Are the One Piece movies canon to the anime or manga? The One Piece media franchise currently has 15 movies in total. But are any of these films considered as canon? Here is a guide on whether or not the One Piece movies are canon and which movies are worth watching.
Are the One Piece movies canon?
There are 15 One Piece movies, and none of them are canon. However, a few are closely related to the manga/anime.
One Piece the Movie: Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates and One Piece: Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura both have storylines that directly came from the manga. The first one retells the Arabasta Arc of the series, while the second one basically serves as a remake of the Drum Island Arc.
Meanwhile, One Piece Film: Strong World has creator Eiichiro Oda as the executive producer and he also wrote the story for this. Oda also serves as a general producer for One Piece Film: Z, One Piece Film: Gold, One Piece: Stampede, and One Piece Film: Red.
Do I need to watch the One Piece movies?
Technically speaking, none of the One Piece movies are essential to the original plot of the manga and anime.
The One Piece movies have standalone storylines that could complement the main story arc. If you are also looking for extra adventures from the beloved Straw Hat crew, then it’s worth watching the movies.
One Piece movies worth watching
The One Piece movies worth watching are the ones where Oda was involved in the production. These include:
- One Piece Film: Strong World
- One Piece Film: Z
- One Piece Film: Gold
- One Piece: Stampede
While Oda was also involved in One Piece Film: Red, the plot storyline and development aren’t as good. It also passes off more as a musical type of movie, with music as a huge theme in the film. The fight scenes are amazing and of good quality, plus there’s even a glimpse of Luffy’s Gear 5. This is worth watching for people who want to add more songs to their anime playlist. Otherwise, you can skip this one.
Looking for the One Piece filler episodes? Check out our guide on the One Piece filler list: episodes and arcs you can skip.
