One Piece has so much non-canonical material in its vast amount of content that it only makes sense for it to be reused. The One Piece anime has lasted for twenty-five years and counting, making it notorious for its over 1,100 episode run, not to mention the numerous film adaptations and games the show has received. However, One Piece Odyssey established that not only could side quests and stories within the One Piece canon be adapted into a video game, these adaptations could also receive a positive reception.
One Piece Odyssey is a turn-based RPG featuring the Straw Hat Pirates and their fearless Captain Monkey D. Luffy. Taking place post-time-skip, the game follows a completely new story, yet stops at side quests that retell certain story arcs throughout the show. For example, the World of Memories sequences allow the Straw Hats to revisit past mistakes and memories in the anime, such as the Alabasta arc, the Water Seven arc, the Marineford arc, and the Dressrosa arc. It’s easy to identify how these specific arcs intertwine with the personal feelings of specific Straw Hats, like Luffy and Marineford.
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One Piece Odyssey Review
One Piece Odyssey presents a rousing but occasionally flawed adventure that should mostly satisfy One Piece fans and JRPG enthusiasts alike.
One Piece Odyssey Changes the Game
One Piece Odyssey’s strong story was a selling point as it not only references iconic parts of the show, but treats the game’s story as though it itself were a canon arc in One Piece. Since the game was received warmly overall, game developers can now feel more secure when experimenting and developing the anime’s non-canonical material, which has largely been untapped.
It’s best to confirm what parts of One Piece aren’t canon. Firstly, none of the existing One Piece games are canon. Sure, these adaptations of the anime may feature important characters and plot points from the show, but none of the new characters or plot points introduced by the games have any impact on the mainline canon. The most memorable non-canon entries in One Piece are its many film adaptations. There are currently fifteen movies tied to the One Piece name, with ten non-canonical entries, four canonical entries, and One Piece Film: Red, which still lies in murky territory. These ten films are the best stories for game developers to pick apart, as they are the most widely accessible pieces of non-canonical One Piece content.
The ten non-canonical One Piece films in chronological order are:
- One Piece: The Movie, Clockwork Island Adventure
- Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals
- Dead End Adventure
- The Cursed Holy Sword
- Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island
- The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle
- Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates
- Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter Miracle Sakura
- One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase
Declaring what the “best” non-canonical One Piece film is would be impossible, as the decision would be made largely on opinion rather than concrete fact. Nevertheless, fan sentiment and critical rankings of One Piece films provide a sense of which might have the best shot at a game adaptation.
Spoilers for the non-canon films and One Piece: Red ahead.
Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island
One of the most popular non-canon films is Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island. Considered one of the darkest pieces of One Piece media, the story’s twisted interpretation of its source material makes it distinct from the rest of the franchise. All the Straw Hats, minus Luffy, are fed to a monstrous flower, with the captain left to hear that his crew has been killed off one-by-one. While the story of Baron Omatsuri is incredibly dark, interesting, and thought-provoking, it is notoriously terrifying and has even gained a reputation as the “One Piece horror film.” Unless developers were willing to take a risky leap, Baron Omatsuri probably won’t receive a video game adaptation as it would terrify younger One Piece fans.
Adaptations of Dead End Adventure and The Cursed Holy Sword could be combined to see the Straw Hat Pirates facing off against marines and ex-marines. The same could be done with the Chopper-centric films like Bloom in the Winter and Strange Animal Island, featuring cozier game play to diversify the lineup of One Piece games. Of course, straight adaptations of these films could work with gamers playing as the Straw Hats as they face the titular Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle. There’s always the option to retell a story, the same way The Desert Princess and the Pirates retold the Alabasta arc.
One Piece Film: Red
However, One Piece Film: Red could take the cake as the best piece of media to adapt into a video game. As mentioned previously, the canonical status of Red is still up for debate. Uta, the adoptive musical daughter of Red Haired Shanks, is officially considered canon, confirmed by her introductory episodes in the anime and her appearance in manga chapter 1055. Yet, the events of the movie have never been addressed in the anime or the manga.
Despite this and recency bias, Uta has already become quite a fan favorite, largely due to heavy marketing including a YouTube channel and original songs. The ability to play as Uta in a One Piece game could draw in players, making Uta and her story one of the best non-canonical pieces of One Piece media to adapt into a video game.