Netflix Skipping Ahead To One Piece's Latest Arc Makes Sense & Here Is Why (2024)

Netflix has skipped over 500 of One Piece's anime episodes and started streaming the latest Egghead arc, a part in the story the author has said is a great place for new viewers to jump in. Luffy's story is now more popular than ever, and more people are interested in diving into One Piece's depths. With more than 1109 episodes of Toei's anime adaption, the series can seem intimidating to begin. However, even author Eiichiro Oda said viewers can skip to the newest arc.

2023 saw One Piece grow to unseen levels of popularity thanks to the success of Film: Red, the Live-Action series, and the consistently trending Wano arc adaptation. So much success helped grow the general public's interest in Monkey D. Luffy's adventures. Netflix has begun airing the latest One Piece anime arc, and series author Eiichiro Oda said it's okay for first-time watchers to skip ahead to enjoy the beginning of the series Final Saga.

In a 2022 statement translated by X user and notable fan NewWorldArtur, One Piece's author, Eiichiro Oda, celebrated the end of Wano and the beginning of the series' Final Saga; he stated, "Though it's totally okay even if you read from here on. After all… from here on we're getting to (the) ONE PIECE!!" Even though Oda has been working hard creating One Piece for more than 25 years, he believes that new fans can start from the beginning of the Final Saga and will still be able to enjoy the story.

One Piece Creator Encouraged New Fans To Start With Egghead

The Egghead Island Arc Beings With Episode #1086 Of The Anime & Chapter #1058 Of The Manga

Oda initially referred to the manga when he suggested that new fans can "read from here on." Still, now that One Piece's anime has officially begun the first arc of the story's Final Saga, the talented author's suggestion works for the anime's Egghead Island arc as well. While there will be a lot of context, characters, and abilities that will puzzle new fans, the direction and emaculate character writing in the One Piece anime creates an experience that can be enjoyable to watch without watching the previous 1088 episodes.

Netflix has been providing subscribers with the One Piece anime over the last few years by releasing chunks of the pirate epic over time. However, the Fish-Men Island arc will be the latest added to Netflix's US servers on July 1, 2024, up to episode #574. Viewers who have been watching the series exclusively on Netflix might be confused when the story jumps to episode #1089's incredibly well-directed first episode of the Egghead arc. Still, over time, Netflix will undoubtedly add the anime's missing episodes that feature the events after One Piece's incredible time skip.

Why Did Netflix Skip to Egghead Island?

Streaming Licenses Make Watching Long-Running Series A Lot More Complicated

Series creator Eiichiro Oda and the companies that control the franchise's copyright decide how One Piece can be consumed and have been in charge of the series since it first began. Shueisha is the Japanese publisher of the manga, while Toei Animation produces One Piece's anime. Those companies' decisions have made One Piece what it is today. It is ultimately up to them to negotiate fees and licenses, determining which streamers can show which episodes. However, licenses expire, leaving it up to the streamer to renew them, most likely for an updated price, which can result in more negotiations.

The modern age of streaming entertainment has brought upon a whole new convoluted system of legal practices and licenses that allow streaming giants like Netflix and Crunchyroll the exclusive rights to feature series like One Piece to their audiences. While Netflix has recently decided to support the One Piece franchise, Crunchyroll (and the late Funimation streaming service) has been streaming the long-running series since 2009.

It likely took a good amount of negotiation and a considerable amount of money, but Netflix has been steadily growing the amount of One Piece anime episodes it has available on its streaming platform. Still, Toei's One Piece series has been ongoing since 1999, and with Netflix only giving it the attention it deserves in the last few years, it has a lot of catching up to do compared to platforms that supported the series for much longer. Still, skipping ahead and including newer episodes from the Egghead Island arc undoubtedly increases the overall excitement of more current One Piece content.

Why Netflix Is Missing So Many One Piece Anime Episodes

The Streaming Giant Has Yet To Add Most Of The Post-Time Skip One Piece Arcs To It's Catalog

With the franchise growing in popularity, Toei could be asking Netflix for more money for its more recent episodes, which could explain why it's adding individual arcs instead of all episodes of the series. There also exists the possibility that previous licenses or contracts with platforms like Crunchyroll forbid certain seasons from appearing on other streamers until a specific date. That way, fans will have fewer options for where they can watch newer One Piece episodes.

While Netflix currently has a lot of the anime series to enjoy, especially for new fans who want to see more of Luffy's adventures after enjoying the One Piece Live-Action series, it is still missing many episodes. The first chunk of One Piece's post-time skip content, the Fishman Island arc, will finally be available on Netflix, with episodes #499 - #556 becoming available on July 1, 2024. Still, with the streaming giant continuing to add subsequent seasons sporadically, it will likely take some time before every episode of One Piece's anime is available on Netflix.

One Piece's Final Saga Has Been Good Enough To Skip Ahead

Viewers May Be Lost Jumping Into New Episodes, But It Will Still Be Enjoyable

Starting the One Piece anime from the Egghead arc is an option for first-time viewers, but they will undoubtedly have many questions. If new fans dive into newer episodes and like what they experience, they will likely go back and catch up on what they have missed. However, even without full context, the Egghead arc proves that Eiichiro Oda has only been improving his abilities as a storyteller. The final saga of One Piece will be a marvel to behold, even if viewers are missing large parts of the story.

Source: NewWorldArtur/X

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One Piece

Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history's longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix's 2023 adaptation.