Roronoa Zoro is the Combatant of the Strawhat Pirates and their strongest member after their Captain, Monkey D. Luffy. Before joining the crew, Zoro was an infamous bounty hunter in the East Blue. With the aim of becoming the strongest swordsman in One Piece, Zoro is training to surpass the man who currently holds that title, Dracule Mihawk. Over the years, he's fought many capable foes and managed to surpass almost all of them, earning a bounty of 320 million berries, which is the fourth-highest in the crew after Luffy, Jinbe, and Sanji. Here are the 10 best Roronoa Zoro fights that we've seen in One Piece.
10 Zoro vs Hody Jones
One of the very first fights that Zoro fought in the New World, Zoro vs Hody Jones happened at the Ryugu Palace of Fishman Island. All the fans were treated with a glimpse of how far Zoro had come over the time-skip with this fight. Even though the battle took place underwater which is where Fishmen flourish, Zoro was able to defeat Hody Jones without any trouble whatsoever. Using the black-blade Shusui, Zoro was able to deliver a deadly Shishi Sonson to Hody, and defeat him in one swing of his sword. Truly, it remains etched in the minds of the fans.
9 Zoro vs Monet
Following Zoro's fight at Fishman Island, Zoro fought Monet in Punk Hazard after she reckoned that he wouldn't dare hurt her. Admittedly, Zoro hesitated to slice her at first, but according to Zoro's analogy, one can never ensure that a wild beast won't bite them. Monet's confidence crumbled instantly as the dark aura emanating from Zoro instilled fear in her. Trembling in fear, her legs gave up on her as Zoro used Shusui to split her body in two using a technique known as Ittoryu: Daishinkan (One-Sword-Style: Great Dragon Shock).
8 Zoro vs Pica
One of Roronoa Zoro's biggest fights in the New World, Zoro vs Pica is one of the fan-favorites. Like Doflamingo himself, Pica wasn't a pushover. Using his Ishi Ishi no Mi, he gave Zoro a lot of trouble.
However, once cornered by Zoro, the fight came down to a one-on-one. Soon, a battle of Haki superiority ensued and both began to show off their proficiency in the Color of Armament. On clashing, Zoro sliced through Pica's entire body, and in doing so, he made sure to finish him using his favorite move, Santoryu Ougi: Sanzen Sekai.
7 Zoro vs T Bone
One of the mini-fights in the Water 7 Saga, Zoro vs T Bone took place on the Strawhats' way to Enies Lobby. With Sanji having worked to detach the Sea Train compartment in which T Bone was, Zoro made sure to wrap up the job for him. With unwavering determination, T Bone planned to stop Zoro and the Strawhat Pirates on their track. Unfortunately for him, an even bigger beast was awaiting him on the way, and that was none other than Roronoa Zoro. Again, like most of Zoro's fights, this one was short as well. However, it fulfilled its purpose of delivering intense action when Zoro and T Bone finally clashed. Using Santoryu: Gyuuki (Ox Demon) to cut through T Bone's right-angled slash, Zoro proceeded to use Yuzumei (Raven Claw) to wrap up the deal and beat the Marine Captain.
6 Zoro vs Kaku
Arguably the biggest pre-timeskip battle that Roronoa Zoro fought was against Kaku of CP9. As the second strongest member of the CP9, Kaku posed a great threat which Zoro couldn't handle initially. However, much like every other Strawhat Pirate during the Enies Lobby arc, Zoro got a power-up in the form of Ashura. After manifesting its demon, Zoro was capable of tearing Kaku apart using his Nine-Sword Style: Ashura. Prior to the manifestation of Ashura, Zoro was significantly weaker than Kaku, but after tapping into its power, his strength tripled, and Kaku was dealt with easily.
5 Zoro vs Bartholomew Kuma
One of the best fights in the entire series, Zoro vs Bartholomew Kuma took place towards the end of Thriller Bark. After the defeat of Moria, Luffy passed out, so Zoro had to step up in his place to beat Kuma. In a fierce fight, all Zoro managed was to give Kuma a gash with his sword since the power gap between the two was immense.
Although Zoro failed at defeating him because he was weak, Kuma was impressed by his dedication to the crew and so he demanded Zoro take in Luffy's pain instead. Without a doubt, this fight is one of the best we've seen pre-timeskip, and maybe even the series.
4 Zoro vs Kamazou The Manslayer
One of the most recent fights that Zoro has been in, his battle against Kamazou took place in the Ringo region of Wano Country. Kamazou was ordered by Orochi to hunt down Otoko and Hiyori, and Zoro stepped in to defend them in exchange for some food and booze. After tussling with Kamazou for a couple of minutes, Zoro took a scythe wound to the chest. In an attempt to take Kamazou out, Zoro grabbed the scythe between his teeth and performed a Haki-clad Onigiri to defeat Kamazou. Unfortunately, Zoro couldn't keep his consciousness either, as he passed out right alongside Kamazou, who later turned out to be Kid's right-hand man, Killer.
3 Zoro vs Daz Bones
The second-biggest fight at Alabasta, Zoro vs Daz Bones remains to be one of the most intense battles that he has ever been in. Once again, Zoro's enemy was clearly superior to him, and so, Zoro had to get stronger right in the middle of the fight to defeat him. By understanding what Koushirou had taught him in his childhood, the Breath of All Things, and tapping into Haki momentarily, Zoro was able to defeat Daz Bones using Ittoryu: Shishi Sonson. In the process of defeating Daz Bones, the Pirate Hunter learned how to cut steel as well, and he gained his first bounty 60 million berries.
2 Zoro vs Dracule Mihawk
Just a few years after setting out on his journey to find the Strongest Swordsman in the World, Zoro ran into Dracule Mihawk at Baratie. Not being able to comprehend the difference in the skill between himself and the man who stood at the top, Zoro recklessly challenged him to a duel, which Mihawk fought with a pocketknife. Unsurprisingly, Zoro lost the battle badly, but in the process, he won the respect of Dracule Mihawk and was thus spared by the Hawk-eyed swordsman. Once the fight concluded, Zoro made a vow to never lose again, ever.
1 Zoro vs Ryuma
The best Zoro fight in the series is, hands-down, Zoro vs Ryuma. Hailing from Wano Country, Ryuma was a Zombie that Moria had created. In an attempt to get Brook's shadow back, Zoro fought against Ryuma with everything he had. The intensity of the fight was such that it wrapped up within a few minutes of it starting. After fighting evenly with the zombie of a legendary swordsman, Zoro put an end to the fight by using One-sword style: Flying Dragon Fire Blaze attack. As a testament to Zoro's strength, Ryuma gifted him with one of the 21 O Wazamono grade swords, Shusui. At Wano Country, Zoro returned the sword as it considered their National Treasure.
