Despite the anime’s fun-loving nature, most of the characters in One Piece have experienced horrible tragedies before setting sail for treasure.

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is held in high regard as a fun and inspiring adventure epic, praised for the vibrancy of its world and the multifaceted nature of its characters. From the notorious Straw Hat Pirates themselves to every person they meet on their voyage, each member of the series’ expansive cast has a story to tell. The elaborate histories that shape the heroes of One Piece are one of the main things that make the show so immersive.

Despite the series’ easygoing and fun-loving nature, most of the characters in One Piece have experienced horrible tragedies before setting sail for the titular treasure. Famously, some of the most emotional plots in the series hide in the backstories of its heroes and villains. However, while most backstories in One Piece, such as Nico Robin’s past in Ohara or Sanji’s secret royal lineage, are universally recognized as incredible, some characters’ histories are seen as more controversial. Awkwardly placed, uninspired, or simply too simplistic, these One Piece backstories stand out as the show’s most questionable.

10Zoro’s Backstory Lacks the Emotional Depth of Other Straw Hats’ Histories

Affiliations
Straw Hat Pirates’ First Mate

Anime Debut
Episode 1

Manga Debut
Chapter 3

Similarly to all of his crewmates, Roronoa Zoro had a troubled, tragic past. Orphaned at a young age, Zoro was adopted by a local dojo’s master. There, he met his first real opponent, whom he couldn’t defeat, a girl named Kuina. Together, they planned to become the world’s greatest swordsmen. Yet, Kuina died suddenly by falling down the stairs, leaving Zoro to fulfill their shared ambition in her stead.

While sad, Zoro’s backstory is commonly regarded as one of the least emotionally impactful. Early on in the One Piece story, soul-crushing tragedies weren’t as prevalent in the heroes’ backstories, which led to Zoro’s rather tame childhood being seen as lackluster in terms of character development in retrospect.

9Rebecca’s Flashbacks Distracted Viewers from the Plot in Dressrosa

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Affiliations
Princess of Dressrosa, Gladiator

Anime Debut
Episode 633

Manga Debut
Chapter 704

A major supporting character in the Dressrosa Saga, Rebecca went through a lot during Doflamingo’s takeover of the island. The former princess suffered great tribulations under Doflamingo’s reign, from surviving the decimation of her family, to losing the memories of her father, who got turned into a toy soldier by Sugar’s powers.

And while fans find her backstory to be investing, most are dissatisfied with how the series chooses to present Rebecca’s heart-wrenching history. An already dense, drawn-out arc, Dressrosa floods its narrative even more by constantly cutting back to Rebecca’s backstory. As a result, most viewers felt little sympathy for the character once her plot line got resolved, as they were overexposed to her struggles to the point of fatigue.

8Gecko Moria’s Backstory Did Little To Justify His Actions

Affiliations
Thriller Bark Pirates’ Captain, Warlord of the Sea

Anime Debut
Episode 343

Manga Debut
Chapter 449

Just like the heroes, the villains of One Piece often have touching, tragic backstories that help the viewers understand what led them down a dark path. However, not all antagonists in the series succeed at tapping into the fans’ empathy by disclosing their past.

The former Warlord of the Sea defeated at Thriller Bark by the Straw Hats, Gecko Moria once lost his entire crew to Kaido’s Beast Pirates, leading to the Warlord accepting a nihilistic outlook on life and seeking an undead crew instead of living teammates. A rather simplistic backstory, Moria’s tale of loss didn’t succeed in making fans sympathize with his circumstances, and he is still regarded as one of the weakest One Piece villains in terms of writing.

7Usopp’s Backstory Is Seen As Boring by Some and Incredible by Others

Affiliations
Straw Hat Pirates’ Sniper

Anime Debut
Episode 8

Manga Debut
Chapter 23

Belonging to a much more simplistic, yet no less heartfelt, era of One Piece backstories, Usopp’s past explains how the crew’s sniper came to be disregarded in his home village as a pathological liar. Abandoned by his father, Yasopp, at a young age, Usopp started making up stories to cheer up his sick mother.

After she passed, the cowardly sniper continued to make up lies as a way to distance himself from the tragedy, but the only person who didn’t despise him for his antics was his sole friend, Kaya, who was bedridden. A direct, bittersweet tale, Usopp’s backstory is adored by plenty of fans. However, many openly dislike it as the most uninventive out of all the Straw Hats, and even site Usopp’s past as the reason why a lot of fans disliked his character early on.

6Sabo’s Introduction in Luffy’s Flashback Was Emotional But Belated

Affiliations
Revolutionary Army’s Chief of Staff

Anime Debut
Episode 494

Manga Debut
Chapter 583

One of the most tragic and impactful backstories in the entire series, Luffy’s post-Marineford flashback to his childhood with his sworn brothers, Sabo and Ace, did wonders to flesh out One Piece’s protagonist and his bonds. Nevertheless, many take issue with this storyline due to how suddenly it incorporates Sabo’s character into Luffy’s past.

The loss of Sabo was a major turning point for Luffy and Ace, implied to be the event that ultimately set in stone their goals to become notorious pirates. However, Sabo’s existence was never mentioned before the flashback, making his importance to the story feel superficial. Thankfully, the emotive quality of the plotline itself allows most fans to look past Sabo’s awkward introduction.

5Senor Pink’s Backstory Tried To Tug on the Fans’ Heartstrings Too Much

Affiliations
Donquixote Pirates’ Officer

Anime Debut
Episode 632

Manga Debut
Chapter 702

A minor villain from the Dressrosa arc, Senor Pink is still vividly remembered by fans for his unexpectedly tragic backstory. To explain the pirate’s ridiculous getup, the series goes out of its way to flesh out Senor Pink’s regret-filled past. His wife Russian used to despise pirates, so Senor Pink hid his affiliations from her, only for his lies to trigger an unprecedented tragedy.

After losing their newborn son to an illness, Russian uncovers her husband’s secret and, fleeing their home in despair, gets caught in a landslide. Now reduced to a vegetative state, Russian only smiles when seeing Senor Pink dressed as a baby. Excessively emotional, Senor Pink’s backstory is perceived by many as too obvious of an attempt to make audiences care for an otherwise insignificant character.

4Big Mom’s Backstory Touches on Some Unexpectedly Morbid Themes

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Affiliations
Big Mom Pirates’ Captain

Anime Debut
Episode 571

Manga Debut
Chapter 651

One of the series’ most terrifying antagonists, Big Mom has a history to match her formidable reputation. Formerly known as Charlotte Linlin, Big Mom was an unruly and gluttonous child. Abandoned by her parents, she was taken in by a human trafficker named Mother Carmel. Yet, Linlin’s time at the orphanage ends in an unexpected tragedy before she can be sold off by the wicked woman.

In a voracious frenzy, Linlin ends up devouring Mother Carmel, together with the other orphans, ending Big Mom’s backstory on an extremely unsettling note. While One Piece has explored plenty of disturbing concepts in the past, including slavery, human experiments, and child abuse, some fans still saw cannibalism as going a bit too far for a shonen series.

3Yamato’s Past Didn’t Succeed at Properly Fleshing Out His Motivation

Affiliations
Wano Country Samurai, Straw Hat Pirates’ Ally

Anime Debut
Episode 972

Manga Debut
Chapter 971

As One Piece moved along, its backstories matured in complexity together with the story. That’s why many were disappointed with how the past of Yamato, a character introduced in the Wano Saga, was handled. The son of the feared Yonko, the King of the Beasts Kaido, Yamato builds his entire character around the admiration he holds for Oden, his father’s enemy.

This results in severe disagreements between the two, leading to Yamato being tortured and unable to ever leave the Wano Country. However, Yamato’s obsession with Oden always struck fans as superficial, as the series does little to elaborate on his intense idealization of the belated samurai. For a character introduced at such a crucial moment in One Piece’s storyline, Yamato’s backstory lacks the depth fans came to expect from the series’ flashbacks.

2Kozuki Oden’s Flashback Made Him a Controversial Character

Affiliations
Wano Country Daimyo, Pirate

Anime Debut
Episode 910

Manga Debut
Chapter 920

Introduced in the Wano Country arc as a near-perfect hero on par with the likes of Gol D. Roger, Kozuki Oden set up high expectations for himself and his backstory from the get-go. Yet, many fans were disappointed that Oden’s past didn’t match his image as an infallible hero. Most notably, viewers were dissatisfied with how easily Oden, someone portrayed as noble and intelligent, was tricked by Orochi and Kaido.

Oden’s impulsiveness and poor judgment led to his country remaining under the villains’ tyrannical rule for decades, which contradicted his portrayal as a righteous, valorous samurai. As a result, Oden’s character remains hated by many fans due to the questionable things revealed in his backstory.

1Uta’s History With Shanks and Luffy Came Out of Nowhere

Affiliations
Singer, Red Hair Pirates’ Musician

Anime Debut
One Piece Film: Red, Episode 1029

Manga Debut
Chapter 1055

A character original to One Piece Film: Red who was later made canon in the main series, Uta was seen as a controversial addition to the series’ cast from the moment she was introduced. In the movie, Uta is established as a world-famous singer who used to sail with the Red Hair Pirates as Shank’s adoptive daughter after her parents were killed.

As such, she spent much of her childhood with Luffy, the two of them being close friends as kids. While an acceptable backstory on its own, Uta’s addition to Luffy’s history was perceived as out-of-nowhere by many fans. Considering how major of a part Uta played in both Luffy and Shank’s lives, revealing her existence so late into the story without any foreshadowing was a controversial choice.