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The Problem: One Piece’s Merchandise Pipeline Is Bigger Than Almost Any Other Franchise
One Piece is the best-selling manga series of all time, and its figure catalog reflects a scale most franchises simply can’t match — decades of releases, multiple competing premium lines from the same manufacturer, and a genuinely dizzying number of sub-lines for popular characters like Luffy alone. This isn’t a franchise where you’re short on options; it’s one where the options themselves need a map.
Following the same approach I used for Demon Slayer, this guide applies my general figure-buying framework specifically to One Piece’s catalog.
Who This Article Is NOT For
- If you haven’t read my Nendoroid vs Figma vs Scale Figure guide yet, start there first.
- If you’re only interested in a single specific character, you may want to search that character directly rather than reading the full manufacturer breakdown below.
- If you’re chasing vintage, out-of-print figures from earlier in the series’ decades-long run, that’s a more specialized secondhand-hunting situation — see my guide to buying secondhand safely alongside this one.
The Manufacturers Actively Producing One Piece Figures
| Manufacturer | Line(s) | Style |
|---|---|---|
| MegaHouse | Portrait of Pirates (P.O.P) | The premium scale line — larger, highly detailed, static display pieces, generally the top choice for serious collectors |
| Bandai Spirits / Tamashii Nations | S.H.Figuarts | Fully articulated figures built for dynamic combat posing |
| Bandai Spirits / Tamashii Nations | Figuarts ZERO | Dynamic static sculpts with built-in battle effects (flames, lightning, haki energy) — a strong middle ground between P.O.P’s premium presentation and S.H.Figuarts’ full articulation |
| Banpresto | Ichibansho, DXF, World Collectable Figure | Budget-friendly prize figures — quality has improved enough in recent years that some Ichibansho pieces genuinely compete with pricier lines |
Understanding Portrait of Pirates’ Sub-Lines
This is worth its own section, since P.O.P alone has enough internal variation to confuse new collectors:
- Neo — earlier, pre-timeskip character designs
- Sailing Again — post-timeskip designs
- MAX — larger-scale releases, generally for bigger-statured characters
- SOC (Sitting On Chair) — male characters in seated poses
- BB (Bathing Beauties) — female characters in swimsuit-themed releases
- Evolutionary History — recent-arc releases tied to the Egghead arc and beyond
- Limited Edition — restricted releases, worth checking against my guide to identifying genuine limited editions before assuming a piece is genuinely scarce
Scale isn’t fully consistent across every sub-line either — a Neo-era release of a character may be noticeably smaller than a Sailing Again version of the same character, so check the specific listed height rather than assuming uniformity across the line.
Matching Character to Format
Luffy, Zoro, and other central Straw Hats have by far the deepest catalog across every manufacturer and line — if you’re not sure where to start, one of these characters is a safe bet for availability.
Gear transformations and major combat moments (Luffy’s various Gear forms in particular) are where Figuarts ZERO’s built-in battle effects or S.H.Figuarts’ articulation genuinely earn their price — a static, effect-free figure undersells these moments significantly.
A single favorite character as a premium centerpiece is exactly what Portrait of Pirates exists for — larger, more detailed, and priced accordingly compared to the mid-tier lines.
Budget-conscious collecting across a wide cast is where Banpresto’s prize lines make the most sense, letting you build out a broader Straw Hat crew display without the per-figure cost of premium lines.
A Word on Bootleg Risk
One Piece’s massive popularity and decades-long merchandise history make it a genuinely significant target for counterfeiters — this is a franchise where the combination of high demand, long out-of-production runs, and complex sub-line variations creates real opportunities for bootleg sellers to blend in. My general guide to spotting bootlegs applies especially strongly here — buying from an established retailer matters more for this franchise than almost any other on this site.
Where to Actually Buy One Piece Figures
Solaris Japan explicitly stocks a dedicated One Piece collection spanning MegaHouse, Banpresto, and Bandai releases, from accessible everyday pieces to premium display figures — a solid starting point given the franchise’s scale. CDJapan are also worth checking for preorders and broader catalog searches.
Which Should You Buy First? (By Priority)
“I want an affordable, broadly appealing entry point.” A Banpresto Ichibansho or DXF prize figure of Luffy or Zoro — accessible pricing with surprisingly solid quality on many recent releases.
“I want something that captures a signature combat moment.” A Figuarts ZERO piece with built-in battle effects, or S.H.Figuarts if you specifically want posability.
“I want one premium showpiece of my favorite character.” A Portrait of Pirates release — just double-check which sub-line (Neo vs. Sailing Again vs. MAX, etc.) matches the specific design era you want.
“I want to build out the whole crew without breaking the budget.” Lean on Banpresto’s prize lines across multiple characters rather than committing to P.O.P for the entire cast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Portrait of Pirates and Figuarts ZERO? P.O.P is MegaHouse’s premium, larger-scale static line aimed at serious collectors; Figuarts ZERO is Bandai’s mid-tier line that emphasizes dynamic combat effects (flames, lightning, energy) at a more accessible price and size. Many collectors own both, using them for different purposes.
Why does the same character look different sizes across different P.O.P releases? Scale isn’t fully standardized across P.O.P’s sub-lines (Neo, Sailing Again, MAX, etc.) — always check the specific listed height for the release you’re considering rather than assuming consistency.
Is One Piece merchandise at higher bootleg risk than other franchises? Given its scale, popularity, and decades-long catalog with many discontinued pieces, yes — this is one of the franchises where authenticity checks matter most. See my bootleg-spotting guide for details.
Are Banpresto’s budget prize figures actually worth buying for this franchise? Increasingly yes — quality on recent Ichibansho releases in particular has improved enough that some pieces genuinely compete with pricier mid-tier lines, making them a reasonable way to build out a broader collection affordably.
Final Thoughts
One Piece’s figure catalog rewards a bit of homework before buying — knowing which manufacturer and sub-line fits your priorities (premium showpiece vs. combat-effect display vs. budget-friendly crew-building) makes a genuinely overwhelming catalog much easier to navigate. Given the franchise’s scale and popularity, sticking with an established retailer matters more here than almost anywhere else on this site.
If you haven’t already, my Nendoroid vs Figma vs Scale Figure guide and manufacturer comparison guide are useful companion reads before diving further into this catalog.