WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Netflix’s One Piece season 1.
Summary
- Netflix’s One Piece season 1 establishes Zoro as Luffy’s first mate, a role that was not defined in the original manga or anime.
- Zoro’s designation as first mate is a result of his unwavering loyalty and trust in Luffy, rather than necessarily his pirate skills.
- While Usopp or Nami would arguably be better for the role of first mate, Zoro’s long-standing partnership with Luffy, as well as his strength, make him the perfect fit for the position in One Piece season 1, even if in more symbolic terms.
Netflix’s One Piece season 1 brings the answer to a question regarding Luffy’s Straw Hat pirates that neither the manga nor the anime ever settled. While One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda was directly involved in the making of the show, the live-action series made changes to the source material. Most of those changes had to do with One Piece’s pacing and reinventing the story for a new format, but some had to do with the relationship between the characters. For example, Zoro’s role in Luffy’s crew is different from the original story.
Some of the biggest differences between Netflix’s One Piece and the anime happened during the Baratie segment, including but not limited to Arlong replacing Don Krieg. This is also when Zoro pledged loyalty to Luffy and vouched to follow the pirate in a straw hat forever. Zoro’s loyalty to Luffy comes from the original story, but his official designation within the Straw Hat pirates was something created for the Netflix show.
Netflix’s One Piece Officially Makes Zoro Luffy’s First Mate
Unlike the manga or the anime, Netflix’s One Piece makes it clear that Zoro is Luffy’s first mate. Luffy refers to Zoro as such following the duel between Mihawk and the former pirate hunter. Zoro then says, after waking up, that he will follow Luffy forever as his first mate. While it may seem logical for Zoro, the first person to join Luffy’s crew and one of the show’s strongest main characters, to be Luffy’s first mate, this was never stated in the original story. Zoro trusts Luffy with his life and is extremely loyal to his friends, but Netflix’s One Piece takes it one step further.
The first mate of a ship is the most important member of the crew after the captain. If something happens with the captain, it is the first mate’s responsibility to take over. Zoro does not have a good sense of direction, but the same can be said for Luffy. Zoro is also not a perfect leader, but he could make for a good captain depending on the circumstances. Regardless, Netflix’s One Piece defining Zoro as the Straw Hats’ captain has more to do with his appreciation for Luffy than with his pirate skills. By making Zoro into Luffy’s first mate, Netflix’s One Piece answered a question the manga never did.
What The One Piece Anime & Manga Say About Zoro Being First Mate
Zoro was never referred to as Luffy’s first mate in either the manga or the anime. In fact, Luffy’s crew does not have a first mate in the source material, at least not officially. None of the original Straw Hats is ever described as Luffy’s first mate, which adds to the idea that everyone is equally important to Luffy. That said, apart from Zoro, the most obvious candidates for the role of first-mate, should there be one, are Nami and Usopp. Nami is the second person to join the crew, and her navigator skills are what guide the Straw Hat pirates into their adventures.
“The great Captain Usopp,” despite his exaggerated stories, always dreamed of being a pirate and knows what it takes for someone to be a good captain. There is, in fact, a One Piece interaction that suggests Usopp may be Luffy’s first mate. Luffy once gave Usopp permission to act as captain whenever he was there, which fits the role of a first mate. Still, the term “first mate” was never used by Luffy regarding any of the One Piece characters. Therefore, Zoro as the Straw Hats’ second-in-command is a small but significant change from the source material.
Why Zoro As Luffy’s First Mate Makes Perfect Sense
Despite being something created for the show, Luffy calling Zoro his first mate makes a lot of sense. Zoro was the first person to believe in Luffy’s journey and join what would become the Straw Hat pirate crew. After his duel with Mihawk in front of the Baratie, Zoro realized how much his dream intersected with Luffy’s and promised to always follow him. As someone who has been fighting side by side with Luffy since the beginning and trusts Luffy with his life, Zoro is the perfect candidate for the role of the Straw Hats’ first mate.
When it comes to the technical aspects of running a ship, either Usopp or Nami would make for a better captain than Zoro. However, the concept of first mate in One Piece season 1 had more to do with the unique bond between Luffy and Zoro than with the official job description of a first mate. By accepting his role as Luffy’s second in command, Zoro is saying that he will always be by Luffy’s side, no matter the circumstances. Zoro is also the second strongest Straw Hat pirate during the East Blue saga, which makes his role as Luffy’s first mate in One Piece season 1 even more logical.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
