MegaHouse's Portrait.Of.Pirates line, commonly shortened to P.O.P by collectors, has been the standard-bearer for premium One Piece statues for years. With sub-lines spanning standard portraits, the larger SA-MAXIMUM tier, and the newest MAS-MAXIMUM releases, the P.O.P catalog can be genuinely overwhelming for a collector trying to figure out where to start. Here's a breakdown of what makes the line worth collecting and which releases tend to stand out.
Not all Portrait.Of.Pirates figures are built to the same scale or price point, and understanding the sub-line structure is the first step to building a collection that makes sense on your shelf. Standard P.O.P releases tend to run smaller and more affordable, focused on clean character portraits. SA-MAXIMUM steps up in both size and detail complexity, often built around a specific dramatic moment from the series, like the recent Shanks Divine Departure figure. MAS-MAXIMUM is the newest and most ambitious tier, pushing past 30cm with dynamic action poses and elaborate effect parts, as seen in the recent Marco the Phoenix and Luffy Gear 5 Evolutionary History releases.
For collectors building a Whitebeard Pirates or Straw Hat crew display specifically, recent MAS-MAXIMUM releases have been some of the strongest the line has produced, combining ambitious sculpting with characters that had previously been underrepresented in premium form. Anniversary-tied releases, like pieces marking One Piece's 20th or 25th anniversary milestones, also tend to carry extra significance and often see stronger secondary market demand once they sell through initial production.
Because the P.O.P line spans such a wide price range, from more accessible standard releases up to MAS-MAXIMUM pieces well over $200, it's worth deciding upfront whether you're building a broad collection across many characters or a smaller, curated display of standout pieces at the top of the line. Both approaches are valid, but mixing budget expectations without a plan is the fastest way to either overspend early or end up with an uneven-looking shelf where scale and detail level clash between pieces.
Because MegaHouse doesn't keep every P.O.P figure in continuous production, building a collection that spans multiple eras of the line often means turning to secondary market sellers for older releases. Prices on discontinued figures vary enormously depending on how iconic the character or pose is, with some older standard-tier releases still available near original retail while certain fan-favorite SA-MAXIMUM pieces command significant premiums years after going out of print. Checking condition carefully on any secondary market purchase matters even more for statues than for smaller figures, since resin components and larger painted surfaces show wear more visibly, and a damaged or repainted piece can be difficult to spot in listing photos alone without asking the seller directly about condition history.
The most common mistake new P.O.P collectors make is buying purely by favorite character without checking which sub-line and scale a given release belongs to, which can result in a display where figures look mismatched in size sitting side by side. The second mistake is underestimating how much MAS-MAXIMUM and SA-MAXIMUM pieces cost to properly protect and display, since their larger footprint and often delicate effect parts (translucent resin wings, flame effects, and similar accessories) need display cases sized specifically for them rather than a generic small-figure case.
For MAS-MAXIMUM and SA-MAXIMUM pieces with larger footprints and delicate parts, the EVORETRO Acrylic Modular Case comes in multiple adjustable size configurations built to handle oversized statues without forcing you to display them folded in. For standard P.O.P releases at a smaller scale, the EVORETRO Clear Acrylic Display Case offers solid UV-resistant coverage at a more compact footprint. If you're building out a larger collection across multiple price tiers, the EVORETRO Clear Acrylic Figurine Case is a budget-friendly option for smaller pieces in the lineup.
What's the difference between SA-MAXIMUM and MAS-MAXIMUM? Both are premium sub-lines within Portrait.Of.Pirates, but MAS-MAXIMUM is MegaHouse's newer and generally larger designation, often built around more elaborate action poses and effect parts than SA-MAXIMUM releases.
Are older P.O.P figures still available at retail? Availability varies significantly; popular figures from earlier in the line's run are frequently out of production and only available through secondary market sellers, sometimes at a premium over original retail pricing.
Is it better to start with standard P.O.P figures or jump straight to MAS-MAXIMUM? Standard releases are a gentler, more affordable entry point that lets you get a feel for the line's sculpting style before committing to MAS-MAXIMUM's higher price and larger display requirements.
Portrait.Of.Pirates remains one of the strongest premium statue lines for One Piece collectors specifically, but the range of sub-lines and price tiers means it's worth planning your collection strategy before diving in. Whether you're chasing MAS-MAXIMUM centerpieces or building a broader standard-tier lineup, proper display protection is worth budgeting for alongside the figures themselves. Taking the time to research a release's sub-line and scale before buying will save you from the frustration of building a shelf that looks disjointed once the figures actually arrive side by side, and it will make future purchasing decisions considerably easier as the line keeps expanding. Because P.O.P statues ship without protective outer packaging for display purposes in many cases, planning your display space and dust protection before your figure arrives saves you from scrambling to improvise a solution after the fact.
For coverage of specific recent releases, see our guides on the MegaHouse P.O.P Marco the Phoenix, the MegaHouse P.O.P Shanks Divine Departure, and the MegaHouse P.O.P Luffy Gear 5 Evolutionary History figures.
!
