Characters Who Earned Zoro’s Respect

Summary

• Zoro respects characters who show bravery, heroism, and passion in battle like Monkey D. Luffy.
• Characters like Momonosuke, Killer, Tashigi, Kin’emon, Yasuei, and Law earned Zoro’s respect through their actions.
• Zoro acknowledges and respects Dracule Mihawk as the greatest swordsman after their battle.

As a man who dreams of one day becoming the greatest swordsman who ever lived, it certainly takes a lot to earn the respect of Roronoa Zoro. Considering how much Zoro loves fighting, the best way someone can earn his acknowledgment is by proving themselves in the heat of battle, but it can also come as a result of someone standing up for their beliefs and showing true passion and determination.

Therefore, while it’s a rare occurrence, there have still been several individuals throughout One Piece’s longrunning story who have earned the respect, and, in some cases, admiration from Zoro through their own actions. These are the One Piece characters who Luffy’s loyal right-hand man came to warm up to after watching them in action.

8

Kouzuki Momonosuke

Zoro Noticed Momonosuke’s Bravery And Heroism During The Wano Invasion

• First Appearance: Episode 611

Momonosuke doesn’t exactly give the best first impression when he shows up in Punk Hazard, at least not to Zoro. As a child who breaks down in tears every chance he gets, Zoro is largely dismissive of the little punk, but throughout the course of the Wano saga, he witnesses Momo go from snot-nosed brat to a true hero who earns the right to be called the shogun of his country.

Zoro’s acknowledgment of Momo’s strength really shines through when the latter assumes his adult form to help out in the final fight against Kaido’s forces. Zoro cracks a smile, and shows respect for how far Momo has come, especially due to how willingly he has decided to embrace the path of the samurai.

7

Killer

Zoro Views Killer In A More Respectable Lens After Their Sudden Encounter

• First Appearance: Episode 382

While Zoro technically fights Killer at Bandit’s Bridge during act 2 of Wano, his opponent isn’t exactly in a healthy state of mind to be partaking in a battle. Due to the effects of the SMILE fruit, Killer is forced to laugh uncontrollably, and though he manages to hold his own against Zoro for a while, he is eventually taken out by a deadly Onigiri.

When Killer shows up later on in the fight against Kaido and Big Mom, it’s clear from the smirk on Zoro’s face that he has come to understand why this man is considered a Supernova, considering how much of a fight he put up, even in his weakened state. When Killer mentioned he would have won the fight if he used his signature spinning blades, Zoro immediately started dreaming of a rematch between the two for him to test his own strength once again in the foreseeable future.

6

Tashigi

A Fellow Sword-User Who Shares A Striking Resemblance To Zoro’s Childhood Friend

• First Appearance: Episode 48

Zoro and Tashigi would first cross blades at Loguetown, and it’s fair to say they’ve had far from a straightforward relationship since then. Considering Tashigi is a Marine, that automatically makes her an enemy of Zoro and his crew, though the two have still come to hold a begrudging respect after clashing blades a few times. After Zoro bested Tashigi in their first duel, the Marine vowed to one day beat him in combat, not just for bragging rights, but also to acquire one of his swords; the Wado Ichimonji.

Zoro always jumps at the chance to challenge Tashigi to a fight any time he runs into her, and upon recognizing her newfound strength after the timeskip, he comes to greatly respect the Marine. Considering Tashigi looks so similar to Zoro’s childhood friend, Kuina, this is another reason why he may have warmed up to her so easily.

5

Shomitsuki Yasuie

Yasuie’s Heroic Sacrifice Had A Huge Impression On Zoro

• First Appearance: Episode 922

Zoro gets lost more than a few times when exploring the cast land of Wano, and on one of these occasions, he stumbles across a cheerful man by the name of Yasuie. After the man buys Zoro some food, the swordsman begins getting a little irritated at Yasuie’s constant laughter and chatter, but it doesn’t take long before he comes to realize why exactly the mysterious man can’t stop smiling.

In an attempt to throw Kaido’s forces off the scent of the rebellion, Yasuie makes the ultimate sacrifice and is mercilessly killed for his “crimes”. It turns out Yasuei was a victim of the discarded SMILE fruits, meaning he, and many other residents of Wano, can only express laughter. When putting the pieces together, and witnessing Yasuie’s death with his own eyes, Zoro gained a newfound admiration for the heroic martyr of Wano.

4

Trafalgar Law

Law’s Leadership Skills And Sword Expertise Were Picked Up On By Zoro

• First Appearance: Episode 392

Zoro didn’t seem to be all that trusting of Law when he randomly showed up in Punk Hazard, which is understandable, considering the Worst Generation member had decided to fall in line by becoming a Shichibukai who now answered to the Marines. Once the crew embarked for Dressrosa though, Zoro began to realize that law is actually a pretty pure-hearted pirate compared to many of the monsters who sail across the vast open seas, and came to see him as a useful ally who had proven himself to be a deadly swordsman.

While Zoro is always willing to work with anyone that Luffy considers a friend, Law has essentially become an honorary member of the Straw Hats who has saved their backsides on more than a few occasions. Law’s leadership skills have also helped prevent Zoro from getting lost on his travels, and while it doesn’t always work, these kinds of admirable qualities have still earned him a lot of respect from Zoro.

3

Kin’emon

Anyone Who Strives To Become A Worthy Samurai Is Deserving Of Respect In Zoro’s Book

• First Appearance: Episode 580

Though Zoro and Kin’emon might be wildly different in terms of their personalities, their love of swordsmanship and samurai is a common connection between the two. When Kin’emon randomly shows up in Punk Hazard, Zoro admits he’s only decided to help him due to the captain’s orders, but when Kin’emon suddenly slices a cloud of fire in two, it immediately piques the Straw Hats’ interest.

Throughout the course of the next few story arcs, Kin’emon would assume the responsibilities of leader as he led the samurai, Mink, and pirate alliance into battle. Being a skilled swordsman had already earned Kin’emon a lot of favor from Zoro, but becoming the passionate leader of a samurai army made him truly commendable by the time the gang reached Wano.

2

Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy Has Proven To Zoro That He’s Worthy Of Being The Swordsman’s Captain

• First Appearance: Episode 1

During the Water 7 arc, after Usopp goes into an emotional frenzy and leaves the crew, Zoro says that Luffy can only take him back if Usopp apologizes for his actions. Otherwise, what’s the point of everyone looking up to a captain who doesn’t demand respect? This scene essentially sums up Zoro and Luffy’s relationship, in the sense that, while they’re definitely close friends, Luffy also needs to prove why he is deserving of Zoro’s respect as a captain.

Luckily, through defeating tough opponents with his immense strength, and by acting as a reliable leader for his crew who can deal with tough internal issues, Luffy has been able to win over Zoro’s acknowledgment since they first met at the beginning of the series. Luffy may have seemed like little more than an elastic knucklehead at first, but once he started to show his determination and ideals through his actions, he would earn so much respect for Zoro that the swordsman was even willing to sacrifice his own life for his captain at the hands of Kuma.

1

Dracule Mihawk

All It Took Was One Battle For Mihawk To Earn Zoro’s Full Respect As A Swordsman

• First Appearance: Episode 23

When Zoro first spots Mihawk cruising alongside Baratie, he mentions that he had heard rumors of him being the strongest swordsman on the planet. As a result, despite only recently embarking on his grand adventure with Luffy, Zoro tries his hand at taking on the fearsome Shichibukai, only to be utterly humiliated. Needless to say, Zoro came to truly acknowledge and respect Mihawk’s full power after this fateful encounter, even more so when he would eventually train under his tutelage.

Zoro may have ambitious dreams of being the most skilled swordsman on the planet, but he still respects the legacy and expertise of Mihawk, whom he can only hope of one day defeating in battle. Any swordsman in the world of One Piece, no matter who they are or where they came from, must pay their respect to the one and only Dracule Mihawk.