Roronoa Zoro

Infobox animanga character
color = #008000
name = Roronoa Zoro
series = One Piece


caption = Roronoa Zoro, from the anime and manga series "One Piece".
first = Manga Chapter #3
Anime Episode #2
last =
creator = Eiichiro Oda
voiced by = Japanese
Kazuya Nakai
Megumi Urawa (as a child)
Wataru Takagi (OVA)
English
Marc Diraison
Andrew Rannells (Young Zoro)
(4Kids)
Christopher Sabat
Brina Palencia (as a child)
Aaron Dismuke (as a child in video game)
(Funimation)
Brian Zimmerman
(Odex)
nickname = "Pirate Hunter" ["One Piece Manga" - Vol.1 - Chapter 3 - page 1 ((JP) ISBN 4-08-872509-3 (US) ISBN 1-56931-901-4 )] "Marimo"Mr. Bushido
age = 19 ["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 )]
gender = Male
species = Human
born = November 11th ["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 )]
height = 178 cm (5'10") ["One Piece Manga" - Vol. 10 - Chapter 83, Fan question: I wanna know the height of all 5.]
occupation = Pirate (Straw-Hat Pirates, Swordsman
relatives =
paux1 name = Bounty
paux1 = 120,000,000 Beli

nihongo|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, [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 )] was originally intended to be a bodyguard of Buggy the Clown. ["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 )]

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. ["One Piece Manga" - Vol.12 - Chapter 107((JP) ISBN 4-08-872822-X (US) ISBN 1-59116-852-X )]

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. [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 ),] Though not a samurai, he maintains his own code of honor. His goal is to become the greatest swordsman in the world [ [http://anime.ign.com/articles/838/838157p2.html IGN: One Piece Guide ] ] 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, ["One Piece Manga" - Vol.33 - Chapter 312 ((JP) ISBN 4-08-873593-5 )] and his physical strength is enough to lift a building. ["One Piece Manga" - Vol.21 - Chapter 194((JP) ISBN 4-08-873194-8 )] Zoro also has the ability to cut through solid steel, ["One Piece Manga" Vol.21 - Chapter 195((JP) ISBN 4-08-873194-8 )] 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, ["One Piece Manga" - Vol.43 - Chapter 417((JP) ISBN 4-08-874149-8 )] 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. ["One Piece Manga" - Vol.43 - Chapter 416((JP) ISBN 4-08-874149-8 )]

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. ["One Piece Manga" - Vol.1 - Chapter 5, page 10-16 ((JP) ISBN 4-08-872509-3 (US) ISBN 1-56931-901-4 )] 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

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 ' and ', 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 [ [http://www.vgcats.com/anime/?strip_id=6 VG Cats: "Animoo Break"] ] alongside Chopper, that comments on a trope within anime.

Trivia

According to Eiichiro Oda, Zoro resembles a shark. 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 )] Oda uses the color green to represent Zoro, and he smells of steel. 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 )] Oda has also said that Zoro's favorite foods are white rice, sea monster meat, and "stuff that goes with ale". 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 )]

Reception

Zoro is one of the most popular "One Piece" characters, ranking second in the most recent Japanese fan poll. [SBS questions: "One Piece Manga" - Vol.43 ((JP) ISBN 4-08-874149-8 )]

References

External links

* [http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/movie/2004_onepiece/index.html Toei Animation's Official "One Piece" Movie 5 Website]