(no subject)

[yourotherleft]

[Name]: Caps
[Age]: 38
[Contacts]:
♦ DW: capsulecorp_tm
♦ AIM: n/a
♦ Plurk: Capsulecorp
[Timezone]: US - Central
[Other Characters]: n/a



[Name]: Roronoa Zoro
[Age]: 21
[Gender]: male
[Canon Point]: manga chapter 718, just before Franky catches up with him on Dressrosa, while he's standing outside the coliseum watching the tournament on the big screens.

[History]: http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Roronoa_Zoro/History
(subset of http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Roronoa_Zoro)
Being as I'm playing him from the manga, he hasn't experienced certain events from filler arcs and movies (e.g. dragons on an island south of Loguetown, getting captured at the G-8 Marine base) and other events played out differently (the Davy Back fight was much shorter and didn't involve roller derby; the showdown with Aokiji took place on Long Ring Long Land and not a different island). The wiki usually distinguishes anime-only events as "non-canon" so essentially Zoro's background is what is considered canon to the manga.

[Personality]:
Zoro is generally strong-willed, tough, aloof, and serious. He isn't without his softer side, but for the most part he is emotionally distant and hard to read. He is usually difficult to ruffle, but not always, and when he gets irritated, he can scream and rage with the best of them. His true anger is hard and cold, though, and often terrifying to behold. He can intimidate foes with just a look, and the same deadly aura that makes weaker enemies panic impresses the younger members of his own crew, making them think he's totally cool. He is often mistaken, at least earlier in the series, for the Straw Hats' captain, until Luffy has proven his worth enough for foes to remark, instead, that if Zoro is so amazingly scary, how much worse is the captain?

His position in the crew is never explicitly stated, but as the second most powerful fighter behind Luffy, he is usually treated as the first mate, or the captain's second. He doesn't have many ship-related duties on the Sunny, now that he's not needed for hauling the anchor, so he spends his days lounging around or lifting weights to stay in shape. He's mainly there to fight, and to serve as Luffy's right hand. As such, he is the one with the deepest trust in Luffy, the deepest loyalty, and the strongest belief in the ways and codes of pirates. Whenever there is any argument or question about Luffy's decisions, the crew's needs, or the behavior of crewmates, Zoro is the one who speaks up with advice based on what is expected of a captain and his crew. Even if he spent a portion of his youth as a pirate hunter, he embraced the pirate life so completely that he actually believes in the ideals, such as the unwritten rule that a crew member must have the captain's permission to leave the crew. His concern seems to be mostly over maintaining the tight bonds of crew, encouraging Luffy to be a strong leader even if it means making hard decisions, and demanding that the others live up to expectations, even when Usopp and Luffy came to blows over the Going Merry. He doesn't cut his crewmates slack for being human, he doesn't coddle them, and he expects the same out of them that he expects of himself. If they are physically weaker than him (as most of them are, except Luffy, Sanji, and maybe Franky), he doesn't hold it against them, but he still yells at them for behaving like cowards.

Whether because he doesn't say much, doesn't run around the ship flailing like a maniac, or because of his terrible sense of direction turning serious moments comical, Zoro gives off the appearance of not being very smart. His lack of wordiness shouldn't be taken as a lack of brains, though. He is perceptive, and can often see things in situations that the others don't, especially when they're blinded by emotion. He may not think things through, fully, and often does react on instinct rather than strategy, but on occasion, he will be the one to say something intelligent or offer a brilliant plan. It doesn't happen often, enough that Sanji remarked on it once ("I never would have thought you would come up with this idea"), but it does happen. Zoro was, after all, the one who came up with the idea to hide the X mark under the bandages on everyone's arms in Alabasta, in order to fool Mr. 2 to reveal himself if he tried to pretend to be one of them. Zoro also was the most pragmatic about all the possibilities behind Robin's betrayal on Water 7, and the one willing to accept cutting ties with her if she truly did stab them in the back. If he behaves stupidly, it's because he's stubborn and willful, and has his own reasons for doing things his way. Either he doesn't want to admit someone else (Sanji) is right, or he just doesn't see things the same way as them, or he has a hidden reason for wanting to do it his way (such as, a tie to his past that he's never spoken about in front of the others - something that would make him look weak to them). Sometimes he relies a little too much on his swordsmanship, not being willing to admit that using it might not be the best plan, such as on the undersea journey to Fishman Island with nothing but a fragile bubble of air protecting the ship. He also tends to jump straight to worst-case scenarios and seek the most drastic solution to a problem, like cutting off his feet in order to escape Mr. 3's wax trap. His legendary ability to get lost in a straight corridor makes him look stupid, but the truth is a little bit deeper than that.

Zoro isn't all stoic and stern, though. He does lose his temper, sometimes, usually over irritations like Nami demanding money from him or Sanji being Sanji. In those cases, he will lose his temper and scream at people, though it's usually short-lived. The few times he has felt true fear, it definitely showed, in his eyes and his voice, such as facing Kuma. He also has a soft side, something even Sanji noticed. He does care for his crewmates, and has a brotherly sort of care for Luffy, though he rarely shows anything resembling affection. He tends not to let people know directly that he cares, he handles it obliquely. At the very beginning of the story, he was serving punishment and torture on behalf of a little girl, who he had protected from a wolf. He comes to the aid of those who don't ask for it. He is highly protective of his crewmates, and even gentle, catching Robin and Chopper when they were gravely injured on Skypeia. He just might even worry about Sanji a little, since that's what it looked like when the cook had to go up against formidable foes alone on the sea train or tried to stop Zoro from facing Kuma. He respects those who earn his respect, and behaves accordingly. He's even jovial and fun at times, he certainly knows how to laugh, how to let loose, and how to enjoy a party. He is a heavy drinker, and prefers his booze the way Luffy loves meat. He can hold his alcohol fairly well, though there are times when it's implied that Nami has a higher tolerance than him. He does believe in and value the bonds of crew and the friendships between them, and genuinely smiles for them once in a while. One thing that really makes him grin is his bounty - he loves being valued so high, and laughs at it where others like Nami and Usopp are shocked and scared of their bounties.

Several high-bounty, notorious pirates and other foes have remarked on Zoro's killing intent and bloodlust. He has killed, and it is notable that he has absolutely no problem facing someone with the intent to kill them. Other Supernovas encountering him on Sabaody were constantly calling him a killer and claiming they could feel his bloodthirsty aura. Yet, he usually leaves his foes alive, as long as the defeat is certain, and if an enemy really is so weak as to be beneath him, he shows it in the way he fights them. He left Das Bonez alive, content with being able to cut his steel-blade body, and didn't kill Monet even though he could have because even as a Logia user who put Tashigi through the wringer, she was just that much weaker than him. If the situation called for it, though, he can and would kill his enemies. Zoro enjoys fighting, and is one of those "fight for the sake of fighting" types, but it isn't as much fun for him to face anyone so much weaker than him. He openly showed his disgust at the hordes of fishman pirates being so weak that they weren't even a "warm-up" before going into the New World. His dream is to become the world's greatest swordsman, and in order to do so, not only does he have to become strong enough to defeat Mihawk, he has to go through every other powerful foe that might want to challenge him for that title. This pushes him to take risks and essentially throw his life away. He claimed that upon deciding to embark on his journey to become the world's strongest, he gave himself up for dead, and will deliberately push his limits beyond those that would kill lesser men. He shows when he's taking a fight seriously by taking the black bandanna off his arm and tying it over his head, shadowing his eyes - it's his personal mark of a real battle. What is interesting about Zoro and his intentions for fighting is that despite his beliefs or things he has stated about fighting, swordsmanship, etc, he usually has deeper reasons behind what he does. He states openly that he doesn't believe in fighting for revenge, he thinks such a thing makes someone weak, and yet if his crewmates are injured or insulted, he will fight on their behalf, allowing his rage at seeing them hurt be his strength. He claims that as a crew, they don't fight for causes, and he really hates being called a hero (because heroes are generous and share their booze, and he just wants to drink all of it). Yet, more often than not, he and the others find themselves fighting in such a way that the outcome will in essence save the weak and the innocent, turn the tides of wars and protect those who need protecting. Zoro does believe in protecting his crew, and if there is anything he regrets, it would be being too weak to save them. He is much stronger now than he was on Sabaody, when the crew were forced apart, but only time and events will tell whether he is strong enough to reach his goal, strong enough to protect the crew and live.

Zoro has a particular set of beliefs that inform how he treats both fighting and daily life. He isn't a samurai (prior to landing on Dressrosa he didn't even know what a samurai was) but because of his years training in the dojo on Shimotsuki, he does observe some small practices that hearken to bushido. Vivi called him "Mr. Bushido," but he doesn't hold all the beliefs and practices of bushido by a long shot. His main belief is "a scar on the back is a swordsman's shame," something Mihawk himself found impressive and agreed with. He respects the sword and trusts his three blades with his life, even to the point of taming the cursed sword Kitetsu III after trusting it not to cut his arm off, and bringing the legendary Shuusui under his control after winning it from the zombie Ryuuma. He even gave Yubashiri a proper funeral after it was destroyed. Swordsman's codes and pirate codes are what he respects and believes, and not merely on a whim - he truly understands them, and agrees with them. He knows that a captain who shows weakness in certain ways, by their dealings with their own or other crews, is not a captain worth following. Conversely, he doesn't believe in gods - he boldly states so on Skypeia. He doesn't mock others for their beliefs or religions, but he baldly does not believe in anything like that. If he does have a belief, it's in luck, or fate. When he says "leave it to luck," he's not being cool. Well, he's not only being cool. He genuinely believes it.

Zoro's relationships with the crew show the depth of his actual complexity. He trusts Luffy almost to a godly level, he has absolute faith that his captain will be the Pirate King someday and that means he has to do everything in his power to get Luffy there. They are friends, and Zoro cares about him to the point of being willing to give up his life - and his dream - to protect Luffy. Still, they squabble like idiot brothers sometimes, and at other times instigate each other into doing stupid things. He would consider himself a grudging rival with Sanji, but deep down, they're actually fairly close friends - more than he would ever admit. The cook's antics do drive him nuts, and since Zoro has no interest in the women in their crew, Sanji's jealousy is pointless and ridiculous. They quarrel and snarl and come to blows, but it never gets truly serious - they fight sincerely, but not to kill. When push comes to shove, they make an amazing team, and often fight alongside one another unconsciously. The incident on Thriller Bark, when Sanji attempted to stop Zoro from sacrificing himself to Kuma, was more or less proof of their respect for one another. Sanji is the closest to Zoro in age and strength, and though Zoro refuses to let Sanji get the better of him in anything, behind his back he will admit that he's a good cook or that his plans are smart. By comparison, Zoro knows that Chopper idolizes him and thinks he's cool, so often, he will take a mentorly position with him, reminding him to "man up" in some situations where the girls would coddle Chopper instead. He takes it seriously, and wants to help Chopper grow up to be the man he wants to be. With Robin, it took him time to come to trust her, since she started out as their enemy. He always had his eye out just in case. Yet, he protected her without question on Skypeia, and supported Luffy's desire to find out the truth behind her betrayal so they could set their minds to rescue her without any doubts. He respects her, and Franky and Brook as well. Nami is another story. Zoro is protective of her, yes, and usually doesn't mind her one way or another, but her greed bothers him and the way she holds her imposed debts over him grates on him. Yet, he is always willing to fight on her behalf, there isn't even a question.

Zoro's dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman means he will have to defeat the man currently called by that name, Dracule "Hawk-Eyes" Mihawk. Zoro faced him once, when he was young and foolish and just happened to cross his path at the Baratie, and was defeated, opening his eyes to just how far he had to go to even have a hope of claiming that title. During the two years apart from the crew, Zoro was sent to the island Mihawk called home, giving him the opportunity to ask his greatest rival to train him. Though he laughed, in the end, Mihawk consented, perhaps seeing in Zoro the talent and will to actually maybe do it someday. Zoro no longer wants this dream for himself, or even out of a need to fulfill his promise to Kuina - he needs it for Luffy's sake. He can only be powerful enough to protect his captain if he is the world's strongest. It makes for a complicated situation between them, for now Zoro can call him mentor as well as rival and foe. He doesn't hate Mihawk, but respects him immeasurably. There are a number of former foes that don't quite share the same level in his eyes - most of Zoro's foes are contemptible in some ways; he respected Das Bonez for pushing him past his limits and understands now why Kuma did what he did (as much as anyone can, really), but most of the others, he cut down and never looked back. He enjoys flexing his full might against those who deserve it, and as he enters the New World, where powerful pirates including the Four Emperors hold sway, he is likely to encounter people against whom he can go wild.

[Abilities / Strengths & Weaknesses]:
Zoro is known for his swordsmanship, particularly his unique use of three swords at the same time. A technique he invented himself as a child, the Santoryu (three-sword) style requires him to hold the third sword between his teeth. Even with only one or two swords at a time he is skilled and powerful, and knows more than the average swordsman in terms of technique and ability. He also specializes in flying slashes - sending cutting strikes through the air without making contact, even creating tornadoes with just his blades and arm strength. His special custom moves are hard to describe, though most foes can't even see the movement of his blades so it's not like it matters. He can swing and strike like normal, or whip out an Oni Giri to slash through a crowd, or a 108-Pound Cannon which is all flying slashes that don't actually require the sword blades to touch flesh. He can also fight unarmed, though he doesn't prefer to do so, and can block powerful attacks easily. Though he wears his swords on his right hip, suggesting he's left-handed, Zoro seems actually ambidextrous with a slight favor to his left hand. His one-sword iaido attacks do draw and resheath on the right.

Physically, Zoro is insanely strong. After two years of training under Mihawk, he is thicker in the neck, chest, and shoulders, rather brawny. His strength is entirely natural, as well, it has nothing to do with any Devil Fruit powers. With that strength comes an unusual level of stamina, enabling him to continue fighting and being part of the action long after most normal humans would have dropped dead of fatigue. He's a decent swimmer, though Sanji tops him for best in the crew, and seems now to be able to even move and fight underwater as well as a fishman - something even fishmen consider highly unusual. He tends to shrug off even serious wounds and heals pretty quickly, with a high pain tolerance and preternatural endurance. He has no regard for his own life, and few fears in terms of who or what he may face in battle.

His weaknesses are emotional rather than physical. He has a terrible sense of direction, to the point of wandering off in the opposite direction immediately after being told which way to go. It's ridiculous and a source of great mockery. He is stubborn and willful, and has no problem disregarding intelligent plans or common sense if he really wants to do things his way. He's not very sensitive to other people's feelings except in extremely specific circumstances - usually only his crewmates, and not very often. He has no patience for Nami or Usopp playing coward, he simply dismisses them as weak and steps in to fight in their stead. He seems to have relatively few genuine interests, and is completely bored with things like art, culture, history, beauty, etc. If it's not swords or booze, count him out. He has a very high alcohol tolerance but it's still possible to get him drunk enough to pass out, he did so twice on Fishman Island alone from their very strong sake. He doesn't express himself well, even over things he genuinely feels passion or other emotion about. He tends to have two modes, stoic and irate, and not much of a range in between. His deepest fear is finding himself too weak to protect the crew, and specifically to be able to back Luffy up, so much of what he does is designed either to push himself become strong enough to be legitimately considered the Pirate King's right hand man, or to cover up what physical (or emotional) weaknesses remain. He rigidly remains close-lipped about his past, particularly Kuina - no one in the crew knows anything about him prior to his reputation as Pirate Hunter Zoro. Whether or not his scarred eye hampers his swordsmanship is impossible to tell - it most likely doesn't, but it still bears mention that he only has one eye now and thus technically a blind spot on his left.

[Limited Powers]:
The only real "power" Zoro displays is his use of haki, an innate spiritual sense that all people in his world are apparently born with, but most never awaken or realize. It's not supernatural or mystical, though being able to awaken and control it is a sign of great strength of spirit or will. There are three types of haki, but only two are important for Zoro - Observation and Armament. Observation (Kenbunshoku) allows him to sense the presence of others, noting where they are in relation to himself, how many there are, and sometimes even their relative strength. It also lets him detect movement and prepare to dodge blows or bullets before they even come. Armament (Busoshoku) is a means of strengthening or hardening the physical body in order to perform better attacks and, most notably, counteract Devil Fruit effects in order to do damage to Devil Fruit users. That facet of the ability most likely would not work against people demonstrating other types of powers in another world, so most characters won't have to fear his Armament haki - only those from his own world with Devil Fruit powers. Against others, Armament may make Zoro a smidge stronger than his already monstrous natural strength, but won't give him much more of an advantage.

[Other Important Facts]:
Zoro will be coming in from getting lost on Dressrosa, which means he will be wearing a spiffy suit instead of his hobo robe as well as a fake moustache and sunglasses. He will have his three swords (Wadou Ichimonji, Kitetsu III, and Shuusui) on him but nothing else.

[Samples]:
♦ Thread: http://reallybadeggs.dreamwidth.org/3648.html?thread=2394176#cmt2394176
♦ Post:
[voice]
[the only preface to Zoro using the journal to address everyone is a frustrated sigh. He still isn't sure why this works like a den-den mushi but oh well...]

Look, I don't care too much about treasure or anything else. I just want to know who around here is the strongest. If there's anyone worthy of even calling themselves that. I don't mind taking a detour in our journey, but I'm not letting myself go soft while I'm here.

[there's a pause, and then his tone grows positively bloodthirsty]

So come on, strong ones. If you're out there. I want to see if you can live up to your boasts.