One Piece Is Nowhere Near Done Breaking Our Hearts With Kuma

You can’t name a more iconic duo than sad backstories and One Piece. Manga author Eiichiro Oda has a talent for devising some of the most tragic lore in any media. For a series starring a boy made out of rubber, the series is known for allowing the fans to cry. The One Piece anime has finally begun covering Kuma’s backstory, revealing what turned the “tyrant” into the cyborg we see in the present. Kuma, one of the original Seven Warlords of the Sea, has always been enigmatic. He acts cold and emotionless, yet he is constantly helping the Straw Hat pirates in moments when they need it the most.

Even though he seemed extremely loyal to the World Government, he had ties to the Revolutionary Army and other pirates against the government. His daughter Bonney associates him with positive feelings, but he has the nickname of a tyrant. One Piece episode 1129 began unraveling the mystery of Kuma, showcasing his life when he was just a child. The Kuma flashback in episode 1129 highlights the cruelty of the World Nobles and the unnecessary suffering for many. The most shocking thing about 1129 is that it’s only the start of Kuma’s no-good time life. It’s only the start of Kuma’s role in the final saga of One Piece.

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Kuma Had a Sad Childhood in One Piece

Episode 1129 covers Kuma’s very early life and establishes that he is from a race of rare humans known as the Buccaneers. His father was a Buccaneer, whereas his mother was a normal human. Buccaneers are known for their huge stature, explaining Kuma’s unique physique. Kuma and his family were captured into slavery in due part of their Buccaneer heritage, with Kuma spending most of his early childhood in confinement. Kuma would start wishing for death when he discovers his mother has passed away while enslaved. His father encourages him to endure and tells him the story of the warrior of liberation, Nika.

The mythical Nika is a pseudo-deity in the One Piece world, who has multiple different meanings and a backstory worldwide. Luffy inherited Nika’s will with his Devil Fruit and can transform into a Nika form via Gear Fifth. Kuma’s father explains what Nika means to the Buccaneers and does the iconic Nika dance. Kuma’s father begins singing to cheer him up, which does for a brief moment, until a World Noble shoots and kills his father for making too much noise. The blood from Kuma’s father splatters all over Kuma, leaving him parentless. Kuma is then sent to God Valley to participate in a mysterious competition, where he meets fellow slaves Ivankov and Ginny.

How Can it Get Worse for Kuma?

Kuma’s early life already seems dire and hopeless, yet somehow it’s only the beginning of his tragedy. One Piece manga readers know where the story is heading and what more suffering Kuma will face. Kuma will have to endure more hardship and loss throughout his life, including how he becomes the father to Jewelry Bonney. Kuma has always been one of the relatively least popular major supporting characters in the series, barely cracking the Top 100 in the One Piece Poll.

His flashback in the manga, which will soon be fully adapted in the anime, paints the character into a new life, transforming him in a way that most fans didn’t think possible. Expect to laugh, cry, and whipper as more of Kuma’s history is explored in the anime. Kuma’s backstory may be Oda’s most personal, as it covers themes about friendship, perseverance, and fatherhood. If suffering builds character, then Kuma has that in spades.