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All arcs in One Piece ranked from Worst to Best
One Piece has given us 25 years of stories and still going strong.
GuidesbyTrent Cannon, Senior Contributing writer
Published on Mon Jul 27 2026
Every One Piece arc has something magical about it. The true joy of Eiichiro Oda’s manga is that there is nothing to skip; you never know when the big payoff for a character’s story will come. With over 1100 chapters already published (and new ones on the way most weeks), you’ll never run out of more One Piece to read. To help you navigate this iconic manga, we’ve ranked every One Piece arc from best to worst.
All of the One Piece arcs, ranked
One Piece arcs, ranked: 31. Syrup Village Arc
Considering how many remarkable things happen on Syrup Village – from Usopp joining the Straw Hat crew to them getting their first real ship – it is amazing how prolonged and dull this bit is. Unnecessary fights, a boring villain, and a lack of real tension make this our least favorite One Piece arc.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 30. Orange Town Arc
The pacing in the early chapters of One Piece is a real drag and it shows in Orange Town. At this point, Buggy the Clown is just a lame, one-shot villain who doesn’t really leave a lasting impression. There is a sense in Orange Town that Eiichiro Oda is still finding his footing in the plot and tone of One Piece.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 29. Reverse Mountain Arc
There are some great visuals in the Reverse Mountain Arc, especially in the manga, but not even a giant, emotionally traumatized whale can save it from being near the bottom of our One Piece arcs ranking. The reason is simple – it doesn’t matter in the end. Reverse Mountain just doesn’t have much impact on the One Piece story and can almost be skipped while you’re reading.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 28. Whisky Peak Arc
Following straight on from Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak set out to show that the Straw Hats weren’t always waiting for Luffy to save them. Zoro takes on a whole island of bounty hunters while Luffy and most of the crew sleep off an epic party the night before. As much as we love seeing his three-sword style in action, the whole arc serves as a somewhat clumsy introduction for Vivi and Baroque Works as a whole.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 27. Romance Dawn Arc
Back where it all began, this is a very rough opening to One Piece, but it serves as a great introduction to Luffy. While we preferred the pacing of the Netflix adaptation as it introduced Nami earlier in the story, we still enjoy watching Luffy punch Axe-Hand Morgan into oblivion.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 26. Long Ring Long Land Island Arc
Despite being so low on this list, we have a soft spot for Long Ring Long Land Island. The designs are all a bit goofy but this is one of those One Piece arcs that feel like anything can happen. The pacing is just a bit off until Admiral Aokiji arrives in the last episode. Ultimately, this arc is meant to bridge the gap between two better arcs on either side of it and provide some more light-hearted entertainment along the way. It does get some marks off for putting Luffy in an afro for most of the arc. What is up with that?
One Piece arcs, ranked: 25. Little Garden Arc
On Little Garden, two giants have been locked in battle for centuries – so long that neither remembers why they started fighting in the first place. However, it is the fight against the Baroque Works members Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek that is the more important conflict here. We love the giant creatures on the island and some of the visuals of Mr. 3’s powers, but this still feels like it is setting up the meat of the Alabasta Saga too much to stand on its own.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 24. Return to Sabaody Arc
Shonen anime loves a time skip. Two years after being separated, the Straw Hats reunite. This arc is very much about setting up the Fish Man Island arc and establishing that Luffy and his friends are on a new level of power than before. Not much more happens, but it is still great to see the crew back together and setting out on their mission – this time with the World Government actively pursuing them.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 23. Levely Arc
Who doesn’t like seeing a shadowy group of figures pulling the strings behind the scenes? This is one of the later arcs of One Piece but it still managed to make our jaws drop at several moments. We see many of the major players of the world, from Shanks to Dragon to Vice Admiral Garp, take their places before the Final Saga begins with Egghead Island. It is only because there are so many great arcs in One Piece that this one didn’t rank higher on our list.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 22. Fishman Island Arc
Fishman Island is where Luffy’s past actions come back to haunt him. Hody Jones, a follower of Arlong from the East Blue Saga, is trying to do a small coup against the royal family of the Fishmen. This arc explores themes of racism and oppression and, while it isn’t always successful, shows that there is more to One Piece than typical anime tropes. Seeing the Straw Hats show off their new powers after the two-year time skip is always fun as well.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 21. Baratie Arc
Baratie’s main purpose is to introduce Sanji to the Straw Hats, but it does so much more than that. We get a hint at some of the dark places that Oda would take One Piece. While the fight against Don Krieg is underwhelming and tedious, Zoro’s battle against Mihawk does a great job of showing the gap in power between the crew and the most powerful players in the world.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 20. Post-War Arc
Really, the Post-War Arc is a big comedown after the intensity of the Marineford Arc. Both Ace and Whitebeard are dead and Luffy is as close to a broken man as we ever see him. While nothing too important happens in this arc, it ranks this highly simply because it is a great reminder that Luffy is still human.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 19. Zou Arc
The Road Poneglyphs would become the next major objective for the Straw Hats and they are introduced in this arc. There is plenty of action along the way, with multiple factions vying for control of Zou Island, but it is the reveal that Raizo is alive that becomes the most important moment of this arc.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 18. Punk Hazard Arc
We love the Punk Hazard Arc for how well it introduced Dressrosa, who would be such an important villain that he gets a whole saga named after him. Plus, we get to see what counts as mad science in One Piece in action as Doctor Vegapunk’s research comes to light. However, there is a bit too much setup and not enough action to launch it into the top ten One Piece arcs.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 17. Thriller Bark Arc
Every pirate crew needs a bard to sing of their exploits and the Straw Hats have one of the best. Brook, a skeleton with a gift for music, is introduced here and Luffy has to deal with several of the most powerful pirates in existence during this arc. There is plenty of action and we love how well it all comes together.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 16. Drum Island Arc
As beaten up as Luffy tends to get, it’s surprising that he lasted this long without a doctor on the ship. Chopper is introduced in this arc and we even get a glimpse of Ace’s journey ahead of Luffy. Chopper’s backstory is so tragic and well done that this is a One Piece arc you’ll never want to skip.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 15. Jaya Arc
While this is one of the shortest arcs in the show, plenty happens. Blackbeard is introduced and immediately becomes one of the best antagonists in Luffy’s journey. While all of this arc is just setting up their later conflicts, that single interaction is good enough to justify this arc placing so high.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 14. Arlong Park Arc
This was the moment that One Piece proved it was more than just fun and adventure. The scene where Luffy puts his hat on Nami’s head and tells her that he would absolutely protect her was the moment where Oda showed that he could do emotional points just as well as humor and action.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 13. Rogue Town Arc
As the Straw Hats approached the Grand Line, Rogue Town was their final stop. So much happens in what is really an elaborate shopping trip. Zoro finds a legendary blade. Admiral Smoker is introduced and we get the return of Buggy the Clown and Alvida – this time with the power of a Devil Fruit at her disposal. But it is the appearance of Dragon, one of the most wanted men in the world, as he rescues Luffy from capture that steals the show in Rogue Town.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 12. Skypiea Arc
At first glance, very little happens in the Skypiea Arc, but this slowly becomes one of the most important parts of One Piece as we get further into the story. The concept of Haki, which would eventually lead to Luffy’s Gear 5 form, is introduced. The Going Merry is severely damaged, which leads to its eventual destruction in a later arc, and we get a new classification of Devil Fruits to wrap our heads around. The Skypiea Arc changes the lore of One Piece completely.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 11. Amazon Lily Arc
This is one of the best arcs in One Piece for one reason – Boa Hancock is incredibly cool. One of the Warlords of the Sea, she is one of the most powerful characters in the show and Luffy turning her into an ally significantly increases the strength of the Straw Hats in the long term. Luffy’s dedication to his brother is shown as he learns of Ace’s impending execution.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 10. Whole Cake Arc
Luffy’s Gear 4 powers get expanded in this arc, which focuses on Luffy trying to free Sanji from his upcoming political marriage. Big Mom is introduced as one of the Straw Hats’ greatest enemies to date. Getting more insight into Sanji’s backstory was a delight and the big fights are suitably epic, making this one of our favorite One Piece arcs so far.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 9. Impel Down Arc
With Ace’s execution giving him a strict deadline, Luffy makes his way to Impel Down prison. There is a great sense of tension throughout as we hold our breath to see if Luffy makes it in time to save his brother. This arc sets up the best moments in One Piece but it still has enough going for it to stand on its own.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 8. Alabasta Arc
There is plenty of tragedy in One Piece, but few characters make us cry quite like Vivi. Crocodile sends the full weight of his power against the Straw Hats, who are attempting to diffuse a deadly war. Nico Robin finally joins the crew. By the end, the makeup of the crew is forever changed and One Piece is solidified as one of the best Shonen anime of all time.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 7. Sabaody Archipelago Arc
Following the events of the Thriller Bark Saga, the world is hot on the Straw Hats’ heels. The Sabaody Archipelago Arc sets up the Summit War Saga. The most interesting thing in this arc is how unexpected its ending is – watching the Straw Hats lose makes everything that follows that much more tense.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 6. Dressrosa Arc
This arc is one of the first times that the Straw Hats burst onto the world stage. Donquixote Doflamingo is a fantastic enemy for Luffy and the Straw Hat pirates expand into the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, a group of pirates aligned with the main crew who will become far more important in later arcs. This arc is everything that made the Alabasta Arc great, but with better fights and we’re here for it.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 5. Egghead Island Arc
One of the things that makes One Piece so fun is that it can effortlessly mix genres. With Egghead Island, we see a futuristic, sci-fi setting, but it isn’t just the genre shift that makes it rank so high on this list. There are huge implications for the ongoing story, some big reveals, and the heartbreaking conclusion to Kuma’s story which began hundreds of chapters earlier. By the end, when Dr. Vegapunk makes his announcement to the world, there is a sense that this is truly the beginning of the end for One Piece.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 4. Water 7 Arc
This is a lot of setup for the Enies Lobby Arc, but Water 7 is one of the most iconic arcs in One Piece because of how it builds up the World Government into a terrifying, oppressive force. Nico Robin and Usopp temporarily leave the crew, leaving Luffy to manage a headstrong group of pirates on his own. By the end, he is a significantly better leader and captain than he was before.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 3. Wano Country Arc
This arc makes it this high on the list because of the appearance of Luffy’s Gear 5 form. This ability completely changes what we know about Luffy, Devil Fruit, and the world of One Piece at large. Plus, the fight between Luffy and Kaido features some of the best animation the anime has had to date. In all, this is a fantastic arc that narrowly misses out on being one of the best in the show’s history.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 2. Enies Lobby Arc
Folks are going to argue with us for not putting this arc at the top of this list and we understand why. In the Enies Lobby Arc, Luffy makes his dramatic declaration of war on the World Government, effectively making the Straw Hats some of the most hunted individuals on the planet. But that is what happens when you threaten his friends – Luffy comes to burn down your flag.
One Piece arcs, ranked: 1. Marineford Arc
Luffy’s failure to save his brother from execution is the most dramatic, emotional moment in One Piece, but it isn’t actually the most important death in this arc. Whitebeard’s death changes the political landscape of the series, making this a vital arc not just from a personal point of view but for the world at large. Marineford is the best One Piece arc because, no matter how often we watch it, we can’t stop crying.
The One Piece anime has been going for 25 years now and miraculously doesn’t show any signs of stopping. Catch up on all 1000+ episodes of the anime and find out exactly why Gear 5 is such a great celebration of Luffy as a character before finding out what the English cast of One Piece thinks would make for the best birthday party for Luffy.
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Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)
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