Bartholomew Kuma doesn’t debut until Thriller Bark, but he’s been working behind the scenes for decades. The Warlord of the Sea, better known by his name of Kuma the Tyrant, is a multi-layered character essential to One Piece. So, who is Bartholomew Kuma, and what is his long history in the world of One Piece?
Fair warning, this article contains spoilers for One Piece. As of writing, Chapter 1089 is the most current, and is a subject of Kuma’s character, catch up or read on with caution. One Piece is available to read online at Viz, MangaPlus, and Shonen Jump.
Who is Bartholomew Kuma?
Bartholomew Kuma, the Tyrant, is one of the seven Warlords of the Sea. He originally was a ruler of Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue, though most say it was the origin of his Tyrant title. Kuma is a mountain of a man, standing tall over most others with his massive arms and towering gaze. Frequently he’s seen carrying a Holy Bible, which implies that Jesus is canon in One Piece. Otherwise, he often wears gloves on both hands until he’s in battle when he takes them off to go all out.
Kuma’s hands resemble the paw prints of a bear thanks to his Paw-Paw Fruit powers. While it changes the appearance, it also packs a massive punch with abilities that we’ll go into later. Otherwise, he wears a bucket hat with little ears that protrude, which makes him look much cuter instead of deadly.
The Tyrant Kuma
When Kuma was the ruler of the Sorbet Kingdom, he was by the accounts of his daughter a kind and loving man. She calls him a good king, who cares about his people and wants nothing more than to defend them. Nothing is known about the Sorbet Kingdom yet, but now the world knows him as the Tyrant for his time in charge there. It’s likely this is done as just a scare tactic, but there’s also the possibility the World Government did something awful to his country and placed the blame on him.
Does Kuma Have a Family?
To everyone’s surprise in a recent chapter of One Piece, Kuma has a daughter. Even more surprising, it’s none other than Jewelry Bonney, one of the Worst Generation along with Luffy, Kid, and Law. She’s only playing a big part in the story recently, but she’s a resourceful woman who isn’t afraid of a fight. Bonney is on a mission to make Vegapunk fix Kuma, and thanks to the Straw Hats she’s finally made it to Egghead Island.
It’s unknown if Kuma had a wife or what happened to her if he did. Bonney only really speaks about her father, but frequently says that he was a kind, gentle man. Everything she says about him only reinforces his dedication to helping people for the better, and it makes his actions in hindsight fit together in a puzzle.
Revolutionary Army Founder
While they may not have been Kuma’s biological family, the Revolutionary Army became his adoptive family. He founds the Revolutionaries alongside Monkey D Dragon and King of Kamabakka Queendom Imperio Ivankov. The three are close, each steadfast in their mission to bring down the World Government. This is what begins Kuma’s quest, and who he is by the time he meets the Straw Hats.
Kuma was also most recently brought back to the Revolutionaries thanks to Sabo and Jewelry Bonney. The two ran into each other during separate raids on Marijoa, teaming up to get things done faster. The Revolutionaries can fix him up a little, but the cyborg parts used by Vegapunk are some next-level technology.
What are Kuma’s Powers?
The Paw-Paw Fruit is one of the strangest Devil Fruits in One Piece. The power set is stupidly above average, with far too many powers for one person to hold. If Kuma touches someone with his palm, he can send them flying at blistering speeds toward a destination he sets. This is his usual method of getting rid of foes, popping them off in any which way, whether it be across oceans or through walls.
The true wonder of the Paw-Paw Fruit’s powers is how it can draw out the purest essence of people’s emotions and memories. They make a massive paw bubble, filled with anything from the owner’s pain and suffering to their greatest joy. This is how he pulls all of Luffy’s injuries from his fight with Gecko Moria out of Luffy’s body before transferring it to Zoro, even though it could kill him. There’s another bubble Vegapunk keeps at Egghead Island of Kuma’s painful memories, which Bonney takes on.
Sabaody Archipelago
When Kuma shows up at Sabaody Archipelago all hell is already loose on the small chain of islands. Kizaru and the marines have them surrounded, with seemingly no chance of escape as more forces close in. Now, Warlord of the Sea Kuma pops up from nowhere thanks to Paw-Paw Fruit shenanigans and begins to Paw-Paw bitch slap the Straw Hats away one by one.
They don’t know it at the time, but Kuma did the best possible thing for the Straw Hat Pirates. Kuma sends them each flying off in a different direction, but each of the crew lands somewhere that works with their skill set. Each is able to train their power and techniques during the two-year time skip, bringing them back stronger than ever on Sabaody.
What is a Pacifista?
Kuma earns the designation of PX-0 as the first Pacifista. All the regular Pacifista models after coming in the form of giant Kuma replicas. Though only he retains the Paw-Paw Fruit powers and, for a time, independent thought. These are killing machines, the ultimate weapons of the World Government and Vegapunk, for a time at least. They have skin harder than steel, lasers taken from studying the Glint-Glint Fruit, and enough deadly force to take out armies.
During the time skip, Vegapunk and Sentomaru finish the Pacifista line not long after the Sabaody Archipelago incident. With that, Kuma’s mind is the last thing to go, and he makes a special request of his old friend Vegapunk before losing the last of his agency. Now, the Navy’s main fighting force consists of multiple Pacifista units, which destroy whatever the World Government requires.
Why Does Kuma Guard the Sunny for Two Years?
Kuma’s final request to Vegapunk, right before his mind is lost to the programming, is to assign one important mission. He wants to protect the Thousand Sunny at all costs during the Straw Hats’ two-year training. Vegapunk grants the request of his friend, and Kuma takes his post in front of the Sunny after Marineford. Thankfully Silvers Rayleigh and Shakky move the Sunny somewhere safer, but Kuma by the end is still a bloodied mess.
Once the Straw Hat Pirates arrive, Kuma wordlessly walks off, bible still in hand with blood staining every page. This is the last time Kuma is seen as a free man in One Piece. He did it all to ensure the Straw Hats can continue sailing the New World in Sunny.
Is Kuma Still Alive?
Yes and no, it’s kind of a hard answer. Kuma, in body and physical presence, is alive. Despite being near indestructible, after Kuma’s guardianship of the Thousand Sunny, it wasn’t likely he would make it out alive. Death would have been the preferable option for Kuma, but he wasn’t that lucky. Instead, Kuma becomes a prisoner to Sacred Marijoa atop the Grand Line. The Celestial Dragons rent Kuma out as a slave to whoever wants him at the time. Even worse, one of his most frequent slavedrivers is none other than Sir Charlos. Yeah, the one that Luffy Gum-Gum Pistol-ed the sh*t out of earlier.
Most recently Kuma is free from his slavery on Marijoa thanks to a joint effort from Sabo and Bonney. Bonney, Kuma’s daughter, uses her powers to sneak into the Celestial Dragons’ homeland. There, she bumps into Sabo on his own mission. Together the two carry out a historic raid bigger than Fisher Tiger. Not only do they free Kuma and multiple slaves, but Sabo rescues Nefertari D Vivi in the process. Bonney brings Kuma back to the Revolutionary Headquarters in the Kamabakka Kingdom, and leaves them in charge of healing her father. Now, she’s on a mission to Egghead Island to find Vegapunk, desperate to get her father back.
Why is Kuma Climbing the Red Line?
Of course, Bonney runs into the Straw Hat Pirates when she reaches Egghead Island, and all hell breaks loose instead. The World Government decides that Vegapunk’s study of the Void Century is a crime, and condemns the genius scientist to death. Now, Bonney is inside along with Vegapunk, the Straw Hats, and members of Cipher Pol 0, with a Navy force greater than any Buster Call surrounding them. Sentomaru orders all the remaining Pacifistas to protect the Straw Hat Pirates at all costs.
Meanwhile, back at the Kamabakka Kingdom, Kuma himself wakes up, bolts for the door, hits the outside, and pops away. He flies until he hits the Red Line, which he begins to furiously climb. Now, he’s under attack by Navy and Celestial Dragon guards alike, desperately trying to keep him out of Sacred Marijoa. It’s likely that Kuma is still responding to his Pacifista programming, and on the way to help the Straw Hats out of a bad spot.
That’s the last time anyone has seen Kuma, but the manga recently went back to Egghead so something is will happen soon. For now, much of Kuma’s past is still shrouded in mystery, and it’s a total gamble how he’ll react to his daughter. Kuma the Revolutionary, an unsung hero of One Piece, is definitely due for a big spotlight moment.
One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Netflix. New episodes are simulcast with Japan on Crunchyroll at 10 pm EST.
