Many Fans Are Disappointed That The End Of The Wano Arc Was A Promotion To A Film They Didn’t Want
After years of build-up, emotional stakes, and some of the biggest battles in the series so far, many One Piece fans expected the end of the Wano arc to land with a thunderous, unforgettable conclusion. Instead, a large portion of the audience walked away feeling like the finale had been hijacked by marketing. Rather than delivering a pure, self-contained emotional send-off to one of One Piece’s longest and most beloved arcs, the ending leaned heavily into promoting a theatrical film that many viewers felt lukewarm about or outright uninterested in. For these fans, the tonal shift from hard-earned closure to glossy cross-promotion made the conclusion feel less like a celebration of Wano and more like an extended advertisement.
The frustration isn’t just about a single episode or sequence — it’s about timing and priorities. Wano represented a milestone in both the anime and the manga, bringing together countless character arcs, world-shaking revelations, and some of the series’ best fights. Many viewers wanted that final stretch to be all about the story and the characters they’d followed for years. Instead, they watched the focus slide toward tie-in content, cameos, and nods to a movie they hadn’t even decided if they cared about. To them, it felt like the emotional climax of Wano was undercut by commercial interests at the last second.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
Adding to this frustration is the fact that the current God Valley flashback in the manga has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu — creating a flashback that feels more like a grand historical epic than a side story.
The arc dives deep into the power struggles that shaped the modern world of One Piece, revealing long-hidden secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the early days of piracy. For many, it’s a rare glimpse into the “true history” of the world, something fans have been waiting for since the manga’s earliest chapters. In contrast to the anime’s film-focused Wano finale, the God Valley storyline feels laser-focused on lore, character, and consequence — exactly what many fans wished Wano’s closing moments had been allowed to fully embody.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
Surprisingly, many readers say they don’t want to go back to the Straw Hat Pirates just yet. Social media platforms are full of fans expressing that this arc feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years — with its dark tone, intense storytelling, and lore-heavy revelations. While Luffy and his crew are undeniably the heart of the series, the God Valley storyline offers something entirely different: a look at the legends and events that shaped everything we know.
One fan summed it up best on X (formerly Twitter): “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” That sentiment hits even harder when compared to how some felt jolted out of Wano by film promotion instead of a clean, story-driven finale. Right now, the past has become more captivating than the present adventure, and it’s highlighting just how jarring it can feel when narrative momentum is interrupted for marketing tie-ins.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and a Warning About Marketing
The enthusiasm surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius as a storyteller. After more than two decades, he continues to surprise fans by revealing layers of history that connect generations of pirates, marines, and rulers. The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scope have reminded readers of One Piece’s golden era — a blend of mystery, world-building, and drama that few series can match.
At the same time, the backlash to Wano’s film-focused ending serves as a quiet warning: even the strongest stories can lose impact when commercial priorities become too visible. Fans don’t mind movies, collaborations, or special projects — many love them — but they do want the core narrative to be treated as sacred, especially at the end of landmark arcs.
Whether the God Valley flashback ends soon or continues for a while longer, it has already cemented itself as one of the most powerful and defining chapters in the series’ history. For many fans, it also highlights exactly what they wished Wano’s finale had been: a moment where the story itself, not the next product, was allowed to take center stage.
