One Piece has officially hit another jaw-dropping milestone: it’s now being celebrated as the only anime to have 257 episodes rated 9.0 or higher on IMDb, a number that reflects not just popularity, but a rare level of sustained fan approval across an enormous runtime.
For a series that’s been running for decades, this kind of achievement is almost unheard of. Most long-running anime have peaks and valleys — iconic highs, but also stretches that fans consider slower or uneven. One Piece, however, continues to rack up standout episodes that viewers are ranking among the best anime television has to offer.
And the timing couldn’t be better, because the fandom is currently on fire thanks to a completely different reason: the God Valley flashback in the manga, which has turned the One Piece community into a nonstop theory factory.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has quickly become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this once-mythical event has brought together legends like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu, creating a flashback that feels more like an epic historical saga than a side story.
More importantly, it’s doing what One Piece does at its best: connecting dots across generations. The arc dives into the power struggles that shaped the modern world, exposing long-hidden truths about the Celestial Dragons, the early pirate era, and the kind of “real history” fans have been begging to see since the series’ earliest chapters.
This surge of interest matters because it doesn’t just boost the manga — it raises the entire franchise’s heat level. When One Piece is in a lore-revealing mode like this, even older anime episodes get revisited, rewatched, and re-rated as fans trace the breadcrumbs back through the story.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
What makes this moment even more fascinating is how many fans are admitting they’re not ready to leave the past behind. Social media has been flooded with readers saying that God Valley feels like the most thrilling One Piece has been in years — darker, more intense, and packed with revelations that reshape the series’ power structure.
While the Straw Hats are still the heart of One Piece, the God Valley storyline offers something different: a look at the titans who built the world’s current era through violence, ambition, and secrets.
One viral sentiment on X (formerly Twitter) summed it up perfectly: “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” That quote captures the fandom’s current mood — a rare point where the flashback is so strong that it’s competing with the present-day storyline for attention.
Yet ironically, this obsession with God Valley may be part of why One Piece keeps stacking those 9.0+ IMDb episodes: when the story’s biggest mysteries finally start unlocking, the entire audience becomes more invested in every era of the journey.
Why 257 Episodes Rated 9.0+ Is Such A Big Deal
A milestone like this isn’t just a flex — it’s a statement about consistency. Getting a handful of high-rated episodes is normal for great anime. But hundreds of episodes hitting that elite rating range suggests something rarer: a series that has delivered major emotional payoffs, hype moments, and unforgettable turning points again and again across years of storytelling.
It also highlights One Piece’s unique advantage: it doesn’t rely on one “best arc” to carry its reputation. Instead, its strongest episodes are spread across eras — from early emotional gut punches to legendary war arcs, to modern animation peaks that have turned certain fights into viral global events.
Whether fans are watching for action, character moments, world-building, or lore reveals, One Piece has managed to repeatedly deliver episodes that leave audiences feeling like they just witnessed something historic.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Legacy
At the center of all of this is Eiichiro Oda’s storytelling — and the way he keeps upgrading the series even after more than two decades. The excitement surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores his ability to make One Piece feel fresh while still rewarding longtime fans who’ve stayed loyal since the early days.
The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scope have reminded many readers of One Piece’s golden era: that blend of mystery, world-building, and drama that few stories can match. Even if some worry that returning to the Straw Hats will slow the momentum, others believe that balancing past and present is exactly what makes One Piece timeless.
And with One Piece now being celebrated for having 257 IMDb-rated 9.0+ episodes, the message is clear: this isn’t just a long-running anime anymore — it’s a cultural giant that’s still evolving, still surprising, and still setting records that nobody else can touch.
