One Piece is an anime series with so many episodes that it seems almost insurmountable. However, it’s also one that, no matter how skeptical you are going into it, you end up becoming engrossed by after a few episodes. This leads to you devouring the series, emerging the other side with a food-stained T-shirt and generally disheveled appearance.
But you can’t just jump into a series like this, with movies that fit between episodes, without knowing how to watch them in chronological order.
How to Watch all One Piece movies in order chronologically
The list below shows every One Piece movie in chronological order. This is the order in which you should watch them alongside the series. With every movie, I’ve added the episode you should watch the movie after. So, while watching the series, you’ll need to stop at the episode mentioned and watch the movie to ensure you have all the context for everything that comes after.
1. One Piece: The Movie (watch following episode 18)
In One Piece: The Movie, the Straw Hat Pirates are attacked and beaten by Captain El Drago and his men. Prior to the battle, El Drago acquired a treasure map, linked to the legend of the Great Gold Pirate Woonan, said to lead to the gold that this legend pertains to. After somehow managing to survive and pull themselves out of the ocean, Luffy and the Straw Hats eat and recoup. Both parties eventuially make it to Woonan’s island and take their separate paths to where they believe the treasure lies.
While the movie starts with the Straw Hats on the back foot, it’s a fun adventure that sees them come out on top in the end. The fight you’re watching this for comes at the film’s conclusion when El Drago and his men finally face off against the Straw Hats. It feels like a true pirate tale through and through, but with a brilliant bit of flavor thanks to the art style and world of the One Piece series.
2. One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (watch following episode 53)
One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure is much more ambitious than the first movie. Once again, the Straw Hats are left without much of a ship and set out to locate their stolen belongings. Through a happy coincidence, they run into the people who stole from them and figure out exactly where they need to go: Clockwork Island.
This place is no joke, run by a crew who enjoy using traps and kidnapping anyone they see as a threat. Things look bleak for the Straw Hats as the movie draws on, but the fight at its climax is a real rollercoaster that sees them come out on top again. Everything turns out alright at the end of this movie, with characters reunited outside of the main cast and the Straw Hats setting off with a sense of pride as they leap into future episodes.
3. One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (watch following episode 102)
The story of One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals is an absolute whirlwind. It’s also the definition of a side story that you could probably get away without watching, but I’d recommend you do for continuity regardless. The Straw Hats find themselves, as you’ve probably already guessed, on an island of strange animals. Through the circumstances of their arrival, one of the crew is mistaken for a prophesied king, which is both good and bad for them.
I don’t want to spoil this story, because it really does go all over the place. As should be given at this point in your One Piece journey, there’s a huge fight as the movie comes in to land. There’s also a surprising twist to the fight that I didn’t think would pay off, the type that sees a legend become reality, but our heroes thwart what could be a devastating danger to the world before they set sail back to the series.
4. One Piece: Dead End Adventure (watch following episode 138)
At the start of One Piece: Dead End Adventure, the Straw Hats find themselves in a local pub where they witness an odd exchange. After ascertaining the nature of this encounter, they end up in a race for an inordinate amount of money. Luffy shows off his love of eating and insulting others, which almost gets him killed a few times before the race begins.
This movie has some heartfelt moments alongside a ton of fighting and espionage. What makes it worth watching is the way it follows the Straw Hats among a group of other pirates all gunning for the same goal. It feels like a strange mix of Rat Race and Pirates of the Caribbean.
5. One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword (watch following episode 143)
In One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword we see a classic sort of samurai movie tale about the Seven Stars Sword and how it’s linked to one of the Straw Hats crew members. There’s not much to the plot, but it’s a great addition to the One Piece lore and is a fun romp for those who like stories with cursed artifacts that are able to gain greaet power under specific circumstances once every hundred years. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for this and, for me at least, it’s got a similar vibe to The Mummy (1999).
6. One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (watch following episode 224)
One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island is a sinister tale that starts with the Straw Hats being invited to an island resort on Grand Line. There, they’re tasked with completing the Trials of Hell, which they’re obviously not thrilled about given the name. However, after they accept, they get a win, and those thoughts are dispelled for now.
Over the course of the movie, characters disappear, and cracks begin to form between those who remain. The villain of this movie is doing something pretty nasty with the Straw Hats he captures, but I don’t want to spoil it because it’s also quite a cool surprise. After the final fight, the villain gets exactly what he deserves, which isn’t as brutal as you might think in the world of One Piece. This one’s definitely going to make you think.
7. One Piece: The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle (watch following episode 228)
One Piece: The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle is a tale of desire and sorrow in some ways. It’s hard to talk about it without spoiling too much. The Straw Hats get involved in the search for a treasure in a place called Mecha Island. Along the way, they meet a character who betrays them and ends up gaining a power that could see him take over the world if not stopped. Trust me, you don’t want to miss what this movie has to offer. It’s a real blast and should give you serious Pacific Rim vibes.
8. One Piece – Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates (watch following episode 312)
The Straw Hats are embroiled in an epic adventure in One Piece – Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates. A city is experiencing a revolution after its citizens have been lied to, and it’s down to our trusty crew to cross the desert and sort things out before they get extremely out of hand. This is another movie that goes off the deep end in a couple of places when it comes to ancient secrets, something I adore about One Piece, so you’re in for a good time.
9. One Piece – Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura (watch following episode 325)
One Piece – Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura focuses on Chopper and is a retelling of the Drum Island storyline from the One Piece manga. It’s a bit of an amalgamation of manga adaptation and scenes that help make One Piece more cohesive with tales such as how the crew meets Vivi. A few questions you didn’t know you wanted answered are in here, making it a decent watch, though not as good as some of the other movies.
10. One Piece Film: Strong World (watch following episode 381)
One Piece Film: Strong World is an original work written by Eiichiro Oda to mark the tenth anniversary of One Piece. It bridges the gap between the Thriller Back Arc and the Sabaody Archipelago Arc, making it a bit of an oddity in terms of these movies. Usually, characters and story details as they are in the books were supplied, but this is an entry that pushes the anime forward. For that alone, it’s worth a watch and demands your respect as a fan.
11. One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase (watch following episode 381)
I don’t fondly remember the era when 3D was going to be the next home movie revolution, and I’m glad it passed. Thankfully, you can watch One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase without all the nonsense of 3D glasses and specific screen types. I won’t deny you the trip back in time if you fancy it, though.
I’m not joking when I say that this movie hinges entirely on Luffy’s hat being stolen and him seeking it out. Once he finds it, and you’ve been through the side story, he then proceeds to fight his way through an entire naval base just to get his hands on it once more. I don’t know what this movie is trying to say, but the juxtaposition of a hat being both the cause and ultimate goal in a series that focuses much more on pirates fighting is great fun.
12. One Piece Film: Z (watch following episode 578)
The story of One Piece Film: Z is wild and crazy. The Straw Hats are forced to confront someone evil enough to want to detonate massive bombs inside volcanoes to create a vast new continent. I like the fact that the antagonist’s plan would put an end to, or at least dramatically change, the life of every seafarer. This is just a good old story about the good guys stopping a very clearly signposted bad guy.
13. One Piece Film: Gold (watch following episode 750)
One Piece Film: Gold is set in the independent country of Gran Tesoro. It’s well-known by all pirates, and everyone else who needs it, as a place of absolute sancutary. If you’re doing something the World Government is going to question, this is where you lie low for as long as it takes to spend all your money.
However, the leader of this supposed utopia, Gild Tesoro, has ambitions bigger than an entire country, maybe a whole world. Once again, it’s up to the Straw Hats to stop the worst from happening, and the epic fights you’re treated to really are something else that makes this movie a journey worth experiencing.
14. One Piece: Stampede (catch following episode 889)
One Piece: Stampede is another story of priates being brought together under false pretences. This time, the draw is a festival, but soon every pirate who attends is rounded up for nefarious means they don’t exactly agree with. It’s not a groundbreaking movie but there are some fantastic fight scenes worth watching for.
15. One Piece Film: Red (watch after episode 1030)
The main focus of One Piece Film: Red is a singer called Uta. She sings to the world while hiding her identity, and she’s about to appear for a live performance for the first time. Everyone gathers to see Uta because they adore her music, including Luffy and the Straw Hats.
This movie is all about twists and turns, and is a huge bit of fan service to those who love the series and the manga. I can’t talk about the story without giving away spoilers that are best enjoyed watching it. As the most modern One Piece movie at the time of writing, it looks great and is a pure popcorn flick you can turn on to forget about the world for a while.
All One Piece Movies in release order
While the chronological order above is the order in which every One Piece movie was released, I’ve listed them all with release years here for clarity. Just in case you were wondering exactly when each one came out.
- One Piece: The Movie (2000)
- One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (2001)
- One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (2002)
- One Piece: Dead End Adventure (2003)
- One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword (2004)
- One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)
- One Piece: The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle (2006)
- One Piece – Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates (2007)
- One Piece – Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura (2008)
- One Piece Film: Strong World (2009)
- One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase (2011)
- One Piece Film: Z (2012)
- One Piece Film: Gold (2016)
- One Piece: Stampede (2019)
- One Piece Film: Red (2022)
Where to watch One Piece
The best place to watch every One Piece movie is at home after purchasing them either as a physical or digital copy. Personally, I think it’s better to own a physical library of your favorite anime series and movies, because you can rewatch them without becoming beholden to a streaming service subscription.
At the time of writing, it doesn’t look like any streaming service has the One Piece movies available to watch. This could change over time, but all I’ve been able to find that’s legitimate is the entire series of One Piece on Crunchyroll. Note that this is just the series, and it looks like the movies aren’t included. There are listings on Crunchyroll for some of the movies, but they’re unavailable in my region (UK), so they might be in yours, too.
How long will One Piece continue to run?
It’s hard to say exactly how long One Piece will continue to run because the creators haven’t given a date for when they want to finish it. Fans believe that it will end at some point between 2025 and 2027, but that’s based on speculation backed up by the length of the previous saga compared to how long the current one will run. When a firm date or confirmation for the end of the series is given, we’ll update this article.
