Luffy might get most of the attention in One Piece, but his right-hand man isn't too far behind in terms of strength and value to the crew. Zoro was the first person to join up with Luffy after he set out to find the One Piece and become Pirate King. He's played an important role in nearly every arc of the series and is a big reason why the Straw Hats have been able to progress as far as they have.

A member of the crew's "Monster Trio" alongside Luffy and Sanji, Zoro has had his fair share of incredible moments, pulling off almost unbelievable feats throughout his journey. These are some moments that show just how overpowered Zoro can be.

Literally Punching Through a Wave With Luffy

An Incredible Feat of Teamwork and Sheer Will

At this point, One Piece's main cast has pulled off some absolutely ridiculous feats. It's incredible to look back at some of the relatively earlier moments, see Luffy and Zoro punching through a massive tidal wave, a literal force of nature, and not consider it to be the most overpowered thing either has done.

Luffy's incredible use of his Devil Fruit aside, Zoro manages to pull this off through sheer will and strength. It's not the only time he'd absolutely stun fans, and it's fun to look back at knowing all the great things he would go on to do that would top this moment.

Zoro Challenges Mihawk

Zoro Proves His Toughness & Resolves, Despite the Loss

Not only is this a great moment for Zoiro as a character, but it's also one of the most iconic things he's ever done. We all know Zoro's ultimate goal is to become the World's Strongest Swordsman, a title currently held by Mihawk. So what does Zoro do? He challenges the former Warlord to a duel that nobody expected him to win.

It goes as well as you'd expect, with the legendary swordsman easily defeating Zoro. Anyone else would've probably died during that interaction, but Zoro's tenacity and toughness allowed him to survive, with Mihawk sparing him and curious to see what would become of his challenger.

Taking Down Mr. 1

We See Zoro Overcome A Challenging Opponent

The Baroque Works members featured during the Arabasta Arc gave the Straw Hats a real challenge, giving them a chance to both show off how much they've grown while also giving fans an idea of how strong the world around them was. Zoro's match-up against Mr.1, Daz Bonez, was one of the best the arc had to offer.

With his Devil Fruit powers allowing him to essentially turn his body into a bladed weapon, he served as a tough opponent for Zoro. While he struggled with the fight and looked like he wasn't going to pull through at one point, Zoro was able to cut through Daz's steel defense and claim victory.

Using Ashura to Defeat Kaku

Zoro's Growth As a Swordsman on Full Display

While Luffy always takes on the strongest member of whatever group the Straw Hats are fighting, the responsibility of handling the second-strongest often falls to Zoro. While fighting CP9, Zoro is tasked with fighting Kaku.

Kaku's powerful Zoan Devil Fruit makes him a unique challenge for Zoro, and there are times in the fight where it looks like Kaku's gotten the better of him. But Zoro is once again able to turn things around by pushing himself past his limits, this time unlocking his Nine Sword Style and using his incredibly powerful Ashura: Ichibugin technique to put Kaku down for the count.

Blocking Kaido & Big Mom’s Combined Attack

Not Many People Could Have Pulled This Off And Lived

Kaido and Big Mom are two of the strongest pirates of their era, commanding fear among most pirates and even marines. The two of them make for a fearsome duo that could easily wipe out most opponents, but apparently, Zoro didn't get the memo.

During a confrontation between Kaido, Big Mom, and Worst Generation Members Law, Killer, Zoro, Luffy, and Kidd, the former Rocks Pirates unleash a massive attack upon the group. With the rest unable to dodge in time, Zoro takes on the brunt of the monstrous attack, briefly blocking it while the rest get out of the way. Though he broke many of his bones, Zoro tanking an attack that powerful proves he's on a whole different level than most.

Taking on All of Luffy’s Pain

Zoro Shows Us All That He's Luffy's Greatest Ally

One thing that fans love about Zoro is that he's incredibly loyal to his captain. Being a strong crew member and valuable asset in a fight is great, but Zoro's best quality is his belief in Luffy and his willingness to put everything on the line to make his dream come true.

Following the exhausting confrontation on Thriller Bark, Kuma arrives on the scene, and things aren't looking good for a completely battered and worn-out Luffy. But Zoro steps in and strikes a deal with Kuma, agreeing to absorb all of Luffy's pain via Kuma's Devil Fruit ability. Not only does an already damaged Zoro tank even more pain, but he plays it off so nonchalantly that it's become one of the most iconic moments in the series.

Zoro Cuts Through King

Zoro Pushes Through His Limits And Takes Down A Lunarian

King was Zoro's most challenging opponent to date, and the fight between the two stands as one of the best we've seen in a long time. What's more impressive is that he managed to take King on after he blocked that massive attack from Big Mom and Kaido, showing just how tough and resilient Zoro is.

As one of the last remaining Lunarians, King's strength is undeniable. While Zoro takes plenty of shots at King, his attacks don't do much. It's only when Zoro (unbeknownst to him until later) infuses his swords with Supreme King Haki that he does some real damage. The fight comes down to one final clash, with Zoro using his King of Hell, Three-Sword Serpent: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation technique to break King's sword, rip his right wing, and finally put him down.

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One Piece

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TV-14

Anime

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Release Date: October 20, 1999
Network: Fuji TV

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Cast

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Mayumi Tanaka

Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
Kazuya Nakai

Roronoa Zoro (voice)

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One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.

Franchise(s): One Piece
Studio: Toei Animation
Number of Episodes: 1122
MyAnimeList Score: 8.72
Creator(s): Eiichiro Oda