After more than two decades with a near-continuous broadcast schedule, the One Piece anime is setting a slower course for 2026. The producers have confirmed that the series will go on a break and will return with a new format.
Toei Animation has announced that the One Piece anime will go on a break from January to March 2026. It will return in April with a new two-cour format. So, that will limit the total number of episodes per year to 26.
The announcement was made by the series’ Media Editor-in-Chief Hiroyuki Nakano and producer Ryuta Koike during a special One Piece News livestream. They explained that the new structure is a strategic move to support the anime’s ongoing evolution and maintain its quality.
The decision marks a major shift for the anime!
The anime has aired weekly since 1999 with only brief interruptions. Going forward, the team plans to adapt one manga chapter per episode. It will follow a 1:1 ratio to keep the pacing tight and faithful to Eiichiro Oda’s original work.
But for fans like us, it also means fewer episodes each year. But I’m sure it will also lead the team to deliver richer animation and storytelling as the series moves into the Final Saga.
Meanwhile, they also showed teaser art for the upcoming season during the livestream. It hints that the Elbaf Arc will be the next major storyline. It will continue directly from the Egghead Arc, which is expected to wrap up by the end of 2025.
Before this, One Piece paused production after episode 1122. It halted from October 2024 until April 2025 to improve the animation quality and allow the manga to progress further. And that was quite successful. So, here’s hoping that the One Piece anime 2026 break will also be equally fruitful.
You can learn more about the latest updates by following One Piece’s official X account.
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