Roronoa Zoro

Lore & Background

Zoro originally used two swords instead of three, and was originally planned to be part of Buggy the Clown's pirate crew before being recruited by Luffy. His surname, Roronoa, is based on the Japanese pronunciation of the name of the French pirate François l'Olonnais. In several Western adaptations, his name was spelled Zolo. Zoro commonly wears a plain white shirt, black pants, and a light-green haramaki sash that holds his three swords: Enma, Wado Ichimonji, and Sandai Kitetsu. He also has a black bandanna tied around his left bicep that he wears on his head only during serious battles. Under his shirt, his torso is heavily scarred from many battles, including a large diagonal scar from left shoulder to right hip received from fighting Dracule Mihawk. He has three golden earrings in his left ear. During a two-year time skip, Zoro gains a scar across his left eye, obtained during his training under Dracule Mihawk, although not confirmed by the anime. Regarding his ethnic appearance, Oda stated that he imagines Zoro to be of Japanese descent, albeit in a real-world context.

In Their Own Story

Roronoa Zoro first appears in the manga chapter "Enter Pirate Hunter Zoro," first published in Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on August 4, 1997. He first appears as a captured criminal awaiting execution at the hands of the Marines after offending Helmeppo by killing his pet wolf. Before the beginning of the series' narrative, Zoro made a pact with his childhood friend Kuina, vowing to become the strongest swordsman in the world, only for Kuina to die the next day in an accident. For years, Zoro hunted pirates as a bounty hunter alongside his friends Johnny and Yosaku after getting lost while trying to locate Dracule Mihawk. When Luffy offers Zoro the opportunity to join his crew, Zoro initially refuses. After Luffy saves him from execution, Zoro pledges his loyalty to him. Zoro encounters Mihawk at the Baratie, where he is easily defeated but nevertheless impresses him. After fighting Daz Bonez in Alabasta, Zoro's bounty was initially set at 60,000,000 but was later raised to 120,000,000 after his fight.

Reader's Guide

Zoro is a confident, serious, and stoic individual who tends to act impulsively, like his captain. He responds to minor conflicts in a comical, short-tempered manner. His notoriously poor sense of direction has become a running gag; he has gotten lost even while walking in a straight line. He is very insecure about this and always blames somebody else after losing his way. While the crew is at sea, Zoro can usually be found sleeping or training to achieve his goal of becoming the world's greatest swordsman. He and Vinsmoke Sanji have a long-running rivalry, often resorting to fights and insults over trivial problems. He notably never calls Sanji by name in the original Japanese manga; instead, he uses phrases like "dumb-cook" and "ero-cook." Sanji calls him phrases such as marimo (moss-head). Though not a samurai, he appears to maintain a certain degree of bushido and is frequently mistaken for one. Unlike Luffy and most of the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro has killed his opponents when necessary, though never in cold blood. Zoro enjoys fighting strong opponents and usually faces the second strongest villain in each story arc. Zoro often wears a maniacal grin and serious glare when battling a worthy opponent. On the ship, he usually either trains with weights or sleeps. The only tasks he is regularly seen doing are hoisting the anchor using his great strength and maintaining a lookout from the ship's crow's nest. He also likes sake, almost as much as Luffy likes meat, but like Nami, he never gets drunk due to his inhumanly high endurance and tolerance for alcohol. Despite his poor sense of direction, he is often the first to sense an enemy or danger and react. Zoro has stated that he does not pray to any god, does not care one way or the other, and has never believed in anything except himself; he believes that only one man is above him: his captain, Luffy. He has also stated that he would follow Luffy till the end of his journey—becoming the King of the Pirates—but that Luffy should not come between him and his dream of becoming the world's strongest swordsman and surpassing Dracule Mihawk in the process.

Did You Know?

• Zoro's surname, Roronoa, is based on the Japanese pronunciation of the name of the French pirate François l'Olonnais.
• Zoro originally used two swords instead of three, and was originally planned to be part of Buggy the Clown's pirate crew before being recruited by Luffy.
• Zoro's black bandanna was inspired by Nobuhiro Watsuki, one of Oda's best friends and mentors.
• Zoro has a scar across his left eye obtained during his training under Dracule Mihawk, although not confirmed by the anime.
• In the original Japanese manga, Zoro never calls Sanji by name, instead using phrases like 'dumb-cook' and 'ero-cook'.