Wado Ichimonji

Wado Ichimonji
Statistics
Japanese Name:	和道一文字
Romanized Name:	Wadō Ichimonji
Official English Name:	Wadō Ichimonji (Viz, FUNimation) Wado (4Kids)
Meaning:	Straight Line through the Path of Harmony
First Appearance:	Chapter 5; Episode 2
Price:	10,000,000+
Owner:	Shimotsuki Kozaburo → Koshiro → 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.

In descriptive terms, Wado Ichimonji is a Shinogi Zukuri style Katana that has a traditional yet still stunning pure-white samegawa wrapped around a grey tsuka hilt, leaving a traditional diamond-shaped menuki pattern. The end has a nice, simplistic kashira of the same color as the tsuba. The tsuba, or crossguard, also conveys a harmony of simplicity: It consists of a rounded oval thick tsuba from which the blade goes through, in a nice metallic golden color. To once again convey the beautiful simplicity of this blade, the colors of the edge are divided in perfect equality. The inner bo-hi is a deep black, while the outer ha, or edge, is a shining white. The blade curves slightly towards the end, with a stunning sharp tip that cuts through foes. The sheath represents a peaceful harmony, being completely white with a modest kojiri at the end.

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

Abilities

As the masterpiece of the legendary swordsmith, Shimotsuki Kozaburo classified as one of the 21 O Wazamono swords, Wado Ichimonji is one of the most powerful swords in the world described by Tashigi, a sword maniac as magnificant katana of the highest caliber. It is most notably extraordinarily durable, able to withstand strikes from Dracule Mihawk's Yoru, a Saijō Ō Wazamono, which shattered his two other swords, cut large battleships, and a giant iceberg; it could even defend against strikes from another Ō Wazamono, Shusui, wielded by the Samurai, Ryuma for a period of time. These are notable feats as Yoru and Shusui are renown black blades.

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, while he has allowed others to examine it, Zoro refuses to ever give this blade up to anyone. Both its toughness and sharpness 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.

Zoro prefers to place Wado Ichimonji in his mouth when using his Santoryu, though prior to the timeskip, he uses it when using his Ittoryu in some battles. After the timeskip, he appears to favor Shusui when using his Ittoryu.

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. It was later exported overseas which eventually became the property of Kuina's family. The sword was carefully stored in the warehouse of the Isshin Dojo rarely used as Koushirou does not have any need to use it for combat as his dojo used only wooden swords to train and teach his students. Once, Roronoa Zoro, a student of the Isshin dojo and rival, to Koushiro's daughter Kuina challenged the girl to a fight with real swords. Thus, Kuina borrowed 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 his request and pass on his family's Meito Wado Ichimonji to his second best student.

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.

Wano Country Arc

While training with his newfound Enma, Zoro was notified by Tenguyama Hitetsu of Wado Ichimonji's origins, and that it may have been the reason that Kozuki Hiyori chose to bequeath Enma to Zoro.

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.