With over two decades of history, One Piece has introduced a gigantic medley of characters into its jumble of a story. From zombies to fishmen and even Frank ‘N’ Furter-esque characters, the story created and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda quickly became known for its longevity and most of all, its intricate and complex, well-rounded characters. Each protagonist and antagonist have a thoroughly explored backstory filled with goulash adventures in its midst, as is the case for one of One Piece‘s most beloved characters: Zoro, the Straw Hats’ swordsman.
Though mysterious to some inattentive eyes, Oda has been exploring Zoro’s past and present across the entirety of One Piece. As the writer introduced Shimotsuki Village, the small place where Zoro grew up, Oda also included a few details regarding Zoro’s childhood friend and soul-bond rival, Kuina — an ambitious and headstrong girl who wishes to become the strongest swordswoman in history. Later on in the story, Zoro meets someone who reminds him of his late friend, and despite being his opponent, Tashigi is almost identical to Kuina in more ways than one, but are they the same person?
Is Kuina really alive?
One of One Piece‘s rising theories revolves around Zoro’s childhood friend, Kuina. Dreaming high of unimaginable heights as a swordswoman, Kuina’s dream would fall short after she took a misstep while on the stairs. Pronounced dead at the scene, Kuina and Zoro’s last interaction would drive him for the rest of his life, spurring the pirate to swear to become a master swordsman in memory of his late friend, rival, and relative.
Initially introduced in the East Blue saga, Tashigi accompanied Smoker and other marines as they visited Loguetown for a job, surprising Zoro and the audience alike when her uncanny features were identical to that of Kuina’s. The dark bob hair and the eyes would be enough to cause an impression on the Straw Hat swordsman, but Tashigi’s expertise in swords left Zoro absolutely flabbergasted in return. Since Tashigi’s first appearance, many fans have wondered if Kuina really passed or if she actually survived and eventually changed identities to Tashigi.
Despite sharing the same age and even appearance — aside from Tashigi’s bad eyesight — Kuina and Tashigi are likely not the same person. With a very obvious intention behind their character design, Oda’s choice for Tashigi’s appearance was to clearly hint at her becoming a rival to Zoro, reminiscent of his friend. Upon facing the swordsman, Tashigi swears she will defeat him one day, thus inspiring the admiral to become stronger in the awakening of their imminent battle. This decision for a respectful rivalry was likely also intentional, causing Zoro to step on a role previously held by Kuina in his life.
Several other causes could have been behind Oda’s intentionality. For one, Tashigi’s last name was never disclosed for possibly being unimportant information, whereas Kuina’s ancestry derives from a long family of swordsmen — the same bloodline as Zoro. Many have also pointed out that if they were the same person, it wouldn’t be the first time Oda would bring back to life a previously believed deceased character. However, unlike Sabo, Kuina’s body was shown, albeit with a cloth covering her face, but with a confirmed death.
While no one but Oda and his team knows the truth, all speculation is welcome with the several theories thoroughly backed by many fans on Reddit and Twitter alike. All in all, it is still assumed that Kuina and Tashigi are entirely different individuals, who will undoubtedly cause a major dent and impression in Zoro’s life.