Character Discussion Who's a Better Character Zoro or Sasuke?

Better character


  • Total voters
    102
For me it's Zoro. I am a Sanji fan, but Zoro is my top 4 fav SHP.

As for Sasuke, I used to hate him a lot, and now I don't hate him simply because I don't consume any content where he might be present. Sasuke reminds me of Oden, because of Uchiha clan wank, sharingan wank, and Sasuke wank by other characters. All the girls pining after him for whatever reason made me think of him as a creator's pet.

My fav Akatsuki duo was Sasori & Deidara, and while I actually enjoyed how Sakura and granny Chiyo won against Sasori, Sasuke vs Deidara still makes my blood boil.

So even if Zoro's is less complex in terms of his depth and character development, I voted for him because I enjoy seeing him in the story and wish for more instead of being relieved that I don't have to Sasuke ever again.
 
For me it's Zoro. I am a Sanji fan, but Zoro is my top 4 fav SHP.

As for Sasuke, I used to hate him a lot, and now I don't hate him simply because I don't consume any content where he might be present. Sasuke reminds me of Oden, because of Uchiha clan wank, sharingan wank, and Sasuke wank by other characters. All the girls pining after him for whatever reason made me think of him as a creator's pet.

My fav Akatsuki duo was Sasori & Deidara, and while I actually enjoyed how Sakura and granny Chiyo won against Sasori, Sasuke vs Deidara still makes my blood boil.

So even if Zoro's is less complex in terms of his depth and character development, I voted for him because I enjoy seeing him in the story and wish for more instead of being relieved that I don't have to Sasuke ever again.
Sasuke shits on oden though. Oden never got through trauma that kid sasauke got through.
 
Zoro is the best functional supporting character in shonen:

1) He doesn't get in the way;

2) He doesn't question Luffy;

3) He doesn't have existential crises.

But is that a virtue? It's just narrative comfort. Zoro is a glorified support: he cuts down pirates, makes "lost" jokes, repeats "Captain".

Sasuke? He sabotages the status quo, challenges the protagonist, and forces the plot to evolve. Sasuke is "irritating" because he forces you to confront:

1) Konoha’s hypocrisy (the "heroes" who ordered the Uchiha massacre);

2) The ethics of revenge (was Itachi the villain or the victim?);

3) The price of redemption (how do you forgive someone who tried to kill your friends?).

If he irritates you, he’s served his purpose: deuteragonists aren’t supposed to be "adorable", they’re supposed to be challenging.
This is facts. Sasuke isnt meant to be liked, hes meant to be polarising. Creating a "likeable" character is extremely easy. Just make them strong and nice, and everyone will like the character, no matter how basic the character is. This takes no skill as an author. Creating an emotionally dynamic character like sasuke is much more difficult. Sasuke has more character development and complexity than every strawhat does combined. This is why i have noticed sasuke gets a lot of hate from one piece fans specifically, because they are so accustomed to characters being made for the sole reason of being conventionally likeable.
 
This is facts. Sasuke isnt meant to be liked, hes meant to be polarising. Creating a "likeable" character is extremely easy. Just make them strong and nice, and everyone will like the character, no matter how basic the character is. This takes no skill as an author. Creating an emotionally dynamic character like sasuke is much more difficult. Sasuke has more character development and complexity than every strawhat does combined. This is why i have noticed sasuke gets a lot of hate from one piece fans specifically, because they are so accustomed to characters being made for the sole reason of being conventionally likeable.
I've almost finished Naruto by the time I started reading OP, so in my case I just don't like the character, no influence from Oda on my part.
I don't deny the fact that Sasuke is more layered and complex, as Zoro might seem basic even by OP standards, but if I were given a choice to read a spin-off about Zoro or Sasuke, I'd definitely go for Zoro's.
 
Imo, just because Sasuke has more character development than Zoro, doesn't necessarily mean he's better than Zoro as a character, objectively speaking. The dude is a cringe emo boy and for all the lack of development Zoro had at least he never said something as stupid as becoming hokage after all the shit he pulled against Naruto and Konoha.

Trying to kill his best friend (Naruto) to gain the Mangekyo Sharingan in order to get revenge on Itachi. Being manipulated by Obito into attacking the hidden Cloud and kidnapping Killer Bee, who Naturo stupidly became the punching bag for by Karui, and almost drawing the Leaf village to war with the Cloud village after Konoha just got destroyed by Pain. Tried to kill Sakura when she tries to get him back on the right path again (tbf she deserved it). Attacking Danzo at the Shinobi alliance fair, but then also proceeds to get into a fight with A after kidnapping his brother.

Kishimoto gave Sasuke an easy way out by changing his heart after listening to that wonderful sob story from Tobirama. And then he drops into the war late, acting like a hero while declaring in front of the Konoha shinobi that he decided to become hokage, as if all the shit he pulled from when he was with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki never happened.

Kishimoto continues sucking the Sasuke dick by having him be the reincarnation of Indra or whatever, gives him the Rinnegan, only to have Sasuke betray and turn on them again by capturing the Tailed beasts after they finally got free of Obito and Madara.

So Sasuke and Naruto have their final fight, both lose their arms, and get this - Sasuke in his mind said that he understands Naruto's pain, despite never admitting it to Naruto outright, despite never intervening or helping when Naruto was alone or being bullied, despite still trying to kill a guy who grew up knowing he was an orphan.

Kakashi in the beginning as his first lesson taught Sasuke that in the ninja world the worst scum were those who didn't stick up for their friends. Then you have Sasuke here betraying everyone he aligned with left and right. Naruto, Orochimaru, Obito, and then Naruto again. Dude switches sides more times than Sakura can switch her partners.

You know Sasuke knows he's done fucked up when he married Sakura who gave birth to an Uchiha who needs glasses, people said he did it as a form of punishment or atonement, we will never know.

If Sasuke was a One Piece character and did still did the things he did, Papazuki would brand him a terrorist who deserved death more than Ace and rightfully so.

Zoro might be called a static character due to his lack of development, but at least he didn't try to kill Tashigi after Kunia's death, didn't try to kill Luffy after losing to Mihawk, and didn't join the WG to hunt down Robin just because he lost to Mihawk. No, Zoro swallowed his pride and asked Mihawk to train him for Luffy, Sasuke tried killing Naruto and Karin just so he could kill Itachi and Danzo.

Zoro gave his life and dream for Luffy by taking all his pain from Kuma-knowing he could die, while Sasuke only gave everyone else pain, even the ones close to him. This is despite Zoro in the beginning saying he would cut down anyone who got in the way of his dreams. Sasuke actually went ahead and did exactly that.

So no, Sasuke is not a better character than Zoro, not even close. I don't care what the edgelords or powerscalers say.
 
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Obviously inspired by the other thread comparing the MCs of the franchises. Now let's compare the deuteragonists of the franchises?

Who is better character?

Roronoa Zoro



OR

Sasuke Uchiha




I love Zolo. Zolo is a phenomenal character but...

Let’s not kid ourselves. We all love a good try-hard, and Zolo—sorry, Zoro—is the most glorified gym bro with a sword in all of anime. But if we’re talking about actual character, about depth, about nuance, development, and relevance in the story he inhabits, then I’m sorry to break it to you: Sasuke Uchiha clears him so hard it’s almost rude to compare them. This isn’t even a fair fight. It's like comparing a steak to a rice cake. One is rich in flavor, layered, and complex; the other just... exists.

Let’s just address the elephant in the room: Zoro fans love to pretend he has depth because he mumbles something edgy about "becoming the greatest swordsman" every 500 episodes while lifting boulders shirtless in the background like some extra in a protein powder commercial. Meanwhile, Sasuke’s entire existence is a philosophical exploration of revenge, trauma, ideology, legacy, redemption, and the moral ambiguity of justice. But yeah, Zoro has three swords. One goes in his mouth. Incredible depth. Pulitzer-worthy stuff.

Zoro’s entire character arc, if you can call it that, is basically a straight line drawn with a broken crayon. He wants to be the best swordsman. Cool. So do a million other shonen characters. What distinguishes him? His loyalty? Congrats, he knows how to say "I trust my captain" and not cry about it. What a legend. Meanwhile, Sasuke has gone from traumatized child to revenge-driven prodigy, to rogue ninja, to revolutionary terrorist, to reluctant ally, to philosophical wanderer. The man has had more internal conflict in one arc than Zoro’s had thoughts in the entire series.

Now let’s talk writing. Sasuke’s decisions—though controversial—are character-driven. He questions the system that destroyed his clan. He challenges the moral failings of Konoha. He fights Naruto not just because he can, but because ideologically, they’re fundamentally at odds. It’s layered. It’s complicated. You can agree or disagree, but you understand. With Zoro? He just swings harder. Bleeds harder. Yells louder. It’s like watching a battle-shouting simulator in green pants. He has the personality range of a gym locker.

Let’s not even pretend Oda has done anything remotely meaningful with Zoro since pre-Enies Lobby. After the time skip, he’s just a walking tank with zero emotional stakes. Wano was supposed to be “his arc.” You know, the place where his sword is from? The land where his heritage is vaguely connected? And what did we get? A guy staring intensely, cutting stuff, and giving stoic one-liners like he’s auditioning to be the seventh Fast & Furious lead. “I’ll protect Luffy’s dream.” Bro. That’s literally your entire character at this point. You’re a glorified bodyguard with abs.

Compare that to Sasuke, who literally embodies the cycle of hatred and the question of how to break it. Who’s forced to reckon with the fact that his revenge was manipulated by greater forces. Who has to come to terms with his own capacity for destruction and choose to wander the world seeking understanding instead of domination. That’s a story. That’s an arc. That’s writing. Zoro would probably slice the Hokage Monument in half and call it a personality trait.

Let’s also look at emotional range, shall we? Sasuke has felt grief, hatred, jealousy, guilt, love, loss, and even a broken sense of identity. The guy watched his entire family die, got manipulated by a war criminal, fought his best friend to the death twice, and still ended up doing his best to atone. Zoro? He got lost. A lot. Occasionally says something about “not losing again.” His backstory is literally “my friend died and I got upset and started slicing things.” We’ve seen NPCs with deeper motivations. At least Sasuke’s trauma doesn’t rely on a childhood game of stairs gone wrong.

Now, for all the Zoro stans about to cry “but he’s cool,” let me grant you that. Yes. Zoro is cool. He’s cool like a Michael Bay explosion. Cool like a car with spoilers and no engine. Cool in that empty, aesthetic-only way that appeals to middle schoolers who think “badass” equals “no emotional intelligence.” But being cool doesn’t make you a good character. If that were the bar, Vegeta would be the pinnacle of storytelling and Escanor would be Shakespearean.

And since we’re here, can we talk about how Zoro stans act like he solos entire universes? The man struggled against Kamazo the Manslayer and had to be rescued by a child with a bowl haircut. Meanwhile, Sasuke was fighting gods. Plural. He was going toe-to-toe with aliens that shoot moons out of their hands while bleeding from both eyes. And you're telling me Zoro cutting a fireball makes them equals? I beg your pardon?

Oh, and the eye thing? Zoro loses one eye and it’s never explained. Not even hinted at. Oda was just like, “He needs to look edgy now,” and never circled back. Meanwhile, Sasuke loses an eye and it’s the culmination of a massive battle of ideals, power, and sacrifice. Zoro fans hype up that scar like it’s some great mystery when the answer is probably just "he tripped on a training dummy." Truly elite storytelling.

Also, let’s not pretend Zoro has relationships that matter. His entire interaction pool is Luffy (who he listens to), Sanji (who he yells at), and random enemies he cuts. Sasuke? His bond with Naruto is the emotional backbone of the entire series. His relationship with Itachi is one of the most gut-wrenching twists in anime. His dynamic with Sakura, while controversial, at least exists in a narrative context. Zoro couldn’t emotionally connect with a cactus.

In conclusion, comparing Zoro to Sasuke is like comparing a coloring book to Dostoevsky. Sure, one looks nice on your coffee table, but the other actually says something. Sasuke is a character with substance, themes, and growth. Zoro is a protein shake with swords. One is the tragic anti-hero of a generation, the other is a loud man with no GPS and a strict chest day routine.

So yes, I love Zolo. Zolo is phenomenal. But only if your definition of phenomenal is “growls, swings, and occasionally cries about Mihawk like he's an ex that never texted back.” Sasuke, on the other hand, is what happens when you give a character actual narrative purpose. He clears Zoro in every way that matters—story, emotion, philosophy, and yes, even fight choreography.

Stay mad, sword bros.


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SASUKEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, But on a serious note, Yea it's Sasuke, I mean much more complex character, much better backstory, most importantly HE'S a DEUTERAGONIST THAT HAS THE GREEN LIGHT!!!!!!!! ,this man operates like a main character in the story. Zoro doesnt have that freedom so in a sense he's given a bit more opportunity to be great but also be more controversial. Lastly he is Probably One of the MOST ENTERTAINING fighters in All of Anime.


 
SASUKEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, But on a serious note, Yea it's Sasuke, I mean much more complex character, much better backstory, most importantly HE'S a DEUTERAGONIST THAT HAS THE GREEN LIGHT!!!!!!!! ,this man operates like a main character in the story. Zoro doesnt have that freedom so in a sense he's given a bit more opportunity to be great but also be more controversial. Lastly he is Probably One of the MOST ENTERTAINING fighters in All of Anime.


It's not just that he's a complex or badass character (which he is!). It's that everything about him feels weighty, larger-than-life, epic in scale, and beyond the norm. You know when you watch a movie and there's that big scene, with the soundtrack playing loudly and everything? It's like every one of Sasuke's moments has a bit of that, even in the quieter moments.

He's one of the few characters who seems to carry his own myth with him, you know?
 
This is facts. Sasuke isnt meant to be liked, hes meant to be polarising. Creating a "likeable" character is extremely easy. Just make them strong and nice, and everyone will like the character, no matter how basic the character is. This takes no skill as an author. Creating an emotionally dynamic character like sasuke is much more difficult. Sasuke has more character development and complexity than every strawhat does combined. This is why i have noticed sasuke gets a lot of hate from one piece fans specifically, because they are so accustomed to characters being made for the sole reason of being conventionally likeable.
Kid scholar laying down the facts
 
Sasuke is leaps and bounds better as a character. Zoro's just too shallow, he ain't got much going on.
If we're talking about "being badass" and "one liners", sure; there's a debate that you can have there.
 
Sasuke got into a pretty weird emo phase wich lasted for the entirety of the anime, and that shit only got worse with orochimaru being a bad influence on him, not that Kakashi helped much either, enabling this autistic behaviour since day one...Dude ran away from home to live with a weirdo pedo guy, got a tatoo too to show how rebelious he was, then got his own edgy form that was soo fucking ugly he made a point to never use it again once he saw it in the mirror. That shit only got a bit fixed when Itachi gave him some brotherly love, but since "REVENGE" was pretty much Sasuke's entire character at that point of course he had to get revenge against someone else, fucking emo biatch.

Meanwhile Zoro is Zoro, the fuckign GOAT.
 
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