Roger's List: Top 5 Opening Themes of One Piece

What are the best of the BEST? That's what Roger's here to tell you.

Ahoy fellow readers. Roger here. It's been a busy summer so far, but I finally found some cruse time to give you all another list. For those of you out there actually taking some time off this summer, time to kick back, take in the sun, and enjoy some sweet tunes on the best album there is, the One Piece album. How do I know it's the best? Well, because it is quite literally titled "BEST ALBUM." For any other anime series, this would probably be pushing it, but not One Piece.

Let's not sugar code things, this music is amazing. From the opening themes to the ending themes, to the background scores, and even the songs the characters sing in the actual show, the music of One Piece perfectly captures and enriches the heart and spirit of adventure that the anime has brought to it's viewers for the past 15 years. Today we will be focusing strictly on the Opening Themes, the songs that get you pumped and ready to watch some One Piece right from the get go. For many, all 17 of the shows current opening music numbers are amazing songs in and of themselves, but which ones of them are truly the best? I'm here to chime in with my 2 cents berries.

This is Roger's Top 5 Opening Theme's of One Piece.



In order of release.

#2 Believe

I know, a lot of people are still most fond of the first opening theme "We Are," and rightfully so, but personally, I really like the second theme even more. At this point in the anime, all five of the original Strawhats from the East Blue have finally come together. We've taken the time to explore each one of their back stories, their hopes and dreams, and they have finally cast away whatever hurdles were keeping them back to the wind and are ready to take their ambitions and run with them, as they set sail for the adventure of a lifetime. "Believe" perfectly parallels the acceleration that the show itself underwent at this point with a fast paced guitar riff that has a much quicker beat than the original theme. The lyrics themselves are all about following their dreams, something they once thought was impossible, now fully believe they are capable of, thanks the their newfound strength from their friends.

The English version of the song is not that bad either.



#6 Brand New World

Before this theme, our heroes had underwent just about their worst stream of bad luck in their entire journey. They just had their first encounter with a Marine Admiral (which did not go well at all). Their beloved ship is damaged beyond repair. Usopp is mugged and subsequently quits the crew in refusal to give up on the Merry. He even engages in a duel with his Captain that results in one of the most brutal and heartbreaking fights in the shows history. Robin disappears and the crew gets accused for the attempted assassination of Iceberg resulting in the entire town trying to hunt them down. Then, to put the cherry on top of this crapcicle, the whole frame for Iceberg's murder was set up by the world government's most elite group of assassins to capture Robin and brutally overpower the Straw Hats.

Yet despite all this, as soon as they hear that Robin turned herself in to protect them, that's all they need in order get their second wind and jump right back into the fight, and that is what Brand New World represents so powerfully; the Strawhats will to rise up every time you think they've been pushed to their limits. It's a theme with yet another fast paced melody as the show races towards one of it's greatest confrontations at the Marine Judicial Island.


#11 Share the World

Share the World has one of the most unique beats of all the One Piece openings. It's almost a rap, but I like it. It's fun. It also has one of the more unique messages of all the themes. The song itself is titled Share the World, with the emphasis on 'share,' which coexists with the series current theme of showing just how big the world of One Piece really is, and just how many colorful characters inhabit it.

For a quick headcount, this is the portion of the series in which we meet a new Admiral, a new Warlord, the Pacifista's, the Celestial Dragons, Mermaids, the former Pirate King's first mate, AND all nine other members of the Supernovas. That's a huge chunk of important characters in just a few short arcs. Share the world. There's plenty to go around.


#14 Fight Together

Okay people, here comes the deep stuff. I kid you not guys, I. Cry. Every. Single. Time. I hear this theme. Fight Together is not just a good One Piece theme. It's one of the best songs of 2011 period. the singer's voice, the visuals, the lyrics, and the overall tone of the entire song. I love every second of it. This song embodies all the reasons people love this series. You can like the action, the humor, the art, the over-the-top plots, but the real reason people LOVE this series so dearly and why it has persevered over so many years and continues to go strong to this day is the overwhelming amount of heart and compassion that the characters wear right on their shoulders.

It is so contagious, that we feel the emotions of these animated characters are as real and genuine as if they were people right in font of us. That is no easy task for a fantasy epic populated with Super Powered Pirates, Sea monsters, Fish people, and a million other unbelievable things. Fight Together doesn't let any of that hinder the sincerity of it's message, and it could not have played at a better time in the series.


#16 Hands Up! 

The second to newest One Piece theme, Hands Up! much like my last choice, is a theme that I think is just a great song to begin with. It has a beautiful melody, and it's lyrics represent so well that this is a version of the Straw Hats that has now endured so much and gotten so far, that there is nowhere left for them to look but forward. There is no hesitation left. Everyone is in for the long haul. And in a way, so are the viewers. The show itself is at a point where anyone who has been following it since from the beginning is prepared to spend the rest of their lives (Or Oda's life) following it. We are, quite literally, as committed to this show has the Strawhats are to their adventure.


So those are my Top 5. Of all my lists so far, I feel safe saying this one is probably my most personalized. It's completely my own opinion, my own tastes.

So what are your favorite One Piece opening themes? Heaven knows they all have merits of their own. Feel free to share in the comments below.


Until next time, I'm Roger, and they just made the list.