One Piece Episode 1060: Who is Shimotsuki Kozaburo? Explained

With the release of One Piece episode 1060 this past weekend, fans saw Zoro ascend to new heights due to the retroactive aid of Shimotsuki Kozaburo. Revealed to be someone Zoro not only once knew but was lucky enough to gain wisdom in the way of the sword from, fans are excited to learn this latest reveal.

While One Piece episode 1060 gave viewers an explanation of who Kozaburo was, many fans wanted to know if a deep dive into the character is possible. Although there isn’t much more information on Kozaburo beyond what the anime has already shown, there are a few fun facts and intriguing tidbits about the former Wano native.

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One Piece episode 1060’s introduction of Shimotsuki Kozaburo has fans doing deep dive into Zoro’s origins

As introduced in One Piece episode 1060, Shimotsuki Kozaburo was a member of the Shimotsuki Family and a famed swordsmith. Two of his creations include the Wado Ichimonji and the Enma, both of which are now wielded by Roronoa Zoro, whom Kozaburo knew as a child.

Enma’s original owner was Kozuki Oden, followed by Kozuki Hiyori and then Zoro, while the Wado Ichimonji was originally owned by his granddaughter, Shimotsuki Kuina. This makes Shimotsuki Koushiro his son. Koushiro was the one who first trained Zoro in the ways of the sword, who also happens to be Kuina’s father.

As specified long before One Piece episode 1060, Kozaburo forged the two swords in his youth. Roughly 55 years prior to the start of the series, he set out to sea illegally with Shimotsuki Furiko, Minatomo, and 22 others from Wano. He eventually settled in a village in the East Blue, successfully defending it from bandits.

Kozaburo fell in love with a woman from the village while training the villagers in swordsmanship, deciding to stay in the village. Four years later, he and the woman married, with the two having a son named Koushiro who would eventually father Kuina. As specified above, this is the same Kuina whom Zoro once knew.

Roughly 11 years before the story’s current time, Kozaburo was still living in the village, which is now called Shimotsuki Village. This is the time period shown in One Piece episode 1060’s flashback, where Zoro first learned the cry of “Sunacchi” and learning about the wills and dangers a sword may possess, specifically referencing his own creation Enma.

Shortly thereafter, Kozaburo died in the village. Unfortunately, there’s not much more factual information on Kozaburo beyond what’s stated above. However, an Easter Egg of sorts is that Kozaburo’s character design bears a strong resemblance to what mangaka Eiichiro Oda drew as an anthropomorphic version of his own creation, the Wado Ichimonji. In fact, Kozaburo merely looks like an older version of this anthropomorphic sketch.

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