One Piece, one of the best anime series of all time, continues to captivate audiences with its ongoing storyline and dedicated fanbase. Created by Eiichiro Oda, it follows Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew on their quest for the title of Pirate King. With over 900 episodes, 15 movies, and various short features, the franchise offers a rich universe of interconnected adventures and powerful characters. Understanding the correct order of the One Piece movies is crucial for anyone diving into the series or planning a rewatch.
1. One Piece (2001) – After Episode 18
Captain El Drago and his men are hunting for the legendary treasure of the Great Gold Pirate Woonan. Having taken out every member of the missing pirate’s crew, they finally have their hands on the map and are on their way to Woonan’s hidden island. Along the way, they jump into the starving Straw Hats and decide to rob them. After a short battle, Monkey D. Luffy (who has one of the best anime character names, we might add), Zoro and Tobio, a member of Woonan’s old crew, are separated from the other Straw Hats. Following the scent of food, they find Ganzo’s (Tobio’s grandfather) floating bar.
Meanwhile, El Drago and his crew have reached the island, where they find Usopp, who convinces them he’s a professional treasure hunter and uses their map to lead them around. He manages to get away from them with Nami’s help, and the two meet up with Luffy and Zoro, who finally make their way to the island.
They go to the mountain, where they believe Woonan’s treasure must be hidden, and meet Ganzo. He reveals that he and Woonan grew up like brothers. The Straw Hats arrive and find a hidden basement. After defeating El Drago and his crew, they enter the basement and find an empty room with Woonan’s skeleton and a message to Ganzo. Not one to miss out on an opportunity, the Straw Hats claim El Drago’s gold and continue their journey to the Grand Line.
If you’re going to watch the One Piece anime movies in order, this is a great place to start.
2. One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (2001) – After episode 52
While enjoying a day at the beach, the Straw Hats, now with Sanji, watch as their ship is stolen. They finally set out to find their lost belongings and meet the Thief Brothers, Akizu and Borodo, who claim to be after the Diamond Clock, a well-known treasure on Clockwork Island. In actuality, they stole the Straw Hat’s ship to make them confront the Trump Siblings, another pirate crew who occupies the island.
The first round of combat doesn’t go too well and destroys the Thief Brother’s ship and the abduction of Nami, but the group finally makes it to Clockwork Island and begins their way up a circular staircase with deadly traps. Meanwhile, Nami has befriended the Trump Sibling’s captain, and he’s decided to make her his bride. The Straw Hats finally reach the end of the staircase and meet a pair of citizens who tell them the island’s history. They storm the Siblings’ stronghold and slowly get picked off one by one until only Luffy remains. He frees his crew, and together, they defeat the Trump Siblings and destroy Clockwork Island.
Akizu reunites with his family, and the Straw Hats take their ship back and return to their search for the One Piece.
3. One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom in the Strange Animal Island (2002) – After Episode 102
Now with their newest addition, Chopper, the Straw Hats arrive at Crown Island. Their ship is launched into the air by an unexpected geyser, and they are separated from Chopper. He becomes king of the island after landing in the middle of a ritual. The Straw Hats encounter Count Butler, who is searching for the horns of an animal that will give him power and lead him and his men to Chopper and the rest of the island’s inhabitants. Butler believes Chopper has long sought horns.
A conflict breaks out, and each member of Luffy’s crew deals with a different issue. Butler is about to defeat Chopper when Momambi, the only human inhabitant, shows up with the former king’s horns to lure Butler away. Butler eats the horns and transforms when Luffy finally enters the battle, during which he breaks Butler’s horns and sends him flying. The animals elect Mobambi as King, and the straw hats proceed with their adventure.
One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom in the Strange Animal Island is pretty good. If you’re going to watch the One Piece movies in order, this one places third.
4. One Piece: Dead End Adventure (2003) – After Episode 130
This One Piece movie takes place right after the end of the Alabasta Arc, which is from episodes 92 to 130. Nico Robin has officially joined the Straw Hats, who are completely broke. They witness an odd interaction, and Nami smells the potential for gold and investigates the situation. The Straw Hats learn that there is an anything-goes sailing competition with a substantial prize. Not partaking is out of the question.
Luffy quickly makes enemies with different crews thanks to his habit of stealing food. A quarrel breaks out, and he is offered a position on marine captain Gasparde’s ship, which he refuses. The race starts the following day, and several ships are taken out before the island is left behind and the field opens up. Zoro inspects the ship and finds a stowaway trying to earn money for their sick grandfather. After facing a couple of other rival crews, the Straw Hats learn that their navigational charts were mislabelled. Using Chopper’s nose, they locate and eventually catch up with Gasparde’s ship, where a bounty hunter has discovered that the captain has Syrup-Syrup powers, which he uses to turn his body into solid or liquid sweets.
Luffy defeats him with help from Sanji’s flour, and the stowaway is the bounty hunter’s thought-dead sister. The Straw Hats are on their way to finishing the race but bow out when a navy fleet appears.
5. One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword (2004) – After Episode 143
While restocking, Zoro goes missing, having been called by an old friend. The Straw Hats go looking for him, though a fleet of Marines briefly chases them. He is the one who finds them and battles Sanji before taking three jewelled orbs from a village woman. Luffy and Usopp find a Marine training centre, where he learns from the leader and owner of the Seven-Star sword that Zoro is leaving the Straw Hats. Luffy attempts to defeat him but is thrown off a cliff, and Usopp quickly follows him.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Straw Hats are urged to leave and learn the story of the Seven-Star Sword and the curse of the sacred sword that can only be stopped with the power of the three stolen orbs (which Luffy and Usopp come across while traversing through a trap invested cave). They try to find an alternative plan, but Luffy and Usopp pop out of their cave with the orbs.
Luffy confronts Saga, and Zoro strikes the finishing blow, freeing Saga from the sword’s corruption. They seal away its power. Promises are made, and the Straw Hats leave with all their members aboard.
6. One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005) – After Episode 224
If you’re watching One Piece movies in order, watch this one film after episode 224.
The Straw Hats receive an invitation to an island resort where they plan on relaxing; to do so, however, they must complete “The Trials of Hell”, which Luffy accepts. They win the first trial, and while the rest deal with the second, Nico learns about a flower on the island known as the “Lily Carnation”, and Luffy receives a warning about his crew splitting up.
As the trials go on, the Straw Hats lose Chopper, Usopp, and Robin and split up for the final trial. Luffy saves his crew from the Lily Carnation, which Baron planned to use to reincarnate his dead crew and defeat Baron with the help of the other pirates. The Straw Hats return with no memory of what happened and find an exhausted Luffy on the ground. When they reprimand him, he laughs.
7. One Piece: Giant Mecha Soldier of Karakuri Island (2006) – After Episode 228
The movie is also sometimes called One Piece: Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle. While looking for treasure, the Straw Hats find a chest with an old woman inside who tells them about a legendary Golden Crown on her island. They agree to take her home to Mecha Island, where they get accosted by the islanders. With their ship damaged, they cannot leave, so they decide to look for the Golden Crown, which the island leader, Ratchet, is also looking for it.
They discover that the island is inhabited by a giant turtle that Ratchet plans to control to rule the world using his mechanical castle. Fortunately, Luffy defeats Ratchet and destroys his castle with help from Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro. The turtle lays eggs, and the Straw Hats return to their adventure after unsuccessfully trying to take one of the golden turtle shells.
8. One Piece Movie: Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventure in Arabasta (2007) – After Episode 312
This One Piece movie is a remake of the Arabasta Arc, which follows the Straw Hats as they defeat Sir Crocodile and end a conflict in the country of Arabasta. It also serves as a re-introduction for Nico Robin, who worked for Sir Crocodile before she joined the Straw Hats and the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
9. One Piece: Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Sakura (2008) – After 325
This One Piece movie is a remake of the Drum Island Arc. It includes Franky, Nico, and the Straw Hats’ beloved ship, the Thousand Sunny, and serves as a re-introduction for Chopper.
10. One Piece: Strong World (2009) – After Episode 381
The Straw Hats receive news that East Blue was accosted, so they head over to protect it. Along the way, they meet Golden Lion Shiki, who captures Nami for her expert navigational skills and separates the rest of the crew on a floating island where they battle against deadly beasts. When Shiki offers Nami the position of Navigator, she refuses.
The crew slowly make their way through the floating island, eventually meeting up at a village or a large building. Meanwhile, Nami escapes and bumps into Luffy, who several beasts chase. After the creatures are defeated, the two go looking for the rest of the Straw Hats and find the village. Shiki sees Nami on a camera and arrives to retrieve her. She convinces him to leave her crew and home alone if she goes with him. The Straw Hats arrive to rescue her. Luffy battles Shiki and sends Usopp and Chopper for her. Nami gets Shiki to guide the floating island into a storm. Luffy uses the storm to electrify his foot and destroy the island and Shiki.
The Straw Hats escape aboard the Sunny and evade attempts from the Marines below. Eiichiro Ado wrote the movie in honour of One Piece’s 10th anniversary. It is set between the Thriller Bark Arc and the Saboady Archipelago Arc, as Brook is part of the Straw Hats. However, Sengoku and Garp are still in the Marines.
11. One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase (2011) – After Episode 381
Luffy’s straw hat has gone missing, and he sends the whole crew to try and find it, almost drowning himself in the process. Usopp spots it in the mouth of an eagle as he and Chopper bring a half-dead old man back to the Thousand Sunny and tells the rest of the crew. This revives a waterlogged Luffy, who orders his crew after it as he begins his own chase.
Chopper revives the old man, who reveals that the bird is his companion, Buzz. He sent Buzz to steal Monkey D. Luffy’s hat because it was impossible, and he didn’t want Buzz to watch him take his last breath. Luffy and Buzz crash into a Marine Base, locked in a cage together.
Luffy’s straw hat is missing, and Usopp discovers that an eagle has it. The crew chases it, and Luffy and the eagle crash into a Marine base. The Marine Captain aims for Luffy’s hat, and Zoro arrives to save him. The two of them battle their way through the base as Luffy tries to retrieve his hat. The Marine Captain throws his hat out to sea, and Luffy doesn’t hesitate to jump after it. Buzz rescues him, and Luffy finally gets his hat back. Upon returning to the ship, the old man tells Luffy to take care of his hat.
This isn’t an essential One Piece movie to watch, but it’s plenty entertaining.
12. One Piece Film: Z (2012) – After Episode 573
In the New World, Zephyr (or Z) is an ex-marine admiral turned leader of the Neo Marines. He and his men steal the Marines’ “Dyna Stones,” which explode with enough force to destroy islands. He plans to use them to destroy three volcanoes and flood the New World with lava.
The Straw Hats rescue him, but he turns on them when he learns they are pirates. Nami, Chopper, Robin and Brook are de-aged. Z leaves, and his crew bomb the Sunny. The Marines discuss the Dyna Stones situation. As the Straw Hats regroup and prepare to take on Z again, they encounter Kuzan, who tells them he is no longer an enemy and warns them about the former Marine admiral. Luffy tries to take on Z again but is defeated and loses his hat to him. The audience then learns about Z’s past and why he’s trying to destroy the volcanos.
The pirates prepare to go after the Neo Marines one last time. Each of them takes on their own challenges, working with all they have while Luffy searches for Z. They are mostly victorious, the de-aged crew members revert back, and Luffy finally finds Z, who has been waiting for him at the mouth of a volcano. The two face off until they are both exhausted and eventually stop, both satisfied with the battle. Luffy retrieves his hat, and Z sacrifices himself to the Marines so that the Straw Hat crew can escape.
We then see Zephyr as a young boy. He is dressed as a superhero as he beats the bullies of a young girl and declares himself “Z” for the first time.
13. One Piece Film: Gold (2016) – After Episode 750
In this One Piece movie, the Straw Hat pirates arrive on Gran Tesoro, a large ship that Gild Tesoro runs. They are given VIP treatment and taken to a casino where they win a lot of money before they lose it all to a cheating Tesoro. He takes control of Zoro, who still has gold dust on him from when he first arrived and threatens to execute the first mate if they don’t repay their debt.
They meet Nami’s former acquaintance and arrange a heist to steal money from the main hotel. Luffy and Franky scale a wall but are caught and taken to prison, where Luffy washes the gold dust off himself. Meanwhile, the rest of the Straw Hats find themselves in a trap that Tesoro learns was what they planned, as seawater springs in place of liquid gold, and the gold dust washes off everyone.
The Straw Hats and Tesoro’s citizens work together to defeat Tesoro, and Luffy sends him flying into a Marine Fleet, who arrest him. Gran Tesoro goes into a self-destruct protocol, and Carina stays behind while everyone else evacuates. The Marines chase the Straw Hats while Carina sails away.
14. One Piece: Stampede (2019) – After Whole Cake Island Arc
If you’re watching One Piece movies in order, watch this one after episode 889.
The crew arrives at Delta Island for a pirate gathering arranged by Buena Festa. Festa has the pirates hunt for a treasure that belonged to Gol D. Roger. They set sail but soon discover that the race is a set-up arranged by Festa and legendary pirate Douglas Bullet. They hope to use the Marines to destroy the island and everyone on it.
The island is destroyed as the treasure is found, and Bullet takes it for himself and challenges the remaining pirates to a duel, almost defeating Luffy. The pirates who escaped find the Marines on their way and realise they were also set up. Bullet confronts the Marines, reveals his awakened Devil Fruit powers, destroys the fleet, and forms a giant colossus.
Bullet possesses an Eternal Pose that will guide towards the One Piece. Luffy and Usopp are found half-dead, and once he is revived, Luffy tries to face Bullet again but fails. The pirates band together against Bullet, and Luffy destroys the guide to the One Piece. Someone defeats Festa. The Straw Hats are surprised that Luffy destroyed the Eternal Pose, and Luffy claims that if they had kept it, they would have missed out on many adventures.
15. One Piece Film: Red (2022) – After Uta’s Past Arc
If you’re watching One Piece movies in order, watch this one after episode 1030.
Luffy and his crew travel to listen to the world-famous singer Uta, the daughter of “Red-Haired” Shanks. The pirates attempt to capture Uta, but she subdues them and then tells Luffy about her plan to create a world with only happiness and peace. She attacks the Straw Hats (not including Luffy, whom Trafalgar Law and Bartolomeo rescue) when they resist the idea.
The Five Elders, who rule the World Government, deem Uta a threat and send Marines after her. Luffy’s group is pursued by Uta and concertgoers when they meet Uta’s adoptive father, who tells them about her plan and worries for her safety.
Luffy’s group escapes and learns that Uta has the power of the Sing-Sing Fruit, which traps her listeners in the Sing-Sing world. When she sleeps, they will be freed, but she has been remaining awake using wake shrooms, which significantly shortens her lifespan. As a result, she has mere hours left. If she is defeated before relenting control, 70% of the world will be trapped in the Sing-Sing world.
They learn how to save those in the Sing-Sing World, and Luffy confronts Uta. She tries to battle him after revealing that Shanks abandoned her, but Shanks and his crew save him. He tries to help, but the Marines attack and Uta summons Tot Musica, the demon that destroyed her home all those years ago, not Shanks as she believed. She becomes consumed by Tot Musica.
To defeat the demon, Usopp works with his father, Yasopp, and Luffy. Shanks land the finishing blow on either side, but it’s too late, and those in the Sing-Sing world don’t return. Uta rejects the medicine that Shanks tries to give her to sing a song that will bring the lost people back. Shanks gets rid of the Marines, and Luffy wakes up on his ship to find they’ve already departed. He sees Shanks and the Red-Haired pirates sailing away and looking over Uta’s coffin.
How to Watch One Piece Movies in Release Order
- One Piece: The Movie (2000)
- Clockwork Island Adventure (2001)
- Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (2002)
- Dead End Adventure (2003)
- The Cursed Holy Sword (2004)
- Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)
- Giant Mecha Soldier of Karakuri Castle (2006)
- The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta (2007)
- Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Cherry Blossom (2008)
- One Piece Film: Strong World (2009)
- Straw Hat Chase (2011)
- One Piece Film: Z (2012)
- One Piece Film: Gold (2016)
- One Piece: Stampede (2019)
- One Piece Film: Red (2022)
A Note On Watching One Piece Movies In Order
If you’re going to watch the One Piece anime movies in order, keep in mind that this is the last and latest release as of this article’s writing.
There are also a ton of featurettes and movies that have fans debating whether or not they are part of the overall canon, like One Piece: Defeat Him! The Pirate Ganzack! (1998) and One Piece – Episode of East Blue: Luffy and His Four Friends’ Great Adventure (2017), Episode of Luffy: Adventure on Hand Island (2012) and One Piece: Episode of Sabo – Bond of Three Brothers, a Miraculous Reunion and an Inherited Will, which could have viewers confused as to where they fit into the bigger picture, but many fans don’t know where this all fits into the canon of the tale as a whole.
And let’s not forget the live-action Netflix One Piece TV series, too.
It’s no surprise, then, that fans have voted One Piece as one of the best anime series of all time.
Tell us, have you watched all the One Piece anime movies in order?
