WE WERE RIGHT ABOUT ZORO!!!
My Reaction to Oda’s Reveal Regarding Shimotsuki Ryuma’s Family Tree and Zoro
Everyone who guessed this about Zoro, pat yourselves on the back. WE WERE RIGHT!
Since the introduction of the late Daiymo of Ringo in Wano Country, fans speculated that he had some connection to the Straw Hat Pirates’ main swordsman. The two look almost exactly alike, after all. That alone is cause for speculation. Then we have the fact that the village where Zoro grew up, Shimotsuki, was founded by immigrants from Wano Country. One of whom turned out to not only be related to Ringo’s former Daimyo and Zoro’s late friend, Kuina, but forged swords used by Zoro and Oden. There were too many connections for this to be mere coincidence, especially since this is Oda-Sama writing it. Finally, after months of speculating, Oda confirmed what many guessed about Roronora Zoro: he’s a descendant of the legendary samurai Ryuma!
SBS Vol 105 Reveal About Zoro
In a recent post to Reddit, One Piece fans were treated to the latest SBS done by Eichiro Oda for the manga volumes. In the SBS, or Q&A, fans asked Oda what his connection was to the Shimotsuki family of Wano Country. Rather than teasing us about it further, Oda told the fans everything. The subsequent family tree, while a little confusing, did reveal it all.
There you have it. Roronoa Zoro is a direct descendant of Ryuma Shimotsuki, the legendary hero of Wano Country. AKA, the man whose zombie Zoro fought on Thriller Bark and the ancestor of the Shimotsuki family. In other words, Zoro is not only distantly related to his childhood friend, Kuina, but also to the Shimotsuki family.
This Explains So Much About Zoro
This revelation about Zoro’s ancestry is a potentially big reveal in the story of One Piece, and here’s why.
Firstly, now that we know this about Zoro, we can recontextualize several of his actions throughout the story thus far. For example, his fight with the zombie of Ryuma on Thriller Bark suddenly becomes all the more important with the reveal that Zoro fought and defeated his own ancestor. That means that Ryuma’s sword, Shusui, was not only his by right of victory but also by bloodline.
In addition, this also adds a new layer to Zoro’s time in Wano Country. From the outset, it felt like Zoro had a strong bond with this powerful, isolated nation. From the fact that he wielded Ryuma’s blade to his acting like a wandering samurai, Zoro fit in in a way the other Straw Hats didn’t. Now we know why: Zoro was returning to the land of his ancestors to help save it from Kaido.
The fact that Zoro’s a descendant of Ryuma also ties in with Oda’s overarching themes about destiny and fate. Like Ryuma, Zoro’s one of the strongest swordsman in the world, but he aims to be the absolute best. He wants to fulfill the shared dream he and Kuina had as kids, and its fitting that they’re both descendants of Ryuma. In his lifetime, Ryuma was hailed as the best swordsman in the world, and it showed! Therefore, it seems like fate that one of his descendants aspires to reach the same heights of his ancestors.
Zoro is Meant to be the Best in the World
Zoro is one of my favorite members of the Straw Hats, and I’m itching for the day when he has his rematch with Hawkeye. The fact that he’s the descendant of the greatest samurai Wano’s ever known makes me all the more certain that he’s going to become the world’s best swordsman. When that day comes…I’m going to cry manly tears of joy.
Also, here’s a link to more things about the SBS. I never knew that thing about Otama!
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