Wado Ichimonji

Wado Ichimonji
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Japanese Name:	和道一文字
Romanized Name:	Wadō Ichimonji
Official English Name:	Wadō Ichimonji (Viz, FUNimation) Wado (4Kids)
Meaning:	Straight Road of the Harmony
First Appearance:	Chapter 5; Episode 2
Price:	10,000,000+
Owner:	Shimotsuki Kozaburo → Kuina → Roronoa Zoro
Grade:	O Wazamono
Type:	Katana

The Wado Ichimonji is a sword of great personal importance to Roronoa Zoro, and it once belonged to Kuina and her family. It is also one of the 21 O Wazamono grade swords. After Kuina's death, Zoro asked for it from her father, who then gave the sword to him.

Appearance

Concept arts of Wado Ichimonji.

The sword has a pure-white hilt with a circular hand-guard. The sheath is painted white and the type of the blade is suguha or straight blade.

It is described as "magnificent" by Tashigi when it catches her eye in Loguetown.

Abilities

As one of the 21 O Wazamono swords and a masterpiece of the legendary swordsmith Shimotsuki Kozaburo, Wado Ichimonji is a powerful and magnificent katana of the highest caliber.  It is also extraordinarily durable. When a powerful strike from Dracule Mihawk's Yoru shattered two of Zoro's swords, this is the only one that did not break at all, which is a great feat as Mihawk can cut apart large battleships and even giant icebergs with his sword.

When used by Zoro, this sword is usually placed in his mouth for his Santoryu. Prior to the timeskip, when using his Ittoryu, Zoro usually used this sword. After the timeskip he seems to favor Shusui for his Ittoryu. Its toughness is further demonstrated by the fact that Zoro used it for his Ittoryu Iai: Shishi Sonson technique against Mr. 1, cutting through his steel body.

At first, Tashigi of the Marines was hunting Zoro for this very blade since she could not accept the fact that such a famous blade was in the hands of a pirate. However, Zoro refuses to ever give this blade up to anyone.

Due to Wado Ichimonji being forged by Shimotsuki Kozaburo alongside Enma, it was able to somehow allow Zoro to get used to the blade rather quickly.

History

Past

Sometime in the past, Wado Ichimonji was created by Shimotsuki Kozaburo.

Wado Ichimonji was once owned by Kuina. The sword was rarely used, as Kuina used wooden swords to train. Once, Roronoa Zoro, a boy training at the same dojo as Kuina, and her rival, challenged the girl to a fight with real swords. Kuina used the Wado Ichimonji in this fight.

After Kuina's death, the sword was in the possession of her father, Koushirou. Zoro declared to Koushirou that he will become the strongest swordsman in the world and asked for the sword. Koushirou accepted to pass Wado Ichimonji to Zoro.

Loguetown Arc

Zoro was left with only Wado Ichimonji after two of his swords were broken in his fight with Dracule Mihawk. After arriving at Loguetown, he went into Ipponmatsu's arm shop to buy two more swords. The owner of the shop recognized Wado Ichimonji and asked Zoro to see the blade. Ipponmatsu tried to fool Zoro to sell his sword for a hefty price, but Zoro refused to sell it for any price.

Tashigi suddenly entered the shop and recognized the blade, and started to explain that the sword is one of the 21 O Wazamono grade swords and that it can only be sold for at least 10,000,000.

Later, when Tashigi found out about Zoro's true identity, she vowed to retrieve the Wado Ichimonji from him.

Trivia

Wado Ichimonji as a human.

• In SBS Volume 92, Oda drew Zoro's swords personified as humans. Wado Ichimonji took the form of a man with a thick unibrow, large nose and lips, and dark hair fashioned into a topknot.