Bartholomew Kuma is one of the antagonists turned supporting protagonists in the One Piece story. No one expected Oda’s extraordinary plans for Kuma to transform him into one of the most-liked characters in the One Piece community. Bartholomew Kuma’s backstory is considered the biggest heartrending tale in the history of the series. If you are curious about how Oda managed to create an emotionally devastating story for Kuma, learn everything that happened in Kuma’s past life here.
Spoilers Warning:
This post contains spoilers for the story of One Piece. So, make sure to catch up to the latest anime episodes and manga chapters to avoid spoilers.
Kuma: The Remnant of the Buccaneer Race
In the One Piece story, Bartholomew Kuma was born to Clapp and an unnamed female 47 years ago in the Sorbet Kingdom. Since his father was a Buccaneer, Kuma also has Buccaneer blood in his veins.
During this time, the World Government hunted down the Buccaneer race members and mercilessly enslaved them. Kuma lost both his parents as the Celestial Dragons executed them without remorse. Kuma was pushed to the point where he also wanted to end his life to stop this brutal suffering. But Clapp, his father, reassured him that he would be free one day after the Warrior of Liberation saves him.
Kuma Escapes During the God Valley Incident
Kuma was forcefully taken and made to participate in the Native Hunting Competition in God Valley. This is where the Buccaneer met Ginny and Emporio Ivankov, with whom he devised a plan to escape the execution.
Ginny spilled the truth about the ongoing competition to the rest of the world, which caught the attention of the pirates. Kuma also crossed paths with Saint Saturn on the island, where the elder confirmed that the Buccaneers committed an unforgivable sin in the past, which is why they are being hunted.
Once the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates arrived, the trio, Kuma, Ginny, and Ivankov, used this opportunity to steal the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi devil fruit, which was one of the rewards of the competition. Kuma ate the paramecia-type devil fruit, which successfully helped him escape from the island.
Kuma escaped to his homeland, the Sorbet Kingdom, with Ginny, and this marked a new chapter in their lives. You can learn more about the God Valley incident in our explainer here. Kuma also saved hundreds of people’s lives with the fruit’s teleportation powers.
Kuma Loses Ginny
Kuma and Ginny grew up together in the Sorbet Kingdom by making a living out of selling wooden logs. It was clear that the duo was made for each other, and even Ginny proposed to Kuma at one point. However, Kuma refused the marriage proposal due to the fear of losing her, similar to how his mother had to die since she married a Buccaneer. But the couple stayed united, and Kuma worked as a priest who absorbed the pain of his people around this time.
When they both were imprisoned for treason for rebelling against the tyrannical rule of King Bekori, the Revolutionary Army dethroned the king and restored peace in the Sorbet Kingdom. Kuma and Ginny joined the revolutionaries as their good friend Ivankov was one of the founding members of the organization. Kuma and Ginny soon became one of the top commanders of the Revolutionary Army.
Everything was looking up for the duo until Ginny was abducted by a Celestial Dragon. During this time, she was married to a World Noble and became pregnant against her will. Saint Saturn also experimented with Ginny’s body during this time, and she contracted the incurable Sapphire Scale disease.
During this time, Kuma couldn’t trace Ginny’s location to rescue her, but she contacted Kuma when the latter was thrown out of the holy land. Kuma immediately teleported to her location only to find her in her last moments. Ginny expressed her love once again and introduced him to her newly born daughter, Bonney. She passed away right after, and Kuma decided to raise Bonney all on his own.
Kuma’s Selfless Act for His Daughter’s Sake
Kuma stepped up to become the father figure in Bonney‘s life, but soon realized that his daughter was also infected with the Sapphire Scale disease. He had already lost his partner to this incurable disease and was not ready to lose his daughter now. So, Kuma set sail looking for a miracle cure to this disease. Fortunately, Monkey D. Dragon pointed Kuma to Dr. Vegapunk, who indeed had a cure for Bonney‘s problem.
In exchange for treating Bonney’s disease, Kuma agreed to help Vegapunk make pacifists based on the former’s body. However, Saint Saturn overheard their deal and intervened to exploit Kuma, who was in a dire situation. Saturn further came up with a sinister demand, i.e. to transform him into a mindless cyborg and become a Warlord of the seas.
Well, Kuma had no choice and was ready to lay down his life to keep his daughter safe. So, he agreed to Saturn’s conditions without hesitation and agreed to see his daughter for the rest of his life. Kuma proved that his love for Bonney came first, and he proved that by sacrificing his life.
Slowly, Kuma was stripped of his senses and free will and became a soulless machine for the World Government.
After witnessing this tragic flashback, every One Piece fan unanimously agreed to the fact that Kuma is one of the kindest souls in the pirate world, much like Luffy. Even after the harrowing ordeals and losses he faced in his life, Kuma kept running without stopping once to look back.
This backstory changed our perspective of Kuma’s character forever, and he will be remembered as one of the best One Piece characters to be penned by Oda sensei. That said, what do you think about Kuma’s backstory in One Piece? Let us know in the comments below.
