Over 1000 episodes of one of the world's biggest anime shows is coming to the UK for free

Almost every episode of the One Piece anime is heading to BBC iPlayer starting from September.

As revealed by the broadcaster, 1085 episodes of the English dub will soon be available to stream in the UK.

The first three arcs – East Blue, Alabasta, and Skypiea, consisting of 206 episodes – are arriving on iPlayer on September 1.

The remaining seven arcs, taking the series up to Land of Wano, will drop "between September and December". 

While it's missing out on the current Egghead arc, the arrival of One Piece sees BBC hit the anime jackpot. The long-running series, based on Eiichiro Oda's manga, first aired in 1999 and revolves around Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew's continuing quest to uncover the 'One Piece', a mystical treasure that would see its owner crowned King of the Pirates.

In a statement, iPlayer and BBC Three's Controller of Youth Audiences Fiona Campbell said, "It’s a really exciting move to bring the One Piece franchise to UK audiences in the coming months. With its captivating storytelling, rich characters and global fanbase, One Piece has become a cultural phenomenon and we're so excited to see how the fanbase will enjoy this huge canon of episodes available in English only on iPlayer."

Over on Netflix, two One Piece projects have either set sail or are just about to raise anchor.

The live-action series, which debuted on the streamer last year, is currently filming a second season. 

Due in 2025, One Piece season 2 will cover the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island arcs.

A One Piece remake, led by Wit Studio, will also be hitting Netflix in 2025.  

For more from some of the best anime around, check out our guides to the Chainsaw Man movie, Demon Slayer Infinity Castle, and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3.