As we always say, when it comes to One Piece characters, we have plenty that can serve as inspiration for a good comparison, and that's exactly what we're going to do in this article—we're going to compare two powerful characters from the series to determine who would win in a fight. The first of these is Roronoa Zoro, the future best swordsman in the series, while the second is Whitebeard, the "strongest man in the world." Who's stronger? Read on to find out!

Whitebeard would easily defeat Zoro in a head-to-head confrontation; there is no doubt about that. Zoro's swordsmanship skills might, at the time of writing, be comparable to Whitebeard's, but Newgate's strength, along with the fact that he had one of the most powerful Devil Fruits, confirm that Zoro wouldn't stand a chance against the late captain in a fair one-on-one fight. There is simply no way Zoro can come out on top in this duel.

The following is, of course, a detailed analysis of the answer we gave you above. We will describe Roronoa Zoro and Whitebeard from One Piece in more detail, giving you an in-depth analysis of the issue at hand and the balance of power between the two characters using our usual formula. Through several categories, you will see who is the stronger of the two and why our answer is as it is, that is, why we are absolutely certain that Whitebeard would win against Zoro in a direct head-to-head, without a doubt.

Physical powers

Roronoa Zoro is one of the strongest characters in the series in terms of sheer power. He first demonstrated his strength while fighting Daz Bones. He had little trouble lifting a structure despite his injuries. He can be seen using heavy dumbbells while training on the Thousand Sunny. He has shown himself to be at least as strong as a giant by using his swords to block a direct blow from Oars. Zoro's strength increased significantly after the time skip.

Whitebeard was considered the strongest man in the world during his lifetime after Roger's passing. Despite his advanced age, he still possessed physical strength greater than that of a giant. For over two decades, he held the title of strongest. He also possessed incredible endurance, allowing him to defeat admirals despite repeated blows from bullets, cannonballs, sword strikes, and knife blows from Squard, Akainu, Kizaru, and other enemies.

Despite his declining health, Whitebeard was still known as the most powerful and dangerous pirate in the world. When other soldiers asked him to look behind him, Akainu didn't realize he had managed to sneak up on him. This demonstrated his swiftness of movement.

There is absolutely no doubt that Roronoa Zoro cannot compare to Whitebeard in terms of powers and physical abilities. Whitebeard was a truly powerful individual, and that is why he clearly wins this point.

Points: Zoro 0, Whitebeard 1

Devil Fruit

We all know that Roronoa Zoro has never consumed a Devil Fruit in his life, which definitely makes him special, as all his skills and powers are his own; he hasn't used any enhancements in this aspect. But this also means that we have absolutely nothing to add to this category, meaning that this is all we have to say about Zoro in this specific category.

Whitebeard gained the ability to slice through the air and anything in his attack path after consuming the Gura Gura no Mi, a Paramecia-type fruit. He could then trigger earthquakes and tsunamis by grabbing the air with his fingers and cutting through huge portions of land and sea. By fusing it with his Bisento, he could also use this ability to perform slashing attacks. He can also survive Aokiji's freezing, thanks to its strong jolts. This demonstrates how strong the Devil Fruit was and how powerful Whitebeard was at controlling it.

This category is absolutely clear, as Whitebeard has a Devil Fruit and an exceptionally powerful Devil Fruit, unlike Zor. This is why Whitebeard clearly wins this category as well.

Points: Zoro 0, Whitebeard 2

RIGHT

Zoro is one of the few people who can use all three types of Haki. He is also capable of using the rarest, Conqueror's Haki. Kaido first recognizes this talent after Zoro's Nine Swords Strike.

During his battle with the king, he coated his swords with it, rendering the Beasts crew members unconscious. To show Pica that his Haki was superior to his own, he also used Armament Haki to slice him. Using this Haki, he can also counteract Devil Fruit powers, as he did to briefly stop the Birdcage. He first used Observation Haki during his battle with Nuru and has used it again since, though its proficiency is unknown.

Whitebeard has managed to fully master all three types of Haki. Whitebeard easily defeated Ace while he slept, as shown in a flashback, demonstrating his highly developed mastery of Observation Haki. Additionally, he has the ability to imbue his Bisento with his Armament Haki, allowing him to demolish ships or possibly even small settlements. Whitebeard has frequently used his Armament Haki against admirals. During the Battle of Marineford, Whitebeard used Conqueror's Haki; he had used it earlier during his confrontation with Roger.

And even though both of them could use all three types of Haki, we can't give Zoro a point here, as Whitebeard's mastery was clearly on a completely different level, which is why Whitebeard must also earn this point.

Points: Zoro 0, Whitebeard 3

Weapons

At the beginning of his pirate career, Zoro only mastered Santoryu, his traditional fighting style. But over time, he began to gain knowledge from various institutions, including Nitoryu, Ittoryu, and even Mutouryu. Zoro and the rest of the crew are now better prepared to face the challenges of the New World. His accomplishments throughout the series have demonstrated that he is undoubtedly moving toward his stated goal of becoming the world's greatest swordsman.

Edward Newgate favored his Bisento, a large Japanese halberd he nicknamed Murakumogiri. Whitebeard stood nearly five meters tall, and the Murakumogiri was an extremely large weapon that matched his stature. When Whitebeard imbues his Bisento with Haki, he can eliminate dozens of opponents with a single blow. While the Bisento is an absolutely terrifying weapon, it is almost always fatal to everyone when combined with Whitebeard's great strength and combat prowess.

This is ultimately the only category in which Zoro can actually be awarded a point, but we'll split the points, as Whitebeard's expertise with his Bisento cannot be underestimated, especially since he managed to parry Roger with it.

Points: Zoro 1, Whitebeard 4

There is no situation in which Zoro triumphs against Whitebeard

So, as you can see, the points are pretty clear on this one, and we can only agree that Whitebeard far surpasses Zoro in every aspect. Even in terms of sword skills, we can't give Zoro an outright advantage, as Whitebeard was a beast with his Bisento, and even if Zoro had the skills to counter it, he didn't have the strength to do so.

And that's Whitebeard's strong point in general: his strength. He would easily overwhelm his opponents with it, and they couldn't do anything after that point. Whitebeard was immensely powerful and certainly one of the strongest characters in the entire series, and unfortunately, Zoro would never reach that level of power.

Adding to this is the fact that he possessed an exceptionally powerful Devil Fruit, as well as the fact that he was able to use all three types of Haki, which clearly shows that Whitebeard was far superior to Zoro and that the latter had nothing to counter all of Whitebeard's skills and abilities.