Roronoa Zoro: the three swords, Enma, and the path to Mihawk

Article summary:

He carries three swords. He sleeps anywhere, anytime. He gets lost at every turn. And yet, Roronoa Zoro is one of the most powerful fighters in the world of One Piece. His dream: to become the world's greatest swordsman, surpassing Dracule Mihawk—the man he swore to defeat after his first and only humiliating loss. A vow made at the grave of Kuina, his childhood friend and first rival. Since that day, every training session, every battle, and every injury endured without complaint has had only one purpose: the day he will drive his three blades into Mihawk's reputation and walk away with the ultimate title.

Roronoa Zoro and his three swords—the Santoryu, a one-of-a-kind fighting style he created to keep the promise he made to Kuina.

The Santoryu and Zoro's three legendary swords

The Santoryu—literally "three-sword style"—is a technique invented by Zoro himself: two blades in his hands and one in his mouth. It is physically absurd. It is narratively perfect. This technique shows that Zoro does not follow established rules—he creates his own. His three current swords form a legendary trinity: Wado Ichimonji (Kuina's legacy), Sandai Kitetsu (a cursed blade he chose as a challenge), and Enma—the sword of Kozuki Oden, the only blade ever to wound Kaido.

Enma is special: it actively drains its user's Armament Haki, weakening any fighter who does not perfectly control their Haki flow. For Zoro, this is not a problem—it is a stepping stone. By mastering Enma, he proved that he was on Oden's level. And by adding Conqueror's Haki to his edge, his attacks reached an absolute level in Wano. Check out our One Piece sword replicas and our One Piece figures dedicated to Zoro.

Mihawk: the master who became the final obstacle

Zoro and Mihawk—the master and student, a relationship that has defined Zoro's entire character arc since chapter 1.

Dracule Mihawk is the world's greatest swordsman—not an honorary title, but a reality that even Shanks acknowledges. Their first confrontation at Baratie ended in a matter of seconds: Mihawk defeated Zoro with a dinner knife, simply to show him the distance between them. Then he let Zoro live—because he saw something in his eyes.

During the two-year time skip, it was Mihawk himself who trained Zoro on his island of Kuraigana. A unique master-student relationship: Mihawk never asked for a successor, but he knows that Zoro is the most credible candidate. Their final—inevitable—battle will be one of the most anticipated moments of the final saga. Discover Mihawk's career as a Warlord in our dedicated article.

Zoro, Conqueror's Haki, and the final saga

Zoro with Enma and Conqueror's Haki in Wano—a demonstration that his level has surpassed that of an entire generation.

In Wano, Zoro demonstrated something that was not a given: he possesses Conqueror's Haki—the extremely rare Haki of the "chosen ones," those born to lead. Only a handful of characters throughout the saga possess it. Zoro infused his blades with this Haki to inflict one of Kaido's few permanent wounds. This confirms that he is no longer simply "strong"—he belongs in the category of absolute monsters.

In the final saga, Zoro will have to face Mihawk to fulfill his promise. He will probably also play a role in the confrontation against the Gorosei—at least one of whom uses a sword. To explore every dimension of One Piece battles, check out our complete guide to Haki and our One Piece gift ideas.

Conclusion: A swordsman, a promise, an entire lifetime

Zoro has never strayed a millimeter from his path. Not a single chapter, not a single decision that betrays his promise to Kuina. In a manga filled with complex and ambivalent characters, Zoro is a straight line: from Kuina to Mihawk, without detours or compromise.