As the right-hand man to Monkey D. Luffy on One Piece’s Straw Hat pirates crew, Roronoa Zoro has always enjoyed prominence as his team’s resident master swordsman. What he lacks in basic navigation skills, Zoro makes up for with a virtually omnidirectional combat style using three katanas at the same time. But on the path from lowly Pirate Hunter to a Conqueror’s Haki-user and one of the most dangerous swordsmen alive, Zoro has had to go through more than a few of said swords.
It should be noted that, even in One Piece’s early days, Zoro cared well for many of his weapons while even using inferior blades to good effect. Zoro has shown himself to be profoundly confident in his abilities, famously once staking an arm against the supposed curse of the Sandai Kitetsu, in one of his coolest early-series moments. As One Piece progressed, Zoro changed his arsenal, creating a rich history of feats of strength with each of his swords, named or otherwise, that is worth deeper exploration.
10
Unnamed Katanas
First Seen and Used in Chapter #5
Zoro’s first set of blades in the series are actually two unnamed katanas with black hilts that he uses together with the Wado Ichimonji. Both of these katanas first make an appearance in chapter #5 when Luffy steps in to save Zoro from being shot by Morgan and his men before urging him to join his crew.
Zoro used the two katanas until his duel against Mihawk at the Baratie, where they were inevitably shattered by a single attack from Yoru.
As seen in Zoro’s flashback in chapter #1033, these two blades were given to him by Shimotsuki Kouzaburo and though the old man claimed the swords weren’t particularly great, they did last Zoro nearly eleven whole years since receiving them as a child. Zoro used the two katanas until his duel against Mihawk at the Baratie, where they were inevitably shattered by a single attack from Yoru.
9
Nakiri Swords
First Obtained in Chapter #85
Having lost two of his katanas to Mihawk, Zoro was left with only the Wado Ichimonji during the battle at Arlong Park. This especially put him in a pickle during his battle against Hatchan, who came at him with six swords at once. Luckily, Johnny and Yosuke were at the scene and were quick to back Zoro up by throwing him their Nakiri swords.
Modeled after Japanese vegetable knives, Zoro first uses this matching set of blades in chapter #85. Ordinary as they may seem, volume #2 of Road to Laugh Tale confirms these Nakiri swords are in fact Famed Swords or Meito, though their exact rank is unknown.
8
Unnamed Tanto Blade
First Obtained and Used in Chapter #909
One of Zoro’s most memorable moments in One Piece as of late would have to be when his fight against the Magistrate and his men at the beginning of the Wano Arc. The fight in question takes place precisely in chapter #909 after Zoro is wrongfully accused of being the killer in the Flower Capital and is sentenced to committing seppuku.
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However, sensing the killer among them, Zoro instead uses the tiny blade given to him for the seppuku ritual to cut down the true killer, the Magistrate, as well as to fend off the rest of his men. This dagger-like blade, called a tanto, was generally carried by samurai and was traditionally used in both martial arts and the seppuku ritual, though by imbuing it with Haki, Zoro was able to turn it into a weapon as formidable as any regular sword.
7
Hitokiri Kamazo’s Scythe
First Obtained in Chapter #937
Another interesting weapon that Zoro has been forced to use due to circumstances is a scythe, specifically the scythe Killer used when in Wano as Hitokiri Kamazo.
With Gyukimaru having stolen Shusui from him, Zoro was left with no choice but to pick up Killer’s scythe to protect Hiyori and Otoko.
The fight in question takes place in chapter #937 wherein Zoro picks up the scythe as soon as the opportunity presents itself to replace Shusui and complete his Three-Sword Style attack, using Killer’s out weapon against him.
6
Wado Ichimonji
First Obtained in Chapter #5
One of Zoro’s most iconic swords that has stuck by his side since the very beginning is the Wado Ichimonji, a blade forged by the legendary wordsmith Shimotsuki Kouzaburo, as well as one of the 21 Great Grade Swords in One Piece. The sword once belonged to Shimotsuki Kuina and was given to Zoro after Kuina’s untimely death, coming to represent not only Zoro’s promise to Kuina but also his ambition as a whole.
The trusty sword is worth well over 10 million berry and is easily distinguishable by its white hilt and scabbard. The Wado Ichimonji remains in good shape despite coming across many formidable opponents, such as Dracule Mihawk, and will likely stay by Zoro’s side until the very end of the series.
5
Yubashiri
First Obtained in Chapter #97
Zoro obtains Yubashiri at Loguetown in chapter #97 when the store owner, Ipponmatsu, is impressed by Zoro’s test of courage involving the supposedly cursed Sandai Kitetsu. Although thrown in for free with the Kitetsu, Yubashiri by itself was also quite an impressive blade, ranked among the 50 Skillful Great Blades in One Piece.
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Zoro uses Yuabshi up until the Enies Lobby Arc, when it was sadly corroded by Marine Captain Shu’s devil fruit powers. Zoro lates left the sword at the burial site of the Rumbar Pirates at Thriller Bark once he obtained Shusui.
4
Sandai Kitetsu
First Obtained in Chapter #97
Another of Zoro’s most iconic swords is the Sandai Kitetsu, a blade rumored to be so cursed that the shop owner at Loguetown initially refused to sell it to Zoro when he initially picked it out of the barrel of cheap swords. That is, until Zoro fearlessly tested his luck against the curse by tossing the sword in the air above his outstretched arm. Of course, Zoro ended up winning the bet, getting the Kitetsu and the Yubashiri for free for his courage and luck.
Interestingly, the Wano Arc revealed the Sandai Kitetsu was forged by the former shogun and one of Wano’s greatest swordsmiths, Kozuki Sukiyaki. As such, the Sandai Kitetsu is also one of the Grade Swords and was valued at around 1 million berry by Tashigi despite being the weakest of the three Kitetsu swords to exist.
The defining features of the Sandai Kitetsu include its deep red and gold hilt and matching scabbard. Though many of its previous owners have supposedly met horrible deaths, Zoro has faced many formidable opponents with the Sandai Kitetsu and lived to tell the tale, including Pica, King, and even Saint Nusjuro, the latter of whom somehow immediately recognized the sword.
3
Shusui
First Obtained in Chapter #467
Shusui is yet another one of the 21 Great Grade Swords to fall into Zoro’s possession in One Piece. The blade once belonged to Ryuma, the legendary samurai of Wano, and is regarded as a national treasure. The legendary sword was stolen by Gecko Moria 23 years ago when he robbed Ryuma’s grave, with Zoro obtaining the sword in chapter #467 after defeating Ryuma’s zombie.
Like Mihawk’s Yoru, Shusui is also a black blade and is easily distinguishable by the magenta hamon pattern on its sides and its fancy black sheath adorned with red split circles.
Gyukimaru would later steal the sword from Zoro in Wano and return it to its rightful place, with Hiyori offering Zoro the Enma in exchange. Like Mihawk’s Yoru, Shusui is also a black blade and is easily distinguishable by the magenta hamon pattern on its sides and its fancy black sheath adorned with red split circles.
2
Enma
First Obtained in Chapter #953
Enma is one of the most powerful yet challenging swords Zoro has wielded to date, with the sword having the tendency to draw out its user’s Armament Haki. Besides being another one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, Enma boasts quite a rich history. Named after the King of Hell, the legendary sword was forged by Kozuki Sukiyaki. It was one of the blades wielded by Kozuki Oden, and is the only weapon to ever cut Kaido deep enough to leave a scar.
Zoro obtains Enma from Hiyori in chapter #953 in exchange for letting go of Shusui and though it took Zoro quite some time and effort to get Enma under control, the sword may very well be the one that helps Zoro achieve his dream. Zoro has yet to fully master using Enma even though he did gain some mastery over the sword during his fight against King at Onigashima.
Interestingly, Enma has yet to be forged into a black blade, which means Zoro may still get stronger with Enma if he manages to do so through whatever mysterious means necessary.
1
Nose-Storm the Killer Blade
First Used in Chapter #406
One of Zoro’s most unconventional weapons in One Piece would have to be the Nose-Storm, which he used exclusively against Jabra and Kaku during the Enies Lobby Arc. With Sniperking and Zoro ending up handcuffed together, chapter #406 saw Zoro come up with an incredibly creative and hilarious solution to fight CP 9, which was to have Usopp hold Yubashiri and turn his body into an extended hilt. Unfortunately, the attacks made Sniper King quite dizzy, making the makeshift sword quite inefficient, though it remains one of the funniest gags in One Piece to date.
- Created by
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Eiichiro Oda
- First Film
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One Piece: The Movie
- First TV Show
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One Piece
- Cast
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Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
- Character(s)
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Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.