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Roronoa Zoro (ロロノア・ゾロ) (Written as Roronoa Zolo in the 4Kids dub and FUNimation edited dub, as well as the European English translation and English manga) is a fictional character in the manga and anime series One Piece by Eiichiro Oda. He is a swordsman and the first member to join the Straw Hat Pirates.

Creation and conception

Zoro, who's family name, Roronoa, comes from the real-life French pirate François l'Ollonais, was originally intended to be a bodyguard of Buggy the Clown.

Character outline

Personality

Zoro is often a serious character, and will never back down from a challenge if he asked for one. He says that he doesn't fear death, and will initially self-harm himself in various situations to help his comrades in need. An example of this is seen in Little Garden where he cuts his own legs to escape from Mr. 3's wax trap. Contrast to this, he can be seen pulling a goofy face at various moments. Zoro also has a rivalry with Sanji, as the two always try to out perform one another. Zoro is extremely poor at understanding geographical directions and gets lost very easily. Zoro also sleeps a great deal, and has been known to sleep through important events. Zoro also likes to drink, and although he has an abnormally high alcohol tolerance, he claims that a true swordsman should never let himself get drunk. Zoro is also very loyal to Luffy, even begging Bartholomew Kuma, a Shichibukai, to exchange Luffy's life for his.

Abilities

Zoro is a skilled swordsman, able to use one, two and three swords in varying attack styles, and even no swords, although he is most proficient with the fictional sword style Santōryū (literally: three sword style), clutching his third sword in his mouth. Zoro is somehow able to speak with his sword held in his mouth; Eiichiro Oda has stated that it is his heart that allows him to do so. Though not a samurai, he maintains his own code of honor. His goal is to become the greatest swordsman in the world by beating the current greatest swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk.

Zoro has several sword techniques at his disposal, using one sword, two swords, or all three. He is also capable of fighting effectively with no swords, and his physical strength is enough to lift a building. Zoro also has the ability to cut through solid steel, or materials as hard as steel, which he learned when fighting Das Bones (Baroque Works Mr. 1) in Arabasta. He is also capable of using the 'Asura' technique, which gives Zoro three faces and six arms, thus totaling nine swords. In addition, Zoro can expand the muscle mass of his arms, an ability he often employs to break through opponent's physical defenses.

Over the course of the story Zoro has used many different swords, carrying three at a time with one, the Wadō Ichimonji, remaining with him through the entire series thus far. His other notable swords are Sandai Kitetsu, Yubashiri (Yu-bashiri in the Viz translation) which he both got at a samurai sword shop in Loguetown. He recently obtained Shuusui (Autumn Water) which replaced the broken Yubashiri (which was broken by one of the Marine captains that attacked Enies Lobby). Most of Zoro's swords have been Meitou (Named Blade).

Plot overview

As a child, Zoro trained in a sword-fighting school, but although he could even beat his adult training comrades, he consistently lost to Kuina, his teacher's daughter. Eventually Kuina confided in him. Her father had told her that as a woman, she would naturally become weaker than Zoro and could never be the world's greatest sword-fighter. Infuriated by her words, Zoro told her that if one day he beat her, to explain it as a result of her gender would be an insult to the effort and training he put in to defeat her. The two children vow that one of them will become the world's strongest sword fighter. When Kuina dies in an accident, not long after, Zoro asks her father for her katana, and swears to become a swordsman so renowned that his name will be heard even in heaven. To fulfill this vow, he must defeat Dracule "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk, the man regarded as the strongest sword-fighter in the world of One Piece.

Once he grew up, he set out to find him. On his journey he made a living by bounty hunting, which lead to his nickname "Pirate Hunter". One day he protected a small girl named Rika from Helmeppo's vile pet dog. Strong as Zoro was, Helmeppo and the group of his father's Marine soldiers, would not have been able to capture him. But as the villain threatened to take revenge on Rika and her mother, Zoro agreed to be imprisoned for a month. After weeks without food, bound to a cross, he is too weak to free himself, as Helmeppo reveals that he never intended to set Zoro free again, but to kill him instead. Luffy, who had come to the island attracted by Zoro's fame among other things, gives him a choice, offering him to free him, if he agrees to join his pirate crew.

Appearances in other media

This article is in list format but may read better as prose. You can help by converting this article, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (September 2008)

Zoro has appeared in other media besides the manga and it's anime adaptation. He is featured in all the One Piece films and is the main character in One Piece Movie 5: Curse of the Sacred Sword.

Along with other One Piece characters, Zoro appeared in a Shonen Jump special, where Enel attacks Tokyo and Odaiba, in Cross Epoch the short story created in cooperation by Oda and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.

He is a playable character in most of the series video games, like Grand Battle and Unlimited Adventure, as well as in the Shonen Jump-related video games Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, and Battle Stadium D.O.N.

Zoro appears in a VG Cats comic alongside Chopper, that comments on a trope within anime.

Trivia

This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (October 2008)

According to Eiichiro Oda, Zoro resembles a shark. Oda uses the color green to represent Zoro, and he smells of steel.

Oda has also said that Zoro's favorite foods are white rice, sea monster meat, and "stuff that goes with ale".

Reception

Zoro is one of the most popular One Piece characters, ranking second in the most recent Japanese fan poll.

References

1. One Piece Manga - Vol.1 - Chapter 3 - page 1 ((JP) ISBN 4-08-872509-3 (US) ISBN 1-56931-901-4 )
2. One Piece Manga - Vol.4 - Chapter 27 - Fan question: What are the ages of Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Shanks?((JP) ISBN 4-08-872594-8 (US) ISBN 1-59116-337-4 )
3. One Piece Manga - Vol.15, Chapter 130, Fan question Oda-sensei!! I've been thinking about this a lot... what are Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji's birthdays? Tell us! ((JP) ISBN 4-08-873009-7 (US) ISBN 1-4215-1092-8 )
4. One Piece Manga - Vol. 10 - Chapter 83, Fan question: I wanna know the height of all 5.
5. SBS questions:One Piece Manga - Vol.4 - Chapter 28, Fan Question: Isn't the source of Zoro's name the famous pirate "Frances L'ollonais"? ((JP) ISBN 1-59116-337-4 )
6. One Piece Manga - Vol.3 - End of Chapter 24: The making of Buggy Pirate Crew ((JP) ISBN 4-08-872569-7 (US) ISBN 1-59116-184-3 )
7. One Piece Manga - Vol.12 - Chapter 107((JP) ISBN 4-08-872822-X (US) ISBN 1-59116-852-X )
8. SBS questions: One Piece Manga - Vol.5 - Chapter 43, Fan Question: You know, with Zoro's 3-sword style, I don't think he'd be able to talk with the sword in his mouth... Could it be... ventriloquism? ((JP) ISBN 4-08-872619-7 ),
9. IGN: One Piece Guide
10. One Piece Manga - Vol.33 - Chapter 312 ((JP) ISBN 4-08-873593-5 )
11. One Piece Manga - Vol.21 - Chapter 194((JP) ISBN 4-08-873194-8 )
12. One Piece Manga Vol.21 - Chapter 195((JP) ISBN 4-08-873194-8 )
13. One Piece Manga - Vol.43 - Chapter 417((JP) ISBN 4-08-874149-8 )
14. One Piece Manga - Vol.43 - Chapter 416((JP) ISBN 4-08-874149-8 )
15. One Piece Manga - Vol.1 - Chapter 5, page 10-16 ((JP) ISBN 4-08-872509-3 (US) ISBN 1-56931-901-4 )
16. VG Cats: Animoo Break
17. SBS questions: One Piece Manga - Vol.20 - Chapter 177, Fan question: What animals represent each of the 5 crew members, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami and Usopp? ((JP) ISBN 4-08-873158-1 )
18. SBS questions: One Piece Manga - Vol.40 - Chapter 380, Fan question: What colors represent the crew. What do each of the Straw Hat Crew smell like ((JP) ISBN 4-08-874003-3 )
19. SBS questions: One Piece Manga - Vol.45 Chapter 439, Fan Question: Luffy's favorite food is meat. What about everyone else on the crew? ((JP) ISBN 4-08-874314-1 )
20. SBS questions: One Piece Manga - Vol.43 ((JP) ISBN 4-08-874149-8 )

External links

• Toei Animation's Official One Piece Movie 5 Website

• Articles needing cleanup from September 2008
• Articles with sections that need to be turned into prose from September 2008
• Articles with trivia sections from October 2008
• One Piece characters
• Fictional pirates
• Fictional bounty hunters
• Anime and manga martial artists
• Fictional swordsmen
• Anime and manga characters with superhuman strength
• Fictional iaidouka