2026 Will Be a Huge Year For One Piece Fans

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Anime fans have a lot to look forward to in 2026, with both highly anticipated sequels and new adaptations of popular manga. While the anime and manga world is always evolving, with stories ending and new ones beginning, One Piece continues to stand out. Every year brings something fresh for fans, and 2026 promises to be particularly thrilling. The series is now deep into its Final Saga, and as long-held secrets start to be revealed, the story is reaching incredible heights.

The popular series following Luffy will likely conclude within a few years, and before it does, all outstanding questions about the story’s past and present will be answered. The unexpected production delays last year caused concern among fans, but were understandable considering the high quality of the animation, which is challenging to produce consistently on a weekly basis. Fortunately, 2026 promises a return to regular episodes, along with many exciting new developments, surprises, and updates for fans to enjoy.

One Piece’s Anime Will Commence The Elbaph Arc

After airing weekly for over 26 years, the anime is switching to a seasonal release schedule, with a maximum of 26 episodes this year. Following the conclusion of the Egghead Incident Arc, the series paused in December 2025 and will return on April 5th, 2026. The next story arc, Elbaph, will take Luffy and his crew to the legendary land of the Giants, introducing new challenges and characters. This arc will also reveal more about the mysteries of the Void Century and the Sun God Nika.

The One Piece Manga Has Several Plot Twists in Store For Fans

The Elbaph Arc began in September 2024, showing Luffy and his crew overcoming a small challenge before receiving a friendly welcome from the Giants. The arc has already unveiled surprising details about the story’s history and key characters, with more revelations still to come. While many characters have been introduced through the main storyline and flashbacks, fans can expect even more to appear this year. Series creator Eiichiro Oda announced at Jump Festa 2026 that the manga will feature the enigmatic ‘Man With The Burn Scar,’ who possesses the fourth Road Poneglyph – a crucial map leading the Straw Hat Pirates to Laughtale.

Netflix’s One Piece Live-Action Will Return With Season 2

Following the huge popularity of its first season in 2023, One Piece Live-Action will return on March 10, 2025. The new season, consisting of eight episodes, will cover the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island story arcs. Immediately after Drum Island, the show will begin adapting the major Alabasta arc, which will be featured in Season 3. The first season left viewers right before the Straw Hat Pirates entered the Grand Line, and now we’ll finally see the dangers and adventures that await them in those seas.

2026 Might Announce New Updates on Upcoming Projects

A new anime adaptation from WIT Studio was announced in December 2023 at Jump Festa 2024. It’s a highly anticipated project, but updates have been scarce over the past two years. While some concept art and character designs have been shown, fans are still waiting for a trailer and a release date. With so much time passed, we may finally see some significant news about the project this year.

A new One Piece movie was announced at Jump Festa, and fans are very excited! So far, details are scarce – all we know is that it’s in development. Because Toei Animation hasn’t adapted the manga directly into a movie before, this film could be an original story. However, we won’t know for sure until Toei makes an official announcement, and they might share more information later this year as excitement builds.

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2026-01-05 05:40