Shanks vs. Kid overtakes “Nothing Happened” to become the highest-rated One Piece episode of all time

Modified Jul 16, 2024 13:30 GMT

Shanks as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei)

One Piece episode 1112, titled Clash! Shanks vs. Eustass Kid, which was released on Sunday, July 14, 2024, now happens to be the highest-rated One Piece episode of all time on the popular online platform, Internet Movie Database (IMDb). This platform is a resource for information about movies, TV shows, podcasts, home videos, video games, and online streaming content. This is great news for the franchise which has made great strides in recent years to advance both in terms of style and storytelling.

The latest fight sequences in One Piece have been a visual treat, thanks to the contributions of renowned directors who are brought in to do justice to the epicness of the series. Episode 1112 was glorious, as it returned focus to the brief yet significant battle between Shanks and Kid. It offered viewers a taste of Shanks' power.

This moment was equally impressive when it first appeared in the manga. Interestingly, it seems to have received higher ratings than one of the most cherished moments in One Piece, which proved Zoro's unwavering loyalty to Luffy.

One Piece episode 1112 claims the top spot following Shank's magnificent display of power

Shanks charges toward Kid in One Piece episode 1112 (Image via Toei)

In One Piece episode 1112, fans witnessed the much-anticipated clash between Shanks and Kid at Elbaph. This confrontation had been teased in previous episodes, but the focus had to be shifted to Egghead Island, where the Straw Hats and Vegapunks were under attack from the Seraphim under York’s command.

The episode showed how Shanks basically trounced Kid in a single move. Kid was poised to wipe out Shanks' entire fleet, but Shanks, having foreseen the event using his Haki, sprang into action. He unleashed an attack with his Haki-coated saber, Gryphon, that knocked out Kid, Killer, and several of the Kid Pirates. The final blow to the Kid Pirates came from Dorry and Brogy, who destroyed their ship, Victoria Punk.

Previously, the top position on the IMDb list used to be held by One Piece episode 377, titled My Crewmate's Pain is My Pain, Zoro Fights Prepared to Die, which was released back in November 16, 2008.

In this episode, Zoro, in order to protect Luffy, offered himself as a sacrifice to Kuma. He was prepared to forget his dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman. Sanji also stepped forward with a similar offer, not wanting Zoro to suffer, but was knocked unconscious by the swordsman.

Kuma accepted Zoro's proposition and asked him to endure Luffy's pain if he truly wished to replace him. Subsequently, using his Devil Fruit abilities, Kuma transferred a fragment of Luffy's pain to Zoro. Zoro suffered greatly, and although knowing that he could die, he opted to bear all of it. When Sanji regained consciousness and found Zoro in a bloodied state, Zoro simply stated that nothing had happened.

Zoro as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei)

This episode highlighted the deep bond among the Straw Hats, with Zoro's willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice and endure immense pain, and Sanji's readiness to do the same. Zoro's silent suffering makes this episode unparalleled. So,comparing it with a visually stunning episode is akin to comparing apples to oranges.

Now, the fact that Shanks vs Kid is the highest-rated episode of the franchise is obviously contentious, and it may be due to recency bias. The current rating on IMDb for episode 1112 stands at 9.9, based on over 5,000 ratings, while episode 377 has a rating of 9.7, based on 36,000 ratings.

IMDb's rating system has repeatedly come under fire, whether it is because it is a user-based rating system, making it vulnerable to review bombings, or because of the undisclosed weighted average system that has been adopted by the platform. This system does not calculate the rating by simply calculating the average of all votes. Instead, it uses an undisclosed calculation method where not all votes carry the same weight.

Moreover, the number of reviews received for the most recent One Piece episode is pretty low at the moment, and if it receives more ratings, it may lose its position on the list.