It’s not uncommon for heroes to have tragic backgrounds. Even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many characters have loss and trauma in their pasts that mark their growth and decisions. However, few MCU heroes have suffered as much as James Buchanan Barnes.
Captain America’s childhood friend is originally thought dead after a failed mission during World War II, only to resurface years later as a brainwashed agent of HYDRA. Being Bucky Barnes isn’t easy. He has to face many harsh realities every single day.
10 He Loses His Arm After His Fall From The Train
Bucky’s fall from the train comes with more consequences than his capture at HYDRA's hands. He survives the accident because of the previous experiments performed on him by Arnim Zola. However, he loses his arm in the process. Gruesome memories display Zola operating on Bucky, severing what is left of his arm to install his metal prosthetic.
It’s not an easy loss to face, and it’s one that's made more difficult by the fact his metallic arm identifies him as a tool: the fist of Hydra.
9 He Has Memories Of Decades Of Abuse
Bucky is brainwashed and used by HYDRA for over half a century. Throughout this time, he suffers unprecedented levels of abuse. Some of the most brutal scenes in Captain America: Winter Soldier and Civil War display him strapped into the memory suppressing machine. His screams are utterly heart-breaking.
Beaten and tortured, he isn’t even considered human. When the other Winter Soldiers are created, he has to fight them too, and they're even more vicious than he is. It’s a cruel existence and, even after escaping HYDRA, Bucky may never be truly free of it. Those memories will always be there.
8 He Is Forced To Kill People He Knew And Worked With
As Hydra’s brainwashed tool, Bucky becomes an assassin who's sent to take down threats to HYDRA's plan of world domination. He has no agency and no say in the matter. On one memorable occasion, he has to kill Howard Stark – a man he used to work with and who actually recognizes him. Years later, this incident proved to be the death knell for the Avengers due to Steve Rogers’ failure to tell Tony Stark about it.
Worse still, alongside his actual missions, countless innocents are caught in the crossfire. Tony’s mother, Maria, is a good example, but she's just one of many. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shows Bucky having flashes of the Winter Soldier hunting down innocent witnesses of his assassinations, and it’s something he has to make his peace with.
7 He Is Gradually Confronting His Guilt Over His Past
Starting with FATWS, Bucky is given a new lease on life. His treatment at the hands of Hydra has been acknowledged and he has been granted his freedom on the condition of going to therapy. But the process isn’t simple and Bucky has to gradually confront his guilt over his past.
While it's a step in the right direction, he isn’t always comfortable with it, particularly since it’s something that's legally enforced. He does seem to make progress throughout the series, but he still has a long way to go.
6 His Only Friend Leaves Him Behind To Be With Peggy
In Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers is entrusted with the task of returning the Infinity Stones to their rightful place after Thanos's defeat. Steve does so but chooses to stay in the past and marry Peggy Carter. After her death, he returns to his previous timeline to give Sam Wilson his shield.
Bucky doesn’t blame Steve for his decision. If anything, he seems to have expected it. Therefore, it’s clear how he prioritizes his friend’s happiness over his comfort, but that doesn’t mean it hurt any less.
5 He Perceives Steve’s Shield As The Only Family He Has Left
There are many sad moments in FATWS, but a particularly memorable one involves a heartbreaking confession from Bucky. After Sam Wilson donates Steve’s shield to the Smithsonian and the U.S. government uses it to create a new Captain America—John Walker—Bucky confronts Sam about it and chastises him for giving up the shield.
At one point, Bucky confesses the shield is the only family he has left. This may have changed throughout the series, as he grows closer to Sam’s family and friends, but the fact he feels this way is tragic. It also makes Steve's decision to not pass on the shield to him even sadder. Bucky may not have been interested in picking up the mantle of Captain America, but he would have respected Steve's wishes more.
4 He Has To Ally Himself With A Former Enemy To Accomplish His Goals
In Captain America: Civil War, Sokovian Baron Helmut Zemo frames Bucky for the devastating attack on the Vienna International Center and the death of King T’chaka of Wakanda. It's all part of his scheme to tear the Avengers apart, and it works beautifully.
In the end, Zemo is arrested by Black Panther and imprisoned in the Berlin Correctional Facility. But in FATWS, the attacks by the Flag Smashers and their usage of the Super Soldier Serum forces Bucky to turn to Zemo for aid. It’s not easy to work side by side with a former enemy – less so considering the fact that it puts Bucky at odds with the Wakandans, who helped him overcome his trigger words.
3 He Is Stronger When He Doesn’t Try To Control The Winter Soldier Programming
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky is a true powerhouse that comes close to killing Steve. At the start of Civil War, he's visibly less of a threat. In FATWS, it becomes obvious that he's reluctant to use lethal weapons like knives and guns. He also often holds back in battle, clearly fearful of the experiences he accumulated throughout his time as an assassin.
However, when working with Zemo, he has to briefly pretend to be the Winter Soldier again. It’s easy for him to unleash devastation on others, but he’s emotionally affected by having to go back to the time he was Hydra’s tool. He's stronger under the Winter Soldier's guise, but it comes at a price.
2 He Can’t Trust His Own Body To Work
The fall from the train isn’t the only time Bucky loses his arm. In Captain America: Civil War, Bucky takes a devastating blow to his arm from Iron Man’s uni-beam. He receives a replacement arm in Wakanda, but in a perhaps unsurprising twist, the Dora Milaje Ayo is able to remove it when in pursuit of Zemo.
While it’s understandable the Wakandans would install some kind of fail-safe in their technology, it’s also sad. It means that no matter what happens, Bucky can’t trust his own body to work, just like he couldn’t trust his mind before the removal of his triggers.
1 He Is The World’s Oldest POW But Still Perceived By Many As A Villain
Bucky’s arc is incredibly tragic. In part, this is because of the audience's reception to his character, which remains hostile. While his actions as the Winter Soldier brought pain to many people, he can’t be held responsible for them. And although he's the world’s oldest POW, even so, many people still perceive him as a villain, both within the MCU itself and in the fandom. Ultimately, he deserves better.