All of Zoro’s SWORD STYLES in One Piece, Explained

Roronoa Zoro is best known for his Three Sword Style, but it’s far from the only fighting technique that he uses in One Piece.

The world of One Piece has amazed audiences since its debut in 1997, and of its hundreds of named characters, few are more beloved than the legendary swordsman, Roronoa Zoro.

Since the green-haired samurai is the first individual to join One Piece‘s protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, on his journey, he plays a major role in most of the series’ major arcs, giving him ample time to show off his unique fighting styles.

Although Roronoa Zoro is best known for his tendency to fight with three swords, he’s capable of defeating opponents with a wide range of techniques. Throughout One Piece, he demonstrates various fighting styles, including a few that are sure to appear in his inevitable battle with the World’s Strongest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.

Roronoa Zoro is one of the most prominent swordsmen in One Piece, and he’s used many powerful blades throughout his piratical journey.

1. No Sword Style Makes Zoro Dangerous Regardless Of The Circumstances

Debut: Chapter 312 / Episode 212

Technically, Roronoa Zoro’s No Sword Style is exactly what its name suggests — a fighting style that doesn’t use any swords. However, it’s only through the Straw Hat Pirate’s intense training with his blades that he can utilize this fighting style, making it one of the most unorthodox abilities in One Piece. With this technique, Zoro turns his own arms into weapons, which allows him to deal blunt force damage to his opponents.

Unfortunately, Roronoa Zoro has only used the No Sword Style twice, so details about it are fairly slim. The green-haired swordsman first employs the style during the Straw Hat Pirates’ Davy Back Fight with the Foxy Pirates, using it to defeat the Foxy Pirate known as Pickles. After this, the No Sword Style makes one more appearance in One Piece when it is briefly used during an anime-only fight in the Wano Country Arc. These two instances are the only times that Zoro utilizes this fighting style, and on both occasions, he shows off the same attack: Dragon Twister. This is a bastardized version of the Dragon Twister that stems from the Three Sword Style, but it’s still effective nonetheless.

2. The One Sword Style Plays A Role In Several Notable Moments

Debut: Chapter 195 / Episode 119

 

    Fan-favorite Roronoa Zoro is one of the best characters in One Piece, and fans love the witty, tough, and enduring dialogue he spouts off.

Although it’s rare for Roronoa Zoro to find himself without all three of his swords, he wields a single blade fairly often. As a result, he’s all but mastered the One Sword Style by the conclusion of the Wano Country Arc. Compared to Roronoa Zoro’s other Sword Styles, which all use multiple points of attack, this fighting technique is much more singularly focused, allowing the Straw Hat Pirate to generate massive amounts of power with a single blade.

In one of the most iconic moments in One Piece, Zoro debuts his One Sword Style during his fight with Mr. 1 in the Alabasta Arc, using it to turn the tides after losing track of his other two blades. From there, the style would make dozens of other appearances, although it has been used slightly less frequently since the Straw Hat Pirates defeated the Donquixote Family in Dressrosa. Altogether, the One Sword Style is extremely versatile, so it’s extremely likely that Zoro continues to utilize it in the series’ final saga.

3. The Two Sword Style Has Yet To Defeat A Major Opponent

Debut: Chapter 5 / Episode 19

When Roronoa Zoro first arrives at the dojo in Shimotsuki Village, he’s still a child with no idea how to use a sword. However, his brash attitude leads him to believe that more is better, so he immediately picks up two swords, rather than just one. While he would go on to adopt a third sword after the death of his childhood friend, Kuina, Zoro clearly remembers what it was like to fight with two blades, as he becomes a borderline master of the Two Sword Style by the end of his training with the World’s Strongest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.

As its name suggests, the Two Sword Style focuses on techniques that utilize two blades, and unlike the One Sword Style, which can utilize ranged attacks, the Two Sword Style’s sole purpose seems to be to inflict massive damage in close-quarters combat. After making its first appearance in the Alabasta Arc, the Two Sword Style appears in numerous other One Piece arcs; however, it is worth noting that Zoro has never defeated a major opponent with this fighting style, suggesting that it may still have a role to play in the series.

4. The Three Sword Style Is Zoro’s Go-To Technique

Debut: Chapter 6 / Episode 3

 

   Of all Roronoa Zoro’s fighting styles, none are more synonymous with his identity than the Three Sword Style. The Straw Hat Pirate adopted this style after the death of his best friend, Kuina, promising to use it to become the strongest swordsman in the world — a little over a decade later, Zoro seems poised to defeat Dracule Mihawk with his Three Sword Style and take his place as one of the strongest characters in One Piece history. This unusual style sees Zoro wielding one sword in each hand and one blade in his mouth, allowing him to wield the maximum amount of blades that his human body can handle.

Because the Three Sword Style is Roronoa Zoro’s personal fighting style, it’s used in almost every one of his fights in the entire series. When the first episode of One Piece begins, Zoro is already notorious throughout the East Blue for using the Three Sword Style, and as the series continues, he only adds more abilities to his repertoire. By the end of the Wano Country Arc, Zoro has even developed multiple fighting styles within his Three Sword Style, giving him a claim as the most versatile swordsman in the Grand Line.

5. The King Of Hell: Three Sword Style Represents Zoro’s Final Evolution

Debut: Chapter 1035 / Episode 1062

For many years, Roronoa Zoro has relentlessly pursued two goals: (1) becoming the World’s Strongest Swordsman and (2) helping his captain, Monkey D. Luffy, become the King of the Pirates. Heading into the Wano Country Arc, Zoro was closer than ever to accomplishing both of these goals, but it was clear that a major obstacle stood in his way: Kaido and the Beast Pirates. The Raid on Onigashima pits the Straw Hat Pirates and their allies against two Emperors of the Sea, forcing Roronoa Zoro to push past his limits and harness his Conqueror’s Haki for the very first time.

Conqueror’s Haki is reserved for One Piece‘s strongest characters, so when Zoro uses it to leave a massive wound on Kaido’s seemingly invulnerable body, it shocks the entire battlefield. Using this experience, the green-haired swordsman creates a brand-new fighting style that he names the King of Hell: Three Sword Style. This technique harnesses Zoro’s latent Conqueror’s Haki and coats his blades with it, granting him a massive boost in firepower that allows him to overwhelm King the Wildfire — one of the New World’s strongest pirates.

6. The Nine Sword Style Is Zoro’s Most Mysterious Ability

Debut: Chapter 417 / Episode 300

 

    The Straw Hat Pirates’ swordsman has several cuts permanently engraved across his body. They each represent a significant moment in his life.

The King of Hell: Three Sword Style is a clear indication that Roronoa Zoro is learning to harness his Conqueror’s Haki; however, as stated by Kaido during the Raid on Onigashima, one of Zoro’s other fighting styles also uses the rare form of Haki. The Nine Sword Style is a strange technique that sees the Straw Hat Pirates’ resident swordsman create an illusion of himself with two more heads and four more arms than normal, giving him access to nine different blades in total. It first makes an appearance during his fight with CP9’s Kaku, only to go unmentioned until the aforementioned stand-off with Kaido in the Raid on Onigashima.

Much like when Roronoa Zoro found himself backed into a corner against Kaku, he only utilizes his Nine Sword Style against Kaido when the circumstances are extremely dire. With it, Zoro can perform the Demon Aura Nine Sword Style: Asura attack, which is capable of doing lasting damage to even the likes of an Emperor of the Sea. This makes it a perfect tool for Roronoa Zoro’s inevitable fight with Dracule Mihawk, who will undoubtedly be the Straw Hat Pirate’s toughest challenge yet.

7. The Foxfire Style Builds Upon Kin’emon’s Teachings

Debut: Chapter 672 / Episode 598

One Piece‘s two-year timeskip completely changes the landscape of the series, and by its conclusion, the Straw Hat Pirates are no longer upstart rookies trying to make a name for themselves in the Grand Line. After spending two years growing stronger, Monkey D. Luffy and his crew are legitimate enemies of the World Government, which is all of them — including Roronoa Zoro — must continue to push past their limits. When the series’ protagonists arrive in Punk Hazard, they immediately encounter an individual who will be instrumental in not only the crew’s progress through the Grand Line but also Roronoa Zoro’s development as a swordsman: Foxfire Kin’emon.

Kin’emon is a samurai of Wano, and as indicated by his name, he’s a practitioner of the Foxfire Style. This technique allows its user to create, manipulate, and cut through flames, so it’s only natural that Roronoa Zoro quickly sets his sights on learning it. By the end of the Wano Country Arc, Zoro is arguably even more proficient at using the technique than Kin’emon, and he uses it several times in the fights against fire-wielding characters like Big Mom and King the Wildfire.