Top 20 One Piece Moments That Will Make You Cry

Given how much he loves the ladies, Sanji seems like the last guy to settle down…except maybe Luffy. Still, when he’s forced into an arranged marriage to protect his crew and loved ones, the fact that his fiancee Pudding is cute and seemingly into him certainly doesn’t hurt. However, just as he’s about to surprise her the night before their wedding, Sanji overhears Pudding reveal to his sister Reiju that her behavior has been an act. Not only is she disgusted by him, but Pudding’s family plans to kill his crewmates and Sanji’s (admittedly terrible) relatives. Our hearts break along with Sanji’s as all the strife he’s gone through is apparently for nothing. It always rains when we watch this…indoors.

Even with his dubious professional background, Dr. Hiriluk is still a great man and a fine father figure for the Straw Hats’ resident reindeer, Chopper. Despite the danger (and a lack of qualifications), he answers a call for doctors from the corrupt king Wapol. Even if it’s a trap, Hiriluk is just glad no one’s sick. Well, besides him - he’s dying, both of a disease and a deadly mushroom Chopper mistakenly gave him. Rather than let Wapol or the mushroom kill him, Hiriluk decides to go out on his own terms. And he does so with an incredible speech, proclaiming that a man only dies when he’s forgotten. It’s a moving death that touches both our hearts (and on the series’ central themes).

He may seem like a goofy side character at first, but Yasuie has one of the most tragic endings in “One Piece.” The former Wano Country daimyo is captured and crucified by the corrupt shogun Orochi’s forces. Through subterfuge, Yasu is able to mislead the shogun in his final moments, helping keep the rebellion alive. While that’s moving enough on its own, what’s worse is the reaction of the poor townsfolk he looked after, including his adopted daughter, Toko - laughter. Because Orochi and Kaidou’s men gave the people of Ebisu defective SMILE fruits, they’re no longer able to express sadness. They may no longer be able to cry, but we can in their place.

The minks of Zou have an incredibly hard time of it. Their country is attacked by the Beasts Pirates, who injure or kill many of their people. And all because they were searching for a Wano Country ninja named “Raizo” they all deny ever hearing of. Their trauma is such that the Straw Hats are on eggshells announcing their own connection with samurai and Wano Country. When Kin’emon and company blunder into the situation, asking after their friend Raizo, the crew panic. But then, the minks confirm that Raizo is safe. The sheer lengths the minks go through out of friendship brings a tear to both the Straw Hats’ eyes, and our own. Also chills - lots of chills.

Anything involving pets is bound to get the waterworks running, and this early “One Piece” scene is no exception. Luffy and company encounter Chouchou, a small dog with an irritable disposition in front of a pet food store. The town’s mayor reveals that Chouchou’s owner passed away. The pooch continues to return to the store and defend it out of devotion to his late person. And just in case you didn’t think that was heartbreaking enough, it turns out it’s based on a true story, about a real Japanese dog named Hachiko. Oof, right in the feels!

In all the euphoria of the prisoners’ escape from Impel Down, they don’t realize there’s still one more thing to do - open the huge Gates of Justice. Fortunately, Impel Down’s warden Magellan seems to be on their side, ordering the gates be opened. However, the escapees and Magellan himself realize that Mr. 2 Bon Clay actually stayed behind, impersonating the warden to give his friends a chance to escape. The prisoners’ tearful goodbye and gratitude to Bon-chan is echoed by us. Bon Clay is a true MVP in Impel Down, staying by Luffy’s side through thick and thin, and his sacrifice will not be forgotten!

While known as a brutal fishman with a hatred for humanity, the actions of the leader of the Sun Pirates turned out to have profound consequences not only for the future of various side characters such as Hancock and Koala, but also his entire species. After a misunderstanding left him mortally wounded, Tiger’s only chance of survival was a blood-transfusion of human blood, but refused because of his deep-rooted prejudice given his history as a slave of the Celestial Dragon. However, in a final act to break the cycle of hatred, he begs his companions to keep the nature of his death a secret and not seek revenge, all in the hope of a better tomorrow.

At first glance, Señor Pink, like many “One Piece” characters, just looks bizarre. However, despite dressing like a baby, Señor is truly hard boiled. As a younger man, the crewmember of the Donquixote Pirates was married to a woman, Russian, who hated pirates. He kept his profession secret from her. But, after the death of their infant son, and Russian’s discovery of Señor’s lies, his wife gets in an accident that puts her in a non-responsive state. Señor starts dressing like a baby to remind Russian of their son, since it makes her smile. While this brings light to her world, it has us crying at the tragedy of it all.

Fights between friends are always unpleasant, but this brawl in particular was downright heart-breaking for a plethora of reasons. Forced into marriage by the demand of his vile family, Sanji broke off from the Straw Hats to protect those he cared for. Naturally, being the stubborn rubberband that he is, Luffy wasn’t going to take that lying down. Caught between impossible situations, Sanji was forced to battle against his Captain as a last means of getting him to back off…only for Luffy to take each blow without resistance. If you thought watching Luffy get a flaming foot to the skull was tough to watch, just wait until you see Sanji break down afterwards.

For the longest time, Nami had been a lone thief. Tricking and manipulating anyone she could in order to get her hands on all the gold and booty possibly. Of course, this took on a whole new dimension when it was revealed she was gathering all this treasure in order to buy her town’s freedom from Arlong and his cronies. Things were made all the worse when her stolen goods were taken and Arlong forced her to start from scratch, bringing her to the end of her tether, First stabbing her tattoo in blind grief before finally asking Luffy to help her. Seeing her brought to her lowest point is truly a tragic sight.

When you talk about OG pirates, none come larger and more respected than Edward Newgate. Famous not only for his inhuman strength but treating all of his crew like family, Whitebeard was the last bastion of the golden age of pirates…until his legend finally came to an end during the bitter confrontation at Marineford. Suffering countless wounds at the hands of the Admirals and his treacherous Blackbeard, Pops may have ultimately lost his life, but that doesn’t take away the fact he died standing up after announcing to the world that the One Piece is real. This guy even jumps off the mortal coil like a boss!

He may have been a quack doctor, but the dream of Chopper’s surrogate father was still a beautiful one; to cure the frozen hearts of the citizens of Drum Island with sakura petals despite the whole area being submerged in snow. Following on from their victory against the tyrant king Wapol, Hiriluk’s dream is finally made a reality thanks to Kureha and the Straw Hats, not only ushering in a new age of peace for the oppressed masses, but lighting up the whole island in cherry blossoms. Throw in Chopper crying his eyes out at such a scene, and you have a making of a fairy tale ending!

Possibly the biggest example of how the World Government and its marines can overshadow even the worst pirates in terms of villainy, the destruction of Robin’s home via the Buster Call was catastrophic, and all because her tribe were inching closer to learning more about the Void Century. As the only survivor of such a senseless massacre, you’d think that would be enough trauma, but no. After learning of her existence, the World Government did what it did best and spread propaganda, turning an innocent victim into a hated criminal that even strangers shunned at every turn.

The Straw Hats’ arrival at Water 7 throws their whole dynamic into turmoil. The crew’s efforts to get a new ship coincide with Usopp feeling insecure about his own fear of being left behind. This culminates in a duel between he and Luffy over ownership of their ship, the Going Merry. Usopp truly gives it his all, and while Luffy’s defeat of Usopp may be physically easy, it’s still one of the most challenging fights for the rubbery captain. Just watching these two friends come to blows is enough to break our hearts - we can only imagine how hard it is for both of them!

While this is a triumphant moment as opposed to a saddening one, it’s sure to get the waterworks going all the same. Right as she’s set to be dragged to the Gates of Justice for execution, Robin is shocked to see that the Straw Hats have invaded Enies Lobby to free her, even willing to openly declare war on the World Government for the sake of their friend. Utterly overcome that people would risk their lives for her, for the first time in her life Robin starts to value herself, screaming for her comrades that she wants to live and go out to sea with them.

To say that things don’t go well for the Straw Hats at Sabaody Archipelago would be a colossal understatement. The crew is faced with tough opponents one after the other, and it all culminates in the arrival of Bartholomew Kuma. The Warlord slapping Zoro and making him vanish leaves a void both where he used to be and in our hearts when we first saw it. Kuma then slaps each of the Straw Hats in turn, as they desperately try to stay together. Finally, only Luffy remains and he’s positively beside himself with grief. And sure, the whole sequence of events probably ended up being for the best - but it’s hard to keep a dry eye when Luffy is sobbing and beating the ground in frustration.

He may be a goofy talking skeleton, but Brook’s backstory breaks our hearts. It’d probably break his too if he still had one. Stranded in the Florian Triangle, Brook and his crew were poisoned. Determined to leave something behind, they decide to record a final performance of their favorite song, which they hope will reach their friend Laboon, after Brook’s devil fruit revives him. The moving performance is interspersed with the Straw Hats singing in present day and Brook’s life spent stranded for 50 years aboard his ship. Brook’s crew succumbs one by one, until he’s left playing solo. Brook may not have tear ducts anymore, but we sure do, and they get plenty of use during this tragic tune.

Just when you’d thought the backstories of the big players in the modern pirate world couldn’t get any sadder, along comes the Surgeon of Death and his past that’s bound to break your heart into a million pieces. Having already lost his family to the terrible disease that had corrupted his body, Law was destined to die young…until his life was saved by the most unexpected of people – Doflamingo’s bumbling, inept brother, who developed such a deep friendship with the embittered Trafalgar boy that he was even willing to defy his brother and give his young charge the Op Op Fruit. This would spare him from the disease…but also lead to him forfeiting his life in the process.

Damn it Oda! It’s not enough that you make us cry over every major and minor character in your pirate pantheon, but now you’re making us cry our eyes out over a ship?! Of course, Merry was more than just a ship to the Straw Hat crew; it was the vessel that led them through thick and thin, and now they had to say goodbye. After being damaged beyond repair, Luffy and company hold a proper funeral for their silent companion, torching it at sea while grieving for it in their own way.

To this day, nothing has compared to the monumental loss that came from watching Luffy’s brother sacrifice his life. Just when it looked like the Straw Hat Captain and the allied pirates had succeeded in their mission of saving the beloved Fire Fist from his imminent demise, along comes Akainu to wreck everything. With his magma Devil Fruit proving to be stronger than even Ace’s flames, all Luffy can do is watch in horror as his brother takes the attack intended for him, the lava fist cutting through his body, leaving only enough life left in him for a final, heart-wrenching goodbye.

Is there a “One Piece” moment that leaves you feeling like you ate the Cry-Cry Fruit? Share your sadness with us in the comments!