Zoro’s backstory from One Piece has always been one of the franchise’s most puzzling story choices. Part of it is because of hindsight. Series author Eiichiro Oda likely didn’t know how long the series would run or how it would become so far removed from reality. On paper, it’s straightforward and concise. Zoro has a childhood rival, who happened to be a girl, who tragically passed, leading Zoro to dedicate his life to becoming the greatest swordsman. In the context of early One Piece, it was an efficient backstory that worked fine as is. The issues with it are that it is shockingly plain in comparison to the rest of One Piece.
There have been multiple pieces describing Zoro’s backstory as the weakest in the franchise, with several found on this very website. As the One Piece series continued, with more elaborate and depressing backstories being unveiled, Zoro’s feels unremarkable in comparison. Fans, in particular, have a hard time accepting how mundane Zoro’s friend’s death is. The One Piece has become so far removed from reality that a sudden and tragic trip down the stairs doesn’t fully vibe with the world Oda created. However, I reject the belief that Zoro’s backstory is the weakest in One Piece. While the backstory comes across as almost contradictory to everything One Piece establishes, the mundaneness adds to the poignancy of Zoro.
What’s Wrong With Zoro’s Backstory in One Piece?
The main source of fans’ complaints towards Zoro’s backstory is its simplicity and the manner in which Kuina dies. Kuina is established as a swordswoman prodigy, someone Zoro could never defeat when he was a child, no matter how hard he trained. After dueling one night with real swords, Zoro and Kuina made a vow that either one of them would become the world’s greatest swordsman. Tragically, Kuina would die falling down the stairs. Zoro then promised to become the world’s greatest swordsman to honor her memory.
If this were any other series besides One PieceZoro’s backstory would have been viewed as a simple yet effective storytelling choice. Unfortunately, Zoro’s backstory does exist in One Piecewhere it competes with arguably even more tragic storylines and backstories. Several characters in the franchise suffer from major injustices, enduring hardships far greater than those faced by Zoro. Chopper was literally ostracized by his fellow reindeer and accidentally fed poison to his father figure. Robin has been on the run for nearly her entire life, being the sole survivor of a massacre orchestrated by the world government. Trafalgar Law witnesses his whole kingdom succumb to an incurable illness and had to hide among the dead bodies to escape. In contrast, Zoro at least had a support system, with friends and a sensei to guide him. It’s hard to find sympathy towards a man who has comparatively more privilege than the other main characters.
Furthermore, many fans find Kuina’s death to be improbable in the One Piece world. The series has featured normal humans surviving outrageous things, including explosions, stabbings, and direct gunfire. More recently, newborn Loki survived falling from a seemingly insurmountable height and climbed his way back to his castle. Kuina’s death is more of a symptom of early One Piecebefore Oda firmly entrenched the rules of the world. At the time, falling from stairs felt pretty reasonable way to die, especially for a young girl. Given how ridiculous the One Piece universe became, fans have a difficult time reconciling Kuina’s death with the rest of the franchise.
There’s a Beauty to the Mundane
Zoro has always been a simple character. He doesn’t have deep or complicated thoughts, and he rarely, if ever, second-guesses himself. Zoro was never designed to be this multilayered character. He was created to be the tough swordsman and one of Luffy’s most trusted members of the crew. Zoro didn’t need a complex backstory to explain who he is. Readers only needed to know what drives him to want to become the world’s greatest swordsman. Although every One Piece origin story is poignant and wonderful to read, even Franky having a deep backstory, the super-sad lore for nearly every major character can be a bit over the top. It’s no surprise that the main characters with arguably the simplest origins, Luffy and Zoro, are the characters with the most drive to accomplish their dreams. They were already born with the dedication; they just needed the right push.
There is also something beautifully poignant about the mundaneness of Kuina’s death. Tragedy can hit at any moment and can be as boring and unexpected as falling down the stairs. Many of us have experienced loss through sudden situations that we have no control over. Kuina’s death represents the spontaneity of life and how life is too short not to chase after your dreams. Her death is also the perfect juxtaposition for Zoro’s personality. Zoro has always been someone who chases what he wants without thinking about the consequences. Kuina’s death not only forces Zoro to confront his mortality but also to reconcile the fact that his friend would never achieve her dream. It makes Zoro’s cause more noble, as he’s aiming to fulfill Kuina’s dreams rather than just his own.
The One Piece Anime Made Zoro’s Backstory Better
Zoro’s backstory is one of the several moments enhanced by Toei Animation’s One Piece anime adaptation. Whereas the backstory was a simple couple of pages, Toei extended it into a full episode, delivering a full narrative within the span of 22 minutes. The anime included quieter moments on Zoro’s home island, firmly establishing the Japanese atmosphere that was barely touched on in the manga. Moreover, there was more emphasis on Kuina’s plight in the anime than in the manga, with Kuina’s gender playing a big role in her motivation.
While Kuina’s gender does play a part in the One Piece manga, the anime adds to the anguish. The voice performances in both Japanese and English also help sell the flashback, with the standout being child Zoro’s somber yet quiet dedication to continue Kuina’s legacy at the episode’s climax. The anime also placed the flashback right before the Baratie Arc, where Zoro would face Mihawk for the first time. It’s arguably a better placement for the backstory than in the manga, as it adds extra context for why Zoro is desperate to fight Mihawk.
There will always be fans who will never reconcile Zoro’s backstory with the rest of the series. The backstory is shockingly grounded in a world that is decidedly not. Nonetheless, Oda’s hallmarks for a beautiful story are still there. The backstory works because of how mundane it is, making it more relatable than any other story in One Piece. Unless born in extreme circumstances, most other One Piece backstories we can never fully relate to. Contrastingly, we can relate to Zoro’s backstory. Most of us have suffered from that type of tragedy, and Oda uses that simplicity to help drive Zoro’s narrative. Zoro serves as a wish-fulfillment for everyone who couldn’t succeed with their dreams. Zoro is the man who would go to the ends of the earth to fulfill a promise he made as a kid through the story of One Pieceand there’s genuine, powerful pathos to that.
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