Staff writer at Action News covering anime, manga and pop culture.
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One Piece Has 1,160 Episodes, But 14 Anime Are Still Longer - Here Are the Top 20 Longest Anime Ever
When anime fans think about the longest anime ever, the first name that usually comes to mind is One Piece. And honestly, that makes sense. Luffy's adventure has been running since 1999, has crossed more than a thousand episodes, and is still going strong. But here is the shocking part: even with 1,160 episodes, One Piece is still not the longest anime of all time by episode count. In the current ranking of long-running anime TV series, One Piece sits at No. 15, while many older family, comedy, and children's anime are far ahead of it. The latest count also shows that the often-used 1,124 episodes number is outdated now.
The real king of long-running anime is Sazae-san, a legendary Japanese family anime that has been airing since 1969. Guinness World Records also recognizes Sazae-san as the longest-running animated TV series. But the most interesting thing is that episode count and total watch time are not always the same. Some anime have thousands of short 5-minute or 10-minute episodes, while shows like One Piece, Case Closed, and Crayon Shin-chan usually have longer episodes.
Why the Ranking Still Surprises Global Fans
What makes this list surprising is that many global fans know One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, or Dragon Ball, but the actual longest anime list is dominated by Japanese family and children's shows. These anime have been part of daily or weekly Japanese television for decades, which helped them build massive episode counts.
One Piece Has 1,160 Episodes, But 14 Anime Are Still Longer - Here Are the Top 20 Longest Anime Ever
Still, One Piece remains one of the biggest anime giants in the world. It may not be No. 1 in episode count, but its total watch time is still huge because most episodes are around 20 to 26 minutes long. That means catching up to Luffy's journey can take hundreds of hours, even without counting movies, specials, or recap content.
So yes, One Piece has crossed 1,160 episodes, but it is still not the longest anime ever. It currently ranks around 15th among individual anime TV series by episode count. The title of longest anime still belongs to Sazae-san, but when it comes to global hype, fan theories, emotional arcs, and worldwide popularity, One Piece remains in a league of its own.
