Every major character introduced in One Piece has a backstory that not only explains the reasons for their actions but also forms a connection with the fans. These character backstories form an emotional bond between the fans and the characters that hold them together till the end.
Be it Sanji or Nico Robin, their past struggles are truly emotional and have made every One Piece fan cry at some point. But all these storylines are nothing compared to what Oda portrayed when he decided to reveal the past of Bartholomew Kuma, the father of Jewelry Bonney and the former Warlord of the Sea.
When Kuma was introduced in the story, fans were quite confused with his character. However, the Egghead arc made a sad and shocking revelation about Kuma’s actions and how they were the result of the sadness that he experienced since the beginning. Ever since then, fans connected so much with him that they deemed him the character that had the saddest backstory in One Piece’s history.
Bartholomew Kuma’s Backstory That Made One Piece Fans Cry
It was during the Egghead arc that Jewelry Bonney and One Piece fans finally got to learn about Kuma’s mysterious past. Kuma was born in Sorbet Kingdom, but his entire family, along with him, was enslaved by the World Nobles because of his buccaneer race. During his enslavement, he lost both his parents and was tortured and abused.
He was then sent to God Valley along with other slaves for the hunting event where the Celestial Dragons would hunt these slaves for entertainment. Somehow Kuma managed to escape from the valley along with his friends Ivankov and Ginny. He went back to Sorbet Kingdom and not only helped the kingdom prosper but also joined the Revolutionary Army.
While he was working with the Revolutionary Army, he found out that Ginny was captured and used for experiments by the Celestial Dragons. Later on, when Ginny finally manages to free herself and Kuma finally reunites with her, he finds out that Ginny contracted a disease that killed her and left Kuma with a newborn child, Bonney.
Kuma decides to raise Bonney as his own child, but things get even worse when Bonney contracts the same disease that killed Ginny. Kuma goes on to find the cure for Bonney and ultimately meets Dr. Vegapunk, who agrees to help Kuma only if he allows Vegapunk to experiment on him. Things get even worse when Saturn gets involved in this transaction and sets new conditions for Kuma.
These conditions lead to Kuma becoming a cyborg and getting separated from Bonney forever. He went back to becoming a slave of the World Government and losing everything for which he worked so hard, only to let his daughter live.
Bartholomew Kuma Had The Worst Fate in One Piece
One Piece has a lot of sad backstories, but none of them holds a candle to what Kuma had to go through in his life. He endured so much pain and suffering and never complained about it even once. Even after gaining freedom, he decided to live his life for others.
Not only that, he also decided to give his life once again for his daughter without a doubt. Kuma truly is the ideal father figure, and he changed every One Piece fan’s perception of him.
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Eiichiro Oda did a great job in creating Kuma, and it is all reflected in the popularity that he gained during Egghead.
He lost his memory and went through anatomical changes that altered his body, killing him mentally. But he still managed to make a comeback for his daughter and save her, only to almost die once again. He truly had the worst fate in the history of One Piece.
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