In the massive world of One Piece, series creator Eiichiro Oda seems to have a story in mind behind the tiniest details. One topic that is hotly speculated among One Piece fans centers the Straw Hats' First Mate, Rorona Zoro, and his missing eye. To this day it's one of One Piece's best-kept secrets, but it's probably better that way.
While the story behind Zoro's injured eye is undoubtedly a great one, the lack of information has actually inspired One Piece fans to flex their own creativity. From fanart to fanfiction and all mediums in between, the lack of a clear answer has been the perfect material for some truly impressive ideas. This creativity is something that exists at the core of any fandom and to answer the question would ultimately ruin the fun.
Zoro's Injured Eye Sparks Fan Creativity
The circumstances surrounding Zoro's left eye aren't a complete mystery; at the very least fans know that it happened sometime during the two-year time skip. During this time, each member of the Straw Hat crew committed to training and growing stronger. In Zoro's case, he had the fortune of training with the strongest swordsman in the One Piece world and the man he seeks to one day surpass, Dracule Mihawk. Unfortunately, that's the extent of what fans know; the details of what happened, how it happened and who did it are still shrouded in mystery.
At first, it could have been assumed that it was just a character design change; after all, what's cooler than adding a scar or two to show off a character's strength? But of course, veteran One Piece fans know that nothing Oda does is accidental. While hopeful watchers and readers have waited patiently for some possible explanation, it still has yet to be addressed. Even Zoro's crewmates have yet to even really acknowledge the injury despite how noteworthy something like losing an eye would be. With no real way of knowing how it all went down, fans took it upon themselves to fill in the blanks using their own incredible talent.
One Piece Fans Solve the Mystery Behind Zoro's Eye
Even though Zoro seems unable to use his left eye, this doesn't appear to hinder him as he cuts down challenge after challenge on his journey to becoming the greatest swordsman in the world. Creative fans have borrowed a page from Zoro's book and have similarly refused to let the lack of an official answer prevent them from coming up with one. Take, for example, this comic imagining Zoro's training with Mihawk by Twitter user @mugibaras. In it, Zoro, while anxious to advance after showing progress in his training, is quickly humbled by his teacher, resulting in the loss of his eye. While it may not be canon, it certainly is believable, especially considering the two personalities involved.
Writers, of course, took on the challenge as well, coming up with scenarios to explain Zoro's eye. A written piece by Fanfiction.com user Neko11 imagines an interaction between Luffy and Zoro in which Luffy actually asks about his eye. It not only details a heartwarming moment, but also chalks Zoro's mysterious injury up to the perilous training that Hawk Eyes undoubtedly put him through.
Another undeniable group of creatives that help make up the One Piece fandom is theorists -- fans that make it their job to connect overlooked threads in order to make possible conclusions about the world and story of One Piece. In a YouTube video, Tekking101 goes over five different theories surrounding Zoro's eye. These theories address how he could have sustained the injury but also suggest that there could be more to it as well.
In One Piece and in fiction overall, the urge to know can be overwhelming. The next chapter, the next episode, the next update can seem so far away when fans are hungry for answers. It's what keeps people coming back for more. Sometimes, though, less is more. As clearly demonstrated by the One Piece fandom, a mystery can spark creativity that welcomes different viewpoints and perspectives. The result? Creative content that the community can enjoy endlessly, because there is no true right answer.
