One Piece and its cult popularity among the Big 3 of Shonen anime is no surprise. Written by Eiichiro Oda, the series has garnered a global fanbase. From its cultural impact to record-breaking sales, the manga has carved a benchmark in the Shonen genre. To add to that, the franchise has some of the highest-grossing films.
While the series bagged several accolades, it also highlighted Oda’s career as a mangaka. It also marked Luffy’s popularity as the main character of the series. Although Luffy is the celebrated protagonist of the series, Roronoa Zoro’s pivotal role and connection with Ryuma Shimotsuki make him the second main character of the series, as the author revealed in an interview.
Eiichiro Oda originally established Roronoa Zoro as the second MC in his series
Roronoa Zoro is a skilled swordsman and combatant who appears in One Piece written by Eiichiro Oda. Apart from being a swordsman, he’s the right-hand man of Monkey D. Luffy and second in command of the Straw Hat Pirates. He’s the first member of the Straw Hat Pirates to be recruited by Luffy.
Zoro’s unwavering faith and loyalty towards Luffy make him worthy of the position of Senior Officer. He’s among the very few characters who have mastery over all three forms of Haki. He possesses immense strength and endurance. While he appears mostly as Luffy’s sidekick, the author initially planned on making him a second character.
In a post shared by @sandman_AP, the Twitter user reveals an excerpt from Eiichiro Oda’s DVD interview. This was featured in the DVD box of the anime Monsters. The author revealed his original plan of making a character like Ryuma the MC of One Piece. He quoted:
Before OP started, I already had the idea of having a character like Luffy as the protagonist. In order to be popular, I prepared someone like Ryuma as the 2nd main character.
It is no surprise that Roronoa Zoro bears a resemblance to Shimotsuki Ryuma. From his antics and appearance to his mannerisms, the green-haired swordsman’s connection to the protagonist of Oda’s reputed one-shot manga is clear in the series. While he may be a sidekick, he has the makings of a hero considering his connection with the legendary samurai.
Roronoa Zoro and Shimotsuki Ryuma’s connection is evident in One Piece
Apart from being a seasoned swordsman, Roronoa Zoro shares an interesting connection with Shimotsuki Ryuma. Ryuma is the protagonist of Eiichiro Oda’s one-shot manga Monsters. Zoro’s training at Shimotsuki Village at the Isshin Dojo marked his early years as a swordsman. His relationship with the Shimotsuki family shaped his growth and early life as a swordsman.
Besides that, Zoro’s appearance along with his personality is similar to his distant ancestor Ryuma Shimotsuki. While Kuina Shimotsuki’s death influenced his journey as a swordsman, Ryuma Shimotsuki shaped his character growth. His battle with the zombie samurai during the Thriller Bark underscored his prowess as a swordsman. However, there’s more to it.
Zoro’s battle with Ryuma Shimotsuki deemed him worthy of wielding the samurai’s legendary sword, Meito Shusui. While Zoro is known for wielding three swords, this battle outlined his abilities as a swordsman and the true successor of the Shusui. His respect and acknowledgment from Luffy, along with his distant ancestor, marks his pivotal role as a deuteragonist in the series.
One Piece is available for streaming on Crunchyroll
