It’s not Nico Robin or Sanji, the Straw Hat with the worst backstory in One Piece, is sure to make you cry for days on end.

SUMMARY

The Straw Hat with the saddest backstory in One Piece is probably Brooke due to how much he has suffered.
After having to desert Laboon, half of his crew members perished in a disease, while the other died due to a pirate attack.
For 50 years, Brook was left alone, stranded on his ship, and haunted by dreams of his once lively crew.

One Piece might be a Shonen adventure with plenty of action and mystery, but Eiichiro Oda has also made sure that the series won’t leave its fans unscarred. Some of the most cheerful characters in the anime, like Luffy and Sanji, have a backstory that is bound to make you cry.

However, it all pales in front of a Straw Hat with the most heartbreaking past. You might be thinking it’s Nico Robin since she had everything and everyone taken away from her. But it’s actually the silliest Straw Hat, whose backstory will leave you in despair.

The Straw Hat with the most tragic backstory in One Piece

The Rumbar Pirates with Laboon in One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

The Straw Hat member with the most miserable past is probably Brook. This happy-go-lucky skeleton with an afro who breaks out into songs every chance he gets hides some deep-rooted scars. When he was alive, he was a member of the Rumbar Pirates, headed by Yorki.

The crew was also accompanied by a young whale, Laboon, who stayed by their ship everywhere they went. It was attached the most to Brook, who often sang songs for the beast. Unfortunately, they had to leave Laboon behind since the Grand Line was too dangerous for a kid whale. The crew promised to return and bring Laboon with them once they had completed their journey.

The Rumbar Pirates catch an uncurable disease in One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Unfortunately, the crew had a far worse fate awaiting them. As the Rumbar pirates traveled the sea, Yorki and several other pirates caught an incurable disease. To keep it from spreading, Yorki decided to separate himself and the other infected ones by taking their first ship and escaping the Grand Line.

Half of the crew was gone at this point, and Brook became the new captain. But soon, they were attacked by enemy pirates and only a few surviving members were left. Unfortunately, even they began wasting away due to the effects of the enemy pirates’ poisoned weapons.

Since Brook had eaten the Yomi Yomi no Mi, he suggested his crewmates sing their favorite song, which would be recorded for Laboon. As the crew sang their last song, they succumbed to the poison one by one. Brook died as well, but his soul took a year to find his body, and by that time, only his skeleton and afro were left.

Brook’s soul finds his body in One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

But death alone could not save Brook. Once his soul returned to his body, he spent 50 years stranded on the ship. All he could do was spend time alone and dream about his crewmates. Every day, he woke up to find that nothing but cruel loneliness awaited him. Next, his ship drifted to Thriller Bark, where he got his shadow stolen by Gecko Moria.

Why Brook’s backstory is worse than Nico Robin or Sanji’s

Many One Piece fans consider Nico Robin to be the one who has the saddest backstory in the series. It is a cruel thing to compare the sufferings of two characters, but Brook’s past is one of the most disheartening things you can come across in One Piece.

Nico Robin crying in One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Nico Robin faced alienation since childhood and only had a place amongst Ohara’s historians and archaeologists. However, everyone she knew, including her mother, dies at the hands of the World Government. She fleed but has been hunted ever since. She could never stay in one place or make friendships because she is a wanted woman.

Sanji also has one of the most agonizing pasts. He had a cruel family and was faced with isolation and starvation. He was ridiculed and bullied by his own family but was saved by the Straw Hats.

Brook, on the other hand, lost Laboon, his crewmates, and everything else in between. Even death could not save him from his misery, as he had to wander the seas, stranded in a ship for 50 years. Imagine living alone for 50 years without anyone to keep you company and only the dreams of your once-happy crew to haunt you.

One Piece manga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.