I think that in OP there are many characters who share parallels and character traits etc. and these are not things that are just assumed by the fans but they have been placed there by Oda with full intent in the manga and in the official supplementary/promotional material by the editors etc. There is a big debate on which sources can be treated as cannon or as not cannon.
We have characters duos etc. like Noland and Calgara, Roger and WB, Shanks and Mihawk who seem to be friends and rivals (the first one as powerlevel duo is not confirmed) and we say that they have some parallels. Or the more prominent and highly debated ones like Roger-Ray, Shanks-Benn, Luffy-Zoro etc. But the problem with this is that we forget sometimes that they may share a certain dynamism which is similar but in the end they were different characters in different eras with different dreams (not completely) and different destinies.
My issue with the Ray-Zoro parallel is based on the above paragraph, sure they do have some parallels but they are completely different persons with different dreams and circumstances. Zoro is his own character, he can have parallels with Ray, Mihawk, Oden, King etc. etc. but the most important ones for me are these in order:
1. Ryuma
2. Mihawk
3. Rayleigh
Again this is just my opinion but I think that his destiny and the comment about a second coming of Ryuma already being born is what makes his parallels with Ryuma more important. From narrative perspective Ryuma seems more like a legend than Mihawk and Ryumas significance is comparatively greater than Mihawks (at least until now). Ryuma had that role of defending Wano against the WG and pirates etc., known as the Sword God, the dragon slaying among other legends and as such he seems more of an influential figure (not powerscaling Ryuma above Mihawk because Mihawk will probably be stronger to make Zoro the strongest ever after Zoro defeats Mihawk), but Mihawks role seems even less until now in the overall scheme of things. The only reason I put him above Rayliegh is because he is the WSS and is Zoro's personal end goal. Ray is third because he has the physical (scars), the first meeting and CoC parallel and being to Roger what many assume Zoro to be for Luffy and love for alcohol, other than that I don't see a whole many parallels between the two.
I guess different people will have different levels of importance for the parallels but to me Zoro-Ryuma parallel is at this moment more significant than the others.
We have characters duos etc. like Noland and Calgara, Roger and WB, Shanks and Mihawk who seem to be friends and rivals (the first one as powerlevel duo is not confirmed) and we say that they have some parallels. Or the more prominent and highly debated ones like Roger-Ray, Shanks-Benn, Luffy-Zoro etc. But the problem with this is that we forget sometimes that they may share a certain dynamism which is similar but in the end they were different characters in different eras with different dreams (not completely) and different destinies.
My issue with the Ray-Zoro parallel is based on the above paragraph, sure they do have some parallels but they are completely different persons with different dreams and circumstances. Zoro is his own character, he can have parallels with Ray, Mihawk, Oden, King etc. etc. but the most important ones for me are these in order:
1. Ryuma
2. Mihawk
3. Rayleigh
Again this is just my opinion but I think that his destiny and the comment about a second coming of Ryuma already being born is what makes his parallels with Ryuma more important. From narrative perspective Ryuma seems more like a legend than Mihawk and Ryumas significance is comparatively greater than Mihawks (at least until now). Ryuma had that role of defending Wano against the WG and pirates etc., known as the Sword God, the dragon slaying among other legends and as such he seems more of an influential figure (not powerscaling Ryuma above Mihawk because Mihawk will probably be stronger to make Zoro the strongest ever after Zoro defeats Mihawk), but Mihawks role seems even less until now in the overall scheme of things. The only reason I put him above Rayliegh is because he is the WSS and is Zoro's personal end goal. Ray is third because he has the physical (scars), the first meeting and CoC parallel and being to Roger what many assume Zoro to be for Luffy and love for alcohol, other than that I don't see a whole many parallels between the two.
I guess different people will have different levels of importance for the parallels but to me Zoro-Ryuma parallel is at this moment more significant than the others.
