9 Best One Piece Moments That Are Better In The Manga

Highlights

• Shanks’ appearance in the Wano arc was more impactful in the One Piece manga than in the anime, with better directing and finesse.
• Hiyori’s emotional panel in the manga, depicting the suffering of the people of Wano, was more powerful than in the anime.
• The battle between Luffy and Katakuri had more emotional and gruesome impact in the One Piece manga than in the toned-down anime adaptation.

After airing for over two decades, the One Piece anime series has portrayed a plethora of moments. From the tear-jerking ones to the intense ones filled with excitement, each episode has left its mark. In recent years, the animation quality of One Piece has greatly improved, especially with scenes such as the unveiling of Luffy’s Gear Five—these episodes have been great.

However, despite the better animation, some scenes portrayed in the anime do not match up to the intensity and detailing present in the manga. Perhaps because of the direction or finesse, the One Piece manga has portrayed some moments better.

9 Shanks In Wano

Chapter 1055

Red-haired Shanks is that One Piece character who hardly appears but has immense hype and feats surrounding him. As the one who directed Luffy into a life of piracy, anytime Shanks appears, fans are always sent into an uproar.

One of Shanks’ most recent appearances is toward the end of the Wano arc. Unfortunately, many fans believe that the impact and significance of Shanks appearing in Wano was way less than it was in the manga. Whether it be the directing or the finesse, the manga portrayed the appearance of Shanks and the red-haired pirates in a way that the anime didn’t.

8 Hiyori Communicating Wano’s Pain

Chapter 1044

The Wano arc of One Piece showed the cruelty of pirates and individuals like Orochi. For so long, the people of Wano had been enslaved, and their country was used for the manufacture of weapons while they starved. To make matters worse, rather than just using them as slaves, Kaido and Orochi also used the people of Wano as experiments for the detrimental SMILE fruits.

Thankfully, the presence of the Straw Hat Pirates alleviated their suffering as Kaido was defeated and Orochi killed. However, right before he was killed, Hiyori had an emotionally charged manga panel where she cried regarding the suffering she and her people had gone through for 20+ years.

7 Luffy And Doflamingo’s Initial Clash

Chapter 782

The Dressrosa arc remains one of the most loved arcs in One Piece due to the portrayal of the arrogant but powerful Doflamingo. Despite Luffy and Law allying with one another, taking down the then-Warlord proved to be a herculean task. In a last-ditch effort, Law tried to finish off Doflamingo but failed, leaving him at the mercy of the Heavenly Demon.

As Doflamingo tried to crush Law with his foot, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates promptly blocked him using his own foot and had an intense staredown with Doflamingo, making it a truly ice-cold and iconic moment.

6 Luffy Vs. Katakuri

Chapter 878

Of all the One Piece villains that Luffy has ever faced, Katakuri proved to be one of the most threatening. His devil fruit and overall haki abilities made him a villain with a bounty of a billion berries. Luffy’s battle with Katakuri was a tough match with lots of blood and gruesome injuries.

However, the One Piece anime series toned down those gruesome sights, which made it less impactful than it was portrayed in the manga. For fans who want the emotional and gruesome aspect of the battle in its entirety, the One Piece manga is where to check it out.

5 Sogeking Shooting Down The World Government’s Flag

Chapter 398

Enies Lobby portrays a central story of Robin’s life and past as Luffy and the Straw Hats decide to save her from the hands of Rob Lucci and the other CP9 agents. Because of her knowledge of reading and deciphering poneglyphs, Robin has always been someone that the World Government holds in high regard, even to this day, and they will do anything to have her in their clutches.

As Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates steeled their hearts in opposing the World Government, Luffy calmly told Sogeking to burn down the World Government’s flag, effectively declaring war on them.

4 Luffy And Blackbeard

Chapter 225

“People’s dreams… don’t ever end!!” is a famous quote that was said by Teach when he and Luffy met in Mock Town. In that town, many ridiculed Luffy for trying to go to Skypiea, the island in the sky, but not Teach.

The manga panel in which the duo faced each other also served to showcase their contrasting natures while foreshadowing the battle that may eventually occur between them. While they were merely upcoming pirates then, those two pirate captains who engaged in a fierce staredown are now Emperors of the Sea, and their presumed battle is not any less anticipated.

3 Whitebeard’s Death

Chapter 576

After Ace died, the Marineford War only saw more and more unneeded deaths as Akainu also wanted to kill Luffy, and it became a war of pride. As Whitebeard was an old man and had suffered many grave injuries, he was determined to hold back the Marines so his crew and allies could leave the battlefield.

As the battlefield raged on, Blackbeard made an appearance, and he and his crew ultimately killed Whitebeard. But the huge man died standing, bloodied, but with honor. This gruesome but honorable moment was well portrayed in the manga, as Whitebeard’s death ended an era and ushered in a new one.

2 The Going Merry’s Last Ride

Chapter 430

Both the One Piece manga and anime portray the death of the Going Merry in a heart-wrenching way that has fans close to tears. However, the manga does it better through its panel layouts, as fans can more emotionally connect to the scene as opposed to the subpar animation portrayed in the anime.

The Going Merry had been with the Straw Hat Pirates for a while, and its loss was particularly wrenching for Usopp, who fought Luffy over it and temporarily left the crew because of it. While the crew didn’t want to let it go, the ship was only functional through a miracle.

1 Ace’s Death

Chapter 574

The death of Portgas D. Ace is arguably one of the most impactful deaths in One Piece and anime as a whole. Despite the actions of Luffy, the Whitebeard pirates, and countless other allies, Ace was ultimately killed by Akainu. The seed of hope suddenly turned into despair in a way that no one expected.

The manga panel that shows Ace’s death as he dies in Luffy’s arms was done with so much detail and attention. While it was also portrayed in the anime, the anime lacked the detailing that the manga had, making it a moment better portrayed in the manga.