Summary
The idea of an individual wielding three swords at once is not particularly ridiculous within the world ofOne Piece, where a host of characters possess borderline absurd abilities. However, this style of swordplay is now regarded as an iconic element of the series' lore, popularized by one of the most widely adored members of the main cast. On the face of it,Roronoa Zoro’s Three Sword Style is quite unusualin many respects, especially with regard to the logistical impossibility it would pose in the real world.
While some may have balked at this approach to swordsmanship, it has become a major reason behind why Zoro is one of the most beloved characters inOne Piece. Having been at the core of many unforgettable moments throughout the series, the Three Sword Style includes an ever-expanding roster of techniques, which have grown anddeveloped in tandem with Zoro’s own strength. Its evolution, both prior to and following the time skip across different mediums, is quite interesting from several angles.
What Is Three Sword Style?
Debuting as early as Chapter 6 of the manga, and Episode 3 of the anime, the Three Sword Style is one of thefirst combat styles to be featured in the series. Zoro first came up with this path of swordsmanship while training at the dojo in Shimotsuki Village. Although he was one of the dojo’s most promising students while utilizing his original Two Sword Style, he was never able to defeat Kuina, the daughter of the dojo’s master, even after 2000 duels.
After being defeated once more in a duel with real swords, Zoro learned that Kuina had fallen down a flight of stairs and died the very next day. He later begged Kuina’s father for her sword, Wado Ichimonji, and began wielding three blades by placing one in his jaw, with the other two in his hands. With this, he honed his mastery of the newly created Three Sword Style, and began toearn a reputation as a formidable bounty hunter, which eventually led to him being nicknamed “Pirate Hunter Zoro.”
Users of the Three Sword Style must possess a great deal of jaw and arm strength to be able to execute its techniques. On many occasions, Zoro has wielded one of his swords with a reverse grip in one hand. The versatility of this approach grants him the ability to deliver slashes from multiple angles. Zoro has also bolstered his regular attacks withArmament Haki, and later, Conqueror’s Haki, to increase their effectiveness against more powerful opponents.
Zoro’s Signature Techniques
Many of Zoro’ssignature techniques under the Three Sword Stylehave names which are puns on popular dishes from Japanese cuisine, including some types of sushi. This stems from the way certain Japanese words are pronounced. Additionally, some techniques also have religious influences and animal themes, despite Zoro being agnostic.
To begin with,one of the techniques that Zoro usesmost often, is simply known as “Oni Giri,” which can be literally translated as “Ogre Cutter.” On its own, the technique is a descending diagonal cross slash, that begins with Zoro crossing his swords across his chest and charging towards his opponent. Interestingly, this name also bears a striking similarity to “onigiri,” a type of Japanese rice ball.
Healso uses variants of this technique, such as the Yaki Oni Giri (Burning Ogre Cutter/ Grilled Rice Ball) — where his blades are set on fire — and Enbima Yonezu Oni Giri (Charm Demon Sleepless Night Ogre Cutter/ Shrimp Mayonnaise Rice Ball), which involves a twisting motion for added force. After the time skip, he also uses a more powerful variant known as Rengoku Oni Giri (Purgatory Ogre Cutter), including a version where his blades are coated in Armament Haki, with a purple aura surrounding him when wielding the legendary blade, Enma.
For situations where his attacks must exert force across a broader area,Zoro often relies on the technique known asTatsu Maki (Dragon Twister), where he spins with his swords to generate a dragon-like whirlwind to blow away his enemies. In later appearances, this technique became powerful enough to break down parts of a multi-story building from the inside, and featured the aura of a Chinese dragon surrounding Zoro.
The pun here is that Tatsumaki means “tornado” in Japanese, but is also a type of sushi. After the time skip, he also uses a more powerful variant known as Kokujo O Tatsumaki (Kalasutra Great Dragon Twister). This version creates a much stronger whirlwind, that is said to be strong enough to cut through steel. Naturally,he can also use a Haki-enhanced versionof this technique, which was able to cut through Kaido’s scales.
Other prominent techniques include Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai (Three Sword/Blade Style Secret Skill: Three Thousand Worlds),where Zoro holds two swords at an angle, rotates them, and then charges at an opponent to strike with all three blades at once. It was first successfully executed against Oars, and finally Pica, who was defeated by the Armament Haki enhanced version known as Santoryu Ogi: Ichidai Sanzen Daisen Sekai (Three Sword/Blade Style Secret Skill: Great Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds).
Hyakuhachi Pound Ho (108 Pound Phoenix/Cannon), is a circular mid to long range slash attack that sends three projectiles of compressed air towards an opponent. A more powerful permutation of this technique has been shown after the time skip,which is known as Senhachiju Pound Ho(1080 Pound Phoenix/Cannon).
Becoming The King Of Hell
When Zoro obtainedKozuki Oden’s legendary blade Enmafrom his daughter Hiyori, in exchange for returning Shusui to Wano Country, he initially struggled with how it drained his body of Haki. Facing off against Big Mom and Kaido on the rooftop of Onigashima exacerbated this strain on his stamina, and it gradually drew out his latent Conqueror’s Haki. Later on, when fighting Kaido’s second in command, King, he realized that Enma had roused his dormant desire to become a conqueror, which led to him developing the King of Hell Three Sword Style.
Due to his limited mastery of Conqueror’s Haki,Zoro cannot maintain this state for very long, and will collapse from fatigue if he pushes himself too far. In return, his usual attacks unleash power on an entirely different level when enhanced with Conqueror’s Haki, changing their range, destructive potential, and cutting power. On activating this state, Zoro’s swords radiate a green aura resembling smoke, with flashes of black lightning which typify Conqueror’s Haki applications.
Zoro has seemingly also imbued the Foxfire Style into this form, as he was able to cut through fire with ease when fighting against King. This form has its own version of Rengoku Oni Giri, which changes the short range cutting attack into a long range flying slash,bolstered by the power of Conqueror’s Haki. Its force is enough to destroy massive boulders and decimate the landscape surrounding Zoro.
Finally, the most deadly application of this style shown so far in the series, is En-Ō Santōryū: Ippyakusanjo Hiryu Jigoku (King of Hell, Three-Sword Serpent: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation), which is an aerial long range slash attack delivered with all three swords. Powerful enough to cut through King’s massive flaming dragon attack and still deal near fatal damage to the Lunarian after reaching him,this attack is the current pinnacle of Zoro’s abilities.
