The World of One PieceIn publication since 1997, One Piece is praised for its characters and humor. These are the highs of the One Piece manga and anime, from quotes to best anime episodes.
Updated July 8, 2022 29k votes 4.9k voters 44k views
One Piece has been a really long journey for most anime fans; with over 900 chapters and 800 episodes, you know that the story has to have something compelling about it. There have been plenty of long anime series in the past, but One Piece has always reigned supreme with it’s never ending arcs full of amazing detail and storyline. There are so many colorful characters and small, individual stories that make up a bigger picture; the world-building has always been an incredible part of the series.
With all these interesting arcs and complex characters, it only stands to reason that we see a lot of amazing plots and scenes. One thing One Piece has always been good at is their heartbreaking stories. When we’re first introduced to this series, we think it’s an adventure full of lighthearted events revolving around Luffy becoming king of the pirates. Instead, we get heartbreak after heartbreak as characters go through literal hell, journeys for justice, and vengeance along with stories of total and complete loss. It’s been one of the show’s strongest aspects and a large reason that it’s been going strong for so long. We’ve looked through dozens of heart-wrenching moments for One Piece, but here are 15 of the absolutely devastating scenes we’ve ever had to watch from the show.
Ace's death is known as one of the saddest moments in One Piece because we not only lose a beloved character but also because we see Luffy pushed to his very limits. Ace was considered Luffy's brother and died trying to protect him from Akainu. It was such a tense moment seeing Akainu lunge for Luffy and then realizing Ace had been punched straight through his chest. No one ever really recovered from this in part because we've not seen his death avenged yet.
This was perhaps one of the saddest deaths for a character we barely got to see much of. Corazon, the thought to be the mute brother of Doflamingo, revealed to a young Trafalgar Law that he was, in fact, able to speak. Through a series of events, Corazon finds out about Law's illness and stops at nothing to cure him. We find out that he was actually working with the Marines in hopes of stopping his brother; a truth he would later be killed for. Before passing on, he smiled at Law telling him that he was loved.
The Going Merry is where our journey truly began; most of the crew was already together by the time we got it and we saw the entire East Blue with it. As a gift from Kaya, this became the first home the Straw Hat Pirates shared together for countless chapters and episodes. But, after a long life full of damage, she could go no further with us. We saw the Straw Hats give her the Viking funeral she deserved after Enies Lobby. With her end came a new start, but it was still heartbreaking to watch this first ship go.
Chopper had one of the most devastating backstories out of all the Straw Hat Pirates. From being born with a blue nose and considered an outcast among his herd to eating the Devil Fruit that would turn him into a humanoid creature, he never had it easy. After being left out on his own and being continuously mistaken as a yeti, Chopper endured a lot of injuries until he was rescued by Dr. Hiluluk. The doctor would teach Chopper everything he knew until it was revealed that he was gravely sick. Chopper found him the Amiudake mushroom, which he thought had healing properties. Instead, it was a poison that would put Hiluluke out of his misery. Chopper was devastated and seeing such a cute reindeer go through so much was heartbreaking for fans.
Ohara was the home of Straw Hat member Nico Robin; its story was one we would have never thought so tragic. It was outlawed to study the Void Century, but Nico's mother, Olivia, wanted to continue her husband's research. She lived on Ohara with her daughter and other archeologists who wanted to study in peace without the World Government knowing, but they were unfortunately found and killed with a Buster Call. Countless lives were lost and the tragedy, including Saul who was frozen right in front of Robin. This would stick with her well into adulthood.
Law was born in a place called White City, named after the Amber Lead that was mined there. Amber Lead was also causing a huge health risk for the populace as people were being poisoned by this. The World Government knew about the effects but never disclosed them. Instead, they decided to exterminate those with contamination. Law's parents were shot before his very eyes and the hospital his sister was being treated in was burned to ash. Law watched his entire family die and, to make things worse, he was already sick with Amber Lead poisoning. He knew he would not survive to adulthood, but Corazon saved him by making him eat the Op-Op Fruit. This was one of the harder scenes for fans to watch because of how downright horrific it was.
