The One Piece series has been running for over 28 years in manga form, and about 26 years as an anime. Despite some imperfections, the anime is widely loved and remains incredibly popular. Every week, millions of fans worldwide watch Luffy and the Straw Hats’ adventures in the One Piece anime.
As a huge One Piece fan, I’m honestly a little shaken up by the recent news! It looks like the anime is going through a massive transformation. For over 26 years, we’ve been getting new episodes almost every week, but starting in 2026, it’s switching to a seasonal format – meaning longer gaps between releases. It’s a big change, and a lot of us are worried, especially since the anime has already been taking long breaks. What’s really frustrating is that this production shift doesn’t seem to be fixing the issues with pacing or quality. It feels like One Piece is stepping into a whole new era, and while it could be amazing, it’s definitely a bit nerve-wracking!
The One Piece Anime Is Turning Seasonal
- It Will Produce Only 26 Episodes a Year
- The Anime Will Be Split into Two 13-Episode Cours
I was so excited earlier this week when they announced some big One Piece anime news was coming on the 28th! And man, did they deliver! The official One Piece account livestreamed a press conference, and they dropped some huge reveals. It was amazing!
Starting in 2026, the One Piece anime will be changing how it releases new episodes. For the past 26 years, episodes have been shown almost every week, but now it will move to a seasonal format, with only 26 episodes airing each year. Previously, the series typically released over 45 episodes annually.
Starting in 2026, the series will consist of 26 episodes released in two parts each year. Each part will have approximately 13 episodes, with around three months between them. While this is a significant change that some fans may find surprising, many predicted it after the six-month gap between releases from late 2024 to early 2025.
What This Mean For The Future Of The One Piece Anime
Toei’s One Piece Adaptation’s Life Span Will Be Extended By Years
The shift from weekly to seasonal releases is a significant change for the One Piece anime and will likely affect the series as a whole. While Toei Animation is reducing the number of episodes by half, they’ve confirmed that each episode will still only cover one chapter of the manga. This means that, even with the new schedule, One Piece’s pacing isn’t expected to improve.
As a child, I dreamed of creating a manga with an incredibly exciting climax. I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off! Now, after 25 years, we’re nearing the end of the Wano arc and everything is almost ready. You can jump in and start reading now, because things are about to get wild… this is where we reveal THE ONE PIECE! I’m going to draw all the secrets of this world, and it’s going to be amazing! Get ready for the ride, and please stick with me a little longer! — Eiichiro Oda, Author of One Piece, 2022
Even with a shorter season, the quality of the One Piece anime isn’t expected to improve. Everything else about the show will stay mostly the same. Reducing the number of episodes per year will just mean it takes longer to adapt the manga, and Toei Animation might be okay with that, especially since One Piece is their biggest current anime as it heads into its final arc.
You can watch all episodes of One Piece on Crunchyroll. A new episode will be released this Sunday as planned.
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2025-10-31 14:37