This Anime Episode Steals Spotlight as 2025’s Highest-Rated Anime So Far

The latest episode of the One Piece anime, titled “The Worst Nightmare – The Five Elders Come Together,” has quickly become the highest-rated episode of 2025. Episode 1144 aired on September 21, 2025, and has already earned a 9.8/10 rating on IMDb, with fans praising its animation, action, and storytelling.

In this episode, the five Elders arrive at Egghead in their transformed states and split up to face different members of the Straw Hat crew.

Luffy faces off against the Elders, Zoro battles Lucci, and the giants Dorry and Brogy come to Luffy’s aid. Meanwhile, Sanji communicates with Nami to alert her of the situation, while Usopp helps navigate the Thousand Sunny safely.

Fans have called the episode “peak” in every way. One reviewer wrote, “The animation was peak, the action was peak, the story is peak as always… Luffy is just playing with them, and the giants have shown their strength too.” Another praised the animators, saying, “Not only Vincent Chansard worked hard, the entire team deserves a raise! They really worked their backs off. Watch One Piece before it ends—worth the wait!”

IMDB reviewers have been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting Zoro’s fight and the cinematic entrance of the five Elders as standout moments. While some viewers expect minor ratings fluctuations due to critics, the general consensus is that this episode delivers one of the most exciting chapters of the Egghead arc so far.

The effort behind this episode did not go unnoticed. Fans noted the quick turnaround, emphasizing that the animators had just a week to produce the episode. “After this peak episode, whatever comes next, we should appreciate the team, not demotivate them,” one reviewer added.

Overall, this episode has been hailed as a masterpiece, combining high-stakes battles, stunning visuals, and strong character moments. One Piece fans are already eagerly anticipating the next episode, despite knowing it will be hard to top this one.

It’s incredible to see the One Piece team continue to deliver such high-quality episodes even this late in the series. The energy, animation, and storytelling in episode 1144 set a new benchmark. What do you think about this episode? Did it live up to the hype? Share your thoughts in the comments.