Eiichiro Oda’s mangaOne Pieceperfectly delivers the essence of a perfect shōnen series, brimming with action, adventure, and heart. Its remarkable run of over two decades stands as a testament to its enduring quality and widespread appeal. Throughout this extensive journey,One Piecehas woven numerous compelling narratives. While most are captivating and uplifting, the series doesn’t shy away fromdelving into darker themes.
AlthoughOne Pieceis widely celebrated for its humor, inspiring themes, and larger-than-life adventures, its darker moments often catch fans by surprise. The story fearlessly tackles heavy topics such as racism, assault, slavery, and trauma, revealing layers of emotional depth and confronting real-world struggles. These poignant elements highlight thatOne Pieceis far more profound and complex than it may initially appear.
10Kuma’s Father Getting Shot For Being Too Loud
Chapter #1095 delves deep intoKuma’s harrowing backstory, shedding light on the tragic circumstances surrounding his life. Born into the Buccaneer lineage, Kuma’s fate is sealed from the moment of his birth. Captured alongside his family by the Celestial Dragons, he is forced into a life of slavery. The brutal conditions quickly take a toll on his mother, who, not being of Buccaneer heritage, succumbs to the grueling labor and loses her life.
Despite the crushing despair, Kuma’s father becomes a beacon of hope for his son, urging him to endure and hold on to the belief that the Sun God Nika, the legendary warrior of liberation, will one day rescue them. However, tragedy strikes again when, as his father passionately recites the drums of liberation in honor of Nika,a Celestial Dragon cruelly ends his life. This devastating loss marks just the beginning of a series of dark and painful events in Kuma’s life, making him one of the most tragic figures inOne Piece.
9Ginny Getting Kidnapped, Assaulted, Experimented On, and Released On Her Deathbed
Chapter #1098, “Bonney’s Birth”
Through Ginny, Kuma found a renewed chance at happiness, but the harsh realities of their world forced him to dedicate his life to the cause of others' freedom. Ginny, sharing his convictions, followed in his footsteps. However, her revolutionary actions led to her capture by a Celestial Dragon, who kidnapped her and forced her into marriage. Two years after her abduction, Ginny returned to the Sorbet Kingdom to reunite with Kuma, but the circumstances of her return revealed the grim and tragic life she had endured in captivity.
One Piece Teases Its Most Tragic Character May Still Get The Happy Ending He Deserves
One Piece’s latest chapter has finally given its most tragic characters, Bartholomew Kuma and Bonney a happy ending in the best possible way.
It was revealed that Ginny had been abandoned due to her illness, along with her child. During her time as a prisoner, Saturn Jaygarcia, one of the Five Elders, conducted cruel experiments on her, giving her an incurable illness. The Celestial Dragon’sabuse of Ginny, including forcing her to bear a child, further underscores the depth of her suffering. Her story is a harrowing and deeply tragic narrative, marking one of the darkest and most heartbreaking moments inOne Piece.
8Doflamingo’s Past Underscores How The Celestial Dragons Are Evil Incarnate
Episode #702, “A Celestial Dragon! Doffy’s Stormy Past”
Doflamingo is responsible for many harrowing events in theOne Pieceworld, but his pastoffers insight into the roots of his ruthless ambition. In episode #702 ofOne Piece, Doflamingo has a nightmare that reveals a traumatic childhood memory: he, his brother, and their father were hanged against a wall, and sentenced to execution by fire by enraged commoners. This punishment came solely because they were former nobles.
The details of this moment are chilling and highlight the inhuman acts perpetrated by the Celestial Dragons. One commoner lamented thathischild was shot 16 times simply for walking on the same path as the nobles. Another recounted how her daughter ended her own life three days after becoming a slave for the Celestial Dragons. The most haunting aspect of this scene is the mob’s willingness to kill children out of sheer hatred for the family’s past as Celestial Dragons.
7The Effects of SMILE Fruits
Episode #940, “Zoro’s Fury - The Truth About the SMILE!”
The Wano arc inOne Pieceexposes the cruel tyranny of Kaido and Orochi over the land of Wano, but among their countless inhuman acts, the most chilling is the distribution of SMILE Devil Fruits in Ebisu Town. AfterShimotsuki Yasuie is brutally executed, the people of Ebisu Town, including his grieving daughter, burst into uncontrollable laughter while witnessing the tragedy.
Kozuki Hiyori explains that this disturbing reaction is caused by the side effects of the SMILE Devil Fruits,which rob the victims of all emotions except forced laughter. What makes this moment even darker is the heartbreaking reason behind it: the people of Ebisu Town consumed these tainted fruits out of sheer desperation and hunger.
6Koala’s Trauma by the Celestial Dragon Almost Broke Her Completely
Episode #541, “Kizaru Appears! A Trap Aimed at Tiger!”
In their latest act of piracy, the Sun Pirates help liberate slaves from the Celestial Dragons. Among those they free is a child named Koala, who boards their ship to be taken home. During the journey, Arlong strikes Koala, fueled by his hatred for humans. What happens next surprises the Sun Pirates: Koala tears a piece of her clothing and begins cleaning her own blood.
When Jinbe questions her actions, Koala repeatedly apologizes, pleading for them not to kill her. Although the Sun Pirates eventually make her feel safe,her actions and forced smile starkly reveal the depth of her trauma from being enslaved. This is one of the many moments that underscores howOne Piece’s darkest moments always stem from the Celestial Dragon’s inhuman acts.
5Baby 5’s Desire to be Needed
Episode #710, “The Battle of Love - The New Leader Sai vs. Baby 5”
Traumatic experiences can deeply shape human behavior, and Baby 5 fromOne Pieceexemplifies how dark events can leave lasting scars. In episode #710, Baby 5 tells Sai that she will do anything for him because he makes her feel needed. In response,Sai mockingly tellsher to kill herself, and to his shock, she happily agrees. Sai barely manages to stop her from pulling the trigger and demands to know why she would do such a thing.
One Piece’s Saddest Backstory Is Surprisingly Relatable to Many People, Including Me
In addition to her expert navigation and cartography skills, Nami is deeply caring and has an overwhelming sense of responsibility.
Baby 5 reveals that as a child, her parents abandoned her, calling her useless. Since then,she has been desperate to feel needed by others, even to the extent of sacrificing her life if it fulfills someone’s request. This tragic moment underscores the profound impact of her abandonment and the lengths to which she seeks validation. Baby 5’s trauma also resonates more with fans for its similarities to real-life issues that many people experience.
4Zeff Eating His Own Leg To Save Sanji
Episode #26, “Zeff and Sanji’s Ambition: The Sea of Dreams - All Blue”
One of the earliest and most unexpected dark moments inOne Pieceoccurs whenZeff sacrifices his own leg to save Sanji. Episode #26 delves into Sanji’s past, revealing that while working on a cruise ship, the vessel was attacked by the Cook Pirates. A sudden storm, however, left Sanji and Zeff stranded on a desolate island.
Zeff hands Sanji a small bag of food, keeping the larger one for himself. After nearly a month of starvation, Sanji discovers the truth:Zeff had given him all the food, and survived by eating his own leg.It is one of the darkest moments inOne Piecethat no one saw coming but it also truly set the tone for the series, telling fans that they should get used not just to the adventure and battles, but also for deep emotional trauma.
3Law Watching His Sister And His City Burned to the Ground
Trafalgar Law’s backstoryis one of the most poignant and harrowing inOne Piece, revealing events no child should ever endure. Episode #701 delves into Law’s past, showing that hesurvived the massacre of Flevance by hiding beneath a mountain of corpses.While this alone underscores the depth of his trauma, the events leading to this moment are even more haunting.
When the Amber Lead disease spread throughout Flevance, the World Government, fearing it was contagious, began exterminating the city’s population. Law witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents, followed by the loss of his sister and other children as the entire city was burned to the ground. This devastating event highlights the cruelty of ignorance and the horrors Law endured as a child.
2The Genocide of Ohara and Robin’s Past
Episode #277, “Tragedy of Ohara! Fear of Buster Call!”
It’s arguable that no member of the Straw Hat crew has endured trauma as deeply as Robin. Thetragedy of Ohararevealed in Episode #277, begins with Professor Clover uncovering the existence of an ancient civilization predating the Void Century. Upon learning of Ohara’s efforts to unravel history, the Five Elders order Clover’s execution and initiate a Buster Call.
What makes this moment even more devastating is how Robin’s long-awaited reunion with her mother is cut tragically short as theWorld Government wipes Ohara from existence.This pivotal moment inOne Piecemarks a turning point, showcasing how dark and emotionally charged moments have shaped the profound storytelling that defines Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece.
1Big Mom Accidentally Eating Her Friends
Episode #837, “The Birth of Mom - The Day That Carmel Vanished”
Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, is infamous for her insatiable hunger, but no moment highlights this more chillingly than her 6th birthday celebration on Elbaf. In this flashback, Linlin is shown happily feasting on sweets, surrounded by her friends and her mentor, Mother Carmel.
One Piece’s Big Mom Return Theory is More Likely Than Ever After Episode 1067
There’s a major theory that Big Mom will reappear in One Piece at some point, and the way episode #1067 changed her defeat adds to that even further.
After satisfying her hunger, Linlin is shocked to find everyone gone. While it is never explicitly stated, subtle details strongly imply thatLinlin unknowingly devoured everyone present during her hunger-fueled frenzy. This unsettling revelation stands as one of the darkest moments inOne Piece, catching viewers completely off guard.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
