6 Most Polarizing One Piece Arcs, Ranked

Despite its worldwide popularity and undeniable influence on the anime & manga industries, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has its fair share of controversial moments that have greatly divided its fanbase. After all, this is a very long story with a massive following, so it makes sense that not everyone enjoys the exact same parts.

Even though most of the story arcs in One Piece are highly regarded, some of them have caused quite a commotion among fans, who are still constantly debating about their overall quality due to factors like pacing, writing, battles, and more. The following arcs are the most polarizing in the entirety of this legendary pirate series.

6 Thriller Bark Arc

A Creative Arc That Feels Somewhat Disconnected From The Rest Of The Story

• Manga: Chapters 442 to 489
• Anime: Episodes 337 to 381

The Thriller Bark Arc is quite unique, as it features a classic horror movie theme, which led to the inclusion of fascinating creatures like zombies and ghosts. Not to mention that it’s also the home to plenty of legendary fan-favorite moments, like the Straw Hat Pirates teaming up in order to take down Gecko Moria and Oars, or Zoro’s defining encounter with Bartholomew Kuma.

Nevertheless, there are several aspects about the Thriller Bark Arc that some fans do not enjoy. Aside from Kuma’s late involvement, this arc feels very disconnected from the rest of the story, which some people find disappointing after huge, world-changing arcs like Arabasta or Enies Lobby. Many others also dislike the Thriller Bark Pirates themselves, with Gecko Moria often being cited as one of the most pathetic and least popular villains in all of One Piece.

5 Fish-Man Island Arc

An Important Arc With A Weak Villain

• Manga: Chapters 603 to 653
• Anime: Episodes 523 to 574

The Straw Hat Pirates had wanted to visit Fish-Man Island since before the time skip, so a lot of fan speculation was inevitably built around this mythical location and, after two years of growth and training, Luffy and his crew finally got to visit it during the Fish-Man Island Arc. This is a crucial narrative that tackles deep themes of racism & discrimination, and it also includes exciting action scenes in which the Straw Hat Pirates can show off their newly acquired powers and techniques.

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Unfortunately, a fair share of fans felt like the Fish-Man Island Arc was unsatisfying and not worth the long wait. This disappointment was caused by several factors, like Sanji’s perverted attitude, the extensive length of this arc, and the inclusion of Hody Jones, who is arguably one of the least memorable and weakest villains in the series, so he’s never seen as a real threat by most of the audience.

4 Wano Country Arc

An Epic & Lengthy Arc With A Rushed Ending

• Manga: Chapters 909 to 1057
• Anime: Episodes 890 to 1085

There’s no question that the Wano Country Arc is one of the most important arcs, not only in One Piece, but in the entire medium of manga. This reputation was not only earned by many of its positive features, like it’s interesting locations, charismatic characters, epic battles, and emotional plot beats, but also due to its extensive length. With almost 150 chapters in total, the Wano Country Arc is the longest arc in the series, and, curiously enough, most fans don’t seem to mind this.

Of course, some people still criticize this duration, especially those who read through this arc over the course of four years. However, the most controversial aspect about the Wano Country Arc is definitely its conclusion, since some fans felt it was extremely rushed, and they claim that Oda did this so he could quickly move onto the next arc. After so many years of development, a brief finale can certainly be disappointing to some.

3 Dressrosa Arc

An Exciting & Emotional Arc With Many Pacing Issues

• Manga: Chapters 700 to 801
• Anime: Episodes 629 to 746

Donquixote Doflamingo is one of the most popular One Piece villains, so it was inevitable that the arc that is mostly centered on him, the Dressrosa Arc, would be such an important event. The island itself, with its Spanish & Italian influences and colorful toy inhabitants, was quite unique, and the climactic battle between Monkey D. Luffy and Doflamingo was simply amazing, mainly due to the reveal of Luffy’s Gear 4 transformation. Many fans also enjoy some of the backstories that were presented in this arc, like Rebecca’s or Law’s development.

However, the Dressrosa Arc is also one of the most divisive arcs in the series. Some people dislike the fact that most of the story takes place in the same or similar-looking locations, so the action ends up feeling repetitive and monotone at times. Most fans criticize it for its extensive duration, combined with its slow pacing and its constant flashbacks. This was already a glaring issue of the Dressrosa Arc in the manga, but the anime made things even worse, since Toei Animation kept recycling the same scenes over & over in order to extend the length of this excruciatingly long narrative.

2 Skypiea Arc

An Adventure-Filled Arc That Some People Mistake For Filler

• Manga: Chapters 237 to 302
• Anime: Episodes 2002 to 2003

The Skypiea Arc has always been controversial due to its many unconventional elements that pretty much go against everything that most people would expect from a One Piece arc. It takes place on the legendary sky islands, there are very few Devil Fruit users, and it features no pirates or marines (aside from the Straw Hat Pirates), so it feels extremely disconnected from the rest of the story, to the point that some people saw it as filler for many years.

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The infamous reputation of the Skypiea Arc has been slowly redeemed in recent years, with many fans defending it precisely because of the same reasons that are often used to dismiss it. The sky islands are a magical place that feel distinct from any other location in the series, the Noland & Kalgara flashback is surprisingly endearing, and Enel is considered one of the most interesting and powerful antagonists in the series. Lastly, recent developments in the story have revealed that the Skypeia Arc was way more important than most people initially thought.

1 Long Ring Long Land Arc

A Hilarious Comedic Arc That Some People Find Annoying And Unimportant

• Manga: Chapters 303 to 321
• Anime: Episodes 153 to 195

The Long Ring Long Land Arc comes immediately after Skypeia, and it somehow managed to be even more controversial than its predecessor. This is definitely a more comedic story, as it’s centered on the goofy Foxy Pirates and their captain, Foxy, who challenge the Straw Hat Pirates to a game of Davy Back Fight. All of this results in an extremely funny and endlessly entertaining arc with many iconic moments, not to mention that it feels like a fitting pacing breather set between much more intense arcs.

Despite its many positive features, the quality of the Long Ring Long Land Arc is still being debated by fans to this day. While many enjoy its comedic tone, unique format, and silly characters, many others find Foxy and his crew to be extremely obnoxious, and the Davy Back Fight itself to be boring and unimportant, since so far it feels like this game hasn’t had any impact on the overall plot of the series. The anime is also partially responsible for this arc’s negative reception, as Toei added a few filler episodes with new events that are nowhere near as fun as the ones from the manga, and they only make the entire thing feel way too long.

One Piece (1999)

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Seasons

20

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Eiichiro Oda