon Movie

Around the end of the pre-time skip era, Toei Animation began introducing a bunch of filler arcs that are directly connected to many of their One Piece movies. Since these films are non-canon and have barely any connection with the rest of the series, the same happened with the anime arcs that preceded them.

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While Z – the main antagonist of One Piece Film: Z – is one of the best non-canon characters in the entire franchise, the name of this filler arc is a bit of a misnomer since he’s barely involved in it. It’s a shame, too, because Z’s Ambition is a really fun story with some colorful and strange characters with unique powers, like Lily Enstomach, a giant who can alter her size with the powers of her Mini Mini no Mi. Sadly, Z, Lily, and the rest of this arc never have any real impact on the main story.

3 Caesar Retrieval Arc

A Brief Distraction Before The Massive Dressrosa Arc

After the extremely important Punk Hazard Arc, the Straw Hat Pirates managed to capture Caesar Clown in order to take him to Dressrosa and negotiate with Donquixote Doflamingo. Before they can reach their destination, Caesar gets kidnapped by the villainous Breed, and both the Straw Hats and Law need to retrieve him if they want to execute their plan.

The fact that a canonical character as relevant as Caesar Clown is the major focus of this arc may trick viewers into thinking that the Caesar Retrieval Arc is connected to the rest of the plot, especially to the Dressrosa Arc that comes immediately after it. However, this is not true, as this arc really is just filler, and all the stuff that happens in it is forgotten as soon as it is over. At least Breed is a fun character, with a creative Devil Fruit.

2 Marine Rookie Arc

A Forgettable Arc With An Intriguing Antagonist

Every One Piece fan knows that the 6-8 Arc is the best filler arc in the show, but most of them are unaware that there’s an entirely different filler arc centered on the Straw Hat Pirates infiltrating a Marine base. It’s called the Marine Rookie Arc, and it takes place right before the Whole Cake Island Arc.

The Straw Hats’ infiltration is driven by their hunger due to Sanji’s absence, and there are certainly some funny moments, but it’s ultimately nothing to write home about, especially since it’s so bafflingly short. The Marine Rookie Arc did introduce All-Hunt Grount, a Marine Captain with a solid design, interesting personality, and unique Devil Fruit abilities, so it would be great to see him again in a future filler arc someday.

1 Cidre Guild Arc

It Was Not Worth Interrupting Wano For This

With time, the main arcs of the One Piece anime became so long that it was inevitable for Toei Animation to put filler content in the middle of them, especially when it came to arcs that were connected to the original movies. This is exactly what happened in 2019, when the Cidre Guild Arc aired right when the Wano Country Arc was starting.

This arc ties into One Piece: Stampede, and it features a brief conflict against the titular Cidre Guild, a gang of bounty hunters with a soda theme. This is a relatively boring and forgettable arc that is only saved by the surprise appearance of Boa Hancock, who is always a real joy to watch interacting with Luffy. However, her inclusion in the Cidre Guild Arc is also non-canon, so even her most die-hard fans can skip this one with no problem.