One Piece is not only known for its epic battles and funny moments, but also for stories that hit right in the heart. Time and again, the series shows tragic fates that leave us dumbfounded. In this list, we take a look at 5 characters whose stories have particularly touched us.
Warning: Here are spoilers about individual characters from One Piece.
How were the characters selected? In a series with so many tragic figures, it was not easy to choose only 5 characters. The following selection includes characters whose stories are shaped by deep suffering, heart-wrenching losses, and selfless sacrifice.
The selection is based on the following criteria:
- A heavy fate that has significantly shaped their lives.
- Moments that particularly touched or brought tears to the viewers.
- Their story has a major impact on the series’ plot
Here is the movie trailer for the 13th film of One Piece:
Bartholomew Kuma
Who is he? Bartholomew Kuma was once the king of the Sorbet Kingdom and a member of the Revolutionary Army. However, his life was marked by suffering from the very beginning. Even as a child, he was brutally oppressed by the World Government due to belonging to a special race (the Buccaneers), which possesses superhuman strength and was considered a threat by the Celestial Dragons. His mother died early, and his father was enslaved and killed.
Despite his own suffering, Kuma grew into a kind-hearted man. He became king of Sorbet, but his kingdom suffered under the Celestial Dragons. To save his people, he entered into a terrible pact with the World Government: He officially joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea and ultimately subjected himself to Dr. Vegapunk’s Pacifista experiments.
Why is his fate so sad? Gradually, Bartholomew Kuma was transformed into a mindless war machine, yet before his consciousness was completely erased, he made one last decision: He programmed himself to protect the Thousand Sunny on the Sabaody Archipelago for two years – a final act of humanity before he ultimately became a mindless weapon of the World Government.
But his suffering did not end there. After his complete transformation, he was abused by the Celestial Dragons as their personal “toy” and forced to carry them around in Mary Geoise. A proud king and revolutionary who once fought for freedom became a mindless puppet of the tyrants he despised.
