Kenpachi Zaraki

is the current captain of the 11th Division in the Gotei 13. He is the eleventh Kenpachi to hold the position. His first lieutenant was Yachiru Kusajishi and his current lieutenant is Ikkaku Madarame.

Appearance
Kenpachi is a tall, muscular Shinigami with a wild and aggressive appearance, which fits his personality. He has a long face with pronounced cheekbones, and pronounced, hairless brow ridges. He has green eyes and long, stringy black hair. A noticeable trait in his appearance is a long, thin scar running down the left side of his face and across his left eye, inflicted on him by Retsu Unohana while he was still a child.

In addition to the standard Shinigami uniform, he wears white bandages across his midsection and a sleeveless captain's haori (which belonged to the previous captain and was taken after his defeat), which has a ragged look to it. He styles his hair into stiff strands during his baths, attaching small bells at its tips, and wears a special black eyepatch over his right eye. During his first battle with Ichigo, the eyepatch is more elegant, having a gold-like lining and a chain as one of the straps. He also wore a black choker necklace. Later, he removed the choker and gave his eyepatch normal straps.

17 months after Aizen's defeat, Kenpachi's hair has grown out past his shoulders. He no longer has the bells in his hair. His eyepatch's design has changed again, as it is now a single piece covering his right eye. The eyepatch is black with a grey outline.

Personality
Although he is known to be a violent fighter, Kenpachi's actions tend to be for the best. Kenpachi lives for battle, and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even holds back in an effort to make any fight last longer. He claims injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his tendency to be brutal, Kenpachi usually stops a fight if his opponent is too injured to fight back, claiming he is not interested in fighting "weaklings who can't fight anymore", and he does not feel obligated to deal a death blow to anyone who cannot fight any longer. However, he will unhesitatingly kill his opponent if they refuse to end their fight, such as during his battles with Kaname Tōsen and Nnoitra Gilga. He also takes his title as Kenpachi seriously, telling Gremmy Thoumeaux that there is nothing the latter can create that he cannot cut because the power his title implies is not to be taken lightly.

Kenpachi's unique hairstyle is partly due to his habit of taking a bath every day before going to sleep, which is a necessity to him due to his strong perspiration. During these baths, he usually washes his hair with soap, making it stiff. He enjoys doing so because it is easy for him to set his hair to his preferred style. He once tried a hair treatment recommended by 1st Division Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe, but his hair became too silky and was impossible to set for a while. Since then, Kenpachi has greatly disliked the lieutenant. Kenpachi attaches the bells to his hair himself, which takes a while to accomplish. The highest bell in particular takes him several hours to attach, as the tip of his hair is just beyond his reach. He refuses to get help as he thinks it is weird for someone else to style his hair.

On multiple occasions, Kenpachi has shown great respect to those who can defeat him in a fight and those who can push him to his limit. Ever since Ichigo Kurosaki handed him his first known loss since against Retsu Unohana (though Ichigo considers their fight a loss for him), Kenpachi has considered the latter a member of his Division. Despite Ichigo's refusal to engage in a rematch with Kenpachi as he considers him an ally, Kenpachi constantly expresses his desire for it every time they meet. He also aided Ichigo in his fight against the Bount, doing so as it would make Ichigo stronger for "their anticipated fight". Kenpachi also holds great respect for Unohana, the only person he ever admired, as she was the first person to make him experience the thrill of battle. He readily acknowledges that the two of them are very much alike, and is brought to tears at the thought of being unable to beat her before he dies. Upon inadvertently killing Unohana, Kenpachi was reduced to screaming and begging for her to not die.

Kenpachi sometimes contradicts his own logic in fighting. On the one hand, Kenpachi wishes to increase his own personal power. On the other hand, he conceals his strength to enjoy a fight for as long as possible. Although he thrives for battle, Kenpachi does have emotions. Kenpachi and his lieutenant, Yachiru, have been close ever since they met, and have a father-daughter-like relationship, making Yachiru one of the few people he cares for. However, he has stated if his subordinates interfere in his fights, he will "cut them up first". Aside from Yachiru, Kenpachi deeply gives meaning to his name. Following his fight with Ichigo, Kenpachi talks about the pain of not having a name, as he lived his early years without one. This causes him to feel guilty his sword is not acknowledged by its own name. Since then, he has strived to learn its identity.

Kenpachi strongly believes fun comes before working. One example is when Kenpachi sends his 5th seated officer, Yumichika, to fend off the Bount in Karakura Town, as he is the only high-ranking officer who is not busy, or rather, busy having fun, as Yachiru was snacking and Ikkaku was napping. During his free time, Kenpachi always takes his afternoon nap. He does not have a particularly favorite dish, but he particularly hates nattō.

After killing Unohana and finally learning the name of his Zanpakutō, though he retains his desire to battle and is not overly interested in the details, Kenpachi became somewhat calmer and more focused. He is more willing to listen to reason, having backed down from searching for his missing lieutenant on his own when Nanao Ise explained it would be more practical to have his division conduct the search. Likewise, he shows far more concern for Yachiru than previously; when he discovers she is missing, Kenpachi frantically orders his men to begin looking for her.

Agent of the Shinigami arc
Kenpachi and Gin Ichimaru both tease Byakuya Kuchiki about his sister Rukia Kuchiki being sentenced to death, saying he is depressed, as a noble family would not stand to have a criminal as a member. Byakuya, retaliating, says lower-class people do not understand the feelings of nobles. Kenpachi, admitting he does not really, says he is very bright, and since he is so bright, Byakuya should allow him to finish Rukia off before she is executed. When Byakuya states he did not know Kenpachi, at his level, could actually kill people, Kenpachi tells him to try him, and before the two can engage in combat, Gin, stopping Kenpachi, ties him up and drags him away.

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

Arrancar arc
When Yamamoto calls him and the other captains for an emergency meeting, Kenpachi complains.

After Orihime is taken to Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi arrives with Byakuya Kuchiki to retrieve Hitsugaya's group and bring them back to Soul Society.

The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

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

Gotei 13 Invading Army arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

The Lost Substitute Shinigami arc
After Rukia stabs Ichigo with Urahara's specially designed sword, Kūgo Ginjō states he has already taken all of Ichigo's powers, and her power isn't enough to restore them. However, Renji, interrupting him, reveals himself and other Shinigami, including Kenpachi, who all continue to watch the situation. Renji reveals they all, including Kenpachi, donated their Reiatsu to Urahara's sword to ensure Ichigo's powers were restored to him.

As Yukio brings each of the duels into different chat rooms, Kenpachi asks Byakuya to wait and trade with him, since his opponent, Shūkurō Tsukishima, looks stronger, but he cannot. When Giriko Kutsuzawa questions him, saying Kenpachi must think he is weaker, Kenpachi, telling him to stop talking, says it is boring to kill small fry. Giriko, calling him an imbecile, says he will teach Kenpachi with brute force. As Giriko transforms into a larger, muscular form, he states his Fullbring allows him to do this. He, explaining his Fullbring as a contract with the gods of time, states the simpler the clause of this contract, the stronger he becomes. As he, saying his current contract allows him more power than ever before, claims he is unmatched, he is interrupted by Kenpachi, who, cutting Giriko in half, says it was boring.

Having defeated Giriko, Kenpachi looks around to see if anyone else is done with their match yet. Seeing no one is, he, getting bored, decides to go back home. However, Yachiru Kusajishi, popping up, smacks him, saying they all came together and promised to go home together, so if they leave, Yamamoto will have their heads. She continues to pull on his ears as he walks. When Kenpachi greets Ikkaku as the dimension he was in disappears, Ikkaku is surprised Kenpachi is out of his dimension so early, only for him to say Ikkaku is late. Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Ikkaku notice Renji coming out of some bushes. When Ikkaku scolds Renji for his condition, Renji reveals he got out of his dimension a while ago, but could not move for a while, which surprises Kenpachi. When Kenpachi asks how Ikkaku did, Ikkaku says he lectured him for a bit and took off. Kenpachi, frustrated to hear this, scolds his subordinate. He, along with the other captains, looks on as Ichigo breaks apart the last pocket dimension with his Bankai.

As Kenpachi and the others turn to leave, when Byakuya reminds Rukia they were only tasked with observing Ichigo and his decision, Kenpachi, interjecting, states he only came because he was bored. Later, when Ichigo, seeking the return of Kūgo's body, goes to Soul Society, Kenpachi, informed of his arrival, is among the captains present to hear Ichigo's request.

Equipment
Eyepatch Power Seal: While unneeded, Kenpachi wears an eyepatch, created by the Shinigami Research and Development Institute just for him. In addition to reducing his depth perception and range of vision, it also seals the bulk of his Reiryoku. He wears this because he loves fighting so much that he cannot fight most opponents at full strength and enjoy it, as he would defeat them too quickly, to which he is still at least on par with most opponents while wearing it.

Reiatsu Bells: In order to further give the enemy an advantage, Kenpachi wears bells on each spike of his hair. These bells can only be heard by enemies whose Reiatsu is concentrated to the point where it can actually defeat Kenpachi. Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Kenpachi reveals he does not wear the bells anymore.

Powers & Abilities


Master Swordsman: Due to the lawlessness of the Zaraki district, Kenpachi's skill with his sword has been honed to essentially a masterful level, letting him strike multiple times with changes of attack type (from slash to pierce) without any difficulty. While still a child, his prowess was great enough to single-handedly kill hundreds of adult fighters and wound Retsu Unohana, the 1st Kenpachi, in battle. His unpolished skills, but immense might with his sword allow him to always fight with one hand free, only using both hands when facing opponents he feels will beat him otherwise, such as with Nnoitra and momentarily Ichigo. As the captain of the 11th Division, which specializes in sword fighting, he is among the most, if not the most, proficient swordsmen in all of Soul Society.


 * Kendō: Kenpachi possesses some knowledge and skill in Kendō, which Yamamoto forced him to learn before officially joining the Gotei 13, though the training only lasted a day out of fear that Zaraki would become too powerful. However, Kenpachi, who despises using skills and techniques learned from another source, only uses Kendō as a last resort.


 * A technique which Kenpachi uses when he is gripping his sword with two hands. It allows one to split an opponent down the middle.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While preferring to use his blade in battle, Kenpachi has proven several times to be very dangerous while barehanded, showing considerably effective brawling prowess. He can easily catch an opponent's attack with a single hand, perform powerful punches and kicks, and easily subdue opponents with throws and take-downs. Kenpachi easily overwhelmed several members of the Onmitsukidō, a corp of Hakuda-specialists, despite being battle-worn.

Immeasurable Spiritual Power: Even by a captain's standards, Zaraki's Reiryoku is monstrous. He has so much that even while wearing his energy-sealing eyepatch, his prowess is not noticeably hindered as he is still able to fight two captain-level opponents at once who were both using their Bankai. Ganju Shiba estimated his sealed power to be close to or at the same level as Byakuya Kuchiki's Reiatsu. Retsu Unohana, one of the most powerful captains of the Gotei 13, stated she was weaker than him even while he was still a child. After defeating Unohana and releasing himself from his self-imposed limits, he becomes powerful enough to fight on par with and defeat the likes of Gremmy Thoumeaux without taking off his eyepatch. Similar to Ichigo, when unleashing a strong enough surge of energy, it becomes visible and yellow in color, sometimes with the appearance of a skull.


 * Unruly Reiatsu Control: By his own admission, Kenpachi has poor control of his spiritual energy as it constantly remains very potent, forcing him to rely on his eyepatch to keep it at a more manageable level. Despite this, he is able to make liberal use of it in a variety of ways. It can affect large areas, spanning miles, and cause others within that area to enter a state of paralysis and confusion. When exerting his energy, the sheer magnitude of Kenpachi's energy can cause considerable damage, destroying the area around him and launching away weaker opponents. Likewise, this can repel or disrupt most enemy attacks and abilities. After his battle with Unohana, Kenpachi gains considerable control over his Reiatsu; prior to Gremmy Thoumeaux creating a structure for he and Kenpachi to fight on, Shinigami in the nearby area were completely unable to detect his Reiatsu. He can also use his Reiryoku for more basic feats, such as standing in midair like other Shinigami.


 * Damage Resistance: The intensity of Kenpachi's Reiryoku also acts as a sort of armor, making it impossible for him to be harmed by anyone not at least at his level of power. This is first demonstrated when he faced Ichigo. At the start of the fight, Kenpachi allows Ichigo to strike him, yet despite leaving himself completely unguarded and not resisting, not only did Ichigo fail to cut him, but Ichigo's hands started to bleed because of the recoil.


 * Shock Wave: He possesses enough control to focus and unleash his spiritual pressure in the form of a powerful shock wave. When using both hands, his shock wave can have a huge radius of destruction.


 * Energy Wave: By striking at the ground, Kenpachi can create an overflowing wave of yellow spiritual energy, which surges forward before crashing into Kenpachi's target.

Specialized Combatant: Kenpachi did not attend the Shin'ō Academy, and has no apparent skill (or interest) in Kidō and Shunpo. Despite that and even before achieving either of his Zanpakutō's released forms, he more than made up for his faults as a captain with his sheer power, resilience, and ingenuity. These traits easily making him one of the strongest Shinigami in the Gotei 13. His immense fighting prowess is the reason why Kenpachi was recognized as one of the 5 Special War Powers by the Wandenreich.

Highly Perceptive Combatant: Despite his seeming disregard for any strategy and his self-admitted aversion to thinking, Kenpachi has regularly displayed more understanding than one would expect. Even Byakuya was impressed by Kenpachi's ability to understand things he has no personal experience with. He is very adept at finding and exploiting weaknesses in his opponents' techniques, and likewise at adjusting to his opponent's attack patterns and battle methods to better counter them. This was demonstrated when he was subdued by Kaname Tōsen's Bankai, leaving him with only his blade and sense of touch, which prompted him to let Tōsen strike him simply so he could catch his opponent. He is also deceptively insightful, able to notice subtle traits in people and see what drives a person's actions; he correctly singled out Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru as the only captains who are afraid to die. He possesses sharp intuition towards incoming danger, which allowed him to repeatedly dodge Tōsen's assault while still affected by his Bankai. While claiming not to have any common sense, Kenpachi can still theorize, as he deduced that Gremmy Thoumeaux's The Visionary only works on one target at a time and all effects on a previous target will disappear.

Supernatural Strength: Kenpachi possesses a very large degree of physical strength, most commonly displayed by his ability to push back his opponent's attacks with a single arm, even if the opponent's weapons and attacks are gigantic in size. He can carry three full-grown human corpses on his shoulders without any apparent effort. When Pernida Parnkgjas began warping and damaging his arm, Kenpachi ripped it off effortlessly.


 * In his various battles, he has performed superhuman physical feats, such as launching full-grown men through buildings with a kick and slamming his opponents over his shoulder, as well as grabbing Ichigo's large sword to reel him in for an attack. He can also ram clear through a solid wall and launch his opponents back during a weapons clash. He also managed to block the stomp of an enormous Gerard Valkyrie and throw him back a tremendous distance, and even succeeded in tripping up Gerard with just one arm when the Quincy was even larger. With just his bare hand, Kenpachi grabbed and deflected the Cero of the fifth Espada, Nnoitra Gilga.


 * His sword attacks can easily cut through an Arrancar's Hierro, which is harder than steel, including Yammy Llargo's while he was in his released form, where Kenpachi cut off his leg and knocked the enormous Espada off his feet in a single strike. His extreme cutting strength is also evident from how he sliced apart a skyscraper with a mere flick of his wrist. Against Gremmy's imagination powers, Kenpachi claims that the Quincy's powers cannot come up with anything that he cannot cut, proving so by slicing through Gremmy's self-proclaimed harder-than-steel body.

Shunpo Practitioner: Though Kenpachi originally possessed no known skill in Shunpo, after his training with Retsu Unohana he developed it to some degree. Most notably, after recovering from the injuries inflicted by Pernida Parnkgjas, Kenpachi managed to instantly appear in another part of the Wahrwelt city and attack Gerard Valkyrie before the Sternritter could even defend himself, with Ikkaku and Yumichika shocked that Kenpachi arrived before they did.

Enhanced Speed: Prior to learning how to perform basic Shunpo, Kenpachi displayed deceptively fast physical speed for his size and build. Thanks to the tremendous raw strength in his legs, Kenpachi's natural acceleration more than made up for his lack of Shunpo, allowing him to move fast enough to instantly close a huge gap of space between him and his opponent, and even seemingly disappear from sight. In battle, he can strike with incredible speed in rapid succession, making it highly difficult for his opponents to find an opening and counterattack. During his short battle with Byakuya, Kenpachi manages to keep up with his opponent's incredibly fast Shunpo, a feat which shocked and impressed Byakuya.

Supernatural Endurance: His physical prowess is equally shown by his resilience. Kenpachi often ignores most of the injuries he sustains in battle, not suffering any debilitation despite having multiple slash wounds in his body and rarely any signs of pain (much like a berserker). He allowed himself to be stabbed during his fight with Tōsen just to grab Tōsen's blade to dispel his Bankai's effect. During his battle with Nnoitra, he suffered numerous slash wounds, even impaled and almost beheaded with no visual impairment of his fighting performance; Nnoitra noting most people would have already been dead by then. Even after receiving grievous injuries which left him in a comatose state, he healed enough to return to training only days later, showing a high recovery rate as well. Despite having his arm mangled by Pernida's The Compulsory, Kenpachi still managed to nonchalantly hold his sword with that arm.

Supernatural Durability: As resilient as Kenpachi is, he is just as hard to damage. During his battle against Yammy, while Kenpachi was focusing his attention on Ichigo, Yammy delivered a powerful blow with his massive fist, launching Kenpachi several meters and smashing him into a large pillar. Despite the impact, Kenpachi quickly emerged unfazed, claiming it was only a "decent punch" but was still unimpressed. During his battle with Gremmy, Kenpachi remained unharmed after being fired upon by dozens of firearms and having missiles thrown at him, and later withstood the cold vacuum of space and having several clones of Gremmy self-destruct at point-blank range with only moderate injuries. Even after Kenpachi suffered severe organ damage from these attacks, it took the combined effort of four Sternritter to finally take him out of the battle.

Zanpakutō
Nozarashi redirects here. For the manifested spirit see Nozarashi (Zanpakutō spirit)


 * Kenpachi was able to imprint onto his Zanpakutō while still an untrained child. The blade is much longer than a standard Zanpakutō's, roughly the size of a nodachi, with a long guard which extends inward from its center, similar to a shinai. The hilt is white, though most of it is wrapped in bandages, as is his sword's sheath. Originally, Kenpachi was the only person in the history of the Gotei 13 who did not know the name of his Zanpakutō before becoming a captain, nor could he perform either of his blade's released states. After his fight with Ichigo, Kenpachi wished to learn more about his Zanpakutō because he wanted to become stronger and he could identify with the pain of not having a name. Zangetsu noted Kenpachi's disharmony with his sword caused the two to damage each other's powers; consequently, Kenpachi could not hear the cry of his sword. Their disharmony left Nozarashi with little spiritual energy and became easier to damage; it is a chipped and seemingly worn-down blade upon its edge. Despite its appearance, Nozarashi can easily cut through most objects: with it, Kenpachi stabs straight through Ichigo's Zanpakutō, and later slices a building in half with no apparent effort after releasing his full power. Later, upon defeating Retsu Unohana in battle and awakening his true strength, Kenpachi finally was able to hear his Zanpakutō's voice.


 * Shikai: Before Kenpachi knew its name, it was believed by Soul Society that Kenpachi's overwhelming Reiatsu was forcing Nozarashi into a constantly released state due to its more elaborate design. Its release command is . Upon release, Nozarashi takes on the form of a great axe/war cleaver hybrid with a long, cloth-wrapped handle and a green tassel attached to the top.


 * Shikai Special Ability: In its released state, Nozarashi possesses tremendous attack power, easily destroying a huge meteorite with a single attack. Its cutting power is also greatly enhanced, allowing Kenpachi to effortlessly cut through the bodies of his opponents and even through space itself.


 * Bankai: Unnamed: Upon activation, Kenpachi's Bankai releases a huge wave of energy powerful enough to level nearby buildings. In this form, Kenpachi's skin turns red, and he gains multiple black markings across his face and horns on his forehead, causing him to resemble an oni. His blade becomes an altered version of its Shikai state, with a shorter, more jagged blade resembling a rough cleaver.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Kenpachi's Bankai grants him tremendous physical strength and cutting power, allowing him to effortlessly topple a gigantic Gerard Valkyrie with a single blow, rip off his arm in a single motion, and cut him completely in half from a considerable distance. While in his Bankai, Kenpachi becomes a mindless berserker, acting without consciousness and regard for his own life.

Combat

 * Kidō: Zaraki has no skill or interest in the use of Kidō, leaving him only with direct-attack methods for battle.


 * Shunpo: Zaraki has no skill in Shunpo, relying exclusively on his naturally enhanced speed.

Zanpakutō

 * Range: While his Zanpakutō possesses extreme cutting power, it is limited to close-quarters combat.


 * Melee-Only: While powerful in melee combat, his Zanpakutō has no known special abilities.


 * Power Overload (Bankai): If Kenpachi's Bankai releases more power than his body can handle, his body will start breaking under the pressure.


 * Berserker state (Bankai): While Kenpachi uses his Bankai, he becomes a mindless berserker that is unable to differentiate between friend and foe and fights with no regards for his own well-being.

Video Games

 * Kenpachi appears in most of the Bleach video games. He is very powerful in the Bleach DS series, where his strongest attack is a big shockwave (his full spiritual power after removing his eyepatch), and Heat the Soul (including Soul Carnival) for PSP.
 * Contrary to the series, Kenpachi can freely use Shunpo any time like other Shinigami in The Blade of Fate, Dark Souls, Soul Resurrección, and Brave Souls (although in the last instance he only has half as many Shunpo as most characters).
 * In some Bleach games, Kenpachi's Zanpakutō leaves a trail of black dimensional matter every time he swings it (such as in both Blade Battlers games). Anyone who walks into it suffers damage.
 * Notably to allude to his height, Dark Souls had his character sprite radically altered.
 * In Brave Souls, Kenpachi is the first character to have Flurry, an Awakening skill where normal attack hits are doubled. Additionally, in Brave Souls, his Shikai and Bankai appear for the first time outside of the manga as part of his Thousand-Year Blood War Form. In this form, Kenpachi is a melee character with the "Arrancar Killer" ability, and his special attack is, where Kenpachi activates his Bankai and inflicts immense damage on the opponent. He stays transformed after the animation ends for a short period of time and can only vocalize in screams.
 * A special form of Kenpachi was also released as part of the Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World tie-in event. In this form, Kenpachi is a melee normal attack character with the "Technique" Attribute and the "Arrancar Killer" ability. His unlockable skills are "Inheritance Zones Only Speed Link Slot Potions +5", "Berserker +50%", "Bruiser +40%", "Devastation +40%", "Flurry", "Paralysis Duration -100%", "Poise", and "Sprinter +1", while his Soul Trait is "Damage Taken -16%". Kenpachi's special is, where his overflowing Reiatsu surrounds him as he mows down his foes with Nozarashi, inflicting immense damage.

Movies

 * Kenpachi briefly appears in Bleach: Memories of Nobody, making sport of one of the Dark Ones.
 * He also appears in the second movie, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, charging in and attacking Sōjirō Kusaka's new dragon form, and later helping out in the final battle.
 * In the third movie, Bleach: Fade to Black, he appears in Mayuri's lab to stop Mayuri's mad rampage. After being pushed back by Mayuri's Bankai, he is frozen by Mayuri's weapon, but later wakes up to fight the monster created by Mayuri's technology with the rest of the Shinigami.
 * He has a minor role in the second Bleach OVA, where he vacations in the Human World with Yachiru.

Music

 * Kenpachi appears in the second session of Bleach Beat Collection. Fumihiko Tachiki performs two tracks as Kenpachi: "COME to LIKE it This FIGHT Now" and "We," a quartet with Yachiru, Ikkaku, and Yumichika.
 * Kenpachi features in the second volume of Bleach "B" Station's first season, as well as the fifth season's fifth volume.
 * BuriCon - Bleach Concept Covers features Kenpachi performing "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight."
 * He appears in four of the Rock Musical Bleach performances: Dark of the Bleeding Moon, No Clouds in the Blue Heavens, The All, and Live Bankai Show Code 002. He is portrayed by Shōgo Suzuki.

Censorship

 * Kenpachi wasn't bleeding from the first slash wound Ichigo has inflicted upon him in the anime compared to the manga.
 * Kenpachi's slash wounds, inflicted by Ichigo, weren't as severe in the anime compared to the manga.
 * After Kenpachi was hit by Kaname Tōsen's Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō, he was less injured in the anime compared to the manga.
 * When Tōsen impaled Kenpachi, and when Kenpachi managed to slash Tosen, twice, there was less blood shown in the anime compared to the manga,  and Tōsen's slash wound isn't as visible in the anime either.
 * In the anime, during a flashback to when Ikkaku first met Kenpachi and was defeated by the latter, Ikkaku wasn't shown bleeding profusely from his grevious wounds as he was in the manga. Instead Ikkaku has fewer wounds on his body in the anime.

Trivia

 * "Consume everything, demon of the blood-thirsty sword." - Tite Kubo
 * His theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is Massive Attack's "Superpredators."
 * Kenpachi ranked 15th in the fourth character popularity poll after ranking 27th in the second and 9th in the third; however, in the fifth, he ranked 5th.
 * Nozarashi ranked 29th in the first Zanpakutō poll while unnamed; in the second, it ranked 11th.
 * In the first best bout poll, Kenpachi's fight with Nnoitra Gilga ranked 10th; in the second, it ranked 14th, while his fight with Retsu Unohana ranked 6th, his fight with Gremmy Thoumeaux ranked 17th, his fight with Byakuya Kuchiki ranked 37th, his fight with Kaname Tōsen ranked 53rd, and his fights with Ikkaku Madarame and Yhwach ranked 83rd.
 * He has a very poor sense of direction, at times asking Yachiru for help (even though her sense of direction is just as bad).

Quotes

 * (To his sword) "I'd forgotten it for a long time...the pain of not having a name. Those other guys had names that others called them, but I didn't. So, that kinda feelin'..."


 * (To Yachiru Kusajishi) "I named you Yachiru, in memory of the only person I ever admired."


 * "I want to get stronger. I've finally found a worthy opponent. I can get stronger. I want to fight. I want to get stronger. It sure has been a while. To feel this desire again. I want to get stronger."


 * (To Sajin Komamura and Kaname Tōsen) "You are shameless to sneak around like that, guys. Cowardly hiding spiritual pressure and stalking others isn't something that captains should do."


 * (To Sajin Komamura, Kaname Tōsen, Tetsuzaemon Iba, and Shūhei Hisagi) "Blah blah blah! You're noisy! Just come on and fight already. It's best if all four of you come together. If you four surround me and attack at once, maybe one of you will actually wound me."


 * (To Kaname Tōsen) "Sanity? Worthless things like that, I never had them for as long as I can remember!"


 * (To Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa) "So you want to fight too? Fine, you can have them, but fight elsewhere. If you get in my way, I'll chop you up first."


 * "This Reiatsu... Even though I don't know who it's from, they seem to be deep in the heat of battle. Not bad. It sure makes your blood boil, doesn't it?"


 * (To Ikkaku Madarame) "Never admit defeat and ask for a quick death! Die first, then admit defeat! If you are defeated but didn't die, it just means you were lucky! At those times, think only about survival! Survive and think only about killing the one who failed to kill you!"


 * (To Ikkaku Madarame) "Sorry but I'm not interested in weaklings who can't fight any more. Besides, I don't have any obligation to finish you off."


 * (To Maki Ichinose) "Loyalty to someone is different from depending on them. It isn't even interesting fighting against someone who doesn't have his own goals."


 * (To Maki Ichinose) "If you really wanted to help that Kariya reach his goals, then you would have taken care of Ichigo first. But you chose to come after me. Wasn't that a display of your own will? The power that you have gained was all in order to defeat me. That power comes from your own grudge! Why not try giving all your strength to that end?"


 * (To Retsu Unohana) "Not criminals? That's rich, coming from you. You know damn well that if we weren't so damn powerful, petty criminals is all the both of us would be!"


 * (To Gremmy Thoumeaux) "What’s that face for? Did you 'imagine' I wouldn’t be able to cut you? Just so you know, there ain't a damn thing your little brain can come up with that I won't be able to slice through. I'm the Kenpachi."

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