Swordsman: "Pirate Hunter" Zoro Roronoa

Bounty: 120,000,000 Belly
(Formerly 60,000,000 Belly)

Age: 19
Birthday: November 11th
Height: 178cm / 5’10”
Sign: Scorpio
Hometown: East Blue - Shimotsuki Village
Commonly Associated Number: 02
Commonly Associated Color: Green
According to Chopper Smells Like: Steel
Favorite Type of Island: Autumn on an Autumn Island.
Favorite Foods: White rice. Sea monster meat. Food that compliments sake.

History of Zoro


Ever since he was a boy, Zoro Roronoa trained at a dojo in his hometown Shimotsuki in East Blue under the tutelage of a kind and patient instructor, Koshiro. Zoro was the strongest male in the dojo, beating even adults with his Two Sword School technique. However, there was one person that Zoro could never beat regardless of his training and skill, his teacher’s daughter, Kuina. Kuina had beaten Zoro for 2,000 matches even though she used only one sword and Zoro had mastered using two. Even though she was a few years older than Zoro, as he was able to best adults, he did not see that as an excuse for losing to her. For their 2,001st match, Zoro met with Kuina on the night of a full moon and suggested they fight in secret with real swords, rather than the usual bamboo training swords. After the fight began, although he gave his best, in almost no time Zoro suffered his 2,001st defeat. Zoro was furious with himself for losing yet again, but in the privacy of the night, Kuina began to lament that she was the one who should regret the outcome.

Zoro was speechless as Kuina began to cry and explain that as a male who had not yet reached adulthood, in just a few years by virtue of his male physique he would grow stronger than her, as would all male swordsmen and she could never aspire to be the strongest. Instead of gloating over the sudden revelation Zoro became furious with Kuina and told her that thinking like that was nonsense. If she thought of her abilities that way, then if Zoro ever did defeat her she could just use the fact that she was a woman as an excuse for the loss. After all of his hard training and effort, Zoro would have hated her for letting a victory against her be attributed to physiological differences. Kuina took comfort in his words and the two made a special promise that night that one of them would become the strongest swordfighter in the world.

As fate would have it, the very next day Zoro’s training was interrupted by cries from an acquaintance. Kuina had fallen down the stairs at her home and died from the impact. Zoro masked his sadness by being angry with her since they had just made a promise the night before. Although he accused her of running away from him, it couldn’t stop him from being passionate about fulfilling his promise. He begged Koshiro to give him her sword which he allowed Zoro to receive. Zoro made a promise on her sword to become the 'Strongest Swordsman in the World' and from that day on, Zoro trained and battled with three swords.

Notes on Zoro



Personality

Zoro left his hometown to search for a man, 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk Dracule. Mihawk was formerly one of the greatest pirates in the world and is a current member of The Seven Armed Seas; he is recognized as 'The Strongest Swordsman in the World'. Obviously Zoro’s intentions were to locate Mihawk and beat him in a duel then declare himself 'The Strongest Swordsman in the World' making his goal and oath a reality. There was just one problem, Zoro couldn’t find him. Wishing to temporarily put his quest on hold, Zoro attempted to return to his hometown. But there was still a small problem as new fans of One Piece will surely come to realize, Zoro has no sense of direction whatsoever. He couldn't find his way out of a shoebox. So, Zoro collected bounties in order to survive while he worked his way home and the nightmarish stories about him came to be because Zoro is indeed a demon in battle. Long time fans know this to be true in more ways than one.

Besides his lack of any sense of direction, another running gag with Zoro is his constant sleeping. A famous line of his is, "Huh? Morning already?", usually uttered after an extremely chaotic scene which he managed to nap through. Zoro loves to sleep. Just as Luffy needs red meat to recharge him, Zoro just needs a few winks....or alcohol of some kind.

After his defeat at the hands of Dracule during the Baratie story arc, Zoro makes an oath, never to lose again until he has beaten Mihawk. Since then he has techically 'broken' the oath several times. That is to say he has been temporarily 'defeated' by opponents, but in the end he always defeats villains to whom he has lost or at least contributes to the final battle against a foe who bested him. So...I guess he's safe.

It all started with a hunting contest. Sanji and Zoro seemed to be on perfectly good terms until Zoro's competative streak first bared its fangs on Little Garden. When asked by Sanji to go hunting, Zoro said he would gladly go and get a beast the likes of which Sanji couldn't possibly round up himself, and so began an endless struggle. Sanji and Zoro have been at odds since that day and anything even remotely competative becomes a grueling battle for superiority between the two. Luckily they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that when they absolutely positively have to work together, not only can they do it, but between heaven and earth there's little that can stand in their path.



Characteristics

Zoro’s greatest goal is to fulfill his promise to Kuina and to become the 'Strongest Swordsman in the World'. So great is his resolution to the promise that in order to join Luffy, he agreed to be a member of the crew only if Luffy would disembowel himself by ritual suicide should he ever stand in the way of Zoro’s goal.

Zoro is sometimes described as a modern samurai. While many of the observations fans make are true, there is one very important part of Zoro's character that keeps him from being as such, he doesn't 'pray' to or believe in gods. The presence of 'kami' in bushido are very important and to say he would never 'pray' to gods would be something that may very well have gotten him killed in reality, considering the position of the Japanese imperial family believed to have come from gods.

Zoro has little common sense but he knows exactly what it means to be a man. That is to say the Marlboro Man, John Wayne, Charles Bronson kind of man. Probably more than any other character, Zoro lives and acts only as a man would. He takes responsibility for his actions no matter what they might be and he expects others around him to do the same. This is the root of almost every famous Zoro scene or line. THIS is why he's probably often compared to a samurai as bushido code demands such responsibility. So whether or not Zoro can be considered a 'samurai' by traditional standards is up for debate but there's no question that his character is basically a combination of every Japanese male...ever. From his trademark haramaki to his love of liquor, everything about Zoro screams 'ossan' or older Japanese man. All of Zoro's 'Favorites' listed above read like a guide to the Japanese male soul.

Zoro is a man feared by people both good and evil. His nickname before joining Luffy was 'Pirate Hunter' because of his ruthless cutting down of pirates for their bounties. This nickname stuck with him after he received his official bounty even though he's a pirate himself. In reality, Zoro is not normally a fearsome person, most people are afraid of him because they don’t know enough about him.

According to Oda, Zoro most resembles a shark.

Zoro bears a large diagonal scar across his chest that is from his first duel with Mihawk.

Zoro appears to be the 3rd tallest human crew member as of Vol. 47.

When he has a sword in his mouth, Zoro speaks with the power of his heart. (So says author Eiichiro Oda anyway)



Trivia, Puns & Observations

The name of One Piece's aspiring swordsman was based on the pirate name of French born Jean David Nau. Jean joined the buccaneers in 1692 and took the name "L'ollonais". He was a buccaneer famous for being the fiercest of the Carribean Pirates. Accounts of him tell that he tore out the hearts of prisoners and gnawed on them, squeezed out their eyes and meticulously tore them to pieces; not necessarily in that order. Jean was killed by natives somewhere between 1688 & 1689. Ironically he was supposedly torn to pieces himself and then thrown into a fire.

Zoro’s birthday is November 11th, if you write that date in numerical form as 11/11 that is what Japanese call “zorome” or a sequence of the same number. Another example of a “zorome” would be 777. Anyway, I hope you see the gag here.

Continuing in a similar vein, Zoro's hometown is Shimotsuki, whether intentional or coincidental, the gag worked out extremely well in Oda's favor. Shimotsuki is the term for November in the traditional Japanese calendar naming system known as inreki. Not only does this coincide with Zoro's birthday and the zorome gag, but also gives his hometown a distinct Japanese flair. Although we tend to associate Tokyo with being modern Japan, if one wants to consider traditional Japanese culture there's no better place than Kyoto. Kyoto is a city that Japanese people consider even amongst themselves to be aethestically 'Japanese'. And even though Kyoto's spring season brings beautiful blooming cherry blossoms, Kyoto's fall season is second to none with its stunning displays of natural colors on the surrounding mountains. When one considers that Zoro's favorite island is a Fall Island during Fall, it's clear to see his connections to November and, vicariously, aesthetic Japanese qualities run deep.

Zoro’s head was given a bounty of 60,000,000 Belly after he bested the bounty hunter Boness Daz. After the events of Enies Lobby his bounty was doubled to 120,000,000 Belly. There is an on-going rivalry between Zoro and his fellow crewmate Sanji regarding bounties. Even after the character Sanji managed to acquire a bounty Zoro came out on top. The rivalry continues...

If Zoro has any living relative(s) their identity has not [yet] been disclosed.

The character Miss. Wednesday insults Zoro by calling him "Mr. Bushido". However, the title stuck and became his nickname for a while.

During battle, Zoro is famous for losing ridiculous amounts of blood. Here are some amounts he has lost:

Zoro VS Buggy: 1 Liter
Zoro VS Nyaaban Brothers: 1.5 Liters
Zoro VS Mihawk: 3 Liters
Zoro VS Hacchan & Arlong: 5 Liters

And just for reference, the human body hold 5.6 liters of blood.

Zoro holds bragging rights to 2nd place in the 2005 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote where he held 7 of the Top 30 techniques. This includes Armee De L'Air Power Shoot which he shares with Sanji.

Zoro 'officially' joined the crew in Chapter 6 - 'The First'.

Strengths and Weaknesses

If you're reading One Piece for the first time I will attempt to keep this simple in order to avoid confusion. Bounties that characters receive in One Piece may be considered as describing two attributes: one being a power level, the other being the level of threat they pose to the World Government. The degree to which attribute the numerical value of a bounty favors is something that can be discussed for weeks by rabid fans. However, here let's just keep it simple and agree that both are in there and yes, it's a fairly good indication of a given character's strength. That said, immediately after the addition of the second female crew member, Zoro seemed likely to be the third strongest member of Luffy’s crew considering their respective bounties. However, with the bounties that appeared after the events at Enies Lobby, it became quite clear that Zoro reclaimed his place as the second strongest member of the crew. This is a result of his endless and inhuman training. He trains himself not only physically, but mentally as well. For example: swimming in freezing temperatures for extended periods of time or lifting extremely heavy weights/animals. This training always keeps him in top shape and even allows him to control his muscles in an inhuman way.

Zoro probably takes the heaviest damage among the members of Luffy’s crew. Some might even argue hat he can handle even more pain and fatigue than Luffy. It seems that Oda makes it a point to have Zoro drenched in blood after every major battle with plenty of scars to brag about. And even better, severe damage to his vitals organs do not seem to slow him down much. Zoro is probably the most resilient member of the crew and all he needs is some good sleep or liquor/sake to recover from almost any ailment.

One of Zoro's great weaknesses is his lack of sense of direction. He has none to speak of. It is a miracle that he knows his left from his right. The first indication of this is during his first conversation with Luffy on the sea when he says (in so few words) that he got lost trying to get back to his home. One tends to read that as he simply does not know how to navigate, but as the series progresses, we find that the only reason he actually manages to end up at the right place at the right time, is purely by luck.

Only half-serious about this one but Zoro has a tendency to be distracted during battle by poor gags or jokes. This is glaringly clear in his duel at Enies Lobby where his reaction to a seemingly absurd attack allows him to be taken by surprise.

Zoro’s greatest weakness is actually a woman, the impossibly near-sighted Marine Headquarters Ensign Tashigi. After first meeting her in Logue Town, Zoro has been unable to face her without running away because of her uncanny resemblance to someone from his past.

Zoro Spoilers


Click this link and highlight the text to see Zoro Spoilers. If you're a big Zoro fan, these will be considered large spoilers for those who have not read past the Arabasta arc.


Zoro's Special Attacks


The Three Swords of Zoro Roronoa

After he takes up the sword of his fallen rival and training partner Kuina, Zoro trains himself in the way of the Three Sword School. He holds two swords in his hands, and a third, Kuina’s, in his mouth. However, he is just as formidable an opponent with two swords or one...sometimes none at all. At the beginning of One Piece only one of Zoro’s three swords, Wadou Ichimonji, had a special origin, it belonged to his rival Kuina. His other two were never named and destroyed during his first battle against Mihawk. As of this writing (Vol. 48) Zoro’s swords are as follows:

Wadou Ichimonji “The Straight Path of Harmony”: One of the 21 Oo Wazamono ‘21 Great Edges’ and formerly the sword of Kuina. After her death, with permission from her father, Zoro took her sword and swore on it to obtain the title, Strongest Swordsman in the World. Zoro was unaware of the sword’s history as one of the Oo Wazamono until it was brought to his attention in Logue Town. He calls this sword his treasure and it is used exclusively as the sword in his mouth.

Sandai Kitetsu “Demon-Splitter the Third”: Although not belonging to the Saijou Oo Wazamono, Oo Wazamono or Ryou Wazamono, this cursed sword is a Wazamono (literally ‘Sharp Sword’). The second generation of the sword, Nidai Kitetsu, is an Oo Wazamono and the first generation, Shodai Kitetsu, is a Saijou Oo Wazamono Greatest of the Great Edges. Zoro obtains this sword in Logue Town from a small weapons shop. Because of the grim history of this family of swords, no one will use them since their owners have all had tragic deaths. Zoro ignores the warnings of a curse on the sword and tests his compatibility with it by flipping it into the air and holding his arm out in its path. The sword harmlessly flips off his arm by striking him with the blunt side. When the owner of the shop sees this display of fearlessness he gives the sword to Zoro free of charge.

Shushui “Autumn Water”: One of the 21 Oo Wazamono ‘21 Great Edges’ and formerly the sword of a legendary samurai from Wanokuni. The sword is described as a 'Black Blade' of which there seem to exist several in the world of One Piece. One is in the possession of Zoro's target Mihawk, the Black Blade Night, a Saijou Oo Wazamono, one of the 12 Supreme Edges. Shusui features a unique midareba or irregular temper line known as 'daisakachoji' or 'Superior Slanted Clove Blossom' which is named as such for the ripples in the temper line which resemble clove blossoms that slant towards the base of the blade. As far as I can tell, the 'superior' part of the name makes the style original to One Piece, however, 'sakachoji' is a real temper line style. The name of the sword, when written with different kanji, could also mean 'drawing water from a river' which gives it a particularly frightening double-meaning as a katana. Here yet again we see more signs of the fall season associated with Zoro.


Previously Used Swords

The Two Katana: The two non-descript katana Zoro was seen using when he first met Luffy. If these had any special origin or significance, it is not known. Mihawk destroyed them.

The Swords of Yasoku & Johnny: During the final battle at Arlong Park, Zoro’s pals gave him their swords to use in place of his two that were destroyed by Mihawk.

Yubashiri “Snow Run”: Upon seeing Zoro’s display of trust in his swords, Ippon Matsu, the owner of a weapons shop in Logue Town, bestows Yubashiri, one of the 50 Ryou Wazamono, on Zoro without charge. He realized that Zoro was a true swordsman and deserved the sword. This sword was rusted beyond repair by Devil Fruit user Marine Headquarters Captain Shuu during the conflict at Enies Lobby.

Hana Arashi “Nose Storm”: Zoro's impromptu 'sword' during the battle against Kaku and Jabra. He called the 'sword' a meitou which means a famous blade but the 'sword' is actually Sogeking who under an...er...'interesting'...set of circumstances ended up handcuffed to Zoro. By having Sogeking hold Yubashiri straight out, Zoro used his monstrous strength to wield him like a massive sword which he named during the battle. Zoro did not use Hana Arashi for much more than a few swipes and one attack but the novelty is something fans are sure not to forget anytime soon. Incidentally, 'hanarashi' is a term used for obnoxiously loud nasal breathing.

Supposed Marine Sword: After Yubashiri was literally rusted to pieces by Marine HQ Captain Shuu at Enies Lobby, Zoro grabbed a sword (presumably off of another Marine) to use in the skirmish. The sword has not been seen since the encounter at Enies Lobby.


Physical Power-Ups

Far into the story, Zoro displayed the ability to make himself temporarily stronger through a kind of natural 'doping'. How often he will perform this technique and if it will ever receive any kind of expansion remains to be seen.
Name of Attack Translation Villains Used Against Location in Manga Special NotesPun or Extra Meaning
Ichi Gorira
One Gorilla
Kaku, Odr
Vol.43 pg146. Vol.48 pg218.
Zoro is able to physically control and expand the triceps and biceps in his left arm; a result of his rigorous daily training. With this ability Zoro can control the differences between the raw power and subtle strength of his swords.
The first kanji, ichi, is obviously one. The three characters following it however, would tend to be read 'gourikira' but this word doesn't exist and Oda picked out a few syllables to create 'gorira'. The individual characters literally mean 'Rigid/Strong Power Cloth' but the last character 'ra' is the same 'ra' used in his attack Rashomon and from his Asura form. Even though the meaning of ra here sounds weak in translation, the presence of the kanji itself creates a sensation of 'Japaneseness' or even Buddhist underlinings. This is one of the few cases were a translation or localization does not do reading the name in its original language justice.
Ni Gorira
Two Gorilla
Kaku, Odr
Vol.43 pg146. Vol.48 pg218.
Zoro is able to physically control and expand the triceps and biceps in his right arm; a result of his rigorous daily training. With this ability Zoro can control the differences between the raw power and subtle strength of his swords.
The first kanji, ni, is obviously two. The three characters following it carry the meaning described above in Ichi Gorira.


No Sword School Attacks

Name of Attack Translation Villains Used Against Location in Manga Special NotesPun or Extra Meaning
Tatsu Maki
Dragon Coil
Pickles
Vol.32 pg137.
Using no swords whatsoever Zoro creates the form of a Dragon with his bare hands and rotates his torso creating a surge of wind that fires his enemy away or at a specific target.
Tatsumaki as Oda has written it literally means means 'Dragon Coil' but another writing of the same word can mean ‘cyclone’.


One Sword School Attacks

Name of Attack Translation Villains Used Against Location in Manga Special NotesPun or Extra Meaning
Shishi Son Son
Lion Song
Mr. 1, Kaku
Vol.21 pg183. Vol.43 pg145
Zoro draws one sword and slices through his enemy after finding their “breath”.
Shishisonson read differently in Japanese means “One’s Offspring”. This move is an 'iaido' or 'iaijutsu' commonly translated as 'The Way of Mental Presence and Instantanious Reaction". There are many different schools that teach various forms of it but to keep this description simple, iaido techniques are quick reactionary sword drawing methods followed by a swift attack and resheathing. This attack was the first sign that Zoro possessed such a skill. In 2005, this was selected as the 10th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 410 votes.
Sanjuuroku Pondo Hou
Thirty-Six Pound Cannon
Braham, Ohm, Kaku
Vol.28 pg79. Vol.29 pg142. Vol.43 pg64.
Zoro shoots a cutting wave at his enemy with one sweep of the Wadou Ichimonji
Here goes. Cannons are typically named by the weight of their projectile. So this is a 36lb. Cannon. However, the ‘pondo’ is a play on the word ‘bonnou’ which is in the kanji name of the attack. Bonnou means the ‘earthly troubles or desires of the mind’. Meanwhile the 'hou' also has a double meaning. 'Hou' would be the word for cannon but Oda has used a kanji of the same pronunciation which means 'phoenix', hence the projectile nature of the attack. In review, Zoro is firing one lifetimes of 36 earthly desires at his opponent via a Phoenix. Ouch
Hiryu Kaen
Soaring Dragon Blaze
Ryuma
Vol.48 pg160-161.
Holding Wadou Ichimonji in his left hand, Zoro leaps high into the air. Bearing down on his target from above, Zoro grabs his left wrist to strengthen his grip and horizontally slices his opponent's belly deep and swiftly actually igniting his them from the friction of the attack. Should his opponent be wearing heavy clothing they will quickly be engulfed in flames.
The kanji literally read as 'Flying Dragon Blaze' which is exactly what Zoro mimics as he jumps into the air and swoops down on his opponent, setting them on fire. However, if the reading of 'hi' is altered to 'bi' (a common change in kanji compounds) the resulting 'biryukaen' is a term for the medical condition Inflamed Rhinophyma where bulbous red bloches appear on the nose.


Two Sword School Attacks

Name of Attack Translation Villains Used Against Location in Manga Special NotesPun or Extra Meaning
Taka Nami
Hawk Wave
100 Bounty Hunters of Whiskey Peak, Ohm
Vol.12 pg184. Vol.29 pg140.
Using two swords, Zoro slashes and sends a cutting wave towards a target or targets when he is in the air.
Takanami simply means a tall wave.
Saikuru
Cycle
Franky Family
Vol.34 pg175.
Holding two swords in front of him like rhino horns, Zoro spins and blows weak opponents flying away.
The kanji for this attack may be read as "sai" and "kuru" or 'Circling Rhino'.
Rashomon
Rashomon
Sea Express Car, Ryuma
Vol.39 pg74. Vol.48 pg152
The second of Zoro's frighteningly powerful iaido techniques. This variation is capable of cutting through massive steel objects. Unlike Shishisonson which was from a standing position, this technique begins and finishes in a seated position. Like Shishison we do not see the move itself, only Zoro's swords reentering their sheethes. Being a two sword technique it is somewhat unorthodox for the otherwise single sword school of attacks.
Rashomon is the modern day name of Rajoumon, a gate that signified the southern entrance to Kyoto in the Heian period. Over time the gate decayed and became frequented by thieves as well as generally being associated with evil as a symbol of the rotting state of Japanese moral and societal bodies. The gate would later be featured in several different forms of short stories and plays. It even became a central theme in the film of the same name by Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa of whom Oda is a huge fan.
Nanajuuni Pondo Hou
Seventy-Two Pound Cannon
Kaku, Ryuma
Vol.42 pg34. Vol.48 pg153.
Zoro shoots a cutting wave at his enemy with one sweep of the swords in his hands
Cannons are typically named by the weight of their projectile. So this is a 72lb. Cannon. However, the ‘pondo’ is a play on the word ‘bonnou’ which is in the kanji name of the attack. Bonnou means the ‘earthly troubles or desires of the mind’. Meanwhile the 'hou' also has a double meaning. 'Hou' would be the word for cannon but Oda has used a kanji of the same pronunciation which means 'phoenix', hence the projectile nature of the attack. In review, Zoro is firing two lifetimes of 36 earthly desires at his opponent (which adds up to 72) via a Phoenix. Ouch!
Nigiri
Double Cleave
Kaku, Surprise Zombie, Ryuma
Vol.43 pg137. Vol.47 pg18. Vol.48 pg150.
Holding both swords perpendicular to his trunk, this stance typically initiates a series of two-sword attacks.
Here Oda substitutes the standard 'Oni' from his Oni Giri series with 'Ni'. The kanji is an older form of writing the number 'two'. While the characters mean Double Cleave, 'nigiri' is normally the name for the standard form of sushi recognizeable around the world as an oval mound of rice covered by raw fish. The attack names that follow in this stance are all associated with sushi and deal with two blades. Note that 'nigiru' means to grip and Zoro is gripping his two swords in a specific style.
Tourou
Climbing the Tower
Kaku
Vol.43 pg137.
Part of Zoro's Nigiri stance attack, Zoro holds both swords above his head, edges up, and jumps straight up in an attempt to damage his opponent's head/neck. An excellent attack for tall villains.
Although the kanji indicates 'climbing the tower', continuing in the vein of the Nigiri stance, 'toro' in the world of sushi is the term for a regular quality cut of tuna. There is no 'the' in the attack but I decided to name it in the same style as 1970's over the top translations of martial arts films. This is because Oda made most of these kanji combinations up himself to begin with.
Outourou
Reply to Climbing the Tower
Kaku
Vol.43 pg138.
Immediately following Climbing the Tower, this is a follow-up or 'response' if you will. At the peak of his jump Zoro swings both arms over his shoulder and then slices down the center of his opponent. A truly vicious attack if it connects. The force of his swing alone has the power to shatter inanimate obstacles.
Again, the kanji for this attack literally mean their translation, however, as part of the Nigiri stance, 'otoro' is the highest quality cut of tuna for sushi.
Hirameki
Flash
Kaku, Surprise Zombie, Ryuma
Vol.43 pg138. Vol.43 pg18. Vol.48 pg150.
Typically following Reply to Climbing the Tower this is a horizontal strike to Zoro's opponent's face with his two gripped swords while still in mid-air.
Although 'Hirameki' certainly means flash, Oda was going for bust with his third attack in Zoro's Nigiri stance. Take away the 'ki' and you've got 'hirame'. Hirame has several translations depending on where you're from but the basic idea is a seasonal flat fish; for example: halibut or flounder. Again, a very popular kind of fish used in sushi.
Samon
Sand Crest
Kaku
Vol.43 pg138.
Another attack in Zoro's Nigiri stance, this is a diagonal downward slash aimed at the top of his opponent's head. Like other attacks in the Nigiri series, Zoro's swing of the swords produces a powerful wave.
The 'crest' in question would be a family crest. Like many family names have a family crest depending on their country of origin, Japanese people also have a similar tradition. Why Oda chose this particular kanji I cannot even attempt to imagine but I can explain the joke. Elongating the 'sa' will produce 'saamon' or salmon, yet another staple fish used for sushi.
Maguma
Magma
Ryuma
Vol.48 pg150.
Another of the Nigiri stance attack that seems to follow Hirameki against human-sized opponents. Holding two swords, blades out, above his head parallel to his trunk, Zoro leaps forward in a full-body lunge attack. The impact he makes against an opponent, when blocked, sends out shock waves strong enough to crack a stone wall.
The reading maguma is composed of the kanji ma and kuma, literally Demon Bear, however the reading in katakana indicates the name be read as the English 'magma'. Somewhat of an odd one out for the Nigiri stance, while all of Zoro's Nigiri moves have been written exclusively in kanji with hiragana yomigana as of Vol.48, Magma is the first to have its reading written in katakana resulting in an English reading. Additionally, while all Nigiri moves as of Vol.48 have included the full name of a kind of fish used in sushi, Magma is the first to drop a whole syllable of the fish's name, here being 'maguro' or tuna.


Three Sword School Attacks

Name of Attack Translation Foe Used Against Location in MangaDescriptionPun or Extra Meaning
Oni Giri
Demon Cleave
Cabaji, Mihawk, Hacchan, Luffy, Mr. 1
Vol.2 pg188. Vol.6 pg130. Vol.10 pg81. Vol.13 pg77. Vol.21 pg152.
Zoro crosses his arms and cuts through his enemy by uncrossing them against his foe’s chest.
An ‘onigiri’ is a small rice ball you can carry with you and eat whenever. A staple Japanese snack. In 2005, this was selected as the 11th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 385 votes.
Tora Gari
Tiger Hunt
Nyaaban Brothers, Mihawk, Mr. 1, Braham
Vol. 4 pg144. Vol.6 pg136. Vol.21 pg154. Vol.28 pg71.
Sword in mouth, Zoro puts his other swords behind his left side then swings the two swords forward diagonally down to his front right side.
Toragari is a type of haircut. Interesting to note that he first used this attack against feline-themed opponents.
San-Zen-Sekai
Third Millenium World
Mihawk
Vol.6 pg142
With sword in mouth, Zoro flips his other two swords in front of him like a windmill, then rushes his opponent, cutting through them. He finishes with his left hand in front, and his right hand behind him.
In Buddhist terms, Sanzen Sekai, literally '3000 Worlds', represents the universe. A far more common term, Ichinen Sanzen, literally '3000 realms in a moment of life' is the concept of existing in the moment of the universe. In 2005, this move tied with Luffy's Gomu Gomu Bullet as the 28th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 68 votes.
Tou Rou Nagashi
Sinking Blade Wolf
Hacchan
Vol.10 pg71.
Zoro must be very close for this maneuver. He falls backwards on one foot towards his opponent and uses two swords to defend himself while using his third to cut the stomach of his foe and finally uses his foot to flip himself behind them.
The kanji here literally read 'Blade Wolf Flow' but a 'nagashi' as written is usually something that lets a liquid pass down, much like Zoro arches back and down for this attack. Tourounagashi is a Japanese ceremony for the dead in which paper lanterns are sent down a river. In 2005, this was selected as the 5th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 995 votes.
Tatsu Maki
Dragon Coil
Hacchan, Juror, Kaku
Vol.10 pg83. Vol.41 pg34. Vol.43 pg156.
Zoro holds his swords raised and facing forward at his side, then spins and creates a rising coil that takes the unfortunate recipient of the attack up in the air with it. The coil is sharp as a blade and will cut the foe if they touch it doing double damage. Should his opponent move around after being hit successfully by this attack, they will lose a significant amount of blood.
Tatsumaki means ‘cyclone’.
Yaki Oni Giri
Burning Demon Cleave
Mr. 5
Vol.14 pg175.
The same as Oni Giri, but Zoro’s swords are on fire and ignite his opponent when he cuts them. They must be lit from an external source.
Yaki onigiri is really a fried rice ball. In 2005, this was selected as the 30th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 60 votes.
Ushi Bari
Bull Horns
Mr. 1
Vol.21 pg143.
His starting position is similar to Oni Giri, but here Zoro points his swords forward, then rushes his opponent and uncrosses his hands, ending with his swords pointing upwards.
An ushibari is a beam of Japanese pine that is used when constructing an aesthetically harmonious and traditional Japanese-style room.
Gazami Dori
Crab Clutch
Mr. 1
Vol.21 pg170.
This is hard to explain. With sword in mouth, Zoro puts his right arm across his chest in a backwards “L” shape. The sword in that hand is positioned above the sword in his mouth. His left hand is lowered and he holds that sword below the other two. His three swords form a crab claw-like shape. He ‘closes the claw’ on his opponent in an attempt to sever a part of them.
Kazamidori means ‘weathervane’.
Hyaku Hachi Pondo Hou
108 Pound Cannon
Ohm
Vol.29 pg146.
A simply amazing technique. With Wadou Ichimonji in his mouth, Zoro holds his other two swords above his right shoulder and slices downward, sending three cutting waves at his unlucky opponent. The waves can slice through barriers and still have enough speed and power to cut down an enemy.
Cannons are typically named by the weight of their projectile. So this is a 108lb. Cannon. However, the ‘pondo’ is a play on the Japanese word ‘bonnou’ which is in the kanji name of the attack. Bonnou is a Buddhist-related term which means the ‘earthly troubles or desires of the mind’. Meanwhile the 'hou' also has a double meaning. 'Hou' would be the word for cannon but Oda has used a kanji of the same pronunciation which means 'phoenix', hence the projectile nature of the attack. In review, Zoro is firing three lifetimes of 36 earthly desires at his opponent (which adds up to 108) via a Phoenix. OUCH!! Note that each lifetime has 36 sins, and each of Zoro's swords represents a lifetime. This is the third, probably final and strongest incarnation of the attack. In 2005, this was selected as the 15th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 219 votes.
Karasuma Gari
Crow Demon Hunt
Franky Family
Vol.35 pg56.
With three swords, Zoro cuts through projectiles in mid-air. He can even cut cleanly through cannonballs.
In areas of Hokuriku and Kyuushuu in Japan, karasumagari is slang for a leg cramp.
Gyuuki Yuuzume
Bull Demon Brave Hoof
T-Bone
Vol.39 pgs83 & 82.
An evasive charging manuever followed by a powerful lunge. Zoro is able to pass through an enemy's strike (if it is a wave-like attack) and follow it with a powerful lunge extending one sword directly in front of him while gripping his other sword above his head parallel to the other. It has proven to be powerful enough to finish a Marine HQ Captain in one blow.
Where do I even begind with the meaning behind this one? First of all, here Oda has chosen to have the characters for Bull Demon read as Gyuuki but most commonly this combination is read as 'ushioni'. Ushi Oni literally means 'cow demon' which is one of the many Japanese youkai (evil spirits) that was once believed to have existed in Japan. To further complicate matters there are actually a number of different variations of the demon with respect to size, shape, residence, etc. Ehime and Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku island have their share of Ushi Oni legends but perhaps the one Oda was looking for here was the Ushi Oni believed to inhabit the coasts of Western Japan since the scene in which said attack was used occurred at sea which is where that 'cow demon' was believed to have existed. Yuuzume is simple as it just means 'brave hoof'. However, when you put the two words together, you get 'gyuukiyuuzume' and in Japanese a 'ki' in the middle of combined kanji often changes to 'gi' which in turn, with a little creativity on the reader's part, will ultimately lead one to read it as 'gyuugyuuzume' which is a term to describe something packed in tightly, most commonly 'a packed train'. Hopefully you'll get the gag of this attack name overflowing in innuendo when you read it in the context of the story.
Enbima Yonezu Oni Giri
Sleepless Beautiful Demon Cleave
World Government Agents, Marines
Vol.40 pg189.
A strange aura surrounds Zoro which makes his swords appear to twist and turn. Zoro then goes from a standing position to a dashing lunge which cuts a path through a large number of enemies sending them flying.
The attack name in kanji is mostly a creation of Oda's with no particular origin or meaning. But the reading, when moved around a bit, becomes a humorous play on words. Instead of 'enbima yonezu' when read as 'enbi mayonezu' the whole picture becomes clear as 'ebi mayoneezu onigiri' means a 'shrimp and mayonnaise riceball'.
Nigorizake
Double Might Cleave
Kaku, Odr
Vol.43 pg146. Vol.48 pg218.
After his 'Gorilla' power-up, Zoro rushes his opponent in an otherwise generic triple sword attack using all of his strength. The attack appears to be used in an effort to push back an opponent he knows can counter his normal blows. The result is a match of raw power. Should Zoro succeed in overcoming his opponent, he can force them backwards.
There is no decent translation for this attack, but I did my best to bring you something close to the original meaning. The attack literally means, 'two strong/rigid power slicing'. This was problematic because strong/rigid and power next to each other carry different meanings in Japanese but sound remarkably similar and cliche next to each other in English so I subtituted might for both of them. Oda's gag here leaves the gorilla reference slightly behind as it directly refers to a type of Japanese sake, nigorizake. Nigorizake is an unrefined form of sake that contains unfermented rice bits giving it a cloudy or milky appearance. Actually, all my bets were on this attack being named something along the lines of Triple Gorilla as this would have included all of his swords and been a great play on the Western Lowland Gorilla whose actual scientific classification is, Gorilla gorilla gorilla. Oda missed out big time on that one.
Hyou Kin Dama
Panther Koto Ball
Kaku
Vol.43 pg159.
Zoro crouches like a panther and jumps into his opponent while rotating with his swords at his side acting like a human garbage disposal. Although dodging appears to be a simple matter of side-stepping this attack, evidently Zoro has a certain level of control over his movements in mid-air and can slice his opponent without them even realizing it.
The kanji for this attack read exactly as translated where koto is a Japanese harp. A strange combination for sure and certainly a bit forced as a gag on the term 'hyoukin' meaning funny or facetious. Oda seems to be stretching the limits of his own language by adding dama, most likely to indicate it being a 'funny person' but the connection is weak at best. The only other possible meaning would be another reading of 'dama' as 'king' used solely in playing Shogi. This results in the meaning of 'The Foolish King' but this is a highly unlikely (read: next to impossible) referrence and I've only mentioned it for trivial purposes.


Nine Sword School Attacks

Zoro unleashes the true 'demon spirit' within him and assumes the form of the three-headed six-armed Asura. This initiates his 'kyuutouryuu' or Nine Sword School arsenal of attacks. Such demigods are known as the Ashura in Japan, however, they are commonly called Asura in Western literature and documents which acknowledge their roots in Hinduism. For the description of the form in One Piece you will read below, I decided to use the spelling Asura. The reasoning for my choice deserves an explanation as it was the source of a fierce debate that raged on for many minutes within myself on a cloudy Saturday morning. For the term in question, Japanese use kanji that is frequently accompanied by yomigana through hiragana. However, here we see Oda has chosen to write the yomigana in katakana which gives the name a foreign flair. I considered using Ashura to give the attack that same feeling for Western readers but when I looked at the page where Zoro performs his first finishing move with the form, on one page 'Asura' is written in gigantic (well, for furigana anyway) katakana while on the next page the attack name was accompanied by equally large yomigana in hiragana, I decided that the contrast was too great and obviously intended to have a different 'feeling' than its Japanese root. Thus said, the form will be known here as Asura. Any other explanations will refer to the mythical beings as Ashura since I'm directly addressing their role in Japan. Which I will do right now.

Ashura are believed to have been one of the Six States of Existence otherwise known as the Six Pathes in Japanese Buddhism. This ladder-like representation of the otherwise cyclic form of birth, death and rebirth consists of (from evil to enlightenment): Beings in Hell, Hungry Spirits, Animals, Ashura, Humans and Deva. As a side note, some of you with a decent vocabulary in 'Anime Japanese' may recognize two of these states as common Japanese insults or curses. Hungry spirits are known as 'gaki' which in modern Japanese is traslated as 'brat'. Animals here are called 'chikushou' which literally means 'living beast' but is now translated as 'Damnit!' or 'Damn you!'. Okay, so enough trivia. Ashura were just below humans and possessed both goodness and evil. Their depiction of having multiple faces and more arms than usual was actually to show that they were capable of being both reasonable and warlike. Kind of like our good man Zoro. His attacks in the form are listed below.

Name of Attack Translation Villains Used Against Location in Manga Special NotesPun or Extra Meaning
Asura
Asura
Kaku
Vol.43 pg165.
Zoro reveals the fierce demon fighting spirit within him as Asura, the stance that allows him to perform his powerful Nine Sword School attacks. This is not an attack, merely a stance or form. As of this writing since not much has been seen of him in this form we cannot know for certain yet but 'Asura' may precede the name of any attack while in said state. Thus it may be similar to how he announces, "Two sword school", or, "Three sword school", etc. before a normal attack. The data book One Piece Yellow made a point to put a space between Asura and the name of his first attack, Ichibugin, so I will follow suit until we find out otherwise.
The kanji here does not have any special or hidden meanings but I will explain what the kanji means. The first kanji 'a' is prefix for names. One finds this used many times in Japanese translations of imported Buddhist terms for spirits or buddha and thus is commonly taken to mean 'spirit'. The second and third characters together 'shura' mean 'fighting' or 'carnage'. Thus the common translation of Ashura as 'fighting spirit'.
Ichibugin
One Mist of Silver
Kaku
Vol.43 pg165-167.
Zoro fiercely slashes through anything in his path seemingly reducing all to mist and lands a terrfying finishing blow to his opponent's weak spot with the full force of his three blades. While in the Asura state, his appearance makes it impossible to discern which sword is real and which is his spirit. Any chance of an effective block is rendered almost useless.
The actual 'ichibu gin' (one part silver) were rectangular units of money used in Japan from the Edo to Meiji era and became a popular form of currency when dealing with foreign trading. Here Oda replaced the 'one' with a traditional form of the written number (also seen on the stomach of Mr. 1) and 'part' with 'mist' which has a similar reading.


    Officially Listed Battles Fought
  1. Zoro & Luffy VS Morgan [Chapter 4-6]
  2. Zoro VS Buggy [Chapters 10-11]
  3. Zoro VS Cabaji [Chapters 16-17]
  4. Zoro VS Siam & Buchi [Chapters 32-36]
  5. Zoro VS Mihawk Dracule [Chapters 50-52]
  6. Zoro VS Arlong’s Gang [Chapters 72]
  7. Zoro VS Hacchan [Chapters 84-86]
  8. Zoro VS Tashigi [Chapter 100]
  9. Zoro VS 100 Bounty Hunters & Frontier Agents [Chapters 107-109]
  10. Zoro VS Luffy [Chapters 111-113]
  11. Zoro VS Wapol’s Guards [Chapters 139-141]
  12. Zoro, Luffy & Sanji VS The Great Lizard of Sandora [Chapters 162]
  13. Zoro & Luffy VS Bananadile [Chapters 176]
  14. Zoro VS Boness Daz [Chapters 190-196]
  15. Zoro, Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Usopp & Vivi VS Mr. 7 & Miss. Fathers Day [Chapters 205-207]
  16. Zoro & Luffy VS Bellamy [Chapters 224-225]


Yet to be Listed Conflicts


The last published One Piece guide that contained specific conflict listings (Grand Data File Blue) covered events through Volume 24. The following are my opinion of battles that occurred post Volume 24. As soon as an accurate official list is published, I will alter this data to reflect what is acceptable. The criteria for determining what I use to define a conflict has been linked to in this space on the Luffy Profile page.
  • Zoro VS Giant Centipede [Chapter 231]
  • Zoro VS Giant Crickets [Chapter 231]
  • Zoro VS Sky Octopus [Chapter 237]
  • Zoro, Luffy and Sanji VS Wiper [Chapter 237]
  • Zoro VS Sky Shark [Chapter 245]
  • Zoro, Chopper & Robin VS Nora [Chapter 255]
  • Zoro VS Shandia Guerilla [Chapter 258]
  • Zoro VS Braham [Chapters 258-259]
  • Zoro VS Sky Eel [Chapter 259]
  • Zoro & Gun Fall VS Ohm & Holy VS Wiper VS Nora [Chapters 267-269]
  • Zoro & Gun Fall & Wiper VS Lambs of Ener [Chapter 269]
  • Zoro VS Ohm & Holy VS Wiper VS Nora [Chapter 270]
  • Zoro VS Lamb of Ener [Chapter 271]
  • Zoro VS Ohm [Chapters 271-272]
  • Zoro VS Holy [Chapter 272]
  • Zoro VS Ener [Chapters 273, 275]
  • Zoro & Wiper VS Ener [Chapter 275]
  • Zoro & Sanji VS Hamburg, Pickles & Big Pan [Chapter 309-312]
  • Zoro VS Sanji [Chapters 310 & 387]
  • Zoro, Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Sanji & Robin VS Ao Kiji [Chapter 320]
  • Zoro VS Franky Family [Chapters 324 & 325]
  • Zoro, Luffy, Sanji & Chopper VS Franky Family [Chapters 329-330]
  • Zoro VS Shipwrights [Chapters 333-334 & 346]
  • Zoro & Luffy VS CP9 [Chapters 348-349]
  • Zoro, Luffy, Franky Family & Galley-La VS Aqua Laguna [Chapter 367]
  • Zoro VS Runaway Train Car [Chapter 371]
  • Zoro VS T-Bone [Chapter 371]
  • Zoro & Sanji VS Marines & World Government Agents [Chapters 380-381, 385]
  • Zoro, Nami & Chopper VS Baskerville [Chapters 382 & 387]
  • Zoro VS Marines & World Government Agents [Chapter 387]
  • Zoro VS Jurors [Chapters 388-390]
  • Zoro, Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Chopper & Sogeking VS The World Government [Chapter 398]
  • Zoro VS Kaku [Chapters 400-401, 413-414 & 416-418]
  • Zoro & Sogeking VS Kaku [Chapter 402]
  • Zoro & Sogeking VS Kaku & Jabra [Chapters 402, 406, 409-410 & 412]
  • Zoro VS Shuu [Chapter 426]
  • Zoro, Nami, Robin, Franky & Sogeking VS Marine HQ Captains [Chapters 426]
  • Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Robin, & Franky VS Marine HQ Captains [Chapters 427-428]
  • Crew & Franky VS Buster Call [Chapters 428 & 429]
  • Zoro VS Michael & Hoichael [Chapter 432]
  • Zoro VS Helmeppo [Chapter 432]
  • Crew VS Garp [Chapters 438 & 439]
  • Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, Robin & Franky VS Absalom [Chapter 444]
  • Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, Robin & Franky VS Soldier Zombies (417) [Chapter 448]
  • Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, Robin & Franky VS Surprise Zombies [Chapter 450]
  • Zoro & Franky VS Soldier Zombies [Chapter 460]
  • Zoro & Franky VS Odr [Chapter 460]
  • Zoro, Usopp, Sanji & Franky VS Perona & Wild Zombies [Chapter 461]
  • Zoro VS Ryuma [Chapters 462, 466 & 467]
  • Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky & Brook VS Odr [Chapter 469 & 470]


Unlisted Conflicts


The requisites for some battles are questionable. It appears that if only one punch (or kick or whatever) is thrown, then it does not count as a battle (except in the very first bout listed). There are also different types of conflicts, (meaning other than throwing punches or kicks), which are not listed. These are my opinion and were not officially listed.
  • Zoro VS Sohro [Chapter 3 flashback]
  • Zoro VS Kuina [Chapter 5 flashback]
  • Zoro, Luffy & Sanji VS Hacchan [Chapter 83]
  • Zoro VS Arlong [Chapter 88-89]
  • Zoro & Luffy VS Mr. 5 & Miss. Valentine [Chapter 112]
  • Zoro, Luffy & Sanji VS Masira [Chapter 221]
  • Crew VS Shoujou [Chapter 226]




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