One Piece season 10

Lore & Background

The season aired on Fuji Television from January 6 through December 14, 2008, lasting 45 episodes. Beginning with episode 380, the Japanese analog broadcasts were presented in a letterbox format in 16:9. The season uses two pieces of theme music: the first opening theme, "Jungle P", performed by 5050, and the second opening theme, starting with episode 373, a cover of the series' first opening "We Are!" by Hiroshi Kitadani, performed by TVXQ as "We Are! (One Piece Animation 10th Anniversary ver.)".

Reader's Guide

The tenth season is significant for introducing Brook, a musician skeleton, to the Straw Hat crew, and for featuring the Thriller Bark arc, which pits the crew against Gecko Moria, a Warlord of the Sea. The season's 45 episodes aired in 2008 on Fuji Television. Its home media release includes thirteen compilations as of July 7, 2010, with the first DVD released on October 7, 2009. In North America, Funimation Entertainment recategorized the season as the majority of 'Season Six' for its DVD release, while Australian sets were renamed Collection 29 through 32. The Funimation English dub of the first 12 episodes was originally planned for May 2014 but was delayed until September to coincide with the release of the Funimation dub of One Piece Film: Z. The season's legacy lies in its pivotal character addition and the unique zombie-themed setting.

Did You Know?

• The season uses two opening themes: 'Jungle P' by 5050 and a cover of 'We Are!' by TVXQ.
• Beginning with episode 380, Japanese analog broadcasts were presented in a letterbox 16:9 format.
• The Funimation English dub of the first 12 episodes was delayed from May 2014 to September 2014.
• Thirteen compilations of the season had been released as of July 7, 2010.

Production & Creative Leadership

The twenty-second season of the One Piece anime television series marks a new chapter in the long-running franchise, produced by Toei Animation under the direction of Yasunori Koyama and Wataru Matsumi. The season premiered on April 5, 2026, airing on Fuji Television and its FNS affiliate network, continuing the tradition of bringing Eiichiro Oda's manga to life for a global audience. This installment adapts material beginning from the 111th volume of the One Piece manga, specifically the Elbaph story arc. The creative team behind this season carries forward the legacy of a series that has been in continuous production since its October 1999 debut, making it one of the longest-running anime franchises in television history. The dual directorship suggests a collaborative approach to maintaining the show's quality and pacing as it enters yet another major narrative chapter, with the production team tasked with translating Oda's increasingly complex world-building into the medium of weekly television animation.

Story & Narrative Focus

Season twenty-two of One Piece centers on the Elbaph story arc, a narrative thread that pulls together multiple factions in a high-stakes political conflict. The season follows Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates as they arrive in the nation of Elbaph, where they encounter the Giant Warrior Pirates. The central tension of the arc revolves around the Holy Knights of God, a formidable force that has set its sights on annexing Elbaph on behalf of the World Government. This creates a scenario where the Straw Hats find themselves in a territory caught between external imperial ambitions and internal sovereignty. The Elbaph arc, originating from the 111th volume of Eiichiro Oda's manga, represents a significant narrative expansion for the anime adaptation, introducing new characters and geopolitical stakes that build upon the series' long-running themes of freedom, resistance against oppressive power structures, and the consequences of historical legacy. The convergence of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Giant Warrior Pirates in this setting promises a dynamic interplay of alliances and conflicts that drives the season's storytelling forward.

Scheduling & Industry Shift

In October 2025, Toei Animation made a significant announcement regarding the broadcast schedule for One Piece following the conclusion of the Egghead story arc. The series would take a hiatus from January through March 2026 before resuming in April. More notably, the production team outlined plans to adopt a two split cours annual schedule, capping output at a maximum of 26 episodes per year going forward. This represented a fundamental departure from the continuous year-round broadcast schedule that had been maintained since the series first premiered in October 1999. However, the planned split did not materialize as intended; the season is currently airing two consecutive cours rather than the originally proposed divided format. Additionally, Toei signaled an intention to adapt manga chapters at a slightly faster pace than in recent preceding arcs, suggesting a desire to close the gap between the anime and Oda's ongoing manga serialization. These scheduling decisions reflect broader industry pressures and a recalibration of how one of anime's most enduring franchises manages its production pipeline.

Music & Thematic Identity

The musical identity of One Piece's twenty-second season is defined by two distinct theme songs that bookend each episode. The opening theme, titled "Luminous" (ルミナス), is performed by Aina the End, a choice that brings a fresh vocal presence to the series' long history of rotating opening tracks. The ending theme, "Sono Mirai" (その未来), translates to "That Future" and is performed by Jisoku 36km. Together, these two songs frame the narrative of the Elbaph arc, with the opening establishing the season's energetic tone and the closing track offering a reflective, forward-looking counterpoint. The title "That Future" resonates thematically with the arc's central conflict over Elbaph's sovereignty and the broader question of what the World Government's expansion means for the nations it seeks to control. The selection of these artists and compositions marks another evolution in the series' approach to its musical branding, continuing a tradition of pairing each new season with distinctive vocal performances that have become a hallmark of the One Piece franchise since its inception.

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