Roronoa Zoro belongs to the anime One Piece, which is considered one of the best anime by many fans. In the show, he is the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates, ranked just after the series’ main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. His goal is to become the strongest swordsman in the world, and he’s out to prove it.
Throughout the series, he’s had multiple run-ins with near-death situations and seemingly impossible battles. Here are the best fights he’s had so far in the series.
10 Zoro vs. Kaido & Big Mom
A good old-fashioned brawl, that’s what this fight was. Over-the-top action scenes one after the other, Zoro and his buddies showcasing their abilities in battle with one of the biggest threats in the entire One Piece universe — it doesn’t get much better than that.
Kaido was a monster in more ways than one, and fighting him and Big Mom together required the combination of Luffy, Zoro, Law, Kid, and Killer. Despite multiple captains of the Worst Generation surrounding him, Zoro was not a supporting character. In fact, Law had to help set up Zoro’s attacks multiple times. In the end, even Kaido and Big Mom acknowledged his power and had to dodge his attacks instead of tanking them directly.
9 Zoro vs. Ryuma
Shimotsuki Ryuma was a true-blooded samurai of old. Hailing from Wano Country’s golden era, he had the title “Sword God” to his name. For Zoro, whose goal in life is to become the greatest swordsman in the world, this fight meant everything.
Even though Ryuma is not at his peak, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Zoro met his sword, Shusui, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords head on. This fight earned Zoro this sword which served as one of his primary weapons until Wano.
8 Zoro vs. Dracule Mihawk
Perhaps the most meaningful fight for Zoro, and one we get to see fairly early on in the series, is against Dracule Mihawk. At this point, Zoro is just some punk from East Blue boasting he wants to be the greatest swordsman.
Fighting Mihawk put that conviction to the test, and Zoro didn’t falter. Instead of cowering in the face of absolute defeat, he instead took Mihawk’s sword strike on his chest. His unwavering fighting spirit was laid bare for the world to see.
7 Zoro vs. Daz Bones
Daz Bones and Zoro faced off in the Alabasta Arc where he served as one of the main antagonists of the series, ranked just below Crocodile in the hierarchy of Baroque Works. Theoretically, his body of steel was the natural counter to Zoro and his swords.
His fight with Mr. 1 was brutal. Daz Bones beat him down again and again, yet he kept getting back up to fight. By the Grand Line’s standards, Zoro was a fairly generic swordsman at this point. Other than his three-sword style, he had practically nothing going for him. However, he treated this fight as a training opportunity, breaking through his own barrier and learning to cut steel itself. This bout elevated him above the rank and file, and it stepped him into the realm of the truly strong fighters in the world.
6 Zoro vs. Kaku
Zoro’s fight with Kaku had little emotional impact. But, what made it special nonetheless was the back-and-forth and the quick action sequences throughout the battle.
Zoro had a lot of trouble fending off Kaku’s four-sword style, where he used both his legs and two improvised blades. As a result, Zoro had to utilize one of his trump cards, the Asura: One Mist Silver attack. With sheer will, he materializes nine arms to utilize his Nine-Sword Style for the first time, putting an end to the fight decisively.
5 Zoro vs. Baroque Works
Right as the Straw Hats enter the Grand Line, they’re faced with an entire island full of Baroque Works agents. Most of the crew are down as a result of being drugged by the agents, but Zoro is awake.
The cool thing about this fight was that basically this was a 1v100 fight. Zoro alone was more than enough to deal with practically everyone in the Billions and even the Number agents. Oda doesn’t depict the fight as a serious thing. Zoro mops the floor with everyone effortlessly.
4 Zoro vs. Arlong Pirates
When he met the Arlong Pirates, Zoro was heavily injured by Mihawk. He had a huge scar on his chest and was severely handicapped. Despite all of this, he easily managed to defeat almost the entire Arlong crew single-handedly.
Fans have long believed that Zoro could have easily defeated the entire crew, including Arlong himself, if he was at full health. Hatchan’s fight with Zoro is only somewhat even because of Zoro’s injuries. But, Zoro is not one for excuses. He defeats Hatchan convincingly, without complaining about his handicaps.
3 Zoro vs. Pica
Pica ate the Stone-Stone Fruit, allowing him to transform into an enormous stone giant. He fought with Zoro over the span of a few episodes, utilizing his stone powers to foil Zoro’s attempts of defeating him again and again.
In the final confrontation, he transformed into a giant stone statue and tried to kill King Riku. Zoro charged ahead, under the eyes of many others, and used his Haki-coated three swords to split the giant in two. In classic David vs Goliath fashion, he defeated the giant with seemingly insignificant strength, immortalizing the scene forever.
2 Zoro vs. Monet
Monet was a part of the Donquixote Pirates when she faced off against Zoro. In the overall scheme of things, her fight with Zoro was insignificant, but it served to showcase Zoro’s sheer power in the face of some of the best combatants in the New World.
Monet was by no means weak. She was a part of a powerful crew and had a Logia-type Devil Fruit to her name. But, Zoro was able to freeze her in place with a single glance.
1 Zoro vs. Killer
Zoro and Killer fight in the Wano Country Arc when Killer assumes the guise of Kamazo. Zoro fights to protect Toko and Hiyori. Killer attacks him with two long scythes in an intense battle.
While lacking any sort of emotional factor, this fight is notable for its stunning choreography and impressive visuals. When Zoro finally manages to take one of Killer’s scythes to deliver the finishing blow, it makes for an impressive sight.
