The cast of One Piece is one of the most diverse and unique in the anime-verse. It's so huge that even the most loyal fans would have a rough time remembering each and every character's name. Some might argue that the absurd quantity of characters degraded the quality of each, and they are not even remotely correct; contrarily it’s only in One Piece that a fan could emotionally invest in a supporting antagonist (Señor Pink).
With that said, a name that deeply ingrained itself in the fans' minds, never to be forgotten again, is Zoro. The right-hand man of Luffy, and everyone's favorite swordsman. Due to many absurd occurrences, sometimes fans forget that Zoro is a human — yes, as shocking as it is, he is indeed human. In some instances, he absolutely outsmarts everyone, but in other instances, he becomes vulnerable to mistakes.
10 Was Wrong: Wouldn't Have Saved Smoker Without Luffy Asking Him.
This happened in Alabasta when the Straw Hats, together with Smoker, ended up underwater after a chain of events. Looking at it from a pirate's perspective; saving a marine, and a strong one at that, is a pretty naive move.
However, assuming that Zoro hadn't saved Smoker at that instance, it would've led to even larger complications along the line. There's a sparsity of upright marine; one good marine lost is one lost forever.
9 Smarter Than We Thought: Figuring Out Luffy's Message
The time skip came as a huge surprise to both the fans and the Straw Hats. There was no prearrangement between them, but Luffy had to send a message in a manner that his crew — and only his crew — could get.
So when Luffy sent the 3D2Y encrypted message through the newspapers; it was rather surprising witnessing all of the Straw Hats understanding Luffy's message clearly.
8 Was Wrong: Sinking A Ship At Sabaody Archipelago
We are fresh out of the time skip, and Zoro — being Zoro — somehow mistook a gigantic coated pirate ship for a fishing boat. At this point, fans are not even surprised by Zoro's sense of direction. When confronted by the crew, Zoro takes a very badass measure and sinks the ship.
At the end of the day, nobody of said Pirate crew died, and their lives might as well been saved by Zoro. Had Zoro not sunk their ship, and by extent their dreams, they wouldn't have lasted a day in the New World. It was badass but completely unwarranted.
7 Smarter Than We Thought: Stopping Luffy From Bringing Back Usopp
Zoro might be rightful vice-captain of the Straw Hat crew, but there haven’t been many occurrences stressing that fact as much as the fans would like to see. But as a trade, every time Zoro gets to flex his vice-captain authority, it automatically becomes one of the best moments of the series.
When Luffy was eager to go and fetch back Usopp, Zoro stood his ground and reminded him of his position as the captain. His following rant was also a reality check to all the Straw Hats .
6 Was Wrong: Getting Mad At Ebisu Town Residents
This was a misunderstanding of a tragic event and was later cleared by Hiyori. But the fact of the matter is that it can’t be undone. Zoro, for only a few seconds, was incredibly mad at the residents of Ebisu Town when they were 'laughing' at Yasuie's death without being aware of the overall situation.
It was a minor fluke powered by Zoro's strong emotions. With that said though, it would've further escalated if Hiyori hadn't cooled him down.
5 Smarter Than We Thought: Rant About Sanji Leaving
The Whole Cake Island arc was triggered by the single event of Sanji leaving. The Straw Hats had two options; either take it as Sanji's own bidding and continue about their journey or pursue Sanji and demand answers. The former option was — to some extent — "harmless" to both parties, but everyone knew it wasn't going to happen. The second option, however, involved a yonko and the possibility of angering said yonko.
That about summarizes Zoro's rant; it's yet another unusually hyper self-aware moment of his.
4 Was Wrong: Wanting To Battle Fujitora At Dressrosa
Recklessness is an emotion that preserves youths’ drive, but it could also lead to one's downfall. When the Straw Hats were hastily pulling out of Dressrosa, Zoro, at some point, suggested direct confrontation against Fujitora instead of focusing on retreat.
Depending on which angle you view it From; this might either come down as bravery or just plain foolishness.
3 Smarter Than We Thought: Giving Luffy A Wake-Up Call At Punk Hazard
Punk Hazard is the opening arc of the new world saga. And in this arc, like any other arc preceding it, the Straw Hats get an early beating; Luffy's team is swiftly defeated by Caesar, and Zoro's team is put to sleep by the yetis.
Zoro's reaction to these defeats was to strictly remind Luffy that the New World has just started, and it was too early to get owned.
2 Was Wrong: Challenging Mihawk
Challenging Mihawk has to be Zoro's dumbest decision in the series. In spite of how this defeat helped Zoro reshape his resolve and sharpen his personality; it nonetheless remains one of the dumbest actions he has ever taken.
If we assumed that Mihawk was a stereotypical Pirate who took on the challenge at face value; Zoro would've certainly lost his life.
1 Smarter Than We Thought: Asking For Mihawk's Tutelage
If challenging Mihawk was a clear example of being blinded by pride, then asking for his tutelage is an act of abandoning his pride for the greater good. This especially applies to a pride-driven character like Zoro; lowering his head might possibly be more humiliating than any defeat he has ever suffered.