By Mario Melo
Originally published November 21, 2022
I’m writing my grad school application’s writing sample on masculinity in Dracula. As a result, I’ve been looking for how male characters perform masculinity in all the media I consume. Usually, that means I end up thinking about Zoro from One Piece.
There’s something interesting to me about the way Oda writes Roronoa Zoro in One Piece. Keep in mind that we are on chapter 1067 as of November 17, 2022. Zoro, who was introduced in chapter three, has been with us longer than everybody except Koby and Luffy. I don’t have the space to talk about Koby, and all that matters for this context is that Luffy is the main character. At first, Zoro is a little selfish but that’s only because he has big dreams. Roronoa wants to become the World’s Strongest Swordsman, a title that currently belongs to Dracule Mihawk.
This is where episode 24 comes in. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I always say, “If you can watch episode 24 and not like One Piece then you should just drop it.” Episode 24 is the most defining episode for Zoro’s entire character arc because it sets up his two key characteristics. Before that though, he does try to fight Mihawk. Zoro is inherently self interested so his pride dictates that he must test his swords against the best the world has to offer. Everyone around Zoro never thought he would lose but they all watched him get humiliated as a swordsman.
But this is One Piece, a story about will power, so a half dead Zoro has something of a declaration to make. Zoro makes a promise to Luffy that he will become the World’s Strongest Swordsman and vows to never lose again. This moment lays the foundation for Zoro’s growth into his role as Vice-Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji are the most senior Straw Hat Commanders, both representing aspects of Luffy’s own masculinity. Zoro is a “man’s man”, focused on, seemingly, nothing other than his own strength. On the other hand, Sanji is a bit “softer”, being the ship’s cook, but that isn’t to say he lacks Zoro’s self-sacrificial nature. This is perfectly encapsulated in Thriller Bark, where after an arduous battle an even bigger threat appears. Luffy and the rest of the crew are out of commission, leaving it up to Zoro and Sanji. The problem is that neither of them have the strength to defeat this new threat, a threat that’s going after Luffy’s head. So Zoro attempts to strike a deal, his head instead of Luffy’s. Sanji must have heard those words because he proceeds to offer Kuma, the unbeatable Warlord of the Sea, the exact same deal Zoro just did. But Zoro won’t stand for it, because it’s his job to protect the entire crew, even “the stupid cook.” So he knocks Sanji out, lays his pride on the line, and promises to hold up his end of the bargain. Kuma, strangely enough, is moved by this display of loyalty and offers Zoro a different bargain. Kuma will remove all of the pain and injuries Luffy is going through and transfer them to Zoro, something that is sure to kill him given the weakened state Zoro is in. In episode 377, Zoro states, “what’s the point of having ambition if I can’t even save my captain?” So he does what any good protector is meant to, and delivers us the most iconic moment in One Piece so far.
This episode is what made me realize that Zoro will go down as my favorite fictional character of all time, but his need for strength doesn’t just stem from his time with Luffy. Instead, it all started when he was just a young, stubborn boy in a swordsmanship dojo. His best friend at the time, Kuina, was a much better swordsman. Society, however, kept telling her that she could never become a master swordsman because she was a woman. Kuina ends up passing away, something that alters Zoro forever. He is now obsessed with becoming stronger, not just for himself but for his fallen friend.
This, honestly toxic, need for strength is the same reason the series only shows us Zoro training after he is almost defeated. It’s as if Zoro is punishing himself for being pushed to the brink in battle. He is constantly paranoid that he will one day not be strong enough, so he does nothing else besides keep pushing his body’s limits. I hope that one day Zoro realizes he is much more to the crew than just a source of strength.