One Piece: 10 best Wano Saga moments ranked

One Piece has ended its epic Wano Saga in the recent anime episode, so here’s a look at 10 of the best moments over the years.

There’s no doubt that Wano Saga was one of the most highly anticipated Sagas in One Piece. It was teased in the Punk Hazard arc (2012 in manga and 2013 in anime), but it only began several years later. In the One Piece manga, the Wano Saga debuted in 2018, while the anime welcomed it in 2019.

It mostly focused on the Straw Hats and their allies invading Wano to drive out the Yonko Kaido. However, as someone who’s called the “strongest creature,” fighting him is almost impossible, much less defeating him. Nonetheless, Luffy is not someone who will get overwhelmed by his enemies.

As the story continues, the truth behind the Kozuki Clan’s downfall, the secret of an ancient weapon, and several more mysteries come to light. Here’s a look at the ten best Wano Saga moments in One Piece.

10. Dawn rises in Wano (Episode 1078)

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The fight goes on for the entire night, and the new dawn brings forth hope and a new beginning for the people in Wano. Momonosuke takes his rightful place as the Shogun of Wano and promises a better future for Wano. No doubt someone like him will live up to the people’s expectations and bring the country to greater heights than his predecessors. 

9. Luffy and Roger have the same dream (Episode 1015)

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As the future Pirate King, Luffy shares a lot of similarities with Roger. However, the most unexpected similarity is the fact they both have the same dream. The dream has yet to be mentioned in the series. While Roger’s dream never came true, Luffy will make it a reality. Yamato finds out the similarity between their dreams when Ace tells them about it. The scene in anime was beautifully animated as it parallels Roger and Luffy, explaining their childish dream.

8. The Straw Hats’ toast before the big fight (Episode 982)

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No doubt, the Wano Saga surpasses every other arc of One Piece in terms of animation. The moment Straw Hats makes a toast after Jinbe officially joins the crew is one of the most beautiful and nostalgic scenes of the entire series. The scene reminds us of the time when the five members made a promise on the barrel before heading to the Grand Line. It’s been over two decades since then, and the crew now has 10 members, each with their own goals in life.

7. Shanks overwhelms an Admiral with Conqueror’s Haki (Episode 1082)

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Admirals are the Marines’ powerhouses, and even the most notorious pirates of the New World are afraid to fight. However, that doesn’t apply to the Red-Hair Shanks, who overwhelms Admiral Ryokugyu from several miles away using nothing but his Conqueror’s Haki. Shanks doesn’t enter Wano, but he is easily able to communicate with the Admiral. He talks about the New Era made by the young pirates.

6. Oden’s sacrifice (Episode 984)

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Oden was a member of the Whitebeard Pirates before joining Roger’s crew. Despite being an heir of the Kozuki Clan, Oden was a free spirit and journeyed across the world and went to Laughtale, the last island. His legendary life came to an end when he sacrificed himself for his family and country. Oden could’ve easily saved himself, but he didn’t do that, knowing it would risk the lives of those he cared about. He was boiled alive for an hour and didn’t die until Kaido shot him in the head.

5. The Laughtale Island (Episode 968)

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The vast plot of One Piece thrives on its legendary backstories. One of them is Oden’s backstory, which features countless iconic moments. However, nothing beats the moment when Roger’s crew enters Laughtale and finds out the secret of the world’s history and Joy Boy. Although Laughtale was never shown, the island got its name because the entire crew laughed after knowing the truth. Roger even wished he had been born in the same era as Joy Boy.

4. Sanji vs Queen (Episode 1061)

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Sanji had faced one thing after another before coming to Wano. His victory against the Queen was only possible because of his Germa 66 lineage, which he had never intended to accept. Nonetheless, he proves his loyalty toward Luffy and his crew by using the powers he hated against one of the strongest Beast Pirate members. The scene is a perfect blend of stellar animation, a unique scenic art style, and a color palette for the battle’s conclusion and Sanji’s flashback of Zeff and the Straw Hats.

3. Luffy walks past two Yonkos (Episode 1015)

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Episode 1015 is one of the most iconic episodes of One Piece’s Wano Country Saga. Not only do we witness the beautiful scene of Luffy’s dream, but the future Pirate King also walks past two Yonkos without a hint of fear. Luffy cares about his friend more than anything. Therefore, seeing the severely injured Akazaya Nine strengthens his resolve to defeat their enemies. While the humungous Kaido and Big Mom stand there challenging Luffy, the young pirates walk past and prioritize the well-being of his friends.

2. Zoro vs King (Episode 1062)

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Whether it’s using Conqueror’s Haki or getting Enma, the Wano Saga in One Piece truly makes Zoro shine in a lot of ways. However, his fight with King, Kaido’s first mate, remains one of the most iconic moments in the entire One Piece, not just in Wano Saga. Despite all odds stacked against him, Zoro makes the impossible possible in the visually stunning action sequence where he destroys the last member of the Lunarian race.

1. Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation (Episode 1071)

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Nothing beats the shock and thrill of the unexpected transformation of the series protagonist. Gear 5 made headlines in both the manga and the anime. The transformation, paired with the amazing animation, the Drums of Liberation, and the amazing vocals by Mayumi Tanaka, made the scene one of the best moments in anime history, not just in One Piece. The anime also added a brief transition of Luffy’s journey from Gear 2 to Gear 5, showing us just how far he has come over the years.

How to watch Crunchyroll from outside your location in 2023

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See our other One Piece coverage here, and you can check out our other anime coverage here.

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