One of One Piece's stronger suits is its ability to build a wide and diverse cast of characters, each one distinct in design, personality, and skill. Look no further than the actual Straw Hat crew for an entire ecosystem comprised of unique talents, each one feeding into and reinforcing the next. As such, it's safe to say that no one within the crew is the total package, as everyone needs the special skills of the other just to survive within the craziness of the Grand Line.

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This is especially true for the leaders and figureheads of the crew: Captain Monkey D. Luffy and his first mate Roronoa Zoro. It's always the job of the first mate to assist and make up for the weaknesses of their captain, whereas it's the captain's job to act as the strong foundation for the crew in its entirety, jobs that Luffy and Zoro take with personality. In acknowledgment of the differences that have made these two stronger, let's run down the 5 things that Zoro can do that Luffy can't and the 5 that Luffy can do that Zoro can't.

10 Zoro: Sword Fight

One of the more obvious things to include here, sword fighting is a definite given for Zoro over Luffy. As the crew's acting swordsmen (not discounting Brook, by the way), it would be safe to say that Zoro is the crew's best sword fighter.

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There have even been shades of Luffy's own sword fighting abilities on Wano, as one of the first things he does is take a legendary katana and use it... kind of. The sword is technically in Luffy's hand, as he punches bad guys, but it is safe to say that he's not exactly within his element and may never really be when it comes to swords.

9 Luffy: Stretch Like Rubber

This entry is just too easy. Not to take anything away from Zoro, but has anyone really seen him stretch? He might do it before he lifts weights but definitely not to the regard that his captain is able to. On the subject of stretching like a rubber band, Luffy not only beats out Zoro by thousands of Gum Gums, but essentially everyone in the One Piece world. Well, perhaps except for Katakuri, but that's an argument for another day. This day, Luffy definitely has more reach than Zoro.

8 Zoro: Swim

On the note of Luffy's Devil Fruit power, one of the greatest sacrifices for using it is losing his ability to swim and to sink like a hammer when in a pool of water, a dilemma that happens quite a bit throughout the series. And when this happens, there's a few consistent players among the crew who jump into the waters to save him.

One of those players being "Pirate Swimmer" Roronoa Zoro. While the series has hinted that Luffy was a great swimmer when he was little, that really hasn't been proven in the seen series; so until the day comes when he either loses his Devil Fruit or just becomes able to swim, Zoro is not only a better swimmer but someone that Luffy needs to be.

7 Luffy: Command the Crew

This entry is not necessarily about ability but about status. As captain, it is Luffy's fond responsibility to prove the crew with their prime directives, whether it's fight in a battle or steer course to a certain island. Luffy is making the Straw Hats' central decisions.

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Zoro on the other hand, while the acting first mate, hasn't really shown any signs of leadership, even if he wanted to. Opposite to the friendly, inviting Luffy, Zoro is a lone wolf character who feels more than comfortable doing things himself. The central idea being that, between the two, Luffy is the people person.

6 Zoro: Go a long period of time without eating

zoro and luffy

While this hasn't necessarily been a consistently tested fact, the series has shown that Zoro is able to survive several days without eating. The moment in question was the very arc that Luffy and Zoro met. Having defied Helmeppo and his father in Shells Town, Zoro was tied to a pole for an extended period of time without any food or water before Luffy comes in and takes him for budding crew.

Luffy, on the other hand, during the Whole Cake Island Arc, goes near death after having refused to eat anything but Sanji's food for... like... a day or two. This was a really dramatic scene by all means, but Luffy really didn't go that long without food, yet his entire body was reduced to a raisin.

5 Luffy: Eat huge amounts of food

Luffy Eating Cracker

Opposite to Zoro's superhuman survival ability, Luffy has been shown time and time again to gorge on entire village community portions of food.

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Every story arc ends in a bountiful feast that Luffy just absolutely destroys, he raids monstrous amounts of food during his recovery in Impel Down, and this very same eating ability was used in an actual fight against the endless, cracker army of Charlotte Cracker. Zoro, though, has shown to be a very modest eater, not partaking of this Shonen protagonist trope.

4 Zoro: Drink a Lot

An arguably more impressive feat hiding in the background of these feast scenes is Zoro's insane ability to drink huge portions of alcohol. The series has shown him conquer drinking contests on Whiskey Peak and carry around jugs and barrels of beer.

He's not an alcoholic by any means; but when it comes to celebrating, Zoro really knows how to celebrate as he'll take a pint in hand and drunkenly dance with the community. Luffy, on the other hand, wasn't old enough to drink during a majority of the series; and to this day, still doesn't really drink much.

3 Luffy: Get Along With Sanji

Though Zoro is quite a jovial person when he gets drunk, nothing in this world will ever really help him get along with his Straw Hat rival, Sanji. One of the series' most beloved recurring gags, Zoro and Sanji bickering, fighting, and near killing of each other has really become a staple for the crew, with each one's bid to outdo the other more than acting as strong motivation for Zoro and Sanji to get strong as individuals. Despite this competitive atmosphere, Luffy gets along just fine with his favorite cook.

2 Zoro: Feel Pain

A major character element that the series really pushed during its early years was the fact that, as a rubber man, Luffy is no longer able to feel pain without some natural means of hurting him, like fire or Haki. Luffy's natural resilience has more than been an aiding factor in each of its fights, as Luffy has been shown to survive and outlast monstrous levels of damage from his opponents.

Zoro, though, has crossed paths with pain quite a bit, where pain, damage, and bleeding in his fights are not only a factor but a defining element in Zoro's character, as he fights through the pain to take down his opponent. One of the best showings of this is during Thriller Bark, as we see Zoro's loyalty to Luffy tested when he takes in the exact amount of pain that a rubber man can take.

1 Luffy: Fly

Finally, a major difference between Luffy and Zoro's abilities is that, over time, Luffy has managed to learn the series' hidden art of moonwalking, i.e. walking and jumping on air. While this method of flying can only be done when Luffy is in Gear Fourth, it does provide certain advantages and flexibility within a fight, with this fact being shown in great display during Luffy's fight against Donquixote Doflamingo.

Zoro, during the same arc, when coming across a mighty obstacle from a distance, finds that he needs a little assistance when it comes to getting some air and, thus, needs Orlumbus to literally toss him like a ball.

NEXT: 10 Strongest Weapons in One Piece, Ranked