One Piece's 6 most emotional scenes

Eiichora Oda’s infamous adventure series One Piece is famed internationally for a variety of reasons. From featuring exceptional storytelling and foreshadowing to setting the benchmark for worldbuilding in an animanga series, One Piece is often praised as one of the best series in the genre.

The series has always received praise and acclaim for the way it deals with emotional scenes, that can include deaths, flashbacks and more. Nearly every emotional scene in the series seems to strike a chord with viewers. Even people who are not die-hard fans of the series are touched by these well-executed scenes.

Here are One Piece’s 6 most emotional scenes, ranked in no particular order.

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Character deaths dominate list of One Piece's 6 most emotional scenes

1) Merry’s death

One of the most emotional scenes in One Piece is undoubtedly the Going Merry’s viking funeral. The ship’s condition is what started the schism between Usopp and the rest of the crew, resulting in the former leaving the Straw Hats (albeit temporarily).

The saddest part of the scene is when Merry’s klabautermann appears and speaks to the crew at large, rather than just Usopp. The Straw Hats speak to the Merry one last time, as both groups apologize for how their journey has ended in such a painful moment. Nearly every fan of the series admits to shedding tears at this tragic farewell.

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2) Ace’s death

Similarly, Ace’s death is another One Piece moment which made almost every One Piece fan very emotional. His acceptance that he deserves to live in the final moments of his life is almost poetic, and tugs at the heartstrings of every viewer.

Every human has related to Ace at some point in their lives, feeling the same emotions as him, which makes the scene more sentimental and even relatable. It’s undoubtedly one of author Eiichiro Oda’s best written scenes.

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3) Corazon’s death

The final moments of Trafalgar D. Water Law’s flashback showcasing his backstory sees his father figure Corazon die at the hands of his own brother, Donquixote Doflamingo. The writing of this scene is a highlight of One Piece, with raw sobbing and silent screaming thanks to Corazon’s powers as explosions go off all around him.

Fans can slowly begin to hear Law’s wails and sobs fade out, beautifully indicating that Corazon’s life is beginning to wane. The buildup of the overall flashback which leads to this scene makes it even more emotional, and many fans often rank it as one of the best flashbacks in the series.

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4) Luffy realizes that he still has his friends

In the wake of his brother’s death, Luffy immediately goes into total shock, becoming unconscious for the rest of the Marineford arc. Upon returning to Amazon Lily and regaining his consciousness, he goes into a rage after realizing that he failed to save Ace, hurting himself and anyone who tries to stop him.

Jinbe eventually appears to try and calm his friend. After an emotional discussion where he reminds the young pirate that what’s lost is lost and that Luffy can still protect what he has, there is a breakthrough. Upon realizing he still has his friends, the Straw Hat captain sobs and wishes to see them, accepting that his brother is gone but his life cannot stop.

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5) Luffy defeats Arlong

Many One Piece fans may argue that the most emotionally charged scene from the Arlong Park arc occurs when Nami is stabbing herself and asks Luffy for help. However, a more subtle but equally emotional scene is Rubber-Man finding himself in the map room which is covered in Nami’s cartography.

Luffy’s realization that this room is what must be destroyed is confusing at first, as he begins punching the walls rather than Arlong, but he eventually accomplishes both tasks. The scene then cuts to Nami, who begins crying as she sees the tower, which was her prison, fall, and the papers, which were her punishment, swirl around getting lost in the wind.

These final moments of the Arlong versus Luffy fight undoubtedly rank among One Piece’s most emotional moments.

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6) Robin wants to live

Last but certainly not the least is what many fans call the peak emotional scene of the series. After Robin tells her life story to the Straw Hats, meant to serve as a warning for their association with her, Luffy doubles down on showing that she is their friend. However, he demands that she say she wants to live for herself before going any further in their rescue.

A confused and emotionally-torn Robin goes back and forth in her mind, remembering various moments in her life that clash with Luffy’s message as well as her own. Eventually, in an incredibly moving scene, she screams that she wants to live with tears streaming down her face as she begs her friends to rescue her and take her out to sea once more.

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