When it was announced that the One Piece anime would be altering its production/release schedule in 2026, opting for the more modern structure of releasing 26 episodes per year rather than the one-per-week line-up that has been the norm for the show since 1999, the fans were in favor.
After all, this would help ameliorate the anime's pacing issues, which had long been a by-product of trying not to catch up (and possibly lap) the output of the manga source material. No longer would the One Piece anime be subject to "filler," an infamous term in the anime community that serves as the label for any content that isn't from the manga (and is often created in order to buy the show some time).
However, it's a bittersweet announcement. Because if any anime had fun filler, it was One Piece, and though its inclusion seemed to put the anime a little "behind the times," it also gave us a collection of oddly memorable adventures.
Adding to the adventure
The weekly schedule used to be fairly widespread: Dragon Ball, Naruto and many other franchises have based the construction of their stories around this timeline and all of them have had to deal with the ripple effect of scrambling to ensure that they didn't crash into the back of an ongoing manga. Sometimes they did this by writing all new stories that wouldn't interfere with the wider, canon narrative. Sometimes they merely padded their existing stories with little flourishes like side plots, elongated fight scenes, or even an abundance of character reactions (One Piece has a history of doing all of the above). But if done well, they'd add some distance while (hopefully) not alienating an audience that craved an anime that stuck to the point.
In the case of One Piece, though, the filler could be the point. After all, a major theme of One Piece, the story of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew's journey through the Grand Line, is the desire for adventure. And though One Piece will eventually have an ending, that spirit, one that's as vast as the horizon on the sea, does not. One Piece is as much of a story as it is a state of mind – in it, there is no more valuable thing than the embrace of freedom, whether that comes in the form of self-expression, identity, love or even the freedom to travel to whatever weird island you want.
It's on those weird islands that most One Piece filler arcs take place: the most revered One Piece filler arc is the "G-8" arc, which is situated in a navy base that's run by a brilliant strategist. In a way that's just as satisfying as the main arcs, the Straw Hats must try to outwit him and escape the base, and it tests each crew member's abilities in different, exciting ways. Other filler episodes occur in the midst of wider arcs: when the Straw Hats reach Loguetown, a symbolically important place on the map, some of the crew is treated to smaller, personal stories, from sharpshooter Usopp's brief feud with another marksman, to chef Sanji entering a cooking competition. Very little of this is in the manga, but it doesn't detract from the wider tale. Instead, it simply adds to the adventure.
Rewarding a rewatch
A similar story occurs later in Water 7, after the Straw Hats have battled their way through the government stronghold of Enies Lobby: Zoro, the directionally-challenged swordsman, is forced to play babysitter to a gaggle of children. It does absolutely nothing to push the plot forward, but as a lighthearted escapade with a beloved Straw Hat member, it excels. As One Piece has increased in scope and detail over the years, these little moments that give certain characters the spotlight have become rarer and rarer. As such, One Piece filler can be a chance to hang out with the crew: before they enter the hectic Grand Line, the "Warship Island" arc allows for a no-strings-attached experience. And prior to the crew's most devastating defeat at Sabaody Archipelago, "Spa Island" gives them a sunny vacation (One where they encounter some bad guys, but a sunny vacation nonetheless).
Some of the recent filler arcs are meant to tie into various One Piece films, but even without them hinging on a spin-off flick, they can be nice diversions. The "Uta's Past" arc, which goes into the childhood friendship between Uta and Luffy before the former became a central figure in One Piece Film Red, is a pleasant story that only serves to strengthen Luffy's character as a magnet for outsiders. It isn't necessary to watch before you start Film Red, but it does fit comfortably in the grand scheme of One Piece's message about unity among misfits.
It's unknown whether or not this new schedule means the definite end of One Piece filler altogether – the aforementioned movie tie-in episodes have seemed popular enough to become a kind of tradition. But the age of the Straw Hats carelessly visiting various islands and encountering characters that exist far from the boundaries of the manga is likely over.
If there is any silver lining, though, it's that filler can make a rewatch of the series all the more rewarding, especially if you skipped it in the first go-round. Because one day, One Piece will be over, and at that point, we'll want all the Luffy we can get.
For even more, check out our guide to the best anime to fill out your watchlist, or see all there is to know about One Piece season 2 through the link.
