Toei Animation Has A New 2026 Anime Of The Year Contender

This post contains spoilers for One Piece.

One Piece fans have had a phenomenal 2025. Both the anime and the manga have released top-notch content that has mesmerized the audience. The manga has been receiving plaudits for decades, but the anime started getting positive reviews rather recently. To be more specific, it was in the Wano Country arc that Toei Animation decided to step up its game.

When the One Piece anime entered the Egghead arc, there were doubts about whether the studio would be able to operate on a similar level, but thankfully, there has been no compromise. If anything, there has been an increase in the overall quality.

One Piece Will Win Anime Of The Year Award In 2026

The One Piece Anime Has Dominated IMDb

One Piece’s Elbaf arc is going to much better than Egghead Island
The Elbaf arc will be released in 2026

The One Piece anime is going seasonal, meaning it won’t be releasing new episodes throughout the year. Instead, the anime will release 26 episodes in two cours. So, each cour will consist of 13 episodes. While it is not ideal, it is for the best. The staff at Toei Animation has been working really hard to ensure that the episodes are of the highest quality.

They deserve proper rest so that they can continue to perform at the best level. If the studio were to ignore the staff’s health, it would not only lead to a decline in their morale, but they would also suffer physically and mentally from the burnout. Giving the staff a breather will also keep them interested in their work.

Luffy attacks Saturn one piece episode 1142

When the anime finally returns in 2026, there is absolutely no doubt that it will challenge all other major titles for the numerous honors at award shows. Before the Wano Country arc, the One Piece anime would have never been considered for the Anime of the Year award because of various reasons. The anime had poor pacing, and the animation wasn’t as good as the competition. However, the current version of the One Piece anime is very different, and there is a genuine possibility that it could end up beating others to the award in 2025. After all, several One Piece episodes have scored extremely high ratings on IMDb. Some of them have even supplanted Solo Leveling, Takopi’s Original Sin, and Lord of Mysteries.

If the anime continues to go in the same trajectory, then there is no doubt that One Piece will end up becoming one of the greatest series of all time. Not only will it have an amazing story, but also incredible animation.

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Will Release In 2026

Along with the news about the One Piece anime becoming seasonal, it has also been confirmed that the anime will be going on a break from January to March 2026. When the anime returns in April 2026, it will cover the Elbaf arc, which is arguably the greatest post-timeskip arc. It covers the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates in the Elbaf arc. Fans have been waiting for years to see the mysterious land of the giants, and now finally, they will get what they want. According to official reports, One Piece will adapt one chapter per episode. So next year the One Piece anime will cover 26 chapters in total. Anime-only fans will get to see the Holy Knights in action.

The Elbaf arc has become so loved by manga readers because it has a great combination of storytelling and action. Oda has put the pedal on the gas, and he is not holding back any longer. Oda is revealing important details related to the history of One Piece. In fact, Oda has also disclosed every single detail related to the God Valley Incident, which is arguably one of the most important events in the series. Unfortunately, the anime won’t cover the God Valley Incident in 2026. Instead, the anime will start the adaptation in 2027. So, fans will have to wait for more than a year to see the Rocks Pirates and all the other main players of the God Valley Incident.