From the outside, One Piece may seem like the whimsical adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates who seek the legendary treasure. The series remains cheerful and action-packed for the most part, but the creator, Eiichiro Oda, never misses the opportunity to make his fans weep uncontrollably. Be it protecting Nami from Arlong to Robin’s past, Oda has masterfully crafted a lot of backstories for our beloved characters. *pats eyes dry with tissues* However, none come close to the tragic backstory of Kuma, which left fans with teary eyes and heavy hearts.
Kuma is a character completely shrouded in mystery in his appearances in One Piece, and the fans debated whether he is an ally or an antagonist for the longest time. We were confused by his actions in the Sabaody Archipelago arc, where he sent the Straw Hats flying in different directions.
Spoiler Warning: This post includes spoilers for the One Piece story. We suggest you read the manga to avoid spoilers. Proceed with caution.
Kuma’s Past Begins in God Valley
Slowly but steadily, Oda revealed that Kuma is on our side, but again, we were left to wonder about the character’s past that turned him into a soulless machine. Years later, we finally got the answers in the Egghead arc (see One Piece arcs list) when the Straw Hats, Kuma, Bonney, Saint Saturn and Vegapunk‘s storyline converged with one another.
Earlier, we saw Bonney access her father’s memories, which were stored separately with the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi powers (one of the strongest paramecia devil fruits), and live through them. However, we didn’t get a chance to explore Kuma’s backstory back then. But when Kuma arrived on Egghead island to protect his daughter, yes, Bonney is her daughter, from St. Saturn’s fury, the author made sure to utilize this opportunity to travel back in time and unravel the mysterious and bleakest time in Kuma’s life.
Kuma, the last surviving member of the Buccaneer race, was enslaved during his childhood, and it pushed him to the brink of taking his own life. However, his father revived his spirits by reminding him that Nika, the Sun God in the One Piece world, would save him someday.
But, in a sudden turn of events, he had to see his parents mercilessly slaughtered by the Celestial Dragon soon after. Kuma was forced to participate in the Native Hunting Competition on the God Valley island, but luckily escaped with his newfound friends.
Kuma Loses Ginny and Adopts Bonney
Kuma finally caught a break and started a new life with Ginny in the Sorbet Kingdom. But life again stripped him of every ounce of joy when a Celestial Dragon kidnapped Ginny. Later in the story, Kuma had to lose Ginny, another important person in his life, and Bonney was born while the girl was enslaved by the Celestial Dragon. It was due to Ginny contracting the incurable Sapphire Scale disease. Kuma then decided to adopt Bonney and raise her all on his lonesome. But he soon learned that the little girl had also contracted her mother’s incurable disease.
Kuma Turns into a Cyborg to Save Bonney
Kuma searched all over the world for a cure and ended up meeting with Dr. Vegapunk, who finally made him believe that he could treat his little girl. However, call it Kuma’s terrible fate, St. Saturn intervened in the deal and forced him to turn into a cyborg and work as a mercenary for the World Government in return for Vegapunk treating his daughter’s disease.
So, Saturn, one of the Five Elders in One Piece, shackled his mind and stole his will to transform him into a puppet made of steel. Kuma made the ultimate sacrifice for his daughter, and it was one of the unforgettable moments for every fan.
Kuma is a soul shaped only by unbearable suffering in his life. In the face of the crushing hardships, he never stopped moving forward, extending kindness and compassion to everyone around him in life. Though it was agonizing to witness his suffering, there was something profoundly moving in his resilience. Learning Kuma’s past deeply inspired me to keep moving forward, especially after a similar personal loss, and to strive relentlessly to protect and make a better future for my loved ones.
I have always seen myself as someone rarely shaken by heartbreaking stories across any medium. I don’t find myself shedding tears for a fictional character so easily, which is not something I’m proud of, by the way. But when Eiichiro Oda shared Kuma’s tragic backstory with the One Piece fandom, it shattered my illusion by making me feel deeply for a character I had never expected to feel this pain for in the first place.
As the One Piece anime is about to adapt Kuma’s backstory starting Episode 1129, I’m not ready to experience the pain all over again. I’m already stocking up on tissues, preparing my brain and heart for a second round of this gut-wrenching story that the anime will soon adapt.
The One Piece anime has always heightened the experience of witnessing soul-stirring sequences with extraordinary animation and excellent voice acting from the cast. Therefore, even though we are not prepared, let the tears rain down on our faces once again in the upcoming weeks.
Kuma will once again be praised as one of the best characters to be created by Oda by the anime-only fans soon. Having said that, are you ready to experience Kuma’s tragic backstory in the One Piece anime? Let us know in the comments below.
