Buggy, known as Buggy the Clown and later as Buggy the Star Clown, is a pirate captain with a distinctive appearance. He is a slim yet muscular man with blue hair and a prominent, round red nose, which is his actual nose and a source of great sensitivity for him. His face is always adorned with colorful makeup that changes design over time, and he wears flamboyant, striped clothing, white gloves, and a captain's coat, all of which reinforce his clown-like persona. He is 192 centimeters tall, with a birthday of August 8.

Buggy's background is notable for his time as an apprentice pirate on the legendary ship of Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, alongside a young Shanks. He was present at the Battle of Edd War and witnessed Roger's execution at Loguetown. However, a fever prevented him from accompanying his captain on the final journey to the island of Laugh Tale. After the Roger Pirates disbanded, Buggy chose not to follow Shanks and instead started his own pirate crew, delaying his plans for a decade after a childhood incident in which he accidentally ate the Chop-Chop Fruit, a Devil Fruit he had intended to sell, and lost a treasure map he was saving.

In terms of personality, Buggy is arrogant, selfish, and deeply theatrical, often inserting the word flashy into his speech to emphasize his grandiose self-image. He craves attention, treasure, and power, with his ultimate motivation being to find the legendary treasure One Piece and become the Pirate King. He loves to party and enjoys the finer things in life but is also cruel and quick to punish failure, especially if it involves his treasure. His most infamous trait is his extreme sensitivity about his large red nose; any remark, real or perceived, about it can send him into a furious rage. Despite his bravado, Buggy is fundamentally a coward who will avoid direct danger whenever possible. However, he possesses an almost supernatural level of luck, often stumbling into situations that make him appear far more capable and intimidating than he actually is. He is also a skilled liar and opportunist, quick to take credit for the deeds of others or leverage his past on Roger's ship for reputation and influence.

Buggy's role in the story evolves significantly. He begins as a memorable early antagonist for Monkey D. Luffy in Orange Town, where his first defeat at Luffy's hands establishes a long-running rivalry. He later reappears in Loguetown, nearly executing Luffy before being thwarted by a lightning strike. His most significant role comes during the Impel Down and Marineford arcs. Imprisoned in the great underwater prison, he escapes during Luffy's infiltration and is reluctantly carried along. At the Marineford Summit War, through a series of misunderstandings and his own loud proclamations, he is hailed as a legendary leader by a crowd of escaped convicts. The World Government, believing him to be a formidable figure due to his history with Roger and his newfound following, invites him to become a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. After the Warlord system is abolished, Buggy's luck continues to hold, and he is later recognized as one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, serving as the figurehead president of the Cross Guild, an organization actually run by former Warlords Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk.

Key relationships define much of Buggy's journey. His bond with Shanks is the most significant. The two share a brotherly rivalry from their childhood, constantly bickering. Buggy harbors a long-standing grudge against Shanks, blaming him for his accidental consumption of the Chop-Chop Fruit and the loss of his treasure map. Despite this, they share a history of camaraderie, and Buggy has shown moments of respect for his former crewmate. His relationship with Monkey D. Luffy is one of mutual enmity, with Buggy swearing revenge for his defeat. Ironically, Luffy has been the indirect cause of Buggy's greatest rises in fortune, from escaping Impel Down to gaining fame at Marineford. Other important relationships include his partnership with the pirate Alvida, his alliance with the cunning Mr. 3 (Galdino), and his current fraught association with the far more powerful Crocodile and Mihawk, who see him as a useful but weak puppet leader. He also maintains a friendly connection with the hermit Gaimon, whom he met during his adventures in the East Blue.

Buggy undergoes a unique form of development. He does not become physically stronger or more heroic. Instead, he develops as a character in terms of his status and influence, which he achieves through sheer chance and his own cunning self-promotion. From a minor villain in the weakest sea, he rises to become a global power player, all while remaining the same cowardly, selfish person. His greatest growth is in his ability to leverage perception, reputation, and the loyalty of others, even as his personal combat ability remains largely unchanged.

Buggy's notable abilities come almost entirely from his Devil Fruit, the Bara Bara no Mi, a Paramecia-type fruit that makes him a Chop-Chop Human. This power grants him complete immunity to slashing and cutting attacks, as his body simply splits apart along the cut line without taking damage. He can voluntarily split his body into many pieces, controlling the detached parts to fly through the air and attack from a distance, though his feet must remain on the ground. He can use this power for various techniques, such as sending his fists to punch enemies, performing a spinning kick with his detached lower body, or using his ultimate move, the Bara Bara Festival, to split into dozens of fragments and spin around an opponent. Beyond his Devil Fruit, Buggy is a capable inventor, having created powerful explosives known as Buggy Balls and smaller Muggy Balls. He is also surprisingly physically strong, able to lift large creatures with his detached hands, and displays good reflexes and a tricky fighting style that relies on misdirection.