One Piece may be known for its iconic first opening theme, but that hasn’t stopped Toei Animation from turning its numerous musical collaborations into phenomenal showcases of Eiichiro Oda’s world. The series has now featured dozens of OPs, crossing into surprising musical genres while distinctly remaining in its element with its spirited, adventurous undertones.

While Hiroshi Kitadani’s vocals are practically inseparable from One Piece’s auditory footprint, decades of music have helped its iridescent world truly shine. Even though the anime has particularly evolved into the 2020s, however, the soul of its earliest years have proven to be utterly irreplaceable. Without further ado, here are the best opening themes in One Piece.

10

Opening 6: Brave New World

With Enies Lobby as the key arc rendered in this period, early One Piece openings proved more than a mere showcase of the Straw Hats. It’s within this arc that Luffy and his crew truly kick off an everlasting battle with the World Government, and Nico Robin is successfully, permanently recovered and inducted as the beloved Straw Hats archaeologist.

Beyond the emotional moments that occur in this arc, this One Piece opening showcases many pivotal characters to be shown in greater depth later. This includes glimpses of the Five Elders, Ace, Whitebeard, Donquixote Doflamingo, and plenty others. Tragically, to this day though, Luffy may never get the answer to the mysterious Sogeking’s true identity.

9

Opening 15: We Go!

“We Go!” is the anime’s 15th opening, taking place right after the timeskip. It is a joyous opening with a high-energy song showing off the Straw Hats’ new designs. It also features an awesome sequence showing the Straw Hat being passed down to Luffy reminding viewers that he is continuing the legacy of both Shanks and Gol D. Roger.

If the opening is just considered in a vacuum maybe its simplicity would have prevented it from making this list, but the fact that it shows One Piece’s Straw Hats reunited after so long apart gives this opening a lot of added emotional weight.

8

Opening 24: PAINT

“PAINT” is among One Piece’s most soulful new openings. It serves well to highlight the emotional stakes of the arc, showing the devastation Kaido will wreak on the people of Wano and the damage he has already done even to his own family. Moments like Luffy reaching for his hat underwater or swords falling from the sky are especially breathtaking.

This opening also serves to show the various powerful influences involved, with Luffy and allies fighting against both the Emperors and the World Government. Just like OP 22, its animation style is beautiful, which also makes it a visual feast. The craziest part is, the Wano hits keep coming even beyond this.

7

Opening 23: Dreamin’ On

In the middle of the Wano Arc, “Dreamin’ On” is simply one of the best One Piece openings on a purely musical standpoint, featuring soaring vocals and a killer chorus. It doesn’t hurt that this OP leads into the unforgettable Oden flashback. This era covers many of the most important secrets driving the world of One Piece, including Laugh Tale.

This theme sets up key clashes like the continuous struggle against Kaido and Orochi’s reign of terror over Wano, Big Mom’s looming threat, and key backstory reveals. But more questions arise. What is the Void Century? What is the Will of D? What are the Ancient Weapons? But even Roger’s pirates weren’t prepared for what they would soon discover.

6

Opening 4: Bon Voyage

“Bon Voyage” is an opening that doesn’t actually relate to the events of the arcs it covers. However, it does pass the One Piece vibe check. The photos of the Straw Hats hanging at the beach at the beginning are especially fun and the way they all appear walking together shortly after highlights the crew’s growth.

But right after these uplifting moments the OP gives its viewers a gut punch by highlighting the harrowing backstories of all One Piece’s Straw Hats. The fact that they are still able to come together and have fun after that is a testament to their great resiliency and shows what makes the Straw Hats so great.

5

Opening 14: Fight Together

“Fight Together” takes place at an unusual point in the series. Luffy is still trying to deal with Ace’s death and the various Straw Hats are scattered. The OP highlights this, showing how the Straw Hats are trying to improve themselves in their time apart, which is nice to see.

However, the true strength in this opening is when it shows how each Straw Hat joined the crew and the impact that Luffy has had on them. This is a gauntlet of tear-jerking moments that show how even when the crew is apart, they will always be together due to the great influence they have had on each other.

4

Opening 1: We Are

“We Are” is one of the most iconic OPs in both One Piece and anime in general. It perfectly captures the joy of adventure that One Piece’s early episodes celebrated. It also highlights the original East Blue crew members and their unique fighting techniques.

The opening has become so iconic that One Piece itself has repurposed it many times to show how far One Piece’s Straw Hats have come on their journey, with the thousandth episode even inserting the newer crew members and villains. It has aged incredibly well, with OP 7’s rendition and the anime’s cast singing the lyrics being a special treat.

3

Opening 26: UUUUS!

Hiroshi Kitadani and One Piece at this point are inextricably linked. Even over 20 years since the anime’s debut with OP1 featuring his work, Kitadani graced the vibrant, thrilling opening introducing fans and the Straw Hats to the Egghead island. It features a radical style change, Raygun Gothic backdrops, and wild apparel inspired by Astro Boy.

The striking color palettes render scenes between the reveal of Luffy’s dream to his crew, to the incomprehensible techno-haven of Vegapunk’s Egghead island, to Warlords juxtaposed against Seraphim. This, alongside key backdrops teased like Koby at Fullalead Island, showcase a rapidly changing world in the wake of the events soon to occur.

2

Opening 22: Over the Top

“Over the Top” is the first opening to show off Wano’s distinctive animation style and is a visual treat. It also shows off the new designs of all the Straw Hats in this arc. The opening gives hints at the other major characters in Wano, putting a particular emphasis on Kaido who serves as the arc’s ultimate villain.

Luffy and Kaido also have an awesome fight in the OP that foreshadows their fight in the arc itself. But perhaps the best part of the OP is the beginning where Luffy strains against the chains imprisoning him, showing the fight for freedom that he has enacted throughout the anime.

1

Opening 27: Angel & Devil

One Piece’s triumphant 2025 return after a six-month hiatus included the beautiful opening credit sequence teasing the now-legendary Kuma flashback. The emotional highs are unbeatable as the lyrics are a poignant rendition of a letter between Bartholomew Kuma and his daughter, Bonney, as his tragic circumstances unfold in the Egghead Incident.

The gorgeous animation fits perfectly with GRe4N BOYZ’s anthem of transcendent fatherly love. Beyond the powerful, heartbreaking inspiration, the visuals of this One Piece opening are just as effective. This opening even teases the events of the God Valley incident from Kuma’s perspective, into the revelations which painfully humanize him, despite the tragic irony of his fate.

But as One Piece pushes forward into new arcs, with the exciting Elbaph arc coming and Opening 28, “Carmine” featuring an incredible plethora of easter eggs, the beautiful production values of this anime’s openings are unlikely to die down. It’s merely a matter of time until the next great One Piece OP emerges to compete with its top legends.

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

Writers

Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda

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  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)