Roronoa Zoro, the swordsman and sub-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, is a character obsessed with becoming stronger, which makes sense considering he has big dreams of one day becoming the greatest swordsman on the planet. However, while there have been many story arcs throughout One Piece that have allowed Zoro to progress in terms of his power and strength thanks to a bit of training or by acquiring a new sword, and he’s also experienced quite a bit of growth emotionally too.

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Many of the story arcs in One Piece will hone in on a small selection of Straw Hats at a time, so while Zoro hasn’t been a star player in every arc, there’s definitely still been a few arcs that have proved incredibly important for his character. With that said, it’s time to see which of the story arcs in the One Piece anime series have been the most crucial to Zoro’s development, and what particular moments in these portions of the story contributed to his growth as a character.

8

Fishman Island

After Two Long Years Of Training, Zoro Finally Gets To Test Out His New Abilities

Though it was certainly an emotional moment seeing all the Straw Hats being forcibly separated from one another by Kuma, it actually worked out somewhat well for Zoro, considering how he arrived at Mihawk’s island. After two years of training under the master swordsman, Zoro was finally able to put his newfound abilities to the test against Hody’s Fishmen after the crew entered Fishman Island.

Not only does he manage to create a whirlwind with nothing but his swords to obliterate a group of Fishmen all at once, but he even blocks multiple projectiles with the hilt of his sword, suggesting his Observation Haki has improved tremendously since the pre-timeskip. Though Zoro may not have seen much emotional development during the Fishman Island arc, it’s still an important arc for how it emphasizes the newfound strength and power that he brought to the crew after being away for two years.

7

Dressrosa

Slicing A Mountain-Sized Pirate In Half Is Still One Of Zoro’s Greatest Feats

It was clear as day that Zoro had gotten a lot stronger over the timeskip thanks to his training with Mihawk, but it’s in the Dressrosa arc where he truly shows just how much of a monster he’s become. When coming face to face with Pica, a giant Donquixote pirate under the command of Doflamingo who is made of stone, Zoro not only defeats the behemoth, but he ends up slicing him in two with his Three Sword Style.

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Zoro is usually seen taking down enemies his own size, so witnessing him slicing and dicing a literal giant with a single attack really puts into perspective just how far this pirate has come. Zoro would also get to test his strength very briefly against Admiral Fujitora in this arc, which helped show that he still has a fair ways to go in terms of swordsmanship before he becomes the best.

6

Alabasta

Zoro Discovers A New Power And Starts Taking More Nuanced View Of The Marines

During the mission to save Alabasta from the clutches of Crocodile, each of the Straw Hats is given their own enemy to take on, and for Zoro, it turns out to be Crocodile’s right-hand man, Daz Bones. On the one hand, this would act as a test for Zoro to see if he could manage to cut through steel at his current power level, but many fans have also suspected that this was the fight where he first awakened his Haki.

Though this isn’t confirmed, it does seem likely considering how grueling the fight was for the swordsman, pushing him to the very limit of his abilities. A final small but important moment in the Alabasta arc for Zoro is when he decides to save Smoker from drowning despite him being a Marine, showing how Smoker had started making Zoro realize that maybe not all Marines are as evil as he once believed.

5

Little Garden

Where The Straw Hats Got To Experience Just How Ruthless Zoro Can Be

The Little Garden arc comes very early on in the story, and as a result, the Straw Hats were still getting to know one another on a deeper level by the time they arrive there. However, this marked the point where Nami and Luffy would come to understand just how zany and off-kilter Zoro can be in dire circumstances after he is stuck in place due to Mr. 3’s wax ability.

With a completely straight face, Zoro asks whether he should cut off his own legs so that he can continue fighting against the Baroque Works members, showing just how dedicated he is to slicing down anyone who gets in his way. This would also be the arc that really showcased Zoro’s goofy side, especially when he decides to strike a mighty pose after the wax starts freezing him in place. Additionally, the arc would also mark the beginning of Zoro’s heated rivalry with Sanji, after the two compete to see who can hunt the bigger creature while on the island.

4

Enies Lobby

A Huge Power Buff And A Glimpse Into Zoro’s Views On Luffy As A Captain

The Enies Lobby arc is considered by many fans to be an arc of power-ups, considering it’s the portion of the story that introduces several devastating abilities, like Sanji’s Diable Jambe, Chopper’s Monster Point, and Zoro’s Asura Form. Though this form would appear much later down the road, this was the first time Zoro would use an ability that seemed otherworldly and even mystical in nature. Though Zoro doesn’t rely on Asura too much after Enies Lobby, it’s the fact he demonstrates this ace up his sleeve as a last resort that makes him appear so much stronger than he did before.

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Besides his epic fights, Zoro also confronts Luffy in this arc about his responsibilities as a captain. After Usopp abandons the crew, Zoro tells Luffy that, unless Usopp apologizes, he should not be let aboard the crew. Otherwise, Zoro himself will be the next one to walk. This is an incredibly important moment for showing how serious Zoro is about adhering to the idea of loyalty on a pirate ship, but after seeing Luffy putting his foot down, Zoro comes to gain a newfound respect for the plucky protagonist.

3

Thriller Bark

Zoro Puts His Unwavering Loyalty To His Captain On Full Display

Zoro has two incredibly important moments during the crew’s adventure aboard the chilling ship known as Thriller Bark. The first comes at about the halfway point, where he encounters the living skeleton of Ryuma, an ancient samurai who hails from the land of Wano. Zoro, realizing the prestige that Ryuma carries as a swordsman, challenges him to a duel, and after a brutal fight, scores the victory. Not only does this allow him to put Ryuma’s soul to rest, but it also earns Zoro the powerful Shusui sword, which would eventually allow him to gain Enma later on in Wano.

The other key moment in the Thriller Bark arc is when Zoro takes the lethal attack from Kuma. Stepping in and offering his life for the sake of his own captain proved just how much Zoro had come to respect Luffy, especially considering Zoro’s faith in his captain was shown to be wavering a little in Enies Lobby. Another important detail about this moment is how Zoro pushes Sanji out of the way when he was initially going to sacrifice himself, highlighting the underlying respect he has for the cook, despite him not expressing it very often.

2

Baratie

Being Embarrassed At The Hands Of Mihawk Lit A Fire Under Zoro

Ironically, despite the Baratie arc technically being Sanji’s arc, the spotlight suddenly turns to Zoro and Mihawk once the Shichibukai decides to make his way toward the restaurant. By this point, Zoro knew Mihawk was the strongest swordsman in the world, and despite seemingly believing he could take him down right then and there, Mihawk utterly embarrasses him, defeating him with little more than a butter knife.

Despite such a humiliating loss, this battle would end up lighting a spark in Zoro, something he comes to admit not long after the fight ends when he vows to never lose to an opponent again until he can overcome Mihawk. While it’s only a brief skirmish, it’s a memorable moment that has spurred Zoro on ever since it occurred.

1

Wano

Zoro Not Only Earns A Powerful New Sword But Also Leaves A Giant Scar On A Mighty Yonko

Considering how long the Wano Kuni arc would end up being, it gave each of the Straw Hats a good amount of time to develop as characters, and Zoro is certainly no exception. In terms of power and strength, Zoro goes from a deadly swordsman to an unstoppable beast after he retrieves Enma; a blade that can seep out the user’s Haki to inflict massive damage on an opponent. However, he also unleashes Asura for the very first time since Enies Lobby, and with it being even more deadly this time around, it shows just how insanely powerful Luffy’s right-hand man has become after so many years of training.

However, what was especially important for Zoro’s growth was the fact he was able to hold his own against Kaido, and even left a cut on him. Zoro had been talking a lot leading up to Wano about how badly he wanted to prove his worth against the ferocious Yonko, so being able to help take him down allowed him to set his sights even higher, putting him that much closer to achieving his ultimate dream.

One Piece

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

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  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)