Toei Animation is one of the biggest anime studios in all of Japan, and over the years, they've handled the adaptations of some of the biggest and most well-known anime series to ever air. Some of these hits include Sailor Moon and Digimon, among many. But when it comes to the biggest of all, one can't forget Toei’s two biggest series of all time — One Piece, the most popular adventure and pirate anime, and Dragon Ball, the father of all Shonen.
It's Official: The One Piece Anime Is Going On A Long Break
The One Piece anime is leaving, and for quite some time.
One Piece has had a strong run for over 25 years, but now, Toei’s focus could be shifting. With One Piece going seasonal, Toei Animation has announced the return of Dragon Ball in full force with two new projects. It could be said that Toei is planning to, periodically, replace One Piece with their other biggest hit, Dragon Ball.
One Piece’s Anime Has Switched From Weekly To Seasonal Release
- One Piece now receives half the episodes
- New release schedule aims to improve quality
One Piece is one of the longest-running anime of all time, based on the original manga work of creator Eiichiro Oda. It began its anime adaptation in 1999 by Toei Animation, and now, over 25 years later, the anime is still airing almost continuously. For decades, One Piece has aired as a weekly anime, releasing new episodes every single week. However, it's clear that in the last few years, studios have tried to shift away from the old release pattern.
One Piece still remained as one of the few weekly anime left, but now, that is set to change, starting in 2026. One Piece is now officially switching from a weekly scheduled anime to a seasonal one. Instead of a new episode every week, fans will only be getting One Piece content for half the year, and even then, that is not going to be in a single stretch.
Instead of the usual 40+ episodes, fans will be getting 26 episodes a year, but broken into two cours. Every three months, One Piece will go on a 3-month break. This definitely cuts down on what One Piece fans will be receiving content-wise, and it will definitely reduce the pace at which the anime will catch up to the manga.
While fans hope that, at the very least, this would come with a major quality improvement, that does not seem to be the case. One Piece's anime is seemingly not getting any real quality upgrade, and on top of that, the pacing is going to remain the same as it was in Egghead. Toei did promise a one chapter to one episode adaptation, so at the very least, it isn't terrible. This is definitely a very disappointing phase for the fans of the anime.
One Piece’s shift began in late 2025 immediately after the airing of the last episode, which concluded the Egghead arc on December 28, 2025. Now, for the return of the next batch of One Piece episodes, fans have to wait about three months, until April 2026.
Then, Toei Animation will drop One Piece's next episodes which will cover the beginning of the Elbaf Arc. This arc is one that many fans are very excited about. It goes without saying that Elbaf will be exciting, but given the fact that Toei will often take breaks between each cour of One Piece, they certainly need a replacement anime to fill in. This is where the new Dragon Ball anime comes in, and with it, Toei Animation will finally have two major anime at their hands.
Toei Animation Announces Major Dragon Ball Projects
- Dragon Ball Super: Beerus Remastered and Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol can help replace One Piece during its absence
Recently, Dragon Ball held one of its biggest events, called Dragon Ball: Genkidamatsuri, for the 40th anniversary of the series. This event unfolded on January 25th, 2026, and fans' expectations were not only met, but completely blown out of the water.
Toei, the animation studio for Dragon Ball, revealed two major projects that especially stood out to fans during the event.
The Dragon Ball Super: Beerus Remastered anime. This anime is coming in late 2026 and will bring a fresh version of the Beerus arc of Dragon Ball Super. It will span over 6 episodes, and with it, an enhanced take on the 2016 anime will be given to the fans. Snippets have already been revealed, and it’s looking amazing.
It's Time To Finally Welcome The New Dragon Ball Z Replacement
Dragon Ball Z is a fan favorite anime. This new anime could be a great replacement for it.
That aside, fans can also expect the true return of the Dragon Ball Super anime. Indeed, Toei has announced that Dragon Ball Super's story will continue through a new anime project, Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol. The Galactic Patrol does not have a release date yet, but, hopefully, it will be coming sometime in late 2027. It will be a major step forward for the franchise after the unfortunate death of its creator, Toriyama, which left a huge hole for the series.
When One Piece Is On Break, Dragon Ball Could Be Its Replacement
At the moment, it may feel like Toei is replacing One Piece with Dragon Ball. After all, One Piece's content is getting cut down significantly to almost half, and on top of that, no real quality improvement has been promised. From what fans have seen with Elbaf so far through teasers, it appears that One Piece's quality will remain as it was in Egghead. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it is easily one of the best-produced anime out there.
The truth is, Dragon Ball will never actually replace One Piece, but it could come to air during the periods where One Piece is on break, so in a way, Toei has the perfect replacement to keep the fans interested in their products. While Dragon Ball Super: Beerus will air side-by-side with One Piece, Dragon Ball: The Galactic Patrol could be scheduled to drop around the time that One Piece is on one of its three-month breaks.
Either way, most fans interested in One Piece are also likely Dragon Ball fans. Dragon Ball will be the perfect entertainment for fans who are waiting for One Piece to make its comeback during the breaks.
That aside, it could also be the first time in almost 8 years that One Piece and Dragon Ball air side by side. Dragon Ball Daima did have one episode overlap with One Piece, but that's about it. Dragon Ball’s actual return can only be an exciting period for all shonen fans.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail the seas to lay claim to the grand treasure known as the 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 of One Piece Chapter 1172 is February 1, 2026. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps. Doing so will ensure that fans always support the author.