One Piece: Zoro’s Most Important Relationships

Summary

• Zoro’s relationships have shaped him; from his master to fellow crew members, each bond has fueled his growth.
• Zoro shares exceptional camaraderie with crewmates like Usopp, Chopper, Nami, Sanji, and his captain Luffy.
• Zoro’s ambition to defeat Mihawk drives him; the strong teacher-pupil bond between made him even stronger.

One of the main themes of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is relationships between people, as the treacherous pirates of this story have managed to form close bonds with each other throughout their many dangerous adventures. Roronoa Zoro, the sword fighter of the famous Straw Hat Pirates, is obviously no exception to this phenomenon.

Zoro has been training his entire life to achieve one major goal: to defeat Dracule Mihawk in battle and become the World’s Greatest Swordsman. Needless to say, in order to accomplish his lifelong dream, he has formed some important relationships that have changed him forever, and these eight are some of the most prominent examples.

8

Shimotsuki Koushirou

His First Teacher And The Father Of His Childhood Friend

• First Appearance: Chapter 5 (Manga) Episode 19 (Anime)

Roronoa Zoro has definitely learned a lot about being a formidable swordsman, but it’s also important (for both him and the audience) to always remember his origins. His first master was Shimotsuki Koushirou, the master of Isshin Dojo who taught him the basics of sword fighting.

Despite young Zoro’s stubborn attitude and unusual techniques, he still clearly respected Koushirou and remembered his teachings at many points in the main story. Not only that, but he’s also the father of Zoro’s childhood friend, Kuina, and they both mourned her tragic death together. Because of this, Koushirou gave him Kuina’s sword, Wado Ichimonji, something that he’ll always be extremely grateful for.

7

Usopp

A Good Friend Whom He Inspires To Be Braver

• First Appearance: Chapter 23 (Manga) Episode 8 (Anime)

Needless to say, Zoro has created close relationships with every single member of the Straw Hat Pirates, but some are slightly more important to him than others, and one notable example is his friendship with Usopp, which is as funny as it is endearing. In reality, these two couldn’t be more different, with Zoro being stoic and calm, while Usopp is cowardly and extravagant.

But this huge contrast is what makes their friendship so special, especially since Zoro has also been inadvertently inspiring Usopp to be less cowardly and to use his strengths to stand up for himself, which has led to some impressive character development for the sniper of the crew. Despite all this, they still get along very well, and they have starred in many humorous scenes together, like when they faced Kaku and Jabra in the Enies Lobby Arc.

6

Tony Tony Chopper

He’s Basically Like A Younger Brother To Him

• First Appearance: Chapter 134 (Manga) Episode 81 (Anime)

The truth about Roronoa Zoro is that, despite his “tough guy” persona, he’s actually a goofball, not too different from Luffy. Basically, every other member of his crew can see through this façade, except for Tony Tony Chopper, whose innocence has always led him to be impressed by Zoro’s cool attitude.

Because of this, Chopper has basically become like a younger brother to him, and it’s clear that Zoro reciprocates those feelings, since he has repeatedly used his strength to protect him throughout many different adventures. Similarly to Usopp, his formidable attitude has inspired the young reindeer to become braver and stronger, and it has led to some major character development for both of them. This was especially prominent in the Wano Country Arc, where Zoro showcased how proud he is of Chopper, and explicitly proved how close they have become.

5

Nami

His Best Female Friend

• First Appearance: Chapter 8 (Manga) Episode 1 (Anime)

Zoro and Nami were the first two people to join the Straw Hat Pirates, which means that they have been friends and crewmates for quite a long time. Of course, they have a complicated relationship, since they can be constantly seen bickering with each other, not to mention that she has tried to scam him to get his money on multiple occasions.

But despite their differences, they both still clearly care a lot about each other, with Nami repeatedly trusting Zoro to use his incredible strength to take down powerful opponents, and Zoro admiring Nami’s navigation and leadership skills. Throughout the years, they managed to form a very close friendship, only comparable to the bond they both have with Luffy.

4

Sanji

A Good Friend, And An Even Greater Rival (But He Would Never Admit It)

• First Appearance: Chapter 43 (Manga) Episode 20 (Anime)

The fierce rivalry between Zoro and Sanji is definitely one of the most interesting and popular relationships in One Piece. These two powerful combatants have been competing against each other from the moment they met, and it eventually led to a lot of tension between them. Because of this, Zoro can be constantly seen fighting and insulting Sanji, and vice versa.

But that is what makes their odd friendship so special and surprisingly strong. Despite their differences, they still hold an incredible level of admiration and respect for the other, even if neither of them would ever admit it. Their mutual respect was showcased on multiple occasions, but it was especially evident during the Wano Country Arc, where Zoro trusted Sanji to defeat Queen without losing his humanity.

3

Dracule Mihawk

His Biggest Opponent Is Also His Most Important Teacher

• First Appearance: Chapter 49 (Manga) Episode 23 (Anime)

As previously mentioned, Zoro’s lifelong dream is to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman and, in order to accomplish that, he will have to defeat the current holder of that title, Dracule Mihawk, in combat. Surprisingly enough, he met and fought the former Warlord of the Sea very early on in his journey and, despite his immense confidence, suffered a crushing defeat.

Nevertheless, this was an important moment for Zoro because not only did he learn what it truly means to become a great swordsman, but also because he earned Mihawk’s respect, something that not many people have managed to accomplish. But what’s especially interesting is that Mihawk would later accept to train Zoro during the two-year time skip and, as a result, the swordfighter of the Straw Hat Pirates got much stronger and is now powerful enough to protect his friends on their journey through the New World. While Zoro’s dream hasn’t changed, and he still sees Mihawk as a major obstacle in his path, he clearly holds his new teacher in high regard, seeing as he taught him both how to use Haki and some of his best sword-fighting techniques.

2

Shimotsuki Kuina

A Beloved Childhood Friend Who Directly Inspired His Lifelong Dream

• First Appearance: Chapter 5 (Manga) Episode 2 (Anime)

When he was a young boy training at Isshin Dojo, Zoro met a girl named Shimotsuki Kuina and immediately formed a rivalry with her because she was way more skilled with the sword, and she managed to defeat him 2001 different times. But this rivalry eventually became a close friendship, as Kuina believed that she would never be able to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman just because she was a woman, but Zoro disagreed with that sentiment and made her promise that one of them was going to earn that prestigious title one day.

Unfortunately, Kuina tragically died in an accident a few days later, and her death left a huge impact on Zoro. Not only does he now wield her sword, Wado Ichimoj (which clearly means a lot to him), but he’s still focused on becoming the World’s Greatest Swordsman in order to fulfill the promise he made to her. Because of this, Zoro has fondly remembered Kuina almost every time he fought a dangerous opponent, like Mihawk or King. His close relationship with Kuina is also why he was shocked by Tashigi’s appearance, and why he has inadvertently gravitated towards her.

1

Monkey D. Luffy

His Captain Will Help Him Achieve His Dream And Change The Entire World

• First Appearance: Chapter 1 (Manga) Episode 1 (Anime)

Roronoa Zoro began his journey looking to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman, but it’s quite obvious that his objectives have changed greatly ever since he met Monkey D. Luffy. While he still wants to achieve his personal goal, he also has another important one in mind: to help Luffy become the King of the Pirates. And nothing will stop him until his captain rightfully earns that title and changes the entire world in the process.

Needless to say, Zoro would have gotten nowhere without Luffy and vice versa, because they trust each other and have created an incredible dynamic in which it almost seems like they always know what to do in life-or-death situations, without even needing to say a word. Of course, they also perfectly complement each other, with Luffy’s optimism helping Zoro many times and Zoro’s stoic personality inspiring Luffy to become a more strict and serious captain. As a result, they formed a very close and endearing relationship, and they have proven to be best friends on more than one occasion, like in the Baratie Arc, the Sabaody Archipelago Arc or the Wano Country Arc.