Eiichiro Oda's One Piece is a legendary series. The manga started way back in 1997, and the anime followed just a bit later in 1999. For over two decades since then, the One Piece anime by Toei Animation has released new episodes almost every week without missing a beat. However, this is changing.
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After the 6-month hiatus that started in late 2024 until April 2025, it has now been confirmed that One Piece will go on long breaks often, or in other words, One Piece is basically seasonal. This is unfortunate, especially as fans want to see Elbaf arc kickstart. In the meantime, fans can instead turn their attention to another exciting Shonen series, and it is Jujustu Kaisen. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will air in January 2026and it's the perfect replacement for One Piece until its return.
One Piece Anime is going on hiatus in early 2026
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Egghead Arc of One Piece ends in December
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No One Piece Anime until April 2026
The One Piece anime is currently airing its Egghead Island arc, but it's coming to an end soon. The Egghead arc ends before the start of 2026, and after that the anime goes on hiatus. This hiatus will be a new formula that Toei Animation follows.
Instead of a new episode every week for an entire year, the anime will go on a 6-month hiatus every year, split into two parts. In other words, starting in 2026, One Piece will only get 26 episodes per year.
I'm not saying it's not fair, Navy. But raid the worn new green leaves that changed the era of piracy forever? Don't you think you are doing too much? Are you so afraid of the new era? – Shanks
The first break scheduled for 2026 will begin soonand the One Piece anime won't return until April 2026. This is definitely unfortunate for fans waiting for Elbaf to kickstart. That means One Piece fans will have to find a new distraction in the meantime, and that's where Jujutsu Kaisen comes in.
One Piece fans can skip Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 until The Return Of The Anime
While One Piece is on hiatus, many major anime series are actually coming back. The likes of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and even Fire Force, are making a comeback. But the biggest anime coming back in early 2026 is actually none other than Jujutsu Kaisen.
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In fact, in January 2026, Jujustu Kaisen Season 3 will release its first part, and it's going to be quite a journey for the fans. Expected to have some of the best animation and direction of any anime in recent years, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will blow everything else out of the water.
Jujutsu Kaisen will be the perfect distraction for fans of One Piece while their favorite anime is on hiatus. While Jujutsu Kaisen is more combat-focused and less lore-heavy, it's still one of the most entertaining anime out there.
Why is One Piece going on hiatus?
Fans will definitely enjoy the Jujutsu Kaisen anime while One Piece is on hiatus, but many are wondering why Toei decided to switch to a seasonal scheduleespecially when One Piece has been weekly for almost three decades now.
The truth is, year-long anime is no longer the norm. You could also say that it is to give the Studio more time to work on each episode. The quality of One Piece has definitely increased over the past few years, and it cannot be sustained under the current circumstances.
The studio has also tried to improve the pacing, making it consistently one chapter per episode. Hopefully, One Piece will return stronger than ever before and give fans the adventure of a lifetime when it returns in 2026.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail the seas to claim the great treasure known as One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date for One Piece Chapter 1169 is December 21, 2025. In Japan, One Piece is released at 12:00 JST on Monday, which is 11:00 EST, or 8:00 PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps. If you do that, the fans will always support the writer.
