Anime openings like shonen anime such as One Piece occupy a different position in viewers’ hearts with the lyrics and music reverberating in one’s heart long after the music has ebbed away. Despite the various criticisms levelled against the animation style and the pacing, one thing has been consistent throughout – the brilliant, heart-wrenching openings.
Whether it is the umpteenth remix of the popular We Are, or a new one altogether that ties its visuals and lyrics together to demonstrate the character’s emotional moments, One Piece never fails to deliver on its openings. Of course, while some openings are more popular than others, it is important to look at the list of the top 10 best opening themes of the series.
From Super Powers to We Are!: Here’s a list of the best One Piece opening theme songs
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Super Powers
This opening features Luffy coming up with Katakuri, and with the rising stakes of the Whole Cake Island leading into the final segment of the Four Emperors’ Saga, one can only realize how hyped this would be. The visuals also feature Luffy fighting with Katakuri and the various parts of Whole Cake Island, and in hindsight we can look back fondly on an opening that featured Luffy defeat his first Yonko Commander, thereby earning a bounty of 1.5 billion.
Super Powers saw Luffy using his might and battle IQ while unlocking his will to observe so much so that he can view into the future. That makes the anime even more epic.
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One Day
If the last opening felt nostalgic, imagine how many chills this would send down your spine especially if you were part of the original generation who grew up seeing this on the screen. It had been so long since we saw Ace on the screen, and it sends our hearts wrenching in pain. The entire opening is about Luffy attempting to catch up to his brother, all the while trying to save him and come out of his shadow.
Now we know that he was a self-sacrificing person who had managed to save Luffy with the last vestiges of his power although he lost his life in the process. The opening also features the lyrics substantiating what the visuals showed, while delving into the big players of the Marineford Arc including the Yonko, commanders, warlords, admirals and even members of the revolutionary army who would make us realize how far Luffy is from the top.
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Hope
One of the best One Piece beginnings thus far is undoubtedly Hope. In the episode 807 of the Whole Cake Island arc, the beginning was added. The Straw Hats and the Big Mom Pirates are shown battling in the opening. The opening scene is particularly heartfelt as Sanji, who was forced to travel to Whole Cake Island against his choice, is shown receiving a message from Luffy.
The song’s theme is consistent with Luffy’s mission to make sure Sanji rejoins the group. The Straw Hats’ collective greeting of Sanji as he exits the Thousand Sunny deck is the highlight of the opening.
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We Fight Together
One of Namie Amuro’s most well-known songs is We Fight Together, and it is simple to understand why this song is so well-liked among One Piece fans. We Fight Together transports viewers on an emotional journey, making it a unique experience in and of itself. When his brothers were little, Luffy may be seen playing with them in the opening scene.
Additionally, it depicts the Straw Hats in the various places Bartholomew Kuma sent them. In the opening sequence, Luffy is seen thinking back to the time when he first assembled his crew.
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Towards the Light
Many viewers strongly agree that the first few One Piece openings were all top quality. The run of consecutive smash hits will forever be remembered by the fans. Hikari E also featured in this run, as it was the third opening in the anime.
Hikari E starts with an instrumental solo with the narrator doing a voiceover. The singing starts with an energetic tone, but as it continues, it becomes mellow. The opening mainly focuses on the Straw Hats as they travel onboard the Going Merry.
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Hands Up
Hands Up is mostly well remembered because of its tone and how awesome it felt to see Trafalgar D Water Law setting his motion to change the fate of the One Piece world. The opening was making a segway into a list of episodes that was following up on the initial display of Straw Hats and their powers after the Fish-Man Island arc.
The upbeat tone also shows how the Straw Hat pirates are finally coming together as a crew again, and that never gets old to see. These tunes blend together with the show seeing a giant plasma-esque salamander gobbling up Punk Hazard. This is surely an underrated opening to an underrated arc that remains in the hearts of long-term and post-time-skip fans as the story and its narrative shows exposition into the hidden workings of the world and Doflamingo’s plan. Zoro’s defeat of Monet, Chopper and his Monster Point and the switching bodies – all of these show why it is difficult to separate the arc from its opening because they are so closely intertwined in our minds.
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Brand New World
The sixth introduction in the series is titled Brand New World. The Straw Hats can first be seen fleeing before engaging in a race with one another. The Straw Hats then appear on the Going Merry, and various images of other pirate groups are shown after that.
The opening tune is highly upbeat and anticipates an enormous battle between the CP9 and the Straw Hat Pirates, but Luffy’s Gear Second, which he utilises to defeat Blueno, is the opener’s standout feature.
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Kokoro No Chizu
The singer’s energetic vocals open Kokoro no Chizu before things ultimately calm down and become smoother. Episode 207, the first one in the Long Ring Long Island arc, is when the opening was added to the anime.
The Straw Hats safely land on the Going Merry at the beginning of Kokoro no Chizu. The Straw Hats disembark the ship at a neighbouring island to start a bonfire. Some of the characters from the Water 7 storyline are also included in the beginning.
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Believe
One of the rare One Piece openings that makes you want to sing along is Believe. It is the second opening of the One Piece anime and was sung by Folder 5. It has the ideal balance of highs and lows, which complements the graphics. All of the series’ characters up until the Loguetown arc are present in the opening. It’s always good to see that The Straw Hats get their own little montages.
Plus it encapsulates all that is great about One Piece, where the themes of freedom and imagination bind together and inextricably tied to the dreams of the Straw Hat pirates who venture into the Grand Line with a heart-warming, hyped scene… with their feet on the barrel? Remember? We do, too.
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We Are!
We Are!, sung by Hiroshi Kitadani, is a very well-known opening. As the first episode of the series, it established the tone for the whole One Piece universe. The intro received numerous modifications due to its enormous popularity, but it goes without saying that the original version is still the best.
It perfectly captures the essence of One Piece. The narrator mentions the dying words of the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, in the introduction. The next scene switches to Luffy running and jumping, which perfectly encapsulates the exhilaration and excitement the story delivers. The five most significant Straw Hat Pirates characters—Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji—are also included in the opening.
