This text accommodates heavy spoilers for “One Piece” Episode 1163, titled “I Need You to Reward Me — The Reunion of Robin and Saul.”
The world of “One Piece,” with its powers straight out of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, ridiculous character designs, and fantastical creatures, does not precisely scream “emotional.” And but, this goofy present about pirates and a man with stretchy powers is aware of the best way to ship some genuinely heartbreaking episodes of tv.
In 2025, “One Piece” aired the saddest TV episode of the 12 months and one of many present’s finest flashbacks, exploring the tragic backstory of 1 Bartholomew Kuma. Simply when followers thought the present could not get any extra emotional, Toei Animation’s adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece delivered what could possibly be the most effective anime episode of 2026.
In case you in some way determined to learn this with out having watched any of the previous 1162 episodes of “One Piece,” or you have not rewatched Water 7 in 20 years, the episode sees the much-anticipated reunion of Nico Robin and Jaguar D. Saul. Again in 2006, we realized by flashbacks that Nico Robin is the only survivor of her dwelling island of Ohara, which was destroyed by the World Authorities for researching forbidden historical past. Proper earlier than her complete island was massacred, Robin was saved by Vice Admiral Jaguar D. Saul, who stayed behind combating one other vice admiral.
For the previous 20 years, audiences have been led to imagine Saul was useless, killed for aiding Robin’s escape and defying the Marines and the World Authorities. So once we realized within the earlier arc that Saul was alive and dwelling in Elbaph, the land of the giants, it was clear “One Piece” would ultimately ship one hell of a reunion.
Nicely, that point has come, and the reunion is as heart-wrenchingly good as you’d anticipate.
One Piece delivered a extremely anticipated reunion
The reunion between Nico Robin and Jaguar D. Saul was stuffed with callbacks. The second Robin comes throughout Saul on a seaside in Elbaph echoes their very first assembly, when Saul washed up on the shores of Ohara. Again then, Saul tried to jokingly scare tiny little eight-year-old Robin by making a scary face — although she wasn’t scared and even amused. The identical factor occurs this time, with Saul asking one other citizen of Elbaph to inform the Straw Hats he is had an accident and is in hassle — all a ruse to scare Robin. Like when she was a baby, Robin is neither amused nor scared. What’s extra, Robin had even requested crewmate Brook to chop her hair originally of this arc to look identical to she did when she final noticed Saul 22 years prior.
Their reunion itself is a testomony to Toei Animation’s crew of artists, putting a concentrate on the character appearing and using refined expressions. Robin’s wide-eyed look as she reunites along with her outdated buddy, the best way she holds again tears the second Saul says she appears to be like like her late mom, the best way she smiles on the point out of her destroyed homeland … all of it serves to repay a narrative 20 years within the making, of Robin enduring untold horrors all main up-to-the-minute she tells Saul to reward her for being alive.
Each Saul and Robin attempt their finest to maintain the reunion lighthearted and never concentrate on the tragedy that separated them, however it’s not sufficient. Upon Robin’s request, Saul grabs her and hugs her, telling her he is pleased with her for staying alive and grateful that she got here to see him.
Cue the waterworks.
Nico Robin, the survivor
What makes the reunion so particular and emotional is the way it speaks to Robin’s character arc and her backstory. All through the episode, we see flashbacks to Robin’s childhood after she escaped from Ohara, being chased like a canine for years. It culminates with Robin trying over a cliff, questioning why she ought to even carry on dwelling, and almost leaping.
Sure, an all-ages blockbuster anime virtually portrayed an tried suicide by a baby.
“One Piece” has been a rare journey. Its unbelievable size may make this a frightening story for newcomers, however it’s the most important energy of this anime. We have seen Nico Robin’s character growth for over 1000 episodes. We noticed her carry the trauma of dropping her dwelling, of dropping the need to dwell for over 20 years. However we have additionally seen her discover associates within the Straw Hats and defy her largest fears within the World Authorities. Rewatching her well-known “I wish to dwell” second from Enies Foyer understanding she as soon as tried to finish her life hits a thousand instances more durable after this episode.
And now, we lastly see Robin acknowledge each her struggling and her accomplishments. She’s lastly reunited with the person who saved her life and realizes that she’s lived as much as his last recommendation to her. She’s discovered a cause to dwell and folks to get pleasure from life with.
It is no surprise that the Straw Hats can not help however bawl their eyes out, because the episode ends with a shifting tune taking part in to moments from throughout the anime of Robin with every of her crewmates. That is her household, that is her cause for dwelling, and he or she’s completely satisfied to share that with the person who instructed her to maintain going.
