Tenken (Zanpakutō spirit)

This article is about the manifested spirit of Sajin Komamura's Zanpakutō. For his Zanpakutō and its abilities, see Tenken.

is the manifested spirit of Sajin Komamura's Zanpakutō.

Appearance
Tenken's physical manifestation takes the form of a large, muscular, red-skinned man with spiky blue hair and an ornate golden headpiece on his forehead. He has large blue eyebrows, which merge with his sideburns, and his eyes are filled with a bright yellow light while fire constantly crackles within his mouth. His neck and shoulders are covered by a thick, segmented black shawl, and he wears a strip of golden fabric, connected to a red pauldron on his left shoulder, which crosses his body diagonally and covers his upper legs. He wears a thick black rope tied around his waist in a semi-ornate bow, and wears a red cloth with a yellow border over a black kilt with a ragged hem. He wears large, two-toed wooden shoes, a segmented black gauntlet on each wrist, and a black bracelet on each bicep.

Personality
While under the influence of Muramasa's brainwashing, Tenken is very brutal in battle, mercilessly attacking and cutting down Sajin Komamura without saying a word to him. He is good friends with Gonryōmaru, and frequently calms him down whenever Gonryōmaru becomes angered by his opponent. According to Gonryōmaru, Tenken usually keeps to himself, and can be shy and reserved. Tenken is very protective of Gonryōmaru, and remains unable to focus on his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki until the latter cuts Gonryōmaru down.

After being freed from Muramasa's brainwashing, Tenken is on much better terms with Komamura, willingly fighting alongside him during their defense of the Human World from an onslaught of Gillians.

Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Tenken appears after attacking Sajin Komamura while in his Bankai. After manifesting in the real world, Tenken engages Komamura in a fight and incapacitates him with a single attack before joining the rest of the Zanpakutō spirits who have appeared before the Shinigami on Sōkyoku Hill. When the Shinigami attempt a counterattack, Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, and Momo Hinamori attack Tenken, who nonchalantly repels them. Later, Tenken observes Byakuya Kuchiki's test of loyalty, and later appears alongside several other Zanpakutō spirits at the 6th Division barracks to assist Byakuya. However, they are surrounded by the Onmitsukidō and several Shinigami. Afterward, Tenken and Gonryōmaru engage Suì-Fēng, with Tenken joining after catching Suì-Fēng off-guard with a wave of fire. When Gonryōmaru creates a storm, Tenken's flames are not affected, and he begins to put pressure on Suì-Fēng, only for their fight to be interrupted by Suzumebachi.

When the Shinigami attempting to rescue Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto enter the cave of the Zanpakutō spirits, Tenken and Gonryōmaru confront Kenpachi Zaraki. As Kenpachi fights them, Yachiru Kusajishi points out how Tenken and Gonryōmaru are fighting defensively. After defeating Gonryōmaru, Kenpachi tells Tenken, who had been holding back in order to protect Gonryōmaru while he was there, to attack him with all of his power. Tenken activates his Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, and attacks Kenpachi. As their fight progresses, Kokujō Tenken Myō'ō begins to overwhelm Kenpachi, who responds by cutting off one of its horns.

Later, after his fight with Kenpachi, Tenken is freed from Muramasa's brainwashing by Mayuri Kurotsuchi. He and Komamura arrive alongside the other Shinigami and Zanpakutō spirits in Karakura Town to defend it from the Gillians produced by the unstable Muramasa. Though Tenken and Komamura take down several Gillians together, it eventually becomes clear the number of Gillians will not decrease while the enormous Garganta which Muramasa produced is still open. Upon realizing this, Tenken and the others pool their Reiatsu in order to close the Garganta. Upon Muramasa's defeat at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki, Tenken returns to Komamura's sword.

Beast Swords arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

As the threat of the Tōjū begins to wane, Tenken joins several other Zanpakutō spirits in confronting the final Tōjū, Kirikaze. During their battle, he slams his sword into the ground, creating a fissure which surges toward Kirikaze, who cancels it out with a similar attack. When Kirikaze is severely weakened by several powerful attacks, Tenken gives his remaining Reiryoku to Renji so he can defeat Kirikaze with Hikotsu Taihō. Afterward, Tenken returns to his sword form as the power enabling the Zanpakutō spirits to temporarily maintain their manifested forms is finally depleted.

Equipment
Bolas: Tenken wields a pair of bolas, which he can wreath in fire at will. He has used them to restrict an opponent and pull them toward him, as well as attack them at both close- and long-range.

Powers & Abilities
Great Spiritual Power: As the Zanpakutō spirit of a captain-level Shinigami, Tenken possesses a large amount of Reiryoku, which he displayed when he defeated 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura with a single attack. He fought evenly against 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng, and held his own against 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki while the latter was wearing his eyepatch. His Reiatsu is red.

Fire Generation: Tenken has the ability to generate fire. He can wrap his weapons in flames in order to increase their attacking power. He can throw fireballs at his opponents, and can generate a stream of fire to attack them from afar. Gonryōmaru refers to Tenken's fire as the. Tenken's flames are extremely resistant to water and rain, and they constantly emanate from his mouth.

Master Swordsman: Though he does not frequently cross swords with his opponents, Tenken is highly proficient in swordsmanship, clashing evenly with Kenpachi, a master swordsman, dozens of times during their battle.

Enhanced Strength: Tenken possesses a formidable amount of physical strength. He managed to pull the 662 lb. Komamura off his feet with one arm, and nonchalantly batted away three lieutenant-level opponents with simple attacks. His sword swings possess enough force to create small craters in the ground should he miss his opponent. Tenken sent Suì-Fēng crashing into the ground by throwing one of his bolas at her, sent her flying several meters away with a single swing of his sword, and managed to put pressure on her even when she had Shunkō activated. He is strong enough to create a fissure in the ground by slamming his sword into it.

Enhanced Speed: Tenken is a considerably fast combatant. He managed to appear in front of Suì-Fēng without warning in order to attack her. He dodged a point-blank attack from Kenpachi by moving to a nearby rock formation.

Zanpakutō
Tenken's Zanpakutō takes the form of a large katana with a light brown, hourglass-shaped hilt.


 * Bankai: : After exerting his Reiatsu, Tenken is surrounded by a whirlwind before transforming into a huge armored giant with forward-pointing gray horns, orange skin, and a red cloth with black, steeple-shaped marks covering his mouth. He wears a black plackart, segmented black pauldrons, gray gauntlets, black gloves, a gray tasset puffy black leggings, segmented gray boots, and a purple rope wrapped around his waist which forms six loops on his back. He wields a huge sword, the blade of which doubles in width halfway along its length, which has a purple handle.


 * Bankai Special Ability: In this form, Tenken's physical capabilities are enhanced.


 * Enhanced Spiritual Power: In this form, Tenken becomes even more powerful, effortlessly destroying several Gillians with a single attack.


 * Enhanced Strength: In this form, Tenken's strength is further increased, allowing him to easily overpower Kenpachi, send him crashing into a wall with a slash of his sword, and crater the ground beneath Kenpachi with a single attack.


 * Energy Wave: Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō can unleash a wave of red energy. This attack is powerful enough to instantly obliterate several Gillians at once.

Trivia

 * Though Tenken generates fire and wields bolas, Sajin Komamura has never been seen doing either of these things.

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Tenken (espíritu)