6 One Piece Backstories That Will Make You Cry

One Piece has captivated its viewers for years, and this can be attributed to several compelling elements, including a well-written story, exceptional world-building, and more. But the most crucial aspect that draws people in is the reveal of the character’s backstories.

The timing of each backstory reveal is key; when done at just the right moment, it resonates deeply with the viewer. This engagement with the characters keeps the series fresh and far from dull.

But which backstory stands out above all others in One Piece? Today, we’re going to tackle that question, so let’s dive right in without delay!

Here are the top 6 best One Piece backstories that might just bring a tear to your eye:

6. Nami

“Nami” is the navigator and one of the two female pirates of the Straw Hat Pirates. She’s portrayed as a mature and disciplined figure within the crew, with a penchant for new clothes and money.

Her backstory is a complex one, describing an immature girl who seemingly wanted everything for herself. Nami had a foster mother, Bellemere, who cherished her. From a young age, Nami had a remarkable talent for creating maps.

Tragedy struck when the Arlong Pirates murdered Nami’s mother, and because of her unique skill of creating maps, she was forced to join them. Nami joined the Arlong Pirates, but all of this was part of her plan to take revenge on Arlong one day.

Her salvation comes in the form of Luffy, who defeats Arlong after a long battle. After this, Nami is officially recruited as the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates, finally free to pursue her dreams without fear.

5. Vinsmoke Sanji

“Vinsmoke Sanji” serves as Luffy’s right-hand man, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, and is uniquely the only Straw Hat to have two separate backstories revealed in the series. Although his behavior can be lecherous at times, deep down, he possesses a caring nature, particularly towards women. Additionally, he holds the essential role of cook within the Straw Hat Pirates.

Sanji’s first backstory unfolds during his time with Zeff when both found themselves stranded on a deserted island. Zeff provided Sanji with a small bag of food, keeping a larger one for himself, claiming he needed more sustenance. It was later revealed that Zeff had given all the food to Sanji and had kept only treasure for himself, showing a profound act of selflessness.

Sanji’s second backstory dives into his birth into the Vinsmoke family. Unlike his powerful siblings, Sanji was born an average human, contrary to the plans of his father, Vinsmoke Judge. This led to relentless bullying from his brothers. However, his sister’s compassion allowed him to escape this torment, as she helped him abandon his cruel family.

Luffy first recruits Sanji during the Baratie Arc, and even after Sanji temporarily goes rogue, Luffy welcomes him back into the crew. This fulfillment of Reiju’s prophecy—that Sanji would someday find kind-hearted people—came true with the Straw Hat Pirates, who continued to care for him even after his departure.

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4. Nico Robin

“Nico Robin” serves as the archaeologist of the Straw Hat Pirates and wields the power of the Flower-Flower Fruit. Remarkably, she is the only person in the world capable of reading and deciphering the ancient Poneglyphs. Robin’s character portrays a caring maternal figure, though she can become quite stern in certain situations.

Robin’s backstory paints a picture of a vulnerable little girl who longed for her mother’s presence from the age of two. Tragically, she faced persecution and fear from others due to her unsettling Devil Fruit powers. Her homeland, Ohara, came under attack by the World Government, who sought to eradicate all knowledge concerning the mysterious Void Century.

Amidst the chaos, Robin was reunited with her mother, but they were forced to part ways due to the dire circumstances. A giant named Saul played a pivotal role in Robin’s life, aiding her in various situations, only to be frozen by Kuzan. Kuzan, however, later assisted Robin in escaping Ohara, honoring Saul’s belief that Robin would find true friends someday.

Luffy officially welcomed Robin into the Straw Hat Pirates following the Water-Seven Arc, marking an end to her life on the run as the “Cursed Child.” Saul’s parting words—that no one is born to be alone, and that Robin would find friends—rang true as she found herself surrounded by caring comrades in the Straw Hat Pirates.

3. Brook

“Brook,” the eldest member of the Straw Hat Pirates, is a unique character who wields the power of the Revive-Revive Fruit, granting him the ability to come back to life after death.

Like Sanji, Brook exhibits a lecherous side, often cheekily asking women to show their underwear. However, his primary role within the Straw Hats is as their musician.

Brook’s backstory is both touching and harrowing, revolving around his memories of his beloved pirate crew, The Rumbar Pirates, and their pet whale, Laboon. Sadly, they were forced to leave Laboon behind when they entered the perilous Grand Line. As they journeyed further, the entire crew fell victim to a devastating disease.

Facing their imminent demise, the crew asked Brook to perform the famous song “Bink’s Sake” as a final serenade to accompany them into death. After their passing, Brook’s soul returned to his body, finding only a skeleton remaining, creating his now-iconic appearance.

Luffy extended an invitation to Brook to join the Straw Hat Pirates as their musician after the Thriller Bark Arc. In his new role, Brook delights in playing songs for his friends, all while holding onto the hope of fulfilling a long-standing promise to Laboon, who still waits for him at the beginning of the Grand Line.

2. Senior Pink

“Senior Pink” is an assassin of the Donquixote Pirates and possesses the Swim-Swim Fruit, which allows him to swim in anything around him. He is always surrounded by females, whom Senior Pink is uninterested in.

Senior Pink’s backstory signifies true love for his partner. He lied to her wife that he was working as a banker because she despised pirates. But when their baby died because of Senior Pink’s recklessness, her wife found out he was lying to her about his work too, and went emotionally unstable.

After this, Senior Pink’s wife would only smile if he wore baby clothes, so he started wearing baby clothes to see his wife smile until she embraced death.

This became his casual attire later on. Franky defeats him during the Dressrosa Arc, and Franky pledges to him that he will listen to his love story one day over a drink, which they do, according to the cover of Chapter 1021.

1. Tony Tony Chopper

“Tony Tony Chopper” is a reindeer and the doctor of the Straw Hats. He ate the Human-Human fruit to gain a human-like appearance. He has a kind and shy personality because of his upbringing.

Chopper’s backstory started in Drum Island when Dr. Hiriluk adopted him after society abandoned him. Together with Hiriluk, Chopper started to look for stuff to make a potion that would create cherry blossoms on this cold island.

Hiriluk had to abandon Chopper because he was getting too worried about Hiriluk’s health. But Chopper went beyond himself and brought the Amiudake mushroom in hopes of healing his savior. The doctor was pleased and had to eat it, but this mushroom was poisonous.

When Chopper realized this, things had gotten too far. On the other side, Hiriluk died by exploding himself to escape dying from the poisonous mushroom of Chopper, which showed his love for the reindeer.

Hiriluk’s last words were him thanking Chopper for giving him a happy life he had never expected. After Hiriluk’s death, Chopper begged Doctor Kureha to train him to become a doctor, like Hiriluk.

And just like how Hiriluk said that his dream would be fulfilled after his death, Chopper and Kureha successfully created cherry blossoms in the cold winds of Drum Island. Chopper sailed with the Straw Hats as their new crewmate at the end of Drum Island, with his eyes full of tears!

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There you have it: the Top 6 Best One Piece backstories that will surely tug at your heartstrings. From family to friendship, these tales encompass the core values that make One Piece so compelling. If you liked this article, you might also like Top 19 Strongest One Piece Characters Of All Time, Ranked. Let us know in the comments below if we missed some of your favorite character’s backstory.