With over 1100 episodes, there have been many filler arcs in One Piece over the years, and for those catching up, these are the arcs to safely skip.
The One Piece anime has over 1100 episodes that are all part of the same interconnected storyline. Since this is one of the most popular shōnen franchises in the world, a lot of people want to catch up with this world-changing series before it reaches its inevitable conclusion in the future.
Do those people have to watch every single one of those episodes, or is there an arc that can be skipped? Of course there is, since Toei Animation has added a lot of filler scenes, episodes, and even entire arcs that were not part of Eiichiro Oda’s original work and, therefore, have no effect on the main plot. These are some examples of One Piece arcs that can definitely be skipped. 10 Warship Island Arc
Episodes: 54 to 61
Toei was forced to make a difficult decision in 2001: they had to create some filler episodes in order to prevent their anime adaptation from catching up with the One Piece manga. The result was the Warship Island Arc, which is well-known for being the very first filler arc created for this anime.
This is a totally harmless arc, but it’s also nothing special, since it introduces a bunch of generic characters that are never seen again after it’s over. To make things even worse, the Warship Island Arc contradicts events that happen in later canonical arcs, like Zoro nonchalantly cutting through steel chains, something that he actually has to learn to do during the Arabasta Arc. 9 Goat Island Arc
Episodes: 136 to 138
The name says it all: The Goat Island Arc tells the story of Zenny, an old man stuck on an island that is filled to the brim with goats, and who always had the dream of becoming a pirate alongside them. So the Straw Hat Pirates help him accomplish this dream before he passes.
This may be a short arc, but it features a really heartwarming story about someone trying to accomplish their dream, which is truly what One Piece is all about. However, this is yet another side-mission for the main cast, and Zenny’s story has zero impact on the rest of the anime’s plot. 8 Ruluka Island Arc
Episodes: 139 to 143
Toei Animation always had a disadvantage when it came to coming up with plots for filler arcs, since it’s almost impossible to match Eiichiro Oda’s creativity and clever writing. As a consequence, some of their original arcs can feel quite generic and forgettable, and the Ruluka Island Arc is definitely one of them.
This is far from a bad story, as the concept of the mysterious Rainbow Mist is truly fascinating, but most of the characters in this arc feel extremely generic, even by One Piece standards. Not to mention that neither they nor the Rainbow Mist are ever mentioned again, so it’s not essential viewing. 7 Long Ring Long Land Arc
Episodes: 207 to 219
The only canonical arc in this list, the Long Ring Long Land Arc is divisive among One Piece fans, as the game of Davy Back Fight against the Foxy Pirates is extremely goofy and funny, but it doesn’t seem like it has any true impact on the overall story of the series.
