One Piece’s Egghead Arc Brings Back Filler in the Worst Way

Despite finding it tough to move past the Kuma flashback, fans were thrilled with the latest episode in the Egghead Arc of One Piece. It was heartwarming to see the big reunion between Dorry and Brogy, and the long-awaited meeting between Bonney and Nika. The episode left viewers yearning for more. However, there’s a bittersweet announcement for One Piece fans – the next episode of the anime is expected to be another filler episode.

In the teaser for Episode 1141 of One Piece, we can expect another episode focusing on Dr. Chopper’s Adventure Checkup, delving into the Giant Pirates and the Straw Hats’ past encounters with them. From their initial meeting at Little Garden with Dorry and Brogy to later siding with Oimo and Kashi at Enies Lobby, this upcoming episode aims to summarize all that fans have learned about the Giant Pirates thus far. Chopper and Carrot are set to present this recap, but these special episodes haven’t been well-received so far, even being labeled as One Piece‘s lowest-rated episodes recently, suggesting that the series needs to revamp its filler content and perhaps return to longer, self-contained filler arcs with unique storylines.

One Piece’s Recap Filler Episodes Are Getting Annoying

Amidst the excitement building up for the upcoming installments of the Egghead Saga, brimming with major character intros and action-packed showdowns, viewers are feeling rather dismayed about having to endure another seven days without a fresh episode. To add insult to injury, they must also cope with watching yet another filler episode, this time presented as a recap – and not just any recap, but one that has already been shown five times in the initial phase of the Egghead Saga, and now reappears with Chopper and Carrot providing additional commentary.

Although viewers hold a great affection for characters like Chopper and Carrot, each recap special thus far has been met with disappointment from fans, representing the sole negative point in an otherwise impressive collection of highly-rated episodes. It’s not hard to see why the show’s creators might require additional time between episodes, but the primary concern among fans lies in the fact that, even after a six-month break, these supplementary episodes seem to be appearing more frequently. The upcoming special episode will mark the third installment of Dr. Chopper’s Adventure Checkup series, and it is expected to receive similar criticism.

One Piece Needs To Go Back To Making Filler Like It Used To

Instead of continuously repeating recaps, it might be more engaging for One Piece to revisit the practice of creating entire filler arcs as they once did. For a large portion of its run, One Piece has been recognized for producing short and generally entertaining filler episodes, with the G-8 Arc standing out as an exemplary demonstration of the series’ ability to create engaging filler content. These filler arcs were typically self-contained adventures that bridged canon story arcs, featuring entirely unique plotlines that ranged from laugh-out-loud funny to nostalgia-inducing.

To put it simply, while One Piece has faced some criticism for its slow progression, what sets it apart from other popular shonen series like Naruto and Bleach is its minimal filler content. In fact, even the longest filler arc in One Piece, the G-8 Arc, is just eleven episodes long and is one of the most beloved arcs within the series.

More recently, the non-canonical fan letter for One Piece has shown how engaging original stories can still be. Remarkably, even the latest guidebook sold out and required a reprint, demonstrating its ongoing success. Regrettably, since the Marine Rookie Arc during the Wholecake Island Arc, there hasn’t been a filler arc like this in the anime. The Cider Guild Arc and Uta’s Past Arc were connected to Stampede and Film: Red respectively, leaving fans yearning for an independent filler arc – perhaps before the Elbaf Arc might be the ideal time for that.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

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2025-08-26 21:46