Ranking the Top 18 Saddest Moments in One Piece

If you’re a fan of One Piece, you’ll know that the series can be an emotional rollercoaster. From heartwarming moments to devastating losses, the show has it all. But what about the saddest moments? The moments that left us feeling broken and emotionally drained. As a die-hard fan of the series, I’ve taken it upon myself to rank the top 18 saddest moments in One Piece. From the heart-wrenching backstories of our favorite characters to the gut-wrenching losses of beloved heroes, we’ll be taking a deep dive into the moments that left us reaching for the tissues. So, grab your favorite snacks and get ready to reminisce about some of the most unforgettable and heartbreaking moments in One Piece’s history.

The Power of Emotional Storytelling in One Piece

One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda, is a Japanese manga series that has been serialized since 1997. The series follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of Straw Hat Pirates as they search for the ultimate treasure, the One Piece, and navigate the Grand Line.

From the beginning, One Piece has been known for its emotional storytelling. Oda has a way of making readers and viewers connect with the characters on a deep level and feel their emotions. This emotional connection is what sets One Piece apart from other anime and manga series.

Throughout the series, Oda has created countless moments that have left fans in tears. From the death of a beloved character to the heart-wrenching backstories of our favorite heroes, One Piece has never shied away from tackling difficult and emotional topics.

Oda’s ability to make us care about his characters and their struggles is what makes One Piece such a beloved and enduring series.

Criteria for Ranking the Saddest Moments

Ranking the saddest moments in One Piece was no easy task. There are so many emotional moments throughout the series that it was difficult to narrow them down to just 18. However, after much consideration and many tears, I came up with a list of criteria for ranking the saddest moments. These criteria include:

1. Emotional impact: How much did the moment make us cry?
2. Significance to the story: How important was the moment to the overall story of One Piece?
3. Character impact: How did the moment affect the character(s) involved?
4. Memorable quotes: Did the moment include any memorable quotes that stuck with us long after it was over?

Using these criteria, I was able to rank the top 15 saddest moments in One Piece.

The 18 saddest moments in One Piece

• Law’s backstory
• Ace’s execution
• Brook’s backstory
• Sanji’s backstory
• The Going Merry’s funeral
• Robin’s backstory
• Nami’s backstory
• Chopper’s backstory
• Whitebeard’s death
• Pedro’s sacrifice
• Corazon’s death
• Hiluluk’s death
• Fisher Tiger’s Backstory
• Separation Of The Straw Hat Crew
• Luffy vs Sanji
• Chouchou protecting his owner’s shop
• Dressrosa’s story
• Bellemere’s story

Law’s backstory

Trafalgar Law’s history is one of the most tragic and heartbreaking. Law was raised in the Amber Lead-related city of Flevance. As a result of Law’s eventual poisoning from amber lead, the rest of the city as well as his parents, and sister all perished.

Later, Corazon and Doflamingo took Law under their wings and assisted in curing his sickness. Law started to think of Corazon as a father figure, but suddenly Corazon was killed by his own brother. One Piece fans will recall Corazon telling Law he was loved as he lay dying.

Ace’s execution

Porter D. As a popular character, crew member, and Luffy’s brother, Ace’s passing is another saddest and tough moment in One Piece difficult to forgive. One Piece viewers watch as Luffy struggles and pushes himself to his physical and mental limitations during the battle with Akainu.

When Ace leaps in front of Luffy and suffers a hole in his chest, he makes the ultimate sacrifice.

Brook’s backstory

Brook had been a member of the Rumble Pirates before he joined the Straw Hats, and like many other crews, they had traveled to the Grand Line. The crew split in two when the Captain and half of them caught an uncurable sickness while on their journey.

Prior to being assaulted by rival pirates, things were going smoothly under Brook’s leadership as the new Captain. Because the adversary utilized poisoned weapons, those who managed to survive the attack gradually perished.

Brook proposed that the crew perform one final song because he was confident that he would live owing to the Revive-Revive Fruit. He was actually made to see the deaths of every member of his crew, and after his recovery, he was left alone for a long time with only his recollections.

Sanji’s backstory

Sanji was a former Prince of the Germa Kingdom, one of One Piece’s most powerful organizations. Sanji, unlike his brothers, still exhibited compassion, which his father perceived as a sign of fragility. Additionally, he lacked superhuman talents, and because of these characteristics, he regularly faced bullying from his brothers.

His passion for cooking was sparked by the fact that his ailing mother would only consume the food he prepared for her. His father planned to obliterate Sanji after she passed away because he believed he would never have superhuman skills. He accomplished this by escorting him to a tower while encasing him in an iron mask.

The Going Merry’s funeral

On The Going Merry, the Straw Hat Crew’s voyage got underway. This was the first house the One Piece team could call home, a gift from Kaya. Fans sat through endless hours and episodes to observe the antics of the characters on this ship.

The Merry, after a long and difficult life, suffered irreparable harm and had to be buried. Fans of One Piece wept as they observed the team give her the proper Viking funeral.

Robin’s backstory

Because of her upbringing, Nico Robin deserves to be included on the list of One Piece’s most courageous characters. Her mother embarked on an expedition to research the Void Century, and she was born and nurtured on the island of Ohara, which is home to many archaeologists.

The World Government forbade discussing this period of history, and after learning of it, it commanded the island’s destruction along with everyone who lived there.

The Buster Call was effective, but Robin managed to get away because of a sympathetic future admiral. Despite the fact that she was a young child who had only witnessed her home burning, the World Government later classified her as a dangerous criminal.

Nami’s backstory

When Nami was originally presented to One Piece fans, no one could have imagined the horrific background that this common thief had experienced. The Arlong Crew, who had held her captive, had literally branded her with a tattoo.

When Nami was little, the Arlong Pirates stormed her village and threatened to kill anybody who didn’t pay, including Belle-mere, Nami’s adoptive mother, if she didn’t.

In exchange for their safety and the security of the rest of the town, the pirates took Nami and used her as a navigator and mapmaker. She stabs her tattoo in the scenario to express how inexplicably hurt she was.

Chopper’s backstory

Out of all the Straw Hat Pirates, Chopper has one of the most tragic backstories. He never had it easy, from being born with a blue nose and being rejected by his herd to ingesting the Devil Fruit, which would transform him into a humanoid creature.

Chopper had numerous wounds before being rescued by Dr. Hiluluk after being abandoned on his own and repeatedly mistaken for a yeti. Until it became clear that Chopper was seriously ill, the doctor would teach him everything he knew.

The Amiudake mushroom, which Chopper thought had therapeutic qualities, was what he found. It was actually a toxin that would end Hiluluke’s suffering. Chopper was upset, and admirers found it difficult to see such an adorable reindeer go through so much.

Related: Chopper Embroidery Bag

Fisher Tiger’s backstory

Since the beginning of the One Piece universe, there has been animosity between fishmen and humans. When Fisher Tiger adopted Koala, a little child held as a slave by the World Nobles, it served as a metaphor for that healing.

He delivered on his pledge to take her home, but soon realized he had been duped by the locals. They were informed they could ignore Koala’s World Nobles affiliation in exchange for selling him to the Marines.

Many of his crew members wanted to seek revenge and inform Fishman Island of what had happened, but he asked them not to because he wanted children like Koala to grow up knowing nothing about the animosity between fishmen and humans.

It was difficult to see this scene without being affected by the intensity he displayed and the range of emotions there.

Whitebeard’s death

One of the “Yonko,” or the four most potent pirates on the high seas, was Whitebeard. A new period of piracy was ushered in by his demise, which was felt across the seas. There were a lot of emotional moments leading up to Akainu and Blackbeard’s deaths, but the ones that came after were much more devastating.

One Piece viewers learned that Whitebeard was Ace’s adopted father, and he asked himself in his last moments, “Was I a good father?” Following his defeat to Blackbeard, Whitebeard declared that the One Piece was indeed real, encouraging a lot of new pirates.

Pedro’s sacrifice

Another one of the saddest moments in One Piece is Pedro’s sacrifice.

He was a jaguar of the Treetops and served as the Guardians’ captain.

He was the former Nox Pirates commander who went in pursuit of a Poneglyph and won a $382,000,000 bounty in the process, but his journey was cut short in Totto Land. To help the Sanji Retrieval Team in their mission to save Sanji, he went back to Totto Land.

Pedro gave his life to ensure his team’s escape from Whole Cake Island because he thought the Straw Hats would usher in the Dawn of the World.

Corazon’s death

For a character who we didn’t get to see all that much, this was possibly one of the saddest deaths and moments in One Piece. Trafalgar Law learned that Corazon, who was mistakenly believed to be Doflamingo’s silent brother, could actually speak.

Corazon learns about Law’s condition through a sequence of incidents and will do anything to help him recover. We learn that he was actually collaborating with the Marines to try to stop his brother; this information would ultimately lead to his death.

He smiled at Law and told him he was loved before he died.

Hiluluk’s death

There is no denying that Hiluluk was a peculiar individual. When he first met Chopper, he was completely naked. It’s okay though because he treated Chopper like his own kid.

If Hiluluk hadn’t intervened in Chopper’s life, he would have detested humanity. He was a good man from the bottom of his heart.

He would even eat a poisoned mushroom to show his appreciation for Chopper’s efforts. But unlike a specific flying Zoan user, his death was the result of a choice explosion that he genuinely made.

Regardless, everyone was feeling something during this situation—except for that dreadful Wapol.

Separation Of The Straw Hat Crew

We witnessed the Straw Hat Crew become apart before the lengthy skip. This was crucial since each of them had been assigned to a location where they might strengthen themselves.

Luffy worried that the crew would perish in a fight with Bartholomew Kuma. Kuma was correct to remind them that they weren’t yet powerful enough and use his Devil Fruit abilities to send them flying away.

Even while this particular sequence was difficult to witness, it was ultimately one of the things that improved the crew.

Luffy vs Sanji

We learned about Sanji’s horrible background with his blood-related family during the Whole Cake Island storyline. His sister had no choice but to follow in order to survive because his father was violent, his brothers were harsh, and so on.

Although the two must fight it out, supporters are heartbroken by the outcome because Luffy is adamant about getting his chef back. Sanji believes that if he fights hard enough, Luffy and the crew will escape the island and save themselves.

Luffy obviously holds back. An angry Nami slaps Sanji across the face as the struggle comes to a close, leaving the captain bleeding.

The Straw Hat captain then stands up and says that he will starve himself until Sanji returns, which is impossible for someone as hungry as Luffy.

Chouchou protecting his owner’s shop

This occurred earlier in the series, but it was undoubtedly one of the most heartbreaking events to ever occur in One Piece.

We see a little dog by the name of Chouchou early on in our voyage, while Luffy is engaged in combat with the Buggy pirates. The dog defends a pet store day and night since Hocker, his late owner, owned it. Even when members of Buggy’s crew Richie and Mohji arrive to set it on fire, he continues to defend it.

It was heartbreaking to see this little dog’s house and all the surviving possessions of his owner burn to the ground. Fortunately, we learned two years later that Chouchou has since reopened with a new pet food shop alongside the mayor of Orange Town.

Dressrosa’s story

The Dressrosa Arc’s backstory was especially gloomy and one of the saddest in the history of One Piece. At first glance, it appears to be this lovely place where sensuality is unrestrained. The Straw Hat Crew gradually learns what actually occurred in Dressrosa, though.

Doflamingo forced the monarch to massacre his own subjects by ordering his men to commit random acts of violence against the helpless and defenseless. He then turned them into toys using Sugar’s abilities so that they would be forgotten and forced to watch their families move on without them.

One such individual was Rebecca, the granddaughter of the monarch, who was unaware that her father Kyros had been observing her as a toy soldier the entire time.

Everyone sobbed during the reunion at the arc’s conclusion because it was so touching.

Bellemere’s story

Bellemere has one of the unique hairstyles in the series. Her passing is made more tragic as a result.

However, Bellemere is undeniably one of the best mothers in anime. She had to decide whether to save herself or both of her children with the little money she had amassed.
Of course, she opted for the latter, and immediately after, she was shot in front of her kids.

It was much worse because the family was arguing when Arlong entered; nevertheless, Bellemere did get to tell them “I love you” before she passed away.

A wonderful family can exist without being blood-related. One of One Piece’s key ideas, and Bellemere did a great job of demonstrating it to us.

Honorable Mentions

Of course, there were many other emotional moments throughout the series that didn’t make the top 15 but still deserve an honorable mention. These moments include:

• Zoro’s sacrifice at Thriller Bark
• Luffy saying goodbye to his crew in Water Seven
• Kyros and Rebecca’s reunion
• Doflamingo’s backstory
• Jewelry Bonney’s story
• Gecko Moria’s story
• Charlotte Linlin(Big Mom)’s story
• Franky’s story
• Usopp’s story
• Momonosuke’s story
• Rebecca’s story
• Koala’s story
• Boa Hancock’s story
• Senior Pink’s story
• Kozuki Oden

Each of these moments was incredibly emotional and impactful in its own way. From the heart-wrenching backstories of our favorite characters to the devastating losses of beloved heroes, these moments left a lasting impression on fans of the series.

Analysis of the Top 3 Saddest Moments

While each of these saddest moments in One Piece was emotional and impactful, the top 3 moments deserve closer analysis.

In third place is Corazon’s death. Corazon’s backstory and sacrifice were some of the most emotional moments in the Dressrosa arc. His death not only had a significant impact on the story but also on Law’s character development.

In second place is Merry’s funeral. The Going Merry was more than just a ship to the Straw Hat Pirates. It was a member of the crew and a symbol of their journey together. The emotional scene of the crew saying goodbye to their beloved ship left fans in tears.

In the first place is Hiluluk’s death. Hiluluk’s speech about the meaning of a doctor and his selfless sacrifice for his friend Chopper were some of the most emotional moments in One Piece. His message of hope and love resonated with fans and continues to be one of the most memorable moments in the series.

The Impact of These Sad Moments on the Story and Characters

The sad moments in One Piece have had a significant impact on both the story and the characters. These moments have shaped the characters’ personalities and motivations and have driven the story forward. The emotional impact of these moments has also helped to make One Piece one of the most beloved and enduring anime and manga series of all time.

Fans’ Reactions to These Sad Moments

One of the things that makes One Piece so special is the emotional connection fans have with the series. Fans have cried, laughed, and cheered alongside the characters throughout the series.

The sad moments in One Piece have elicited some of the most emotional reactions from fans, with many taking to social media like reddit to express their feelings and share their favorite quotes and moments.

Memorable Quotes From the Saddest Moments

One Piece is known for its memorable quotes, and the sad moments are no exception. Some of the most memorable quotes from the sad moments include:

• “I want to live!” – Robin
• “You guys are my nakama!” – Chopper
• “I don’t want to die!” – Hiluluk
• “I’m glad I was born!” – Brook
• “Thank you for loving me!” – Law

These quotes and moments continue to resonate with fans and have become some of the most iconic moments in the series.

Discussion on the Importance of Emotional Storytelling in Anime/Manga

One Piece’s emotional storytelling has set a new standard for anime and manga series. Oda’s ability to make us care about his characters and their struggles is what makes One Piece such a beloved and enduring series.

Emotional storytelling is an important aspect of any story, and One Piece is a shining example of how it can be done right.

Conclusion: One Piece’s Legacy in the Anime Industry

One Piece’s emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters have made it one of the most beloved and enduring anime and manga series of all time. The sad moments in One Piece have had a significant impact on both the story and the characters and have elicited some of the most emotional reactions from fans.

One Piece’s legacy in the anime industry is a testament to the power of emotional storytelling and the importance of creating characters that people can connect with on a deep level. As the series continues, fans can look forward to more emotional moments that will continue to shape the story and characters for years to come.

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