Summary
Swordsmenare one of the most common archetypes in theOne Pieceseries, who often have a presence in pirate crews. Typically, among the strongest members of their group, they are the ones pitted against the likes ofRoronoa Zoro, whose own ambition is to become the World’s Strongest Swordsman.
As the series continues, the inclusion of different kinds of swordsmen and their styles is added to the narrative as well. A lot of these styles are often the specialties of individual users, but a respectable number of them are also capable of being learned by others. These are the various sword styles inOne Piece.
9One Sword Style
One Sword, Typically With A Dominant Hand
As a common style of sword fighting, the sole distinction it typically has is the use of a singular sword. The person who most frequently identifies their specific use of the style is Zoro himself, who tends to prefer other different styles, which commonly integrate more swords. His own techniques in this style most frequently involveWado Ichimonjiand largely make use of his dominant left hand. That said, it is worth noting that for both Zoro and other users, some single sword techniques may require the use of both hands.
Kuina, Zoro’s friend and distant cousin, seemed to prefer this style. She served as an unbeatable rival to Zoro, despite his insistence on using two swords. Her own signature sword was Wado Ichimonji, and its use within Zoro’s own One Sword techniques could be viewed as a tribute of sorts to his fallen friend. Another user who has specifically identified their One Sword Style is Hyougoro of the Flower, an ex-yakuza operating out of Wano Country. Appropriately, his style is also referred to as the One Sword Style of the Flower. It has only one technique shown to the audience, Dohatsu Kohai. This technique makes use of speed and leaves a trail of flames behind its user.
8Two Sword Style
Dual Wielding Technique
Alongside One Sword Style, this is one of the most common techniques in the series. Dual-wielding is a common practice and is, in fact, the style of swordsmanship Zoro preferred prior to inventing his own. It is considered by some to be reminiscent of dual-wielding styles from Japan, such as Niten Ichi-ryū, which was attributed to Miyamoto Musashi during the Edo Period.
A variation of this style that is specifically identified is the Oden Two Sword Style. This style tends to place a particular emphasis on both the user’s physical strength and Haki.Kozuki Odenmade use of it with his two signature swords, Enma and Ame no Habakiri. Even after Oden’s passing at Kaido’s hand, it is a popular sword style, specifically among his former vassals, the Nine Red Scabbards, five of whom also utilize Oden’s take on the dual-wielding style.
7Three Sword Style
A Sword in the Mouth
This particular style of swordplay was attributed to Roronoa Zoro himself, making use of Kuina’s sword, Wado Ichimonji, in addition to the two he previously used. It implements the techniques of dual wielding, Zoro’s original sword style, while also making use of a third sword, lodged in his jaw. It requires a rigorous amount of strength to master, and before Zoro had three Meito to use, his weaker weapons broke during the usage of the techniques.
Zoro later made a variation of this style known as the King of Hell Three Sword Style. This more potent technique uses Enma’s deadly Haki-unleashing capabilities in combination with Zoro’s other swords,Conqueror’s Haki, and potentially even elements of the Foxfire Style. Zoro used this style to take on the King of the Beasts Pirates, managing to defeat the Lunarian despite his immense resilience and power. Due to it deriving from Enma’s lethal release of Armament Haki, Zoro cannot use this technique for too long, or else he will die.
As Zoro is the originator of the Three Sword Style, any subsequent users can be attributed to his influence. Jigoro, a zombie who had Zoro’s shadow in Thriller Bark, was a user of the style. More recently, with Zoro’s own fanfare as a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, a number of children imitating him have appeared at Isshin Dojo, the school where a young Zoro trained. A long-running joke among fans is the jaw pain Zoro must have from carrying a sword in his mouth, something which Oda confirmed in an SBS segment, he suffers from.
6Four Sword Style
Two Blades + Two Legs
Another fairly unique style, Four Sword Style, was seemingly developed by Kaku of Cipher Pol, who at present appears to be its only user. Having been raised to be a lethal assassin since childhood, Kaku is familiar with the techniques ofRokushiki, which are partially implemented in this style. Specifically, Kaku makes use of Rankyaku, a technique he is particularly skilled at, where one kicks the wind so fast as to make “blades” appear from thin air.
Kaku combines this technique with the standard dual-wielding, effectively giving himself four swords. Upon consuming the Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe, Kaku gains extra flexibility, allowing for even more diverse techniques, including his head as a blunt force weapon. Oda illustrated Zoro in a “good timeline”, learning both this technique and an unseen “Five Sword Style” around the time he turns 40 and 60, respectively, yet its correlation to Kaku’s own style, if any exists, is unclear.
5Six Sword Style
Hatchan’s Technique
Six Sword Style is the specific style of Hatchan, who is uniquely suited to it due to his octopus fish-man physiology. Hatchan has six arms in total, so this technique is essentially his version of dual-wielding.
As it is a partial extension of his own Fish-Man techniques, certain non-sword abilities, like blasting a jet of ink at his opponents, are also part of this repertoire. Despite having only half the number of swords, Zoro ultimately defeated Hatchan when they first dueled.
4Eight Sword Style
Hyouzou’s Technique
Hyouzou is a poisonous blue-ringed octopus merman who has eight arms in total. He was once said to be the strongest swordsman on Fish-Man Island. Arlong wished to add him to his crew, but ultimately, Hyouzou disliked the pay and claimed it was for this reason that Arlong recruited Hatchan.
Like Hatchan, Hyouzou’s own techniques as an octopus humanoid factor into his attacks, specifically the secretion of venom. Zoro defeated Hyouzou with little fanfare, despite him being dosed on energy steroids. This once again proves that multiple swords aren’t necessarily better, especially if their user is a drunk and on stimulants at the same time. Onigumo, a marine vice admiral who ate an unnamed spider Devil Fruit, is seen using eight swords, but his style itself and what he may label it are not explicitly identified.
3Foxfire Style
Fire-Rending Swords
Unlike many specialized sword styles, Foxfire Style has no basis in the number of swords its user wields. It is a style that allows its user to both attack with fire and negate fire attacks. It is primarily used by “Foxfire” Kin’emon of theNine Red Scabbards.
Kin’emon is skilled enough with this ability to cut through the likes of Kaido and his attacks. He also used his Foxfire Style to cauterize Kikunojo’s severed arm wound, safely preventing it from bleeding. Roronoa Zoro seems to have picked up on at least some elements of the style, using it to successfully slice Big Mom’s sun homie, Prometheus, in half.
2Nine Sword Style
Three by Three Sword Style
Nine Sword Style is a powered-up version of Zoro’s Three Sword Style. Zoro creates two illusory duplicates of his head and four of his arms, allowing him to effectively have nine swords. This makes Zoro resemble a mythical asura, which has been depicted as having multiple heads and arms.
It seems to be a move of extreme desperation, as Zoro himself rarely uses it. Zoro notably used the ability to defeat Kaku (proving that sometimes, in the right hands, more swords can be better) and physically scar Kaido.
1No Sword Style
Swordfighting Technique Without the Sword
Zoro’s own adoption of different styles is rooted in the various circumstances that demand them. When forced to engage in a Davy Back Fight with the Foxy Pirates, Zoro’s katanas were banned from the Groggy Ring. As a result, fighting back required him to come up with the No Sword Style.
Zoro’s sole attack in canon from this ability is Tatsu Maki, where Zoro’s spin causes a whirlwind and is capable of creating shockwaves. Since it is, in essence, a watered-down version of the same sort of techniques Zoro uses with his swords, he has little reason to use it unless he is parted from them.
