Summary
One Pieceis famous for its wonderful sense of adventure and its hilarious comedic scenes, but there is a lot more to Eiichiro Oda’s legendary pirate adventure.One Pieceis also home to some of the most awe-inspiring and incredible fight scenes in the entire action shōnen genre.
And if the original battles of the manga weren’t already epic enough,Toei Animation made them even better by adapting themwith fluid animation, the work of talented voice actors, and beautiful background music. TheOne Pieceanime has featured innumerable cinematic fights, so there is a lot to choose from, but the following are the best so far.
8Roronoa Zoro vs. Dracule Mihawk
A Beautifully Choreographed Clash Between Two Strong Swordsmen
The early encounter betweenRoronoa ZoroandDracule Mihawkis one of the most iconic battles in the entire show and, while its original adaptation was quite solid, it got a complete overhaul in the 2017 TV Special,Episode of East Blue, which cemented it as one of the most epic clashes in the series.
The animation is more colorful and much more fluid, the pacing is a lot snappier and the choreography of the sword fighting is stellar since now the viewers can actually feel the impact of every single strike. On top of all that,Zoro’s eventual defeat feels a lot harsher but a lot more emotional as well. Sword fights in anime are always a joy to watch when they’re animated correctly, and this encounter is a perfect example.
7Monkey D. Luffy vs. Sir Crocodile (Round 3)
The Satisfying Conclusion To A Long Battle, Set To An Epic Score
Monkey D. Luffyhad to face the villainousSir Crocodilemultiple times throughout the Arabasta Arc and, while they were all really solid encounters, their final bout ended up becoming one of the most legendary in the history of this anime. This is mainly because Crocodile himself wasa truly despicable antagonist who came close to destroying Arabasta, which made viewers eager to see Luffy defeating him.
Their third and final encounter was filled with many twists and turns, and both fighters showcased some truly fascinating techniques, but the finisher is what took it to a whole new level. The final clash between Luffy’s Gomu Gomu no Storm and Crocodile’s Desert la Spada features some impressive animation for its time, but the inclusion of Antonín Dvořák’sNew World Symphonyas the background musicmade this moment way more satisfying and cinematic than viewers were expecting.
6Monkey D. Luffy vs. Charlotte Katakuri
A Long & Challenging Fight With A Worthwhile Conclusion
The animated adaptation ofLuffyandKatakuri’sencounter at the end of the Whole Cake Island Arcis infamous for being exceedingly long when compared to the original manga, but this doesn’t mean that it’s bad. To this day, this is still considered by many to be the best fight in the entireOne Pieceanime, and for very good reasons.
After all, Luffy’s rubber abilities and Katakuri’s mochi powers look and feel wonderful when they’re animated, especially Luffy’s brand-new Snake-Man form. So, even if it’s dragged out, at least this battle is brimming with beautifully animated sequences through and through. And if it wasn’t already cinematic enough, the final clash between Luffy’s Gomu Gomu no King Cobra and Katakuri’s Buzz Cut Mochi remains one of the most breathtaking and intense moments in all ofOne Piece.
5The Supernovas vs. Kaido & Big Mom
The Long-Awaited Climax Of The Wano Country Arc Defied All Expectations
Toei Animation stepped up its animation game in the Wano Country Arc, especially during its third act, the Raid on Onigashima, which is chock-full of beautifully animated fights. The main event is no exception because an incredible battle began the momentLuffy,Zoro,Trafalgar Law,Eustass Kid, andKillerreached the roof to finally take downKaidoandBig Mom.
Luffy kickstarted everything with his Gomu Gomu no Red Roc, which is the star of one of the most cinematic moments of the entire show since he immediately proved that the two Emperors of the Sea could be damaged with just one devastating blow. All the other characters did not disappoint, since this entire fight is acollection of powerful combatants with crazy abilities using some of their most effective attacksagainst each other: from the glorious return of Zoro’s Ashura to Kaido and Big Mom’s combined attack, Hakai, this is a breathtaking spectacle that feels like it was made for a feature film, and not a weekly TV show.
4Sanji vs. Queen
Sanji’s Most Complex Fight Has Detailed Choreography
Sanji’sbattles must be really fun but challenging to animate since his strong kicks and graceful fighting style always look amazing on-screen. But they were brought to a whole new level when he had to fightQueen the Plaguein the Raid on Onigashima. This was an inherently emotionally draining encounter for the chef, seeing as Queen kept mentioning his abusive family and asking him to use the Raid Suit over and over.
The impeccable voice acting and the intense soundtrack made this fight even more intense, but it all truly comes down to the animation, which was downright incredible,especially after Sanji unlocked his brand-new Ifrit Jambe technique. The entire battle was excellent, but the final sequence of Sanji kicking Queen was as satisfying as it was mind-blowing, and it was the perfect demonstration of Sanji’s full power and his honorable personality.
3Roronoa Zoro vs. King
An Outstanding Spectacle Of Colorful Attacks And Over-The-Top Techniques
Similarly to Sanji vs. Queen, the encounter betweenZoroand Kaido’s second-in-command,King, was an extremely memorable fight that re-defined Zoro’s entire character. This is basically the complete opposite of his duel with Mihawk since, while that fight was more grounded and realistic, this one is over-the-top and cinematic in all the best ways.
Zoro’s advanced sword fighting techniques,combined with King’s Lunarian powers and Pteranodon Devil Fruit, made this fight look unbelievable, as it’s made up of a volley of blazing fireballs, bizarre techniques, and colorful Haki attacks. Furthermore, the final sequence of Zoro clashing against King went viral when it first aired, as it contains some of the most impressive and detailed animations in the entire series, and very few scenes have surpassed it ever since.
2Monkey D. Luffy vs. Kaido
A Fun Love Letter To The Medium Of Animation
The climactic battle betweenLuffyandKaidoat the very end of the Wano Country Arc was already quite epic and entertaining in and of itself, not to mention that it featured multiple expertly animated sequences. But everything changed the moment Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit and unlocked his Gear 5 form.
Gear 5 is a cartoony and hilarious love letter to the medium of animation, so, to reflect that, Toei Animation made sure to make Luffy move and attack as comically and over the top as possible, which worked well. However, despite how fun this fight ended up becoming, it never stopped having high stakes. As a result, Luffy’s final Gomu Gomu no Bajrang Gun that managed to take down Kaido was both extremely satisfying and awe-inspiring, especially since it was the much-awaited conclusion to one of the longest conflicts inOne Piece.
1Monkey D. Garp vs. Kuzan (Aokiji)
An Emotional Battle That Looked Like Something Straight From A Movie
Fortunately, Toei Animation didn’t stop making fights inOne Piecelook and feel as great as possible after the end of the Wano Country Arc. And while Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have already taken part in some standout encounters set within Egghead,Monkey D. GarpandKuzan’sencounter in Hachinosu is undoubtedly the most impressive battle of the arc so far.
The moment Garp landed his magnificent Galaxy Impact on Hachinosuwas already enough to cement this as one of the best action set-pieces in the entire anime, but Toei Animation elevated his actual fight against Kuzan even further, thanks to its fluid animation and some surprisingly cinematic flashbacks that made audiences feel the emotional stakes of their battle. At the end of the day, Garp vs. Kuzan was so mind-blowing that it felt like a sequence from a high-budget animated movie. Here’s hoping that every future battle looks as good as it, or maybe even better.
