In most backstories of One Piece, the mothers are a major influence in their present lives. Although many fans are tired of the pattern of sacrifice that Eiichiro Oda tends to follow, mothers are actually a symbol of strength and love. What makes them better is that all of them don’t follow the same storyline, offering nuance to how motherhood is depicted.
Here’s our ranking of the mothers in One Piece, from the least amount of impact on the story to the character we believe has the most.
17. Didit
Let’s start with the mothers who not only had the least impact, but also a negative one. Didit, who might be forgettable in the grand scheme of One Piece, was Sabo’s biological mother. She’s a noble living in the Goa Kingdom, so her materialistic and elitist personality makes her a terrible mother.
Growing up, Sabo’s mother showed little care for him and more for royalty. When an armed royal boy assaulted him, she was worried about his attacker instead. She and her husband, Outlook, even replaced him with Sterry when he didn’t meet their standards. The only hint that she might’ve cared for him is when Jalmack, a Celestial Dragon, shot him down.
16. Miss Buckingham Stussy
Powered by greed and selfishness, Buckingham Stussy is a curious character who claims her son, Edward Weevil, is biologically Whitebeard’s son. She manipulates him to get fame and money by continuing this ploy that she was once the former Emperor’s lover.
It’s quite a change from her days as a member of the Rocks Pirates. She was far more polite and well-mannered, but mostly stayed for the profit. However, she does love and care about Weevil as she cried and was proud of him for protecting Sphinx, Whitebeard’s hometown. However, her clone has more of an impact on One Piece’s story.
15. Estrid
As one of the recent mothers to be introduced in One Piece, Estrid has undoubtedly left her mark in a short time. She’s the biological mother of Loki, who only cared about riches and looks. She threw him, a newborn, into the Underworld because he was born with strange eyes.
Estrid is the complete opposite of Hajrudin’s mother, Ida. She put on a mask of politeness to slither into Harald’s life. However, it slipped once she gave birth to Loki. The entire reason he’s hated himself all his life is her. She never showed an ounce of love and called him “cursed.” Now that he’s emerging as a significant character in One Piece, Estrid has a fresh impact.
14. Mother Carmel
One Piece has plenty of adoptive or foster mothers, but Carmel takes the cake. She ran an orphanage in Elbaph called Sheep’s House, and it might sound philanthropic, but she does it to traffic the children, selling them to the World Government to become Marines or Cipher Pol agents.
Carmel’s inclusion in the list is due to Big Mom, a former Emperor and one of One Piece’s greatest antagonists. She took care of her when she was young, the first time she felt maternal love, but she had no idea what her plans were. Now, despite it being years after her death, Big Mom holds her close to her heart, going on a rampage when her photo breaks.
13. Ida
Now, let’s dive into the great mothers of One Piece. Ida, the biological mother of Hajrudin, is also the woman responsible for changing King Harald’s perspective. Before he met her, he was arrogant and believed giants were superior. She might have been the first person to knock some sense into him.
Ida continued to show kindness and generosity. She had Hajrudin, and although she couldn’t marry Harald, she still stayed by his side. She defended her son from giants who wished to sacrifice him. Moreover, other than Harald, she’s the only person who showed affection to Loki, despite his harsh words.
12. Banchina
Usopp’s mother and Yasopp’s wife deserved better. He left Banchina to go sail the seas with the Red Hair Pirates, despite her being sick and bedridden. Usopp had to grow up comforting his parent, hoping his father would return.
Banchina loved Usopp dearly, never correcting him on his lie that Yasopp had returned and would take them away, in hopes that she would recover faster. She kept a positive attitude and was happy for her husband. It’s a tragic death that left a strong impression on the Straw Hat’s sniper, to this day.
11. Russian
Speaking of tragic deaths that could’ve been avoided, Russian was the wife of Señor Pink and the mother of Gimlet. While many fans admire the Donquixote Pirate, we argue that Russian should be recognized more for her strength and resilience.
When Gimlet passed away from a fever, and she found out that Senor Pink was lying to her throughout her marriage, she ran out into a storm, got caught in a landslide, and was put in a vegetative state. The only thing that got a reaction out of her was her husband dressing up as a baby. It’s a memorable story that offers a unique portrayal of grieving mothers.
10. Scarlett
One Piece fans are mixed on Rebecca’s backstory in the Dressrosa Arc, but we love it. Scarlett’s story is incredibly tragic, from the blossoming romance between her and Kyros to her death. Although the age gap is controversial, they were a great match, gave up status to be together, and loved Rebecca.
When Doflamingo invaded Dressrosa, Scarlett did her best to protect Rebecca, while Kyros had been transformed into a toy soldier, and they lost their memories of him. She was killed by Diamante while getting food. To this day, her husband’s reaction and the image of him carrying her body haunt us.
9. Dr. Kureha
One Piece isn’t a conventional story, and Dr. Kureha’s dynamic with Chopper is the height of it. She took him in when Dr. Hiriluk passed away and trained him in medical science, and was proud of his natural talent in it. She’s not openly affectionate, but looks out for him, questioning if the Straw Hats would be suitable friends for him.
Their story had a rough start, however. When she initially met him, he accidentally poisoned Hiriluk with Amiudake and proceeded to beat him. However, knowing his story, she sympathized with him and fulfilled his adoptive father’s wish. Now, she even wears a shirt with his bounty on it. If it weren’t for her, Chopper wouldn’t have become a Straw Hat.
8. Kozuki Toki
The Wano Arc was epic to begin with, but it also told the stories of many interesting characters. Amongst them was Kozuki Toki, the wife of Oden and the mother of Momonosuke and Hiyori. She was a loving parent to both of them, protecting them from the Beasts Pirates when they attacked Kuri Castle.
Her influence on One Piece’s story and the Wano Arc cannot be underestimated. Her Devil Fruit, the Toki Toki no Mi, introduces time travel to the plot. If it weren’t for her, Momonosuke wouldn’t have made it, and Kin’emon, Raizo, and Kikunojo wouldn’t be around to save Wano. Her final speech in Bakura Town left a deep impact, both on fans and the plot.
7. Charlotte Linlin/Big Mom
As a mother to 85 children, Big Mom is an interesting case. You’d think she’d have enough practice and would be Mother of the Year, but her character is influential as the main antagonist of the Whole Cake Island and Wano Arcs. She cares about her children in unconventional ways, but is also terrifying with them.
Big Mom commands respect and fear. Her children know that she’s in the wrong, but still follow her orders. She doesn’t hesitate to disown them if they step out of line or steal their lifespan. The only redeeming quality is that she does have a soft spot for children under the age of 10. Overall, she’s a terrible mother, but her impact can’t be ignored.
6. Nico Olvia
Nico Olvia was Robin’s absent mother, the Straw Hats archaeologist. However, unlike Yasopp, her work was important, and it would actually endanger her daughter. Thus, she left her with her brother. The little screen time she had left a powerful impression.
Olvia reunited with Robin at the worst time possible: during Ohara’s Buster Call. She pleaded with her to admit that she was her mother, which led to a devastating hug. We could feel her regret of never knowing Robin, but her pride of knowing she would grow up to decipher Poneglyphs.
5. Bell-mère
The Arlong Park Arc converted many fans to One Piece as it made them realize how nuanced it is beyond a simple adventure anime. At the centre of it was Nami’s past with Bell-mère, her adoptive mother. She was a Marine, but found the navigator and Nojiko as lost children in Oykot Kingdom.
Bell-mère took them in, not knowing them at all, and finding the will to live. She protected them fiercely, and although they were poor, they were fed and loved. However, when Arlong caught them and she didn’t have money to pay for her daughters’ fees, she chose to sacrifice herself. Her death is remembered to this day.
4. Curly Dadan
Dadan deserves more credit than she gets for being the reluctant foster mother to Ace and Luffy. Garp dropped them off, and although she could have ignored them, she still took care of them and even risked her life to rescue the two from Bluejam.
Although she’s not affectionate by any means, Luffy and Ace regard Dadan as their mother. Her reaction to Ace’s death was devastating, and her grief resonated with many. If not for her, Luffy wouldn’t have survived, and thus, she has a great impact on One Piece.
3. Vinsmoke Sora
Sanji’s kindness and compassion are owed to the sacrifice his mother made. Vinsmoke Sora was the opposite of Judge, who put her children before science. Although she knew the risks of the drug to reverse the genetic modification he forced her to undergo, she did it for love.
Only Sanji successfully retained his human traits, but it was Sora’s affection that refined them. He was her sole connection and made food for her. She would eat it, despite how terribly it was made. Reiju, too, had fond memories of her. She’s an incredible mother who chose kindness over power.
2. Queen Otohime
Otohime was a loving mother and wife, but also juggled political activism. She preached peace between fish-men and humans, dreaming of the day her people could live on the surface without fear. Her influence was enough to change a Celestial Dragon, Donquixote Mjosgard.
Thus, if any mother had an influence not just on her children but also on One Piece’s political environment, it was Otohime. Hody Jones’ assassination of her triggered the unrest once again, but her family continued to preach her message of peace. Her actions made significant progress against discrimination.
1. Portgas D. Rouge
No list of One Piece mothers is complete without Portgas D. Rouge. The World Government hunted down Ace’s mother for carrying Roger’s child, but she deceived them by keeping him for 20 months. That feat itself makes her stronger than the Pirate King in our eyes.
Her selflessness and courage ensured Ace lived a life without danger. Although he was eventually executed, Rouge’s sacrifice has to be one of the greatest in One Piece. She is arguably the best and most impactful mother in the series.
Eiichiro Oda isn’t done with his pattern of writing amazing and nuanced mothers. Through mothers, he writes a different kind of strength, beyond the physical. In Chapter 1162, we get to know Blackbeard’s mother a bit more. We wonder what her story will be and where she could possibly land on this list.
For now, this is our ranking of the mothers in One Piece. Who would your top choice be? Let us know in the comments below!
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