The world of One Piece has tons of amazing characters with varying backgrounds and cultures, all of which have their own unique quirks, powers, personalities, and ancestries, but Zoro has been a hot topic among fans for quite some time. Although Zoro is technically an ally alongside the main protagonists, many fans have started believing that Zoro from One Piece is racist.
One Piece fans initially started the “Racist Zoro” or “Minority Hunter Zoro” meme due to the fact that Zoro usually goes up against darker-skinned opponents or enemies that could identify as minorities, in addition to a handful of odd, coincidental, and often trivial details. Despite the fact that many One Piece fans still stand by the theory, there is no official, canon evidence to show that Zoro is truly racist.
Although Zoro has not done or said anything that explicitly makes him a racist, many One Piece fans still believe that he is a closet racist due to the sheer number of small coincidences – although, this is definitely debatable, as there isn’t anything solid that points to this being the case. Stick around to find out everything there is to know about Zoro in One Piece, what his character is really like, as well as why many anime lovers think that Zoro is racist.
Is Zoro from One Piece Really Racist?
Although many One Piece fans have stuck to the theory of Zoro being a racist, there is actually no solid official or canon evidence to support the claim. “Racist Zoro” seems to be a running joke within the One Piece community, primarily revolving around how certain plots and battles have played out, in addition to some of Zoro’s preferences in food, gear, and style.
The idea of Zoro being a racist initially started off as a joke among One Piece fans – although, possibly in poor taste according to many. Still, this was never meant to be taken in a serious light by most of the fans who started the theory as there is nothing that actually points to Zoro being racist, but it ultimately sparked a flood of negative attention within the anime world.
Why Do People Think Zoro is Racist?
Many One Piece fans quickly became outraged at the idea of Oda actually creating a racist anime character on purpose, especially considering that the One Piece franchise is widely successful with a reputation that overshadows most anime titles. There may be no harm in getting some comedic value out of this running joke, provided that it’s all in good spirits and all parties are treated with respect, but it’s begun souring really quickly for the majority of the One Piece community.
The main reason for the “Racist Zoro” joke actually stems from the overall context of his fights with bad guys and opponents, although there is genuinely no rhyme or reason for Zoro being a true racist. Zoro has mostly taken on darker-toned characters that could fall within the minority category in terms of their race, and there is often no explanation as to why Zoro fights them in particular.
“Racist Zoro” Meme (Explained)
“Racist Zoro”, also known as “Minority Hunter Zoro” initially began as a meme within the One Piece fandom, portraying Zoro as a closet racist who enjoys fighting and slaying dark-skinned opponents – irrespective of the cause. The meme primarily revolves around the fact that Zoro’s major opponents have almost been exclusively darker-skinned throughout the One Piece storyline.
Additionally, although this may just be surpassing the furthest edge of dark humor, some fans have also pointed out that Zoro’s “real-world” job would have been as a police officer. Of course, certain events within recent times may have acted as grounds to use this as a point of interest, but it has to be said that it would not be fair to genuinely make a connection between this respected profession and being a closet racist in general.
One of the very first mentions of Zoro being racist dates back to a 4chan post made on the 23rd of February 2021, within the Anime & Manga board. The panel shows Zoro calling Fishman “darn, dirty half-fish”, as seen below – which is possibly the strongest racist remark he has made considering that the Fishmen may represent minorities, according to some One Piece fans.
While the basis of the theory may seem arguable, the extra”evidence” can be seen as circ*mstantial or coincidental. The entire idea was spurred on by additional, potentially meaningless traits such as:
- Zoro’s favorite food is white rice and his least favorite food is chocolate.
- Zoro prefers using his white blade and he ditches Shusui, which was a black blade.
- Zoro doesn’t really like Luffy’s “afro phase”, without stating exactly why.
After this point, the meme spiraled and began flooding Reddit threads, after which it began gaining traction on other platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and various podcast platforms – and, as of 2022, on TikTok as well. While there are a ton of fans discussing the topic to various extents, it all revolves around the same general points, which have been mentioned above.
For more details on why many One Piece fans believe that Zoro is racist, check out the video below thanks to That One Piece Talk.
With all that being said, in reality, Zoro will willingly take on absolutely anyone that he needs to – regardless of the character or One Piece villain’s identity, race, or even sexual orientation. None of those specifics seem to really matter to Zoro at all – the only factors that would get a character into a fight with Zoro are getting in his way or posing a threat to his loved ones.
That’s everything there is to know about Zoro potentially being a racist in One Piece, with images thanks to Know Your Meme and One Piece fans on Reddit. Despite this old meme gaining a ton of negative attention and outrage, those who have always known that Zoro isn’t really racist may have gotten a laugh or two – there are certainly a few silly connections and puns to make here and there (fortunately, none of them are actually serious).
Although many One Piece fans have firmly believed that Zoro is racist, there is nothing that actually points to this being the case. Zoro seems to have simply been matched with opponents that could be seen as minorities, although his argument for fighting these enemies has always been based on morality rather than race or appearance.
