The Straw Hat Pirates’ swordsman has several cuts permanently engraved across his body. They each represent a significant moment in his life.
It’s rare to see an anime character get a scar on-screen, even in a battle shonen like One Piece. Even if an injury is mortal, they’ll likely recover. This way, artists and animators will have an easier time drawing the character in the future. It might also be done to maintain the good looks of a main character. If a character must maintain scars, they represent something significant about the character, including past traumas and harsh lessons. This perspective on designing characters with scars leads to their marks that are obscured or few.
The art behind hand-drawn scar depiction can be observed through the Straw Hat Pirates’ swordsman, Roronoa Zoro. Despite how many intense battles he’s entered against fellow sharp weapon users, Zoro only has three sets of noteworthy scars. They appear over his left eye, across his torso, and above his ankles. However, each of these scars represents a significant point on Zoro’s path to becoming the world’s greatest swordsman.
How Zoro Got His Iconic Chest Scar
Zoro’s most significant scar to date is the one running along his chest. It starts at the base of his left shoulder and runs diagonally down his torso. It’s most visible when he wears outfits that expose his body (Enies Lobby, Sabaody Archipelago, post-time skip, etc.). It’s the scar that’s come to define his character more than any other on his body (except for maybe one, but that comes later).
Zoro received his scar during the Baratie Arc. The arc was put on hold by a surprise visit from Dracule Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords and the most renowned swordsman in the world. The Pirate Hunter challenged the Warlord for his latter title so he could fulfill his and Kuina’s dreams. Unfortunately for him, he was out of his depth; Mihawk was so powerful that he could stop the Three Sword Style with only the tiny sword he wore as a necklace. If the fight had continued to the death as Zoro intended, this would have been the end for him, and Mihawk wanted him to realize it. Despite this, Zoro was determined to fight to his dying breath while pursuing his dreams. The Warlord acknowledged the Pirate Hunter’s resolve. Thus, he ended the fight with his Supreme Grade sword, Yoru. Once two of Zoro’s swords were broken, he surrendered to his fate, only asking to be cut from the front because cuts on the back are dishonorable. Mihawk respected his wish and gave the Pirate Hunter a mortal (but not fatal) cut. The Warlord left the Pirate Hunter barely alive so he could grow from his loss and come back for another challenge. Zoro was frustrated by this loss (to say the least) and swore he would never lose again.
The chest scar from the Baratie Arc would directly influence Zoro in the Arlong Park Arc that followed. Between the near-fatal strike and the amateur stitch job, the Pirate Hunter spent the arc on the verge of death, even as he was fighting. If he had gotten too injured during his fights with Hachi, Arlong, or any of the other Fish-Men, it would have been the end for him. He eventually received the medical treatment he needed and had his scar professionally stitched up by Dr. Nako in Cocoyashi Village.
This scar represents a considerable moment of character development. Some say this is where Zoro stopped being his lighthearted East Blue self and became more serious. It also helped Sanji learn what it means to pursue one’s dreams at the risk of one’s life, which is why some fans are upset that he was left out as a spectator in the live-action version of the fight with Mihawk. In any case, it serves as a reminder of that fight for anyone who sees it.
How Zoro Got His Obscure Leg Scars
Zoro’s scars above his ankles are the most obscure scars he’s gained over his voyage. His outfits are more likely to cover up these scars than the ones on his chest. His fondness for trousers and boots ensures these scars rarely see the light of day. Even when his shins are exposed, there’s a chance the artist or animator will forget to add them, including Oda; they’re similar to the stitch job on the top of Luffy’s hat in that regard. There’s even a chance that those who have kept up with One Piece since he got them might forget about them.
The scars were gained during the Little Garden Arc near the start of the Straw Hat Prates’ Grand Line adventure. At the time, the crew had recently met the giants Dorry and Brogy, whom they admired for their warrior spirit that compelled them to duel each other for a century. Unfortunately, their decisive battle was ruined by Mr. 3 and some other members of Baroque Works seeking to kill the Straw Hats. Mr. 3 used his Wax-Wax powers to trap Brogy, Nami, Vivi, and Zoro. If they didn’t do something soon, then they would be turned into wax statues. Zoro came up with two ideas– pose for the statue or free himself from the wax with his body parts that could still move. Theoretically, he could free himself by cutting off his legs. This would severely weaken him in battle, but he preferred to go out fighting than to accept his fate; it’s what he picked up from observing the giants. He got about halfway through cutting them off before Luffy, Usopp, and Karoo arrived to save everyone; at this point, Zoro trusted Luffy to resolve the issue. Later, his legs were stitched up on the ship, and he felt good as new. He was all healed up by the Drum Island Arc.
What Happened to Zoro’s Left Eye?
The vertical cut along Zoro’s left eye is still shrouded in mystery. As of Chapter 1108, “Come In, World,” the origin of this scar has yet to be confirmed. The most anyone can say about the scar is that Zoro lost his eye getting it, and even that is only an implication. The details of this injury are so obscure that there was a longstanding theory that the “missing” eye held a hidden power. Zoro may have kept his left eye closed to conceal his power until he needed it most. In this regard, he would be like Kenpachi Zaraki from Bleach or Kakashi Hatake from Naruto (since they have similar scars over their left eyes, the joke theory was that Zoro had the Sharingan or another powerful Ocular Jutsu). For an in-story example, this would be like Luffy saving his Gear Fourth form until his battle with Donquixote Doflamingo in Dressrosa despite the New World Saga being four arcs deep (more if filler arcs are counted). Since the Pirate Hunter never had a fight where he was pushed past his limit in all that time, the theory maintained its validity. It eventually lost most of its traction when the Straw Hat swordsman went all-out in the Raid on Onigashima against powerful opponents like Big Mom, Kaido, and King; if he had something hidden behind his scar, he would have used it in one of these life-or-death battles. However, since the scar’s origins remain unconfirmed, there may still be something to this theory.
Since Zoro acquired this scar over the time skip, many fans assume he got it while training with Mihawk. They might have been in an intense sparring match, and Mihawk could have scarred the Pirate Hunter as he did on the Baratie. Alternatively, Zoro could have inflicted this scar as part of another test of his resolve; this would align the scar with his chest and leg scars thematically. Gouging his eye out in the process could have been intentional.
Another question on fans’ minds is why Zoro doesn’t wear an eyepatch. Since One Piece is a pirate-themed manga, it would make sense for one of the Straw Hat Pirates to lose an eye and cover it up with a patch. This lack of one is part of what led people to assume the Pirate Hunter’s left eye is secretly still there. However, according to One Piece Para (2007), Oda has deliberately avoided drawing eyepatches in his pirate manga, but he will give one to a character near the end of the series. For how many people have been introduced and alluded to in One Piece, that eye patch could go to anyone.
Zoro should have many more scars in several places, however, they’re indistinguishable from his unmarked skin. It’s like when Nami was supposed to be scarred from stabbing the Arlong Pirates tattoo on her shoulder, but all anyone can see now is her new tattoo. In any case, Zoro’s visible scars are a testament to the long and harsh road he’s taken to become the world’s greatest swordsman. He could be due for another scar or two by the end of the series.
