As a battle-oriented shonen series, One Piece never disappoints with regards to the aspect that defines it the most-- battles. Ever since the get-go of the series, the Straw Hats' pirate lives have been pretty much inseparable from battles. If they weren't fighting, then they are planning to pick a fight. And if they weren't planning to pick a fight; then that would only mean that the fight is coming to them. Point is, there have rarely been 10 back to back episodes void of fighting.
As the crew's vice-captain and one of its strongest fighting assets, Zoro had his own share of fights. And while they are not as much as we would love for him to get into, these fights were satisfactory nonetheless. Here are the most prominent Zoro fights in each story saga.
9 East Blue Saga: Zoro Vs Mihawk
Zoro's first major fight wasn't against the 'struggle against but eventually win' kind of opponent, it was an opponent that he absolutely stood no chances against! In fact, Zoro still doesn't stand a chance against this man-- Dracule Mihawk, the world's strongest swordsman.
By Mihawk's own words, that 'fight' was one between a rabbit and a beast. No matter how ferocious the rabbit was, it'd never stand a chance against a beast. But in spite of that loss, Zoro still gained so much from that encounter.
8 Alabasta Saga: Zoro Vs Daz Bones
Zoro's most iconic fights are most definitely the ones that drive him to surpass his limits. And this particular fight against Mr.1, Daz Bones, pushed Zoro to go above and beyond.
What further boosted the brilliance of this battle was the mutual respect both parties had for each other. Daz was technically the enemy, but he was genuinely impressed by Zoro's capabilities. And even after losing the fight, he displayed no signs of being a sore loser.
7 Sky Island Saga: Zoro Vs Ohm
The Sky Island Saga receives some pretty mixed reviews from the One Piece community. The build-up of the saga and the various encounters sure we're entertaining. Having said so, what disappointed the fans was the final showdown between the Straw Hats and God Enel and his goons.
On its own, Zoro's fight against Ohm was undoubtedly thrilling. However, when it's compared to other fights like Zoro vs Daz, it may indeed come out as lacking.
6 Water 7 Saga: Zoro Vs Kaku
What separates the Enies Lobby arc, the main chunk of the Water 7 Saga, from the rest of the major story arcs is the premise. During this fight, the Straw Hats had a strong reason to pick up their weapons and fight. otherwise, Robin, who had been held captive, would've been lost forever.
Zoro's main opponent in this arc was Kaku. A CP9 agent who similarly specializes in swordsmanship. The fight was full of turns and twists, but it ended in Zoro's complete victory nonetheless.
5 Thriller Bark Saga: Zoro Vs Ryuma
Zoro had two fights in the Thriller Bark Saga that were both equally iconic. Having said so, due to Zoro's confrontation with Kuma being more of a one-sided massacre rather than a fight, we will rule it out.
With that out of the way, the only Zoro fight worthy of the grand stage in the Thriller Bark arc has to be Zoro vs Ryuma. This battle's beauty can mainly be traced back to its aesthetics. A fight between two passionate swordsmen provided the fans with what could only be described as peak entertainment.
4 Summit War Saga: Sabaody Archipelago Battle
As the Summit War Saga was mainly centered around Luffy alone, none of the other Straw Hats had the proper chance to shine. They were separated early on, thus their screentime dropped to that of supporting characters. That being said though, there was one fight that the entirety of the Straw Hats participated in, Zoro included.
It was the Straw Hats' fight against Admiral Kizaru and Kuma. Zoro, in particular, garnered special attention from Kizaru and nearly lost his life. Had it not been for Rayleigh's intervention, Zoro-- no, the Straw Hat crew would've been no more.
3 Fishman Island Saga: Zoro Vs Hody Jones
In most cases scenarios, Zoro wouldn't have been a match to any major arc's final boss; and this is what makes this particular fight even more interesting.
Hody Jones, the supposed central antagonist of the Fishman Island saga, was bodied and overwhelmed by Zoro--and get this, it all unraveled underwater! Some might argue that this particular fight was the finest of the entire Saga!
2 Dressrosa Saga: Zoro Vs Pica
The Dressrosa arc was the first post-time-skip arc where Luffy and the gang had their true limits tested. Doflamingo and his executives proved to be really troublesome to deal with, especially the former.
That being said, of all the Straw Hats, Zoro was the one who had it the easiest. Not because his opponent was weak, contrarily, it was due to Zoro's strength being off the radar. Pica, the 2nd strongest of the Donquixote Family, didn't have what it takes to push Zoro to his utmost limits.
1 Yonko Saga: Zoro Vs Kamazou
The Yonko saga comprises three major story arcs: Zou arc, the Whole Cake Island arc, and Wano arc. Zoro didn't have a chance to flex his swords during the former two, but he did have a chance in Wano.
Zoro's battles in Wano thus far were skirmishes at best, but even these skirmishes had a punch to them. Moreover, these brief confrontations were animated really well. Some, such as Zoro vs Kamazou, even outdid the manga.