Key things
- One Piece's extreme length may put off new fans, but recent spikes in popularity and trends show an influx of newcomers.
- The series gained worldwide popularity during the Dressrosa and Wano Arcs and is attracting new fans as it progresses.
- Despite dedicated long-time fans, Google Trends, and events like Pandemic's One Piece show, the fan base is growing exponentially.
When it comes down to it One piecealthough tonally it feels like a beginner anime, it can be a bit difficult to get into. With over 1,000 episodes and chapters to catch up on, that's new One piece with each new release the fandom becomes more daunting. At times, it can seem almost impossible for a new viewer to catch up on the show, leading to some potential fans skipping the show altogether.
This led many fans to wonder how One Piece's the extreme length affects his fan base. Because it is such a daunting series to get into, many members of the community believe that the number of new fans for this series is much lower compared to the much shorter releases. This leaves an important question; does one piece have more new fans or more old fans?

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How has one piece grown over the years?
Steady growth with a recent peak
To be considered a new fan, those fans would have to start following One piece sometime in the last 10 years. This includes from One Piece's Dressrosa Arc and beyond. Fans who watch the series before this point are considered old fans.
No one is born to be alone! – Jaguar D. Saul
as a series One piece was released in 1997 and has been steadily gaining popularity ever since. However, with each new amazing moment that occurs in the series, like One Piece's Enies Lobby, Marineford, and more, the series seems to be getting some jumps in popularity and attracting new fans to join the massive franchise. In addition, new movies help increase popularity, especially with Japanese audiences.
However, globally, One Piece's popularity is a completely different story. Although the series has had a devoted following since its first releases during Toonami, One piece began to peak in popularity during the Dressrosa Arc and through Pandemic, during the Wano Arc. While it's hard to say how many new fans have joined during this time, One Piece has reached its peak in popularity in recent years.
Google trends show that One Piece may have many new fans
Better late than never
Overall, if we look at the popularity One piece over time, the show seemed to have a steady growth over time. Looking at Google Trends data in America since 2004, the franchise has gained a fairly consistent amount of popularity with a slight spike around the end of Wano. Additionally, the series received a massive surge in popularity during its release One Piece's Live Action adaptation reaching a level it has never reached before.

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One piece needs more time with straw hats together
Although the crew is supposed to be a family, as the series progresses, the crew feels more divided than ever.
Although it's hard to say purely based on Google Trends Data, based on One Piece's search history over time, it is safe to say that many of them One Piece's fans have only recently started watching the show or revisiting it from their childhood. Between One Piece Live Action and promise One piecereanimated series, as well as massive events like Egghead Island and the Elbaf Arcs, the series seems to be attracting crowds of new fans.
The pandemic gave an opportunity to start in one piece
Lots of time to watch
Moreover, the events of the pandemic itself could have given a lot of potential One piece an excuse for fans to dive headfirst into the series. Based on trending data, the show received a substantial increase in popularity during this era. In addition, popularity since the pandemic One piece is growing at a significant rate. In fact, there seems to be a fan base right now One piece is growing exponentially and will continue this trend throughout the Final Saga.
Inherited Will, Fate of the Age, and Dreams of the People. As long as people continue to search for the meaning of freedom, these things will never cease to be! – Dear D. Roger
However, it should be noted that many members One piece the community has been with the show since the beginning. Older fans still make up a large part of the community as seen throughout One Piece's age demographic, which shows that fans are generally older than the target demographic.
Eventually, One piece is an amazing show that both new and old fans can enjoy. It's always nice to see how welcoming the One Piece community can be to new fans, especially when the series itself is so terrifying to get into. Hopefully, the series will continue to welcome more new fans in the future, especially as One piece he dives into his final saga.
