Back in the Thriller Bark arc, Bartholomew Kuma was introduced as an adversary of the Straw Hat Pirates. He then appeared on the Sabaody Archipelago and sent the Straw Hats flying. But later on, we realized that he had been an ally all along, and Kuma did everything to protect his close ones. In an unexpected turn of events, Kuma and his daughter Bonney’s past was unveiled to the world as their fates were entwined with Dr. Vegapunk and Saturn. With the ongoing events of the Egghead arc, a lot of fans are wondering whether Kuma survives on Egghead island, or is he dead? Well, it seems like his chances of survival are low, but let’s find the answer below.
Spoilers Warning:
This post contains spoilers for the Egghead war in One Piece. So, make sure to catch up to the latest anime episodes and manga chapters to avoid spoilers.
First, Let’s Know About Kuma’s Tragic Past
As Saturn experimented with Ginny, she died slowly after contracting the sapphire scale disease. As Ginny was pregnant with Bonney at that time, she was also born with the deadly disease, which had already claimed her mother’s life.
Kuma, the adoptive father of Bonney, journeyed across the One Piece world seeking a cure for her daughter. Luckily, Monkey D. Dragon was associated with Dr. Vegapunk at the time, and he referred Kuma to the old man. As expected, the smartest man on the planet knew the treatment for sapphire scale disease using stem cell technology.
However, Saturn overheard their conversation and devised a sinister scheme to make Kuma a servant of the World Government. He forced Kuma to comply with his stipulated terms, which involved transforming him into a cyborg stripped of all sense of self and free will, in exchange for letting Dr. Vegapunk cure Bonney.
As expected, Kuma was ready to do anything to save his daughter’s life and immediately agreed to Saturn’s malicious terms. So, Kuma was slowly converted into a soulless cyborg under Vegapunk’s supervision; later on, he was also declared one of the seven warlords of the sea. During this time, St. Saturn also forced Vegapunk to install a kill switch inside Kuma’s cyborg body, which would make Kuma self-destruct when triggered.
However, Vegapunk couldn’t bring himself to commit such a grievous crime against Kuma. Instead, he secretly installed a shutdown switch that would put Kuma in a lifeless state rather than blowing him up from the inside. Later, when the World Government learned how Kuma helped Luffy and his crew, he was turned into a rentable slave as his punishment. Thankfully, he was rescued by his Revolutionary Army comrades.
Did Kuma Survive the Self-Destruct Command in Egghead?
Stripped of his personality and free will, Kuma became a mindless slave available for the Celestial Dragons to exploit. He was never aware of his surroundings, and you can pretty much say that he lost his real self, or the real Kuma we knew, was dead.
After the Revolutionary Army rescued Kuma, Saint Saturn decided to kill Kuma and the members surrounding him. On the contrary, a part of Kuma’s soul was reawakened when his body and mind began to shut down due to the shutdown ordered by Saturn.
That is when Kuma started to exhibit unusual behavior at the Kamabakka Kingdom, apart from being an emotionless shell. When Bonney was in danger at the Egghead island, Kuma sensed it and hurried to the scene despite being mentally absent for a long time. Even though Kuma was severely damaged by Akainu on his way through Mary Geoise, he didn’t stop running to protect his daughter. Dr. Vegapunk believed that Kuma reawakened due to the buccaneer blood in his veins.
Is Kuma Dead in One Piece?
Kuma rushed to the futuristic island to save his daughter from the wrath of Saint Saturn, one of the Five Elders in One Piece. While we initially believed that Kuma’s arrival on Egghead was linked to his parental instincts, it was later confirmed that a fragment of his humanity still lingers within that cyborg shell. This was awakened when Saturn pressed the shutdown switch, thinking it would make Kuma’s body self-destruct.
When Saturn was about to stab Bonney using his spider leg, Kuma stepped in front to shield her daughter from the attack and saved her. We have been waiting for a long time to see Kuma clash with Saturn, as the elder ruined his family. Kuma then landed a brutal Armament Haki-powered punch to Saturn’s face, significantly injuring and sending him flying.
Kuma’s most important duty of saving Bonney was completed. Then, the Straw Hat Pirates and the giants helped escort them to safety. Ultimately, Kuma didn’t die in the Egghead arc. There is still a piece of his conciousness remaining inside the cyborg body, which shined bright when he smiled when his daughter obliterated Saturn and seeing Luffy enter Gear 5 form, along with other events in the climax of the Egghead war.
Kuma finally reunited with his daughter, and the Elbaf arc hints at a new beginning for the Kuma family.
Is Kuma Still Alive in One Piece and Will He Come Back?
Bartholomew Kuma safely escaped Egghead island with his daughter in the Giant Warrior Pirates’ ship. In the end, Kuma survived and was free from the clutches of the World Government. After the crew reached Elbaf, Lilith, one of Vegapunk’s satellites, confirmed that she aims to restore Kuma to his normal self and will also revive Vegapunk Stella in a different body by setting up a research lab in Elbaf.
Currently, the homeland of the Giants has been invaded by the terrifying God’s Knights, and the Straw Hats and the Giants are dealing with them right now. So, there are strong hopes that Kuma will reclaim his true identity in the story, but it might take a long time. After the horrible ordeals faced by Kuma, Oda is finally giving him a deserved peaceful ending with his daughter.
That said, stay tuned for more updates on Kuma’s current status in One Piece. Also, let us know your thoughts about Oda letting Kuma survive his tragedy in the comments below.
