Even the most die-hard One Piece fans would agree that even though One Piece is one of the funniest anime, it's also a series that has had its share of dark and emotionally charged episodes. One Piece had several shockingly dark episodes that have left fans emotionally drained. However, these moments made the series so much more memorable and impactful.
One Piece is one of the few anime shows with the ability to blend humor and tragedy which makes it a truly unique and entertaining anime series that continues to captivate audiences all around the world. Over the years fans could get to know some of the strongest characters in One Piece and their often heart-wrenching backstories as well as witness plenty of tragic deaths, since One Piece had some of the darkest episodes in anime history.
7 Sanji's Terrible Childhood
Sanji had one of the most traumatic childhoods in the One Piece universe since he had a terrible relationship with his abusive father. Even though Sanji was born into the wealthy and powerful Vinsmoke family he had to deal with a lot of pain and shame growing up since he was much weaker and useless compared to his brothers in his father's eyes. The episode in which Sanji's heartbreaking and shocking childhood is revealed in detail is certainly one of the darkest ones in the franchise.
Sanji's dad and family not only constantly abused and mistreated him but eventually even locked him up in a dungeon and starved him. Thankfully, Sanji eventually joined the Straw Hat Pirates and built a strong relationship with his found family. While Sanji's character was shaped by the terrible events in his childhood he still grew up to be an optimistic person, who is also one of the funniest One Piece characters.
6 Ohara Is Destroyed
Even though the beautiful Ohara island was small with only a few residents, its destruction was still one of the most significant and tragic events in the One Piece universe. While there were plenty of fights in One Piece, the episode in which Ohara is destroyed and the Ohara Archeologists are killed by the World Government is certainly one of the darkest ones.
It was not only heartbreaking because many lives were lost but also because all the information and knowledge that the scholars uncovered were also completely wiped out. This brutal attack managed to strike even more fear and served as a painful reminder that no one should challenge those in power or try to seek knowledge and the truth about the world's history.
5 Brook Alone At Sea
Brook is a hilarious character in the series, however, he also has one of the saddest backstories in One Piece. The episode that shows Brook suffering while he was lost alone at sea is easily some of the most painful ones. Brook and his crew's ship was caught in a terrible storm and sank.
Since Brook was the only survivor of this tragic accident he got lost at sea for fifty years completely alone. Naturally, the normally cheerful musician pirate had to deal with extreme loneliness as well as all the psychological effects that were caused by this agonizing isolation. Since Brook ate a Devil Fruit that gave him the ability to come back to life after he died he was unable to find peace and went insane after a while.
4 The Fall Of The Donquixote Family
Over the many years, fans could see some truly sad deaths in One Piece that made them cry. Some of these deaths and backstories were so touching and heartbreaking that fans could even find themselves relating to diabolical villains like Donquixote Doflamingo. One of the darkest One Piece episodes is in which viewers got to know the Donquixote family's history as well as Doflamingo's childhood a bit better.
His past was filled with abuse and death after his father Donquixote Homing decided that he wanted to leave the life of piracy behind. However, he and his family were betrayed by his brother and had to hide and live in constant fear. They ended up living in poverty and were humiliated and abused by others. Doflamingo's mom died of illness and eventually, Doflamingo murdered his own father for causing the family's downfall.
3 Charlotte Linlin Became A Cannibal
Charlotte Linlin, aka Big Mom, is another villain who is also one of the strongest female Devil Fruit users in One Piece with a shockingly dark backstory. Big Mom always had a big appetite even as a child and would go on uncontrollable binges during which she would lose control completely and her perception of reality would become distorted.
Since Linlin had an insatiable appetite as well as massive strength even as a kid she would often unintentionally cause harm to others. Every time she got too hungry, she would go into a hunger-induced rage that eventually led to her becoming a cannibal and eating her caretaker as well as a few other kids.
2 Toko Watches Her Dad Die
Yasuie sacrificed himself to protect the rebellion and allow his allies to escape, including his daughter Toko. Unfortunately, Toko ended up witnessing his dad's tragic and unjust execution and couldn't even express her negative emotions because of the defective SMILE Devil Fruit she ate.
While it was one of the darkest episodes in the anime, it was also one of the most inspiring ones since Yasuie's heroic sacrifice motivated and inspired others to join the rebellion and fight for their freedom while trying to end Orochi's tyrannical rule.
1 Law's Escape From His Hometown
The episode in which One Piece fans learn how Law managed to escape from his hometown called Flevance is certainly one of the most disturbing ones. The young boy not only had to deal with seeing thousands of dead bodies lying all over the city, including his family's, because of the deadly disease known as Amber Lead Syndrome but had to find a way to escape.
Eventually, Law had to pretend that he is dead and hide under the corpses to survive when his city was destroyed. While Law contracted the virus, he managed to survive thanks to Doctor Corazon, who became a father figure to him.