One Piece is the beloved pirate adventure whose treacherous seas act as hosts to all manner of epic and fantastical battles. One of the most understated battles within the series is the ongoing race to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman. In a world with a long history of knights and samurai, Roronoa Zoro is the series’ entryway to the various struggles of the blade.

Never one to take a day off, Zoro is the hardest-working member of the Straw Hats, constantly training and preparing for the next battle. As steady of a rise as he’s accomplished, there are still plenty of mountains that are too steep for him to cross now if ever at all. This list will be looking at a few characters that Zoro is not quite ready to defeat as well as the few that he never will.

Updated on June 13, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Roronoa Zoro has come a long way since his introduction in East Blue. As of the Egghead Arc, the beloved Straw Hat swordsman has learned how to wield Conqueror’s Haki in battle, giving him an edge over the vast majority of his enemies. Although there are several overpowered opponents that Zoro can bring down, a few remain tantalizingly out of reach. As such, we’ve updated this article with some more relevant information.

Characters Zoro Can’t Beat Yet

Vista Was Widely Regarded As The Most Powerful Swordsman Under Whitebeard

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

47
Unknown
Masaya Takatsuka
Hunter Barnett

As the lead swordsman and Fourth Division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Vista of the Flower Swords has plenty of credibility across the seas for his immense strength and skill. He was widely regarded as the most powerful swordsman in the Whitebeard clan. During the Paramount War, he more than proved his worth with a blade, as he wiped out various squads of Marine forces.

In fact, Vista took on many of the vice-admirals as well as Warlords of the Sea — and the Hawkeye even recognized his opponent’s skill during their duel. With his vast experience and reputation, Flowers Vista may be standing just outside of the Pirate Hunter’s current reach. That said, Zoro is really close to surpassing Vista at this point in the story.

Shiryu Is Even More Fearsome After Acquiring His New Devil Fruit

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

44
Clear-Clear Fruit
Takayuki Sugo
Matt Thurston

During Impel Down, Monkey D. Luffy fought through all manner of hellscape and demonic warriors, as he sunk deeper into the trenches of the once-impenetrable fortress. While there, he fell victim to the overwhelming force of Impel Down’s warden, Magellan, as his incredible strength and deathly poison were too much for the rookie pirate. In fact, Luffy would have died if not for Ivankov and Bon Kurei.

That said, Shiryu of the Rain is the ex-Head Jailer of Impel Down and was once considered an equal to Magellan. With his newly acquired Devil Fruit, the Clear-Clear Fruit, he can even turn himself invisible. With a lethal reputation among all Marines and the backing of the Blackbeard Pirates, Shiryu is a definitive obstacle within Zoro’s current path. However, the Straw Hat swordsman will certainly cause a lot of problems for Shiryu.

Rob Lucci Remains Far Too Durable For Zoro’s Attacks To Work

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

30
Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard
Tomokazu Seki
Jason Liebrecht

Luffy’s final battle with Rob Lucci in the Enies Lobby arc was won with enormous difficulty, so it’s safe to assume that Zoro wasn’t strong enough to take on the CP9 leader. On the other hand, both Zoro and Lucci have become significantly stronger since then. Zoro has learned to manipulate Conqueror’s Haki, which is something that Lucci is yet to master.

At the same time, Lucci managed to Awaken his already dangerous Cat-Cat Fruit: Model Leopard, giving him a far greater level of power, speed, and stamina. Interestingly, Zoro and Luffy did fight during the Egghead Arc, where the swordsman managed to severely wound the now-CP0 leader. However, Lucci was not killed, knocked out, or even knocked to the ground by Zoro’s attack, showing that the Straw Hat still has a long way to go before he can properly defeat Rob Lucci.

Boa Hancock Is Considerably More Experienced Than Any Of The Straw Hats

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

31
Love-Love Fruit
Kotono Mitsuishi
Lydia Mackay

The Pirate Empress Boa Hancock is arguably one of the strongest women in One Piece, just behind Big Mom herself. Not only is she overwhelmingly strong, but Hancock can freely employ all three forms of Haki. In fact, her use of Conqueror’s Haki is probably superior to Zoro’s because she learned it years before him.

That said, it’s very unlikely that Hancock’s Love-Love Fruit will have any effect on Zoro, as the effects of this Devil Fruit only work against humans who are physically attracted to her. Much like Luffy, Zoro hasn’t shown the slightest interest in romance. Despite this major drawback, it’s likely that Hancock will reign supreme in a one-on-one battle against Zoro, simply because she’s far more experienced. Zoro is going to catch up and surpass her soon enough, though.

Ben Beckman Successfully Paused Admiral Kizaru In His Tracks

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

50
Unknown
Aruno Tahara
Sean Hennigan

Zoro has been Luffy’s right-hand man and the unofficial first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates ever since he was the first member to accept Luffy’s invitation. He has since proven himself to be an extremely proficient combatant and master tactician, winning countless battles over the course of several arcs. In fact, it’s safe to say that the Straw Hats would have gotten nowhere without Zoro, which is ironic given his lack of directional skills.

Similarly, it’s equally safe to say that Ben Beckman, Shanks’ right-hand man, is one of the strongest members of one of the strongest crews in One Piece. As a testament to his formidable prowess, Beckman actually managed to hold Admiral Kizaru at mere gunpoint. Kizaru had recently battled against powerhouses like Whitebeard and Marco the Phoenix, and Beckman still managed to pause him in his tracks with a simple gun. When Luffy inevitably surpasses Shanks, Zoro will surpass Beckman.

Admiral Fujitora Is Currently On A Whole Other Combat Level

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

54
Press-Press Fruit
Ikuya Sawaki
Charles C. Campbell

Though Zoro had an impressive and spectacular showing on Dressrosa, one figure there proved to be too powerful for his immediate skills. That would be the blind talents of the Marine’s new superpower, Admiral Issho, aka Fujitora. Having been enlisted during the World Military Draft, Fujitora was once a wandering bounty hunter whose years of experience easily outclassed Zoro’s.

Even without his eyes, he was quickly able to block Zoro’s blade and was more than strong enough to push back. What really sets him apart however is the powers of his Press-Press Fruit, a Devil Fruit that has allowed him and his blade to manipulate gravity. With it, Issho has easily buried his opponents to the depths of the Earth and easily summoned meteors from the sky like rain. Struggling just to cut mountains, Zoro is still just a human to Issho’s otherworldly strength.

Silvers Rayleigh Has Knowledge, Experience, And Tons Of Raw Power

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

78
Unknown
Keiichi Sonobe
Kazuyuki Sogabe

As the standard bearer for all powerful and reliable first mates, Silvers Rayleigh is the Dark King and second to the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger. One of the few pirates able to traverse the entirety of the One Piece world on the Oro Jackson, Silvers Rayleigh has decades of fighting experience and has been tested by all manner of the Grand Line’s fantastical obstacles.

Wielding a sword capable of clashing with Admiral Kizaru and being able to swim the entire expanse of the sea between the Sabaody Archipelago and Amazon Lily, Silvers Rayleigh may prove to be one of the final tests for Zoro’s great strength. He’s also capable of using Conqueror’s Haki with a supremely high level of precision. As such, Rayleigh seems too far of a goal for the Pirate Hunter as of this moment.

Dracule Mihawk Will Eventually Become Zoro’s Ultimate Challenge

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

43
None
Takeshi Aono & Hirohiko Kakegawa
John Gremillion

As the World’s Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk obviously stands as the most direct rival for Zoro’s dreams. Having trained right under the ex-Warlord, Zoro is possibly more well-equipped than most to handle him. However, just because he has some insight as to Mihawk’s power doesn’t mean that Zoro is currently able to keep up with it.

Mihawk is capable of creating slashes that can wreak havoc on entire islands and has defeated all manner of foes along the Grand Line. The Hawkeye was reportedly on par with Shanks himself, at least until the Red-Hair captain lost his arm saving Luffy’s life. Sparking fear even among the super evolving baboons that gave Zoro a run for his money, Mihawk won’t be one to disappoint as the top and final challenge of Zoro’s skills.

Characters Zoro Will Never Beat

Diamond Jozu Was Able To Stave Off Mihawk’s Attacks

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

42
Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit
Takashi Nagasako
Matt Thurston

Continuing the trend of the Whitebeard Pirates being total beasts, Diamond Jozu currently stands on a pillar too high for Zoro’s ambitions. As the Third Division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Jozu has more than proven his worth as a combatant, as he’s shown island-shaking strength during the Paramount War and is capable of inhuman strength even for his gargantuan size.

However, what truly placed him beyond the reach of Zoro’s three swords is the fact that the man was beyond the powers of Hawkeye Mihawk’s blade. With the powers of the Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit and possibly some incredible Haki, Jozu was able to use his diamond body to not only withstand but throw one of the infamous slashes from the World’s Greatest Swordsman. Indestructible to Zoro’s mentor and lead rival, there’s not much suggesting that Zoro may ever beat Jozu.

Big Mom Can Tank Missiles And Destroy Entire Cities By Herself

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

68
Soul-Soul Fruit
Mami Koyama
Pam Dougherty

Big Mom poses an insurmountable challenge to Zoro in more ways than one. Based on legend and status alone, Big Mom is a human monster whose incredible strength and appetite were a threat to the giants of Elbaf. Using that natural ability and her Soul-Soul Fruit, Big Mom quickly rose up the world of pirates and comfortably landed a spot as one of the Four Emperors of the Sea.

With a monstrous body capable of tanking even missiles and a Devil Fruit that allows her to manipulate reality with a Disney-esque panache, Big Mom is too lofty of an opponent for Zoro’s hungry desire. Even the overpowered likes of Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid needed to Awaken their Devil Fruits to have a chance against Big Mom. Zoro simply doesn’t have what it takes to defeat Big Mom in direct combat.

Kaido Was Only Defeated By Luffy’s Awakened Devil Fruit

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

59
Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon
Tessho Genda
David Sobolov

Another Emperor of the Sea, the leader of the Animal Kingdom Pirates has established a pretty decent reputation as both the World’s Strongest Creature and a pirate who is a sure bet during one-on-one battles. Kaido has used his base strength to one-shot Zoro’s captain and is even host to a powerful dragon Devil Fruit. This power lets him rule over the sky and deliver destructive blasts capable of cleanly wiping out sections of Wano.

Much like Big Mom, Kaido’s strength and reputation currently outrank some of Zoro’s greatest goals. While Zoro did manage to deflect the combo attack thrown by Big Mom and Kaido, he was severely worn out after blocking the Conquest of the Sea. Granted that this was the output of two Emperors together, but it also showed that the likelihood of Zoro taking down any of the Emperors remains at a steady zero.

Blackbeard Can Theoretically Steal And Wield Multiple Devil Fruits

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

40
Dark-Dark Fruit & Tremor-Tremor Fruit
Akio Otsuka
Cole Brown & Chris Rager

Marshall D. Teach was the prime conspirator behind the most shifting events of pre-time skip One Piece and currently stands as the tallest wall against Luffy’s path towards becoming Pirate King. An ex-member of the Whitebeard Pirates, Blackbeard has decades of experience along the Grand Line. His early tenure apparently left a scarring impression on his current Emperor rival, “Red-Haired” Shanks.

With the powers of the Darkness-Darkness Fruit alone, Blackbeard is able to summon black holes capable of destroying entire cityscapes. On top of that, Blackbeard has the mysterious ability to also steal the powers of other Devil Fruit users and claim them for his own, seemingly making him the only one in the world with multiple Devil Fruits. Carrying an ominous danger that threatens every part of the One Piece world, Blackbeard is certain to be too dangerous for even Zoro.

Akainu Was Strong Enough To Nearly Overpower Whitebeard

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

55
Magma-Magma Fruit
Fumihiko Tachiki
Andrew Love

It’s very clear to the One Piece fandom that Luffy will be the one to defeat Akainu, but even the Straw Hat captain’s Gear 5 may not be enough to take down the Fleet Admiral. In other words, Luffy will need to become significantly stronger before he decides to avenge his fallen brother. As such, it’s hard to imagine Zoro fighting Akainu on equal ground, let alone overwhelming the villain.

The Fleet Admiral’s attacks are so strong that they could literally bore holes in hardened warriors like Ace and Whitebeard — and Akainu’s Magma-Magma Fruit is arguably one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in existence. Further, his flawed philosophy of Absolute Justice ensures that he will not stop until all his opponents are on or in the ground. Zoro is just as stubborn when it comes to winning, but he would be the first to admit that Akainu is an insurmountable challenge for him.

Shanks Could Probably Defeat All The Straw Hats By Himself

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

39
None
Shuichi Ikeda & Nobunaga Shimazaki
Brandon Potter & Aaron Dismuke

Zoro would have never gained strength so quickly had it not been for his decision to join the Straw Hats. By extension, the Straw Hats themselves wouldn’t have existed if Red-Hair Shanks hadn’t inspired Luffy to become a pirate and sail the open seas. Although Zoro and the rest of the Straw Hats owe a debt of gratitude to Shanks for making this happen, it feels like Shanks could easily defeat all of them singlehandedly at this point.

In fact, it can be argued that none of the current Emperors of the Sea stand a chance against the Red-Hair Pirates’ captain. Even Admiral Ryokugyu, who was strong enough to defeat the Akazaya Nine, was rendered completely helpless by Shanks’ Conqueror’s Haki attack from a long distance away. Fans have yet to see Shanks take on a serious opponent in battle, but very few One Piece characters are capable of surviving a clash with him.

Monkey D. Luffy Will Never Fall Behind His Unofficial First Mate

Age
Devil Fruit
Japanese VA
English VA

19
Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika
Mayumi Tanaka
Colleen Clinkenbeard

A curse among all Shonen anime, Roronoa Zoro is always doomed to rank below the series’ main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. And while other anime like My Hero Academia or Dragon Ball have positioned the second man as a classic rival, Zoro currently sits as the vice executive on Luffy’s ship. Never in the equation for becoming Pirate King or defeating the strongest, most feared villain within any arc, Zoro just isn’t in any position to beat or ever rival his captain’s strength.

Even if Zoro and Luffy fought seriously, an event that is supremely unlikely to happen, Zoro might be able to injure his captain before being ultimately overpowered. One of Luffy’s greatest assets is his ability to evolve, and while Zoro grows quite rapidly, there’s no way he’s capable of reaching Luffy’s now-divine level. Assuming that both of them reach their peaks eventually, not even the Greatest Swordsman in the World can take on the Sun God.