Zoro vs. Whitebeard: Who Is Stronger & Who Would Win in a Fight?

As we always say, when One Piece characters are concerned, we have plenty of them that can serve as inspiration for a great comparison, and that is exactly what we are going to do in this article – we are going to compare two powerful characters from the series to determine who would win in a fight. The first of them is Roronoa Zoro, the prospective best swordsman in the series, while the second is Whitebeard, “the Strongest Man in the World.” Who is stronger? Keep reading to find out!

Whitebeard would easily defeat Zoro in a direct clash; there is no doubt about that. Zoro’s swordsmanship skills might, at the time of writing, be on par with Whitebeards, but the sheer strength that Newgate had, as well as the fact that he had one of the most powerful Devil Fruits at his disposal, confirm that Zoro would not stand a chance against the late captain in a fair one-on-one fight. There is simply no way that Zoro could come out as the winner of this duel.

What follows, of course, is a detailed analysis of the answer we have given you above. We will portray Roronoa Zoro and Whitebeard from One Piece in more detail, giving you a thorough analysis of the issue at hand and the balance of power between the two characters using our usual formula. Through several categories, you will see who the stronger of the two is and why our answer is like it is, i.e., why we are absolutely certain that Whitebeard would win against Zoro in a direct one-on-one clash, without any doubt whatsoever.

Physical powers

Roronoa Zoro is one of the series’ strongest characters in terms of pure power. He displayed his strength for the first time while engaged in combat with Daz Bones. He had minimal issues raising a structure despite his injuries. He can be seen utilizing heavy dumbbells while exercising on the Thousand Sunny. He showed that he was at least as strong as a giant by using his swords to block an incoming straight blow from Oars. Zoro’s strength dramatically boosted following the time skip.

Whitebeard was regarded as the world’s strongest man during his lifetime after Roger’s passing. Despite getting older, he still had physical strength that was superior to a giant’s. For more than two decades, he had held the title of strongest. He also had amazing stamina, which enabled him to overcome the Admirals despite being repeatedly hit by bullets, cannonballs, sword slashes, and stabbings from Squard, Akainu, Kizaru, and other foes.

Despite his declining health, Whitebeard was still known as the world’s strongest and most dangerous pirate. When other soldiers instructed him to look behind him, Akainu didn’t realize he had managed to sneak up on him. This exhibited his quickness of movement.

There is absolutely no doubt that Roronoa Zoro cannot compare to Whitebeard in terms of his physical powers and abilities. Whitebeard was a truly powerful individual, and that is why he clearly wins this point.

Points: Zoro 0, Whitebeard 1

Devil Fruit

We all know that Roronoa Zoro has never consumed a Devil Fruit in his life, which definitely makes him quite special, as all of his skills and powers are his own; he did not use any enhancements in that aspect. But this also means that we have absolutely nothing to add to this category, i.e., that this is all we have to say about Zoro in this specific category.

Whitebeard gained the ability to slice through the air and anything in his path of attack after consuming the Gura Gura no Mi, a Paramecia-type Fruit. Then, he could unleash earthquakes and tsunamis by grabbing the air with his fingers and slicing immensely wide portions of land and sea. By fusing it with his Bisento, he could also use this ability to make cutting attacks. It can also survive Aokiji’s freezing, thanks to its loud shakes. This demonstrates how strong the Devil Fruit was and how powerful Whitebeard was in controlling it.

This category is absolutely clear, as Whitebeard has a Devil Fruit and an exceptionally powerful one at that, while Zor does not. This is why Whitebeard clearly wins this category as well.

Points: Zoro 0, Whitebeard 2

Haki

Zoro is one of the rare people who can use all three types of Haki. He is capable of using the rarest one, Conqueror’s Haki. Kaido acknowledges him for the first time as having this talent after Zoro’s nine-sword strike.

During his battle with the King, he coats his sabers with it, rendering the Hundred Beasts Crew members unconscious. To show Pica that his Haki was greater than his, he also used Armament Haki to slice him. By using this Haki, he can also counteract Devil Fruit’s powers, as he did to briefly stop the Birdcage. He used Observation Haki for the first time during his battle with Nuru and has since used it again, although his proficiency is unknown.

Whitebeard has managed to fully master all three types of Haki. Whitebeard easily defeated Ace while asleep, as seen in a flashback, demonstrating his highly developed command of Observation Haki. Additionally, he has the skill to imbue his Bisento with his Armament Haki, enabling him to demolish vessels or perhaps even small settlements. Whitebeard has frequently employed his Armament Haki against Admirals. During the Battle of Marineford, Whitebeard used Conqueror’s Haki; he had used it earlier when he clashed with Roger.

And while both of them could use all three types of Haki, we cannot give Zoro a point here, as Whitebeard’s mastery was clearly on a wholly different level, which is why Whitebeard has to win this point as well.

Points: Zoro 0, Whitebeard 3

Weapons

At the beginning of his career as a pirate, Zoro had only mastered The Santoryu, his traditional fighting style. But as time passed, he began gaining knowledge from various institutions, including Nitoryu, Ittoryu, and even Mutouryu. Zoro and the rest of the crew are better prepared to face the difficulties of the New World at this point. His accomplishments throughout the series have demonstrated that he is unmistakably moving towards his stated goal of becoming the best swordsman in the world.

Edward Newgate favored his Bisento, a great Japanese halberd he dubbed Murakumogiri. Whitebeard was nearly five meters tall, and the Murakumogiri was a tremendously large weapon that fit his stature. When Whitebeard imbues his Haki on his Bisento, he may dispatch dozens of opponents with a single blow. Although the Bisento is an absolutely terrifying weapon, it is virtually always fatal for everyone when combined with Whitebeard’s great strength and combat prowess.

This is, ultimately, the only category in which we can actually award a point to Zoro, but we’re going to split the points, as Whitebeard’s expertise with his Bisento cannot be underestimated, especially since he was able to parry Roger with it.

Points: Zoro 1, Whitebeard 4

There is no situation in which Zoro triumphs against Whitebeard

So, as you can see, the points are pretty clear on this one, and we can only agree that Whitebeard far surpasses Zoro in every aspect. Even in terms of their swordsmanship skills, we cannot give Zoro an outright advantage as Whitebeard was a true beast with his Bisento, and while Zoro had the skill to counter him, he did not have the strength to do so.

And that is what Whitebeard’s forte is in general – his strength. He would overwhelm his opponents with that easily, and there was little to nothing they could do after that moment. Whitebeard was immensely powerful and certainly one of the strongest characters in the whole series, and sadly, Zoro will never reach that level of power.

To that, you have to add the fact that he had an exceptionally powerful Devil Fruit, as well as the fact that he was able to use all three types of Haki, which clearly shows that Whitebeard was far superior to Zoro and that the latter would have nothing to counter all of Whitebeard’s skills and abilities.