Highlights

• One Piece stands out for its well-written characters and emotional backstories, making it a unique and beloved anime.
• Character development in One Piece is top-notch, with each hero and villain having deep, tear-inducing pasts explored with care and detail.
• From tragic deaths to betrayals, the characters in One Piece have faced immense hardships, adding depth and complexity to the storyline.

Only a handful of anime have managed to cross the 1,000-episode mark, and One Piece is one of them. It is considered to be one of the greatest Shonen anime of all time, and after more than two decades, its popularity is still growing. Eiichiro Oda created a series with a vast world and an incredibly detailed story, but what makes One Piece really stand out is its characters, who for the most part, are all very well-written.

Fans have met hundreds of characters throughout the Straw Hats' journey, and many of them have interesting backstories. One Piece is known for its emotional moments, and most of the time, the best moments come when a character's backstory is explored. Not every character has a sad backstory, but those that do really stand out.

Updated on March 8, 2024, by George Voutiritsas: Like most stories, One Piece has its share of issues, but no one can say that the series suffers when it comes to character development. One Piece is unique in a sense, as no other anime delves into character backstories with such care and detail. Many of the heroes had terrible and/or traumatic upbringings, but a number of villains have also had tear-inducing backstories. Fans can debate who has the saddest backstory in One Piece, but each option has merit to be in the top spot. Some of One Piece's saddest backstories have already been mentioned in this list, but there are others that deserve recognition as well.

24 Ace

Spent His Life Questioning Whether He Deserved To Live

• Debut: Manga Chapter 154/ Anime Episode 91
• Former Role: 2nd Division Commander Of The Whitebeard Pirates
• Greatest Achievement: Sacrificing Himself To Save Luffy's Life

Ace was part of the D. Clan, and he was Luffy's older adopted brother. More importantly, he was the son of Gol D. Roger, the man who sailed the entire Grand Line and became known as the Pirate King. Roger turned himself in and was executed in Loguetown, and Ace's mother died after giving birth to him.

Ace knew who his father was, and he hated him. In fact, he denounced him and accepted Whitebeard as his true father. He lived in his father's shadow and contemplated his right to even exist. He knew that virtually no one in the world would have wanted Roger's son to live, and he held onto that belief until his death.

23 Jewelry Bonney

Her Father Sacrificed Himself To Save Her Life

• Debut: Manga Chapter 498/ Anime Episode 392
• Former Role: Princess Of Sorbet Kingdom
• Greatest Achievement: Saving Zoro From The Saint Charlos

Jewelry Bonney belongs to the group of pirates who are referred to as the Worst Generation, but she is actually the former princess of the Sorbet Kingdom. Her father is Bartholomew Kuma - the former Warlord who became the World Government's first Pacifista. He was later turned into a slave for the World Nobles as punishment for helping the Straw Hats.

Bonney remembers how much her father loved her, and she hates the World Government for forcing him to become a cyborg. She cannot stand the fact that her father is considered a tyrant because she knows that he was a good ruler, and her heart broke when she saw how he was treated in Mary Geoise. Bonney later discovered her father's memories on Egghead Island, and she learned that Kuma was not her real father. Kuma raised her and loved her like his own, and he agreed to become a cyborg to save her from the fatal Sapphire Scales disease.

22 Yamato

Witnessed Their Hero's Death & Was Treated Badly By His Father

• Debut: Manga Chapter 971/ Anime Episode 972
• Current Role: A Protector Of Wano
• Greatest Achievement: Helping To Stop Onigashima's Fall

Yamato debuted in the later stages of the Wano Arc, and they quickly became a fan-favorite character. Yamato was born as Kaido's daughter, and they were groomed to become his heir. They witnessed Oden's execution and developed admiration for him - to the point that they tried to save Oden's family from Kaido's wrath.

After finding Oden's logbook, Yamato decides to become Oden and carry on his dream of a free Wano. Kaido was not a fan of this, so he would constantly punish Yamato. They would get attacked by Kaido and his men, and get chained to poles. At one point, Kaido imprisoned Yamato in a cave for one month, and it was clear that he was okay with them starving to death. If anyone tried to help Yamato, they would be executed.

21 Usopp

Cared For His Sick Mother

• Debut: Manga Chapter 23/ Anime Episode 8
• Current Role: Sniper Of The Straw Hat Pirates
• Greatest Achievement: Saving Dressrosa By Defeating Sugar

Usopp has become one of the better-designed Straw Hats since the time skip and he has come a long way since first joining the crew at the end of the Syrup Village Arc. His father is part of the Red Hair Pirates, but his mother was an ordinary woman who awaited her husband's return.

Usopp is known for lying, but he only developed this habit because his mother became ill. She wanted to see Usopp's father again and to strengthen her spirit, he lied to her every day. He would say that pirates were coming, but his actions could not stop his mother from dying. He continues to lie as a way of coping with the fact that both his parents left him behind.

20 Zoro

Lost His Childhood Friend

• Debut: Manga Chapter 3/ Anime Episode 1
• Current Role: Luffy's Right-Hand Man
• Greatest Achievement: Defeating King

Zoro lost both his parents by the time he was 8, but he was able to join Shimotsuki Village's dojo. This was the dojo where Zoro trained to become a swordsman. It is also the place where he met his friend Kuina. They started off as rivals, as she was the only person Zoro could not defeat. After losing to her more than 2,000 times, Zoro learned that they both dreamt about becoming the world's greatest swordsman.

Kuina was told that she would never be able to achieve her goal because she is a woman, but Zoro forced her to believe in herself. They both agreed to follow the same dream. Unfortunately, Kuina died the very next day after an accidental fall. Zoro was devastated, but he vowed to become the greatest swordsman to honor her memory.

19 Gecko Moria

His Entire Crew Were Killed Fighting Kaido

• Debut: Manga Chapter 449/ Anime Episode 343
• Former Role: Warlord Of The Sea
• Greatest Achievement: Fighting Kaido & Surviving

Gecko Moria is a former Warlord who used the Shadow-Shadow Fruit to create an army of zombies. It makes sense that a pirate would try to create an obedient undead army for power, and Moria definitely wanted power, but he had another motive.

When Moria was younger, he faced Kaido and the Beast Pirates in Wano, and he was the only member of the crew that survived. Moria cared about his crew, and their deaths left him traumatized. He never wanted to feel such a painful and irreplaceable loss again, which is why he turned to zombies.

18 Boa Hancock

She And Her Sisters Were Forced Into Slavery By The Celestial Dragons

• Debut: Manga Chapter 516/ Anime Episode 409
• Former Role: Warlord Of The Sea
• Greatest Achievement: Decimating Pirates & Soldiers During The Summit War

Boa Hancock was the only female member of the Shichibukai, and she is the empress of Amazon Lily. The argument can be made that Hancock is one of the strongest Haki specialists in the series, but her real power comes from her Devil Fruit, which allows her to petrify anyone who is attracted to her.

The Devil Fruit may be her greatest weapon, but she only obtained this power when she was a slave of the Celestial Dragons. Some of these World Nobles forced her to eat the Devil Fruit as a form of sick entertainment. They tortured Hancock and her sisters despite the fact they were children, and they branded her back with a slave mark.

17 Koala

Was Traumatized & Beaten By The Celestial Dragon When She Was A Child Slave

• Debut: Manga Chapter 622/ Anime Episode 541
• Current Role: Revolutionary Army Officer
• Greatest Achievement: Help To Save Luffy From Jesus Burgess

Koala is now part of the Revolutionary Army, which is understandable given her backstory. When she was a child, Koala was kidnapped and sold to the World Nobles as a slave. She was branded and beaten constantly until she could do nothing else but smile. She had been told that she'd be killed if she cried.

Luckily, Fisher Tiger, the legendary Fishman Pirate, rescued her from Mary Geoise along with dozens of other slaves. The World Nobles traumatized her so much that she did not shed a single tear for three years.

16 Shirahoshi

Witnessed The Politically Motivated Death Of Her Mother

• Debut: Manga Chapter 612/ Anime Episode 531
• Current Role: Princess Of The Ryugu Kingdom
• Greatest Achievement: Being Able To Control Sea Kings

Shirahoshi is the only daughter of the Neptune Royal Family - the monarchy that rules over Fish-Man Island. She is actually the latest incarnation of Poseidon - the ancient weapon that can destroy the world via Sea King manipulation. She is close to every member of her family, and she loved her mother dearly.

Queen Otohime did her best to improve relations between humans and fish-men, but she was assassinated by Hody Jones before her dream could be realized. Shirahoshi was there when her mother bled out, and her brothers had to calm her down because the Sea Kings could have gone berserk. Shirahoshi was not even able to visit her mother's grave because she was constantly being threatened by Vander Decken IX.

15 Momonosuke

His Parents Were Killed By Kaido

• Debut: Manga Chapter 684/ Anime Episode 609
• Current Role: Shogun Of Wano
• Greatest Achievement: Prevented Onigashima From Crashing Onto The Flower Capital

The entire Wano Arc revolves around overthrowing Kaido so that Momonosuke can take his rightful place as Shogun. Momo was born 20 years before One Piece's official story began, but his mother used her Devil Fruit power to send him into the future. She did this to save his life.

When Kaido took control of Wano, he needed to take care of Momo's father, and after Oden was forced to make a fool of himself, he was publicly executed. Kaido then attempted to kill Momo to end Oden's line. His mother died in the resulting attack, and for a long time, Momo believed his little sister was dead as well.

14 Hiyori

Witnessed Her Family's Destruction & Became A Geisha For The Man Who Betrayed Her Family

• Debut: Manga Chapter 909/ Anime Episode 892
• Current Role: Princess Of Wano
• Greatest Achievement: Orochi's Defeat

Hiyori is Momonosuke's little sister, and she was forced to go into hiding for 20 years when her parents died. At first, she stayed with Kawamatsu - one of her father's samurai, and he tried his best to raise and protect her. Kawamatsu managed to get food despite the massive shortage, but he would not eat any. Hiyori did not want him to die on her behalf, so she left and wandered the streets of the Flower Capital until she was found by Denjiro - another samurai who pretended to be on Orochi's side.

Hiyori assumed the name, Komurasaki and became a Geisha. She worked her way up to the highest Geisha position, and in doing so, she got Orochi to fall for her. Momonosuke believed his family was dead, but at least he did not have to seduce the vile man who caused their suffering.

13 Rosinante

Had A Terrible Childhood Because Of His Family's History

• Debut: Manga Chapter 761/ Anime Episode 686
• Former Role: Undercover Marine Commander
• Greatest Achievement: Saving Law's Life

Rosinante was born into the Donquixote family - making him a Celestial Dragon. When he was a child, his father relinquished his family's Noble status to live with the common people. When the commoners learned of their heritage, things went badly very quickly. Their home was attacked, and they were forced to go into hiding.

They had to live in a run-down shack that caused Rosinante's mother to get sick. He watched her get sicker and sicker until she died. When the common people found them again, Rosinante was beaten and tied to a burning building with his father and brother. They survived the ordeal, but some time later, his older brother killed their father right in front of him. Rosinante wandered off with a broken heart until he was found by Sengoku.

12 Charlotte Linlin

Was Abandoned By Her Parents & Ate Her New Friends

• Debut: Manga Chapter 651/ Anime Episode 571
• Former Role: One Of The Four Emperors
• Greatest Achievement: Controlling Her Own Empire

Charlotte Linlin was the only female Yonko and the captain of the Big Mom Pirates. When she was five, she towered over people, and unbeknownst to her, she had an uncontrollable behavior that often caused a great deal of damage. As a result, her parents abandoned her on Elbaf, the home of the giants.

She was taken in by Mother Caramel, who cared for her like a mother. In reality, Caramel was a child trafficker who planned to sell Big Mom to the World Government. Big Mom loved living with the giants, but when she accidentally destroyed Elbaf village during an outburst, the giants rejected her too. On her birthday, she went through an eating frenzy and accidentally ate her friends and Mother Caramel. When the frenzy ended, she thought they had abandoned her too.

11 Franky

His Actions Led To His Father-Figure's Death

• Debut: Manga Chapter 329/ Anime Episode 233
• Current Role: Shipwright Of The Straw Hat Pirates
• Greatest Achievement: Defeating Sasaki

Franky does not need Haki to be strong because his body has been augmented to the point that he is now a cyborg. He augmented himself because his body was heavily damaged when he was 12 years old, and this happened because he tried to stop a train that was carrying Tom.

Tom was a legendary shipwright who took Franky under his wing, and the Marines tried to arrest him in Water 7 because he built Gol D. Roger's famous ship. Tom agreed to build the train in return for his freedom, but the Marines did not keep their promise. An incident caused by Franky allowed Tom to be blamed for the ensuing attack. Tom was taken and executed, and Franky blamed himself for years

10 Chopper

Chopper Could Not Save His Adopted Father

• Debut: Manga Chapter 134/ Anime Episode 81
• Current Role: Doctor Of The Straw Hat Pirates
• Greatest Achievement: Saving Hundreds From Queen's Ice Oni Virus

Chopper is a reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit, and although it gave him unique abilities, it also made him an outcast. His own herd wanted nothing to do with him, and many of the humans on the island considered him to be a monster.

Dr. Hiriluk was not one of those humans, though. In fact, he took Chopper in and grew to love him like a son. Their time together was cut short, however, as Hiriluk was gravely ill. Chopper tried to save him with a mushroom that turned out to be poisonous, but Hiriluk ended his life before the poison could take effect, thus sparing Chopper from extra grief.

9 Kuma

The Celestial Dragons Ruined His Life & Killed His Loved Ones

• Debut: Manga Chapter 233/ Anime Episode 151
• Former Role: Warlord Of The Sea & Revolutionary Army Officer
• Greatest Achievement: Saving Bonney's Life

Bartholomew Kuma once served the World Government as a Warlord of the Sea, and he agreed to become part of their cyborg soldier initiative. The Egghead Arc has shed light on Kuma's past, and it turns out that he was once a slave. His blood was tested as soon as he was born, and the World Government was alerted that he was a Buccaneer. The Buccaneers are a special race of large humanoids, and they are seemingly despised by the World Nobles.

Shortly after his birth, Kuma and his parents were taken and turned into slaves. His mother died sometime later because her body could no longer handle the abuse. Kuma's father taught him about Nika, the legendary warrior of liberation. One day his father sang about Nika, and a World Noble killed him right in front of Kuma. When the World Nobles held their Native Hunting Competition on God Valley, Kuma was one of the slaves chosen for the hunt.

8 Rebecca

Her Family Was Decimated By Doflamingo & His Crew

• Debut: Manga Chapter 704/ Anime Episode 633
• Former Role: Crown Princess Of Dressrosa
• Greatest Achievement: Becoming An Accomplished Gladiator

Rebecca is the former crown princess of Dressrosa, but she forfeited that title to live with her father. She may have gotten a happy ending, but her backstory still makes her one of One Piece's unluckiest characters. When Doflamingo took Dressrosa for himself, he decimated the royal family.

Rebecca and her mother saw the castle burning, and they were soon attacked by one of Doflamingo's officers. Her father went to go help Rebecca's grandfather, but he was transformed into a toy soldier, and Rebecca lost all memories of him. Her mother was later killed while searching for food. Doflamingo eventually found Rebecca and forced her to fight as a gladiator.

7 Sanji

His Father Locked Him Away & Tried To Erase His Existence

• Debut: Manga Chapter 43/ Anime Episode 20
• Current Role: Chef Of The Straw Hat Pirates
• Greatest Achievement: Defeating Queen

The Germa Kingdom is one of the strongest organizations in One Piece, and Sanji is a former Prince of said Kingdom. Unlike his brothers, Sanji still possessed compassion - a trait that his father saw as a sign of weakness. He also did not possess superhuman abilities, and his brothers bullied him every day because of these traits.

His mother was ill, and she would only eat the food he made for her, which inspired his love of cooking. When she died, his father concluded that Sanji would never manifest superhuman abilities, so he decided to erase his existence instead. He did this by locking him in an iron mask and sending him away to a tower. Luckily Sanji escaped and was able to meet Zeff and the Straw Hats.

6 Brook

He Watched His Entire Crew Die & Spent Decades Alone

• Debut: Manga Chapter 442/ Anime Episode 337
• Current Role: Musician Of The Straw Hat Pirates
• Greatest Achievement: Fought Big Mom & Survived

Before joining the Straw Hats, Brook was part of the Rumble Pirates, and they had ventured into the Grand Line like many other crews. During their travels, the Captain and half the crew contracted an incurable disease, and at that point, the crew split in two.

Brook became the new Captain, and things went well until they were attacked by enemy pirates. Those who survived the attack slowly died because the enemy used poisoned weapons. Brook knew he would survive thanks to the Revive-Revive Fruit, so he suggested that the crew play one last song. He was literally forced to watch all of his crewmates die, and when he did revive, he spent decades alone with just his memories.

5 Nami

Was Forced To Work For The Man Who Killed Her Adopted Mother

• Debut: Manga Chapter 8/ Anime Episode 1
• Current Role: Navigator Of The Straw Hat Pirates
• Greatest Achievement: Defeating Ulti

Nami may not be the bravest Straw Hat, but that does not mean she is weak, in fact, she has proven her strength several times. Nami was an orphan, but she was taken in by Bell-mère, a former Marine who found Nami and her older adopted sister in a recently destroyed village.

The three relocated to Cocoyasi Village, and they had a pretty good life until Arlong and his crew arrived. When Arlong invaded, his crew was able to subdue Bell-mère, and he offered to spare either her life or the lives of her daughters in exchange for the money she had. She picked her daughters, and he shot her right in front of them. He then forced Nami to become his mapmaker.