Why One Piece Fans Have Turned Against Zoro's Fight Scenes
From rookie swordsman to Conqueror’s Haki powerhouse, Zoro has cemented himself as the Straw Hats’ No. 2 by cutting down King and Lucci — but the Wano Arc and beyond have turned his battles into One Piece’s most divisive talking point.
Quick reality check on Zoro: the guy is a monster now. He went from scrappy swordsman to arguably the Straw Hats' No. 2, picked up Conqueror's Haki along the way, and has wins over King and Lucci to show for it. But the anime keeps cranking his fights up to 11 with glowing, swirling energy effects, and at some point it starts to smother what makes Zoro great in the first place: the swordsmanship.
Power-ups are cool, but where did the blade work go?
In the manga, Oda draws Zoro like a surgeon with three katanas: clean lines, smart movement, technique-first. In the anime lately, Toei wraps him in a Super Saiyan-style aura every time he blinks. It reads as Toei playing favorites with a fan favorite, but that FX-heavy approach can flatten the actual fighting into the same loud visual every time.
Wano set a new bar... and then everything went louder
Wano is the series' longest and probably most layered arc. The push to topple Kaido happens in stages: everyone has to chew through his lieutenants before the big guy. Zoro pulls major weight here, especially in his showdown with King, Kaido's right hand. King is a Lunarian, which means absurd durability, speed, and the whole 'can survive basically anywhere' package. Zoro figures out how to crack him and, in the middle of that fight, unlocks Conqueror's Haki.
That episode is legitimately one of One Piece's best-animated battles. Vibrant, fluid, kinetic. The problem is what came after. Post-Wano, almost every Zoro fight leans on that same heavy aura to signal power. It looks impressive, but it also blocks the view of his sword work and makes the choreography feel repetitive. If Toei dialed the aura down, we'd actually see the technique again. My guess is Zoro's popularity is driving the spectacle arms race, but the 'less is more' version of Zoro used to be a lot more fun to watch.
Proof it can work: One Piece Film: Z
The movies get ignored because they aren't manga-canon, but One Piece Film: Z sneaks in a great case study: Zoro vs Ain, a former Marine. No fireworks. No glowing tornadoes. Just Zoro's raw strength and three swords dismantling her. You can track every beat of the exchange because the animation prioritizes clear, precise motion. Honestly, it's a better showcase than most of the over-the-top stuff he gets now.
Zoro's top fights (and where to find them)
- Zoro vs King — Wano Arc — Episode 1062 / Chapters 1035-1036
- Zoro vs Kaku — Enies Lobby Arc — Episode 299 / Chapters 416-417
- Zoro vs Mr. 1 — Alabasta Arc — Episode 119 / Chapters 194-195
- Zoro vs Dracule Mihawk — Baratie Arc — Episode 24 / Chapters 51-52
- Zoro vs 100 Bounty Hunters — Whisky Peak Arc — Episodes 64-65 / Chapters 107-108
There are plenty more: Ryuma, Monet, Pica... you get the idea. Beating King is the crown jewel on his resume, but the fights that stick in your head are the cleaner ones where the special effects step aside and the blades do the talking. And yes, he really did also take down Lucci in the modern era, just to underline how far he has come.
Do you prefer FX-heavy Zoro or the stripped-down sword nerd version? One Piece is streaming on Crunchyroll if you want to compare eras yourself.