Roronoa "do you even own a shirt" Zoro (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
yourotherleft) wrote2020-07-21 09:45 pm
yourotherleft) wrote2020-07-21 09:45 pm
Sword and Battle Information
For those not quite canon-familiar with One Piece, this is an informational post for Zoro's fighting style, techniques, major moves, and swords. Pics are on the wiki, it's wall o' text time.
Swords
Zoro carries three swords at all times. ALL. TIMES. He will never leave one behind, and if he's anywhere outside his home he will be armed. Hell, he always has them on him even on the ship when nothing is happening, about the only time he doesn't is in the bath. It's a habit and a necessity. These swords are important to him not just as tools, but as extensions of his will and comrades as close to his heart as his crewmates.
At present, Zoro wields Wadou Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and Enma. Two are O Wazamono, and Kitetsu is merely Wazamono.
Techniques and Moves
Zoro's preferred style is santoryuu, or three-sword, which he invented himself as a child and requires putting the third sword in his mouth. His proficiency is highest with this style, and his biggest, most powerful finishing moves require it. But he can also use nitoryuu (two swords), ittoryuu (one sword), and mutoryuu (no swords, but the same moves). I've tried to describe his actual named moves for each style, but it should be noted that he also fights free-form no matter how many swords he has in hand - basic swings with one or two swords, typical katas, that sort of thing. He also is a master of flying slashes - cutting rushes of air that don't require the blades themselves to make contact.
Santoryuu: big name moves aren't the only thing Zoro can do with three swords. Sometimes it looks like he's not even using the one in his teeth, but in a prolonged sequence of swings it will actually be in there, giving a one-two-three rhythm. He can even block with Wadou in a pinch. Most of the time, technique-wise, he uses the other two to set himself up for an opening for a Big Name Move, so he needs to have Wadou out and in position to be used the instant it's needed. A brief list of the moves he uses most often follows.
There is one move that is called Kyutoryuu, but he doesn't actually use nine swords. It's an odd and unknown secret technique wherein his will/aura makes it appear that he has three heads and six arms and what the hell even. Ashura is a finishing move but god knows how he does it. He has only used it twice in canon, the second time against Kaidou.
Nitoryuu: most of the time when he's merely fighting off hordes of enemies in melee combat or only using very basic cuts with no anticipation that he'll need a bigger move/finishing move, Zoro uses nitoryuu, most often with Shuusui* on the right and Kitetsu on the left. He does have some big 2-sword moves though.
Ittoryuu: Zoro has said outright that he's weakest with ittoryuu - he never really allowed himself to train with only one sword. But out of sheer necessity he did develop a few techniques, to serve him in those times when he doesn't have more than one sword. Primarily, he focused on learning iai moves, which is the technique of drawing and immediately resheathing the sword.
Mutoryuu: very rare, but worth mentioning. Zoro can fight hand to hand, and punch and kick like any normal person, but mutoryuu is when he specifically uses the stance, muscle memory, and followthrough of one of his sword moves without having any swords in hand. Likely no one will see it unless he's forced to fight without his swords, never voluntarily. He did so in the Davy Back fight, using Tatsumaki's stance and motion with only his fists to turn an opponent's momentum against him and send him flying.
Haki
Haki is loosely translated as strength of will, an ability that all people in his world actually have, but few awaken and use. The stronger the will, and the dedication to practice and train with it, the more a person can do with it. Zoro's strongest sense is Armament Haki, the ability to harden his body and anything attached to it (such as the swords he holds) with a coating of "armor" to protect himself and enhance his hits. It looks like a solid, shiny layer of featureless black coloring when he uses it, so an opponent would be able to see that he's using Armament on his swords or his fists - or on any part of himself that he wants to protect. Zoro, however, given his aesthetic for fighting, doesn't really protect himself. He wanted to learn Armament control in order to protect his swords, since he had broken so many throughout his life and has reached a point where he doesn't want any of the ones serving him to break anymore - particularly not Wadou Ichimonji. He only began using it regularly at the apex of his fight with Pica because the bastard just wasn't going down with all the rest of his moves, but has since also used it in boss-level battles on Wano (against Kaidou and King). Armament can also cut through Devil Fruit abilities - a DF user, especially a Logia, is vulnerable to regular sword cuts and fists when Armament is involved. Against people not from his world, Armament would only be used if he had any fear that his swords might break from normal stress. It is implied that repeated use of Armament haki on swords is what transforms them into Black Blades (Kokutou), increasing their inherent strength and grade.
Zoro is only slightly less proficient in the use of Observation Haki, but it's the type of haki that he uses more often and without hesitation. Observation gives off the appearance of a sixth sense, but there's only certain things he can sense with it. Primarily, he can tell the physical location of people by sensing their aura - of their own will or strength - and can even gauge their strength level relative to his own. He can also use it to sense movement, so even if someone is adept at suppressing their haki or aura, he can still pick them out of the landscape by sheer movement alone (e.g. Pica rising out of the stone beneath him - movement, not presence). Observation also allows him to sense movements coming toward him to dodge bullets and hits. If someone registers as being extremely powerful, Zoro might be able to pick it up without actively turning his sense toward them. But he can't read minds or tell other things about people.
As of the late parts of the Wano arc, Zoro seems to have also awakened Conquerer's haki, which few people in the world have but almost all of the Big Players In Canon end up having - Luffy has it, as do most Emperors, Doflamingo, etc. It's quite rare and kind of a big deal if it turns out he really does have it and can channel it into Enma, the haki-draining sword.
Honor and Aesthetic
Zoro does love to fight, but he also fights with deliberation. He knows when a fight would not be worth the energy, and will refuse to step in if the situation dictates. Most people think he holds the samurai code of bushido, but he doesn't actually. He does believe in some codes of honor, such as not taking a cut to the back, but he's also a pirate and fights dirty if the moment calls for it. He doesn't wrestle with the agony of honor, or regret a single move he makes - he chooses when and how to fight so that he has no regrets. Everything he does, down to the names of his moves, is entirely his own choice for his own reasons, and he follows the beat of a drummer no one else can hear. He is anti-spiritual, but he still believes in certain types of honor. His primary reason for fighting is to protect his crew, even though he knows full well most of them can take care of themselves in most circumstances. It's the fact that they do have weaknesses, and they all need to work together as a crew, that makes him desire to protect them. His promise to Kuina does motivate him deep down, but it's more subconscious now, because his primary cause has become Luffy. He made a promise to make sure Luffy becomes the Pirate King, and to support him as his strong right hand, and that is now his driving force.
There are certain stages Zoro goes through as he fights that determine just how serious he gauges the threat and how seriously he will respond. For him to be the first to draw is already a sign that he understands that this is a fight and it's time to roll. How many swords he draws, and which ones, is the next sign - two swords, Shuusui first, is usually a protective move, while Kitetsu first means he's going on the attack first. Enma is too powerful to take Shuusui's place as protection, so we'll see if that changes. Only one sword drawn means he's pretty sure it's not going to be worth his time but he has to be wary. All three right out of the gate means this is a big fight, and he knows it, although in any fight, if he starts out with two and then decides to draw Wadou, his opponent would know that's about to kick it up a notch. And, finally, if he stops and takes the bandanna off his left arm, and ties it around his head, that is the ultimate in seriousness. All pretense is gone, no more playing around. The bandanna is a mark of the highest dedication.
Also, he is dominant with his left hand, although ambidextrous in general.
Swords
Zoro carries three swords at all times. ALL. TIMES. He will never leave one behind, and if he's anywhere outside his home he will be armed. Hell, he always has them on him even on the ship when nothing is happening, about the only time he doesn't is in the bath. It's a habit and a necessity. These swords are important to him not just as tools, but as extensions of his will and comrades as close to his heart as his crewmates.
Wadou Ichimonji: his most beloved sword which has been with him the longest. White lacquered saya, extremely plain oval tsuba and very basic white wrapping. This is the sword which belonged to Sensei Koshiro's family, and was due to be inherited by Kuina as an heirloom sword. After Kuina's death, Zoro begged to have the sword, and his sensei granted it. He's had it since he was ten, then, and has never damaged or broken it unlike countless nameless katana he used to use. The Wadou is an O Wazamono, or great sword, which is the 2nd highest grade of swords in the world, of which there are only 21. To him it's the sword of promise, the sword which carries Kuina's will (not literally, but...) and stands as a symbol of their promise to one another to become the world's greatest swordsman. When Zoro uses all three, Wadou is the one he puts in his teeth. He almost never uses it in nitoryuu, but he will occasionally use it in ittoryuu, mostly for iai attacks like Shishi Sonson. It was revealed in the Wano Arc that Wadou was forged by the same swordsmith who made Oden's sword Enma.
Kitetsu III (Sandai Kitetsu): the cursed sword. Zoro obtained this sword in Loguetown when searching for replacements for the two unnamed katana broken by Mihawk. It is a Yoto, or cursed sword, the third in a line of cursed blades all named Kitetsu, and has the rank of just Wazamono, which is 4th grade in terms of quality among Meitou (famed swords). It has a red cloth-wrapped saya with gold accents, a more elaborate tsuba, and a leather-wrapped handle with more gold at the grip. It also has an uneven temper pattern along the blade, looking like flames. When told it was a cursed sword, Zoro decided to pit his luck against the curse, and if his luck proved stronger, he would consider the sword tamed to his hand, and the shopkeeper agreed to let him have it. He threw it in the air, held out an arm, and closed his eyes so he wouldn't flinch; the blade circled neatly around his arm instead of cutting it off as it fell. Kitetsu is the sword he often pulls first in a fight, and uses it mainly in both nitoryuu and santoryuu. It was revealed in the Wano arc that it was forged by Tenguyama Hitetsu, who did in fact have three and temporarily loaned his ancestor's masterpiece (and also cursed) Nidai Kitetsu (#2) to Luffy. He also forged Enma's partner Ame no Habakiri.
Enma: his latest acquisition, an extremely powerful and legendary sword. It is one of a pair of O Wazamono swords that eventually became property of Kozuki Oden, daimyo of Kuri on Wano, forged by the master swordsmith Shimotsuki Kozaburo. It is a beautiful sword with lacquered handle and saya colored lilac-purple with gold accents that match the shape of the tsuba, and a three-lobed tsuba, with an irregular flame-like temper pattern similar to Kitetsu's. The odd thing about Enma is that it has an ability or will of its own which drains Armament haki from the wielder, in essence draining or dessicating the person of their own life essence. When properly wielded with Armament and/or Conqueror's haki flowing back and forth between wielder and sword, it stabilizes and becomes stupidly powerful. So far Zoro is struggling to use it in Shuusui's place, having come to some sort of balance with it during his fight vs. King but canon has yet to show how that will work out for him. There is canon suggestion that if Zoro can transform it into a black blade (like Shuusui and other canon swords) it will go up a rank in sword legendium. It rightfully belongs to Kozuki Hiyori, but she traded it for Shuusui so Wano could have their national treature back. See below for usage habits, as it now stands in for Shuusui but Zoro hasn't yet developed specific habits.
Shuusui: the elder statesman, the first sword Zoro won from an opponent. Shuusui is a black blade (Kokutou) and, like Wadou Ichimonji, is an O Wazamono. It has a line of circular symbols along its black saya, which has a tasseled cord wrapped around it, and has a floral-shaped tsuba. The black blade has an even red temper pattern. Shuusui originally belonged to (Shimotsuki) Ryuuma, a samurai from the island kingdom of Wano, and the sword was buried with him hundreds of years ago when he died - it's actually a national treasure of Wano. But Moria robbed the grave for strong warrior bodies to turn into zombies, and brought Ryuuma's sword along for him to use as a zombie. Upon defeating Ryuuma, the zombie gave up Shuusui to him as a sign of respect (and gratitude, presumably, for putting him to rest again). Post-timeskip, Shuusui tended to be the sword Zoro draws first when protecting his crew, as opposed to going on the attack, and he always used it in nitoryuu and santoryuu. Unlike Kitetsu, he used Shuusui in ittoryuu attacks as well. When he first used it he noticed that it was more powerful than the other two, and would have overwhelmed them in santoryuu if he didn't bend it to serve him. Note: as of the Wano arc Zoro gave this sword back to Wano in exchange for Enma, as Kozkui Hiyori requested.
Yubashiri: was a Ryo Wazamono sword given to Zoro by the shopkeeper Ippon-Matsu, which is 3rd grade among Meitou, one of 50 in the world. I mention it here only in case of characters who can read his mind, see his memories, or be able to pick up imprints of it from the other swords. Yubashiri was Ippon-Matsu's own family heirloom, which he gave to Zoro for free upon seeing him conquer Kitetsu's curse, recognizing him as a swordsman of renown who would deserve to carry a famous sword. Yubashiri had a black lacquered saya with gold accents and a solid black lacquer handle, no wrapping. It was destroyed at Enies Lobby when a Marine captain with the Devil Fruit ability to rust anything he touches grabbed the blade, rusting it down to the hilt. Zoro still carried it on him even though it was dead, and gave it a proper funeral by leaving it interred in the dirt of the Rumbar Pirates' mass grave on Thriller Bark.
At present, Zoro wields Wadou Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and Enma. Two are O Wazamono, and Kitetsu is merely Wazamono.
Techniques and Moves
Zoro's preferred style is santoryuu, or three-sword, which he invented himself as a child and requires putting the third sword in his mouth. His proficiency is highest with this style, and his biggest, most powerful finishing moves require it. But he can also use nitoryuu (two swords), ittoryuu (one sword), and mutoryuu (no swords, but the same moves). I've tried to describe his actual named moves for each style, but it should be noted that he also fights free-form no matter how many swords he has in hand - basic swings with one or two swords, typical katas, that sort of thing. He also is a master of flying slashes - cutting rushes of air that don't require the blades themselves to make contact.
Santoryuu: big name moves aren't the only thing Zoro can do with three swords. Sometimes it looks like he's not even using the one in his teeth, but in a prolonged sequence of swings it will actually be in there, giving a one-two-three rhythm. He can even block with Wadou in a pinch. Most of the time, technique-wise, he uses the other two to set himself up for an opening for a Big Name Move, so he needs to have Wadou out and in position to be used the instant it's needed. A brief list of the moves he uses most often follows.
Oni Giri - he crosses his arms over his chest with the blades straight up on either side, and slashes across the center with the third behind, and moves through his opponent, cutting from center out. Rengoku Oni Giri is a stronger version where he doesn't even need to see the opponent coming to turn and triple-cut him.
Tora Gari - arms up and over his back, he crosses the two perpendicular to the third and brings all three downward as he moves forward. Also Ul-Tora Gari is just a stronger version of it, same movements.
Sanzen Sekai - he holds two swords angled to each other and spins them rapidly while slashing across the momentum with the third. Secret technique, finishing move. He can now up it to Ichiden Sanzen Daisen Sekai, which combines the original move with Zoro spinning himself to magnify the damage.
Tatsu Maki - he spins his whole body with swords out to create a twisting move - it creates a tornado of flying slashes that moves away toward the opponent. Also Oo Tatsumaki, a bigger version wherein the tornado can actually pick up and carry people for a distance, and the cuts are more deadly.
108 Pound Cannon - he curls his arms in such a way as to put the swords into a spiral, and then slashes with all three to create a spiraling flying slash. At its peak of strength it becomes 1080 Pound Cannon.
Karasuma Gari - multiple flying slashes in all directions, weaker than a Pound Cannon but more effective in melee
Gyuki: Yuzume - he points the two swords ahead like bull horns and charges, though the attack hits with all three. Similar to Ushi Oni actually.
Rokudo no Tsuji (Crossing the Six Paths) - Secret technique, finishing move. He bends and slashes the swords like an S, while spinning toward the opponent, cutting with six simultaneous slashes.
There is one move that is called Kyutoryuu, but he doesn't actually use nine swords. It's an odd and unknown secret technique wherein his will/aura makes it appear that he has three heads and six arms and what the hell even. Ashura is a finishing move but god knows how he does it. He has only used it twice in canon, the second time against Kaidou.
Nitoryuu: most of the time when he's merely fighting off hordes of enemies in melee combat or only using very basic cuts with no anticipation that he'll need a bigger move/finishing move, Zoro uses nitoryuu, most often with Shuusui* on the right and Kitetsu on the left. He does have some big 2-sword moves though.
Taka Nami - flying slash, creates wave gusts of cutting air
Sai Kuru - he holds the swords up like horns and spins to slash outward
Nitoryu Iai: Rashomon - his one iai move with two swords. He has to move one to his left hip to pull it off. Draws and resheaths from both sides of himself, sending out two flying slashes straight forward.
72 Pound Cannon - two-sword version of the 108
Nigiri - he holds the two swords parallel to one another, and which direction they point/how he slashes with them determines the move: Toro goes upward, Otoro downward, Hirameki straight forward from either right or left, Samon diagonally from right or left, and Maguma is a direct downward slam onto the opponent (as opposed to flying slashes).
Ittoryuu: Zoro has said outright that he's weakest with ittoryuu - he never really allowed himself to train with only one sword. But out of sheer necessity he did develop a few techniques, to serve him in those times when he doesn't have more than one sword. Primarily, he focused on learning iai moves, which is the technique of drawing and immediately resheathing the sword.
Ittoryu Iai: Shishi Sonson - using a back-handed grip, he draws and resheaths with his left (dominant) hand. Now can be done as Shi Shishi Sonson, same move but much stronger.
36 Pound Cannon - his first dabble into flying slashes was just throwing off a single one with a single sword, using a circular swing. He can still do it if he wants to. It has become the 360 pound Cannon now, ten times stronger because of his own strength.
Yakkodori - similar to the Pound Cannon, a flying slash that is larger and crescent-shaped, very high-speed. Can be used to block or counter.
Daishinkan - a standard overhead sword strike, with both hands on one sword, but in Zoro's hands it includes a shockwave that can split the ground beneath the opponent.
Mutoryuu: very rare, but worth mentioning. Zoro can fight hand to hand, and punch and kick like any normal person, but mutoryuu is when he specifically uses the stance, muscle memory, and followthrough of one of his sword moves without having any swords in hand. Likely no one will see it unless he's forced to fight without his swords, never voluntarily. He did so in the Davy Back fight, using Tatsumaki's stance and motion with only his fists to turn an opponent's momentum against him and send him flying.
Haki
Haki is loosely translated as strength of will, an ability that all people in his world actually have, but few awaken and use. The stronger the will, and the dedication to practice and train with it, the more a person can do with it. Zoro's strongest sense is Armament Haki, the ability to harden his body and anything attached to it (such as the swords he holds) with a coating of "armor" to protect himself and enhance his hits. It looks like a solid, shiny layer of featureless black coloring when he uses it, so an opponent would be able to see that he's using Armament on his swords or his fists - or on any part of himself that he wants to protect. Zoro, however, given his aesthetic for fighting, doesn't really protect himself. He wanted to learn Armament control in order to protect his swords, since he had broken so many throughout his life and has reached a point where he doesn't want any of the ones serving him to break anymore - particularly not Wadou Ichimonji. He only began using it regularly at the apex of his fight with Pica because the bastard just wasn't going down with all the rest of his moves, but has since also used it in boss-level battles on Wano (against Kaidou and King). Armament can also cut through Devil Fruit abilities - a DF user, especially a Logia, is vulnerable to regular sword cuts and fists when Armament is involved. Against people not from his world, Armament would only be used if he had any fear that his swords might break from normal stress. It is implied that repeated use of Armament haki on swords is what transforms them into Black Blades (Kokutou), increasing their inherent strength and grade.
Zoro is only slightly less proficient in the use of Observation Haki, but it's the type of haki that he uses more often and without hesitation. Observation gives off the appearance of a sixth sense, but there's only certain things he can sense with it. Primarily, he can tell the physical location of people by sensing their aura - of their own will or strength - and can even gauge their strength level relative to his own. He can also use it to sense movement, so even if someone is adept at suppressing their haki or aura, he can still pick them out of the landscape by sheer movement alone (e.g. Pica rising out of the stone beneath him - movement, not presence). Observation also allows him to sense movements coming toward him to dodge bullets and hits. If someone registers as being extremely powerful, Zoro might be able to pick it up without actively turning his sense toward them. But he can't read minds or tell other things about people.
As of the late parts of the Wano arc, Zoro seems to have also awakened Conquerer's haki, which few people in the world have but almost all of the Big Players In Canon end up having - Luffy has it, as do most Emperors, Doflamingo, etc. It's quite rare and kind of a big deal if it turns out he really does have it and can channel it into Enma, the haki-draining sword.
Honor and Aesthetic
Zoro does love to fight, but he also fights with deliberation. He knows when a fight would not be worth the energy, and will refuse to step in if the situation dictates. Most people think he holds the samurai code of bushido, but he doesn't actually. He does believe in some codes of honor, such as not taking a cut to the back, but he's also a pirate and fights dirty if the moment calls for it. He doesn't wrestle with the agony of honor, or regret a single move he makes - he chooses when and how to fight so that he has no regrets. Everything he does, down to the names of his moves, is entirely his own choice for his own reasons, and he follows the beat of a drummer no one else can hear. He is anti-spiritual, but he still believes in certain types of honor. His primary reason for fighting is to protect his crew, even though he knows full well most of them can take care of themselves in most circumstances. It's the fact that they do have weaknesses, and they all need to work together as a crew, that makes him desire to protect them. His promise to Kuina does motivate him deep down, but it's more subconscious now, because his primary cause has become Luffy. He made a promise to make sure Luffy becomes the Pirate King, and to support him as his strong right hand, and that is now his driving force.
There are certain stages Zoro goes through as he fights that determine just how serious he gauges the threat and how seriously he will respond. For him to be the first to draw is already a sign that he understands that this is a fight and it's time to roll. How many swords he draws, and which ones, is the next sign - two swords, Shuusui first, is usually a protective move, while Kitetsu first means he's going on the attack first. Enma is too powerful to take Shuusui's place as protection, so we'll see if that changes. Only one sword drawn means he's pretty sure it's not going to be worth his time but he has to be wary. All three right out of the gate means this is a big fight, and he knows it, although in any fight, if he starts out with two and then decides to draw Wadou, his opponent would know that's about to kick it up a notch. And, finally, if he stops and takes the bandanna off his left arm, and ties it around his head, that is the ultimate in seriousness. All pretense is gone, no more playing around. The bandanna is a mark of the highest dedication.
Also, he is dominant with his left hand, although ambidextrous in general.