One Piece Episode 1173 Review: A Darker Episode With Bigger Mysteries Ahead

In the world of One Piece, the biggest threats are not always the ones throwing the strongest punches. Sometimes, the scariest enemies are the ones who can turn innocent children into helpless victims and enjoy watching others suffer.

Episode 1173 of One Piece takes a darker approach to the Elbaf Arc as the Holy Knights’ plan becomes even more disturbing, while Loki’s story raises a question that could completely change how we see his past. After watching the episode, I think its biggest strength is how it builds tension without relying on a major fight. Instead, it gives us more reasons to fear the Holy Knights and question everything we know about Loki.

The Holy Knights Make Elbaf’s Children Their Cruelest Game Yet

The situation involving Elbaf’s children becomes even more horrifying in this One Piece episode. Saul reaches the sleepwalking children and tries to wake them, but he quickly discovers that invisible thorns surround them. When he tries to grab Ylva, the thorns stab him, showing just how dangerous Sommers’ Iba Iba no Mi can be.

What makes this scene work so well for me is that Sommers is not simply using his power to fight. He is using it to punish the people who are trying to save the children. He even explains that the thorns represent the idea that “even love has its thorns”. His complete lack of concern makes him one of the most disturbing Holy Knights I have seen so far.

Killingham is just as important. His Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Kirin allows him to manifest dreams, explaining the terrifying creatures attacking Elbaf. He can also extract things from dreams. The Holy Knights‘ goal is also made clearer. They want to take the children back to Mary Geoise using one of Elbaf’s ships. Even worse, when the children begin walking toward Loki’s fire, the Knights casually suggest that they can simply find more children if these ones die. That moment really showed me how little these children mean to them.

Meanwhile, the Svarr firefighters are knocked out of the sky by one of Killingham’s nightmares, leaving the children to continue toward the flames. The whole sequence feels helpless, and I think that makes the Holy Knights far more frightening than another simple battle would have.

Luffy Gives Loki a Chance as His Past Raises New Questions

The second half of One Piece Episode 1173 then shifts back to the Underworld, where Loki continues provoking Hajrudin. However, when Luffy finally attacks him, Loki collapses almost immediately because of his serious injuries. Zoro realizes that Loki had been bluffing and was probably looking for a safe place to collapse.

What surprised me most was Luffy’s reaction. Instead of letting Loki die, he asks Hajrudin to keep him alive regardless of what he has done. That feels very much like Luffy. He does not need to know whether Loki is innocent before deciding that someone badly injured should be saved.

Gerd treats Loki and explains that his wounds could take months to heal. We also learn that his horns are real, inherited from Harald through his ancient giant blood.

This leads to Hajrudin remembering his childhood. Harald wanted his two sons to work together and support Elbaf, but Loki looked down on Hajrudin, insulted his mixed heritage, and treated him as weak. That history makes Hajrudin’s anger much easier to understand.

When Hajrudin raises his axe to kill Loki, however, Loki asks him whether he truly believes that he deliberately murdered their father. That final question is easily my favorite part of the episode. It does not prove Loki is innocent, but it gives us a major reason to question the story Elbaf has accepted for years. One Piece is clearly telling us that Harald’s death may be far more complicated than it first appeared.

One Piece Episode 1173 Final Verdict

One Piece Episode 1173 may not have the biggest fight, but I think it is one of the more important setup episodes of the Elbaf Arc. The Holy Knights become even more terrifying, while Loki’s past suddenly becomes much more mysterious.

Luffy and Loki from One Piece Episode 1173. | Credit: Toei Animation

I especially liked that the episode does not simply tell us that Loki is secretly innocent. Instead, it gives us a reason to question him, Hajrudin, and the official story surrounding Harald’s death. At the same time, Luffy’s decision to save Loki adds another emotional layer to their strange relationship.

For me, One Piece Episode 1173 succeeds because it leaves me wanting answers rather than another flashy battle. The Holy Knights have the children, Elbaf is struggling to stop them, and Loki has just raised a huge question about his father’s death. The Elbaf Arc is getting darker, but it is also becoming much more interesting.

One Piece anime is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.

One Piece Episode 1173 Review: A Darker Episode With Bigger Mysteries Ahead