Sajin Komamura

"Unshakable, stable loyalty." - Tite Kubo

is the captain of the 7th Division. His lieutenant is Tetsuzaemon Iba.

Appearance
Komamura is an anthropomorphic wolf, although he is often mistaken for a dog. Initially, he was very self-conscious about his appearance, so he wore gloves with bracers, as well as a helmet, to conceal his entire body. However, he later gains enough confidence to go on without his helmet after Kaname Tōsen's betrayal against Soul Society. He is the tallest captain of the Gotei 13. His fur is light-brown in color, which is the same color as his gloves. He also wears shoulder weights over his haori and large, plated boots instead of sandals. During the battle in the Fake Karakura Town, he wears a high collar, having a similar build to his shoulder weights, the top of which is visible in his uniform.

Later, during the second Wandenreich Invasion, he has received new armor. The new armor is more rounded at the shoulders than his old, and he has received a new helmet, and armor plating for his torso. When he utilizes his Human Transformation Technique, Komamura's appearance becomes closer to that of a Human, which retains his large size. He has long hair in this form, but he still retains his wolf ears and some fur on his forearms.

Personality
In contrast to his imposing physical stature, Komamura has a heart of gold, as well as being a loyal and grateful subordinate to Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, to whom he owes great gratitude for taking him in; so grateful that he would even die for him. The betrayal and subsequent departure of his close friend, Kaname Tōsen, may have adversely affected his self-confidence and view of himself, since Tōsen was the first person to have accepted him for who he is and not what he is. Sajin Komamura has also been shown to be a very forgivable person even if his friend is corrupt, or how evil they are, no matter how many innocent people they've killed, and even if they're about to kill him. This adverse effect is shown when he describes himself to Choe Neng Poww as "a meager worm" (he may have been speaking in sarcasm, however, as Poww previously referred to him and his opponents as "worms").

Komamura is also a very serious man, deeply scarred by the times when he was spurned by Soul Society for his appearance. He is not tough or cruel to his Division, preferring to lead them with impartiality. His favorite food is meat, but he dislikes carrots, supposedly because his father once told him that carrots were "not for their kind." Komamura tends to growl when angered. Despite being a gentle person, he is cold, ruthless and calculating when fighting. Once he is done fighting, however, he reverts to his gentle, giant self.

Komamura is pleased with Shūhei Hisagi's gift of a dog brush from the Human World, as he finds brushes in the Seireitei ineffective when grooming his fur. In addition, Iba imagines that Komamura will possibly use a dog Gigai if he were to go undercover in the Human World. He also likes dogs, especially ones of mixed breeds, and even keeps one, whose name is 'Goro', in his Division's quarters. During his free time, he takes Goro for strolls. He likes the Human World's puppy shows.

History
Some time before joining the Gotei 13, Komamura left his family, ashamed of living in the shadows. Although it is currently unknown where Komamura originated, Yamamoto gave him the opportunity to join the Gotei 13 even though he wasn't Human.

One day, while sitting on a grassy area, Komamura was sensed by Tōsen, who didn't know where he was (due to his blindness). It was only when Komamura spoke that he realized he had talked in the wrong direction. Complimenting Komamura’s ability to hide his presence very well, Tōsen noted that he had never been able to not feel someone’s presence before, even though his eyes cannot see. Komamura was highly touched, for this was the first time that he wasn't looked upon as an outcast.

Komamura met Tōsen again during their time in the Gotei 13, and Aizen was introduced to Komamura through Tōsen.

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

Arrancar arc
Komamura attends an emergency meeting with the remainder of the captains.

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
Komamura is present when Kisuke Urahara explains to the Gotei 13 captains about his intentions to restore Ichigo Kurosaki's power. Yamamoto tells him to bring him the sword, which Urahara will do so and orders the captains and lieutenants to put their Reiatsu into the sword. When Ichigo arrives in Soul Society to seek the return of Kūgo Ginjō's body, Komamura is among the captains present to hear Ichigo's request, which he is surprised about.

The Thousand-Year Blood War arc
Komamura is present among the other captains when Mayuri explains the situation, and Yamamoto commands the captains to prepare for war. When the Sternritter invade Seireitei, he along with his lieutenant head out to deal with the invaders. Soon after heading out, he intercepts Bambietta Basterbine's Shinigami slaughter, commenting on his surprise that there's even a girl in the rebel army, while she comments that if a dog is a captain, Soul Society must be short on soldiers. With Iba backing him up, Komamura unleashes his Bankai to try to find a way to stop the Wandenreich from sealing their Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, which is then instead stolen by Basterbine's Medallion. Komamura is shocked to find that his Bankai was stolen.

Later, Komamura is notified via transmitter swords along with the other captains and lieutenants by Rin Tsubokura that Ichigo is currently heading to Soul Society. When he senses that Yamamoto is moving onto the battlefield, he lets out a roar. He then tells the fallen members of his division to stand up, as it is shameful to lay down while the Captain-Commander is standing and raises their morale. Komamura and other captains are then later shocked to sense that Yamamoto had actually died at the hands of Yhwach. During the aftermath of the battle, Komamura and the other captains mourn the death of the Captain-Commander. He remains silent after hearing Ukitake tell them that Yamamoto's body could not be found because the enemy likely destroyed it. Seeing Suì-Fēng break down at the news of Byakuya and Kenpachi, he yells at her to remind her that she isn't the only one feeling the pain of losing somebody. Before their infighting goes any further, Shunsui comes in to calm everyone down. He is then reminded by Shunsui that instead of mourning the dead, they should instead look to the future and protect Soul Society because protecting Soul Society is the Gotei 13's purpose.

Komamura and the other captains later gather outside Seireitei to witness the arrival of the Royal Guard. Later, Komamura goes to a cave outside of Seireitei. He leaves his lieutenant outside and ventures in to the deep cave. Inside, he greets a giant dog, stating that it has been a long time. The creature recognizes him and says that Komamura has guts to come back to the cave. Komamura addresses the creature as his great-grandfather, and states that he wants to learn the family secrets. After being rebuked for hiding his face, he states that society has changed in a way that he no longer has to hide, and that that society is now on the verge of crisis. His great-grandfather states that the world's bearers are the ones changing and that they should lay low. Komamura presses on with his goals, which prompts his great grand-father to say he has to crush him. Komamura sees his resolve and prepares to battle him.

After the fight, Komamura discusses the Humanization Technique with his great-grandfather. His great-grandfather explained that their werewolf clan were originally cursed to dwell in the Beast Realm due to their sins in life. Unable to accept their fate, they returned to Soul Society in their beast-like state. He further elaborated that the Human Transformation Technique is performed by momentarily removing the chains that bind them, recovering the forms they once held before they were cursed to live as beasts, and obtaining great power in the process. Komamura then asked how he can learn the technique, and his grandfather answered that he had to rip out his own heart. Komamura hesitated, but explained that he couldn't stand living in the shadows, which caused him to abandon his clan. Yamamoto took him in, and because of that, he is in debt to him. However, as Yamamoto was killed by the Quincy, Komamura became determined to clear away that shame and tears out his heart for his great-grandfather.

He later appears before Bambietta Basterbine as she is engaging in a temper tantrum after being left alone by her fellow Sternritter. Though he had regained his Bankai, he still confronts her clad in a newly gifted armor. While she comments that it doesn't matter and she will remove it after she defeats him, she admonishes him for arriving so fast before she could destroy some of the Seireitei as it would have been more dramatic. They are interrupted by Captain Shinji Hirako, but before they can engage her they witness her and the other Sternritter activating their Quincy: Vollständig. He watches as Bambietta emerges in her Quincy: Vollständig form, and expresses shock upon witnessing her attacking Shinji.

Frustrated by Shinji's Shikai, Bambietta attacks in all directions, heavily wounding Shinji. Distraught over Shinji, Momo Hinamori attempts to attack Bambietta, but Komamura stops her and shields her from Bambietta's attacks, knowing that Momo isn't strong enough to endure the Quincy's attacks. Komamura tries to deflect Bambietta's explosions; however, Komamura learns that Bambietta causes explosions by firing her Reishi into objects, turning them into bombs. Bambietta continues to attack Komamura, completely destroying his armor, revealing that he has been transformed into a human.

Facing Bambietta calmly, Komamura activates his Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō Dangai Jōe. Bambietta states that she is shocked that underneath the armor of his Bankai wasn't something that looked like a dog, but thinks maybe the dog is underneath the monster-like face. She launches her Reiatsu, but Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō blocks it with its hand and she gazes in amazement as the explosion dissipates. Komamura explains to her how his Bankai has changed, but she continues to attack it with explosions to no avail. Regardless of his explanation, Bambietta still doesn't understand what he means and states that Bankai have no life and that she, having possession of it his until recently, knows the all about his symbiotic connection to it and makes use of the weakness by exploding a hole in Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō'. The hole is reflected on Komamura but he is unfazed by the injury much to her surprise. He tells her that as long as he is human he is immortal. She becomes irate, stating that throwing your life away is pointless if you're already dead, thus removing the point of winning. He corrects her and states that he didn't throw his life away; he placed it at stake just as Yamamoto had done and that he already left his life behind when he stepped into the fight in the first place. He then attacks her using his Bankai.

Bambietta is hit dead on with such power that it forces her explosions back onto her body, severely wounding her and causing her charred body to fall into the debris of buildings some distance away. Komamura then sets his sights on the Wandenreich Palace and attempts to move toward it. His Bankai begins to loose cohesion as his Humanization technique begins to wear off. He tries to hold on as he begins to revert back from his human form in to a wolf, while swearing vengeance upon Yhwach. As he transforms, he realizes that it is the price he must pay for revenge, something his clan was made and reflects on his choice and what it has cost him. He then is picked up by his lieutenant, Tetsuzaemon Iba, who tells him that he is not wrong and they will fight and beat Yhwach for Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

Equipment
Gauntlets: Komamura wears a pair of gauntlets that cover the back of his fist and extend down over his forearm. He uses his gauntlets to incorporate his Hakuda skills when fighting an armed opponent. They are durable enough to block the Zanpakutō of a Captain-level Shinigami.

Armor: During his second meeting with Bambietta Basterbine, Komamura has donned a full-body armor, to which he refers to as "a gift".

Powers & Abilities


Master Swordsman: Komamura is highly proficient in swordsmanship, and is more than capable of holding his own against the likes of Kenpachi, who is arguably one of the most well-versed in swordsmanship as well as one of the greatest physical combatants in Soul Society.

Immense Strength: Due to his large stature, Komamura has unbelievable physical strength. He was able to throw the Resurrección form of the giant Arrancar Choe Neng Poww, who was close to if not the same size as the giant his Bankai produces, and did so with apparent ease.

Hakuda Master: While not relying on the most advanced forms of unarmed combat, Komamura has shown great skill at brawling hand-to-hand fighting using his phenomenal strength to supplement his blows. This form of combat is what he excels in when not engaging in swordsmanship. He is skilled enough to go toe-to-toe with one of the foremost hand-to-hand combatants in Soul Society, Captain Suì-Fēng.

Immense Endurance: Komamura is capable of taking considerable amounts of damage and still continuing to fight, despite the severity of his injuries. He refused medical treatment after being hit by Aizen's level 90 Kidō spell. He was also utterly unfazed from being punched across a great distance through parts of a city. He is durable enough to survive having his chest caved in and still continue to fight with no discernible handicap. Even after having his left hand severed by Aizen, he immediately counter-attacked, seeming to completely ignore the wound.

Enhanced Senses: Because of his animal-likeness, he is seemingly in possession of superior senses.

Enhanced Reflexes: Komamura has very keen reflexes in contrast to his large frame. He is capable of matching even the extremely fast attacks of Captain Suì-Fēng.

Animal Communication: It is also known that he is able to talk to animals.

Great Spiritual Power: As a Captain, Komamura possesses a great amount of spiritual energy. When Komamura releases his spiritual energy, it has the same magnitude of his enormous strength, and tends to destroy the area around him. He is quite skilled in hiding his spiritual presence because, due to his appearance, he does it quite frequently out of what he feels is a necessity to hide from others. He is able to use his spiritual pressure as a weapon, as he is capable of blasting back most normal enemies with a simple palm thrust without physically touching them, as seen when he incapacitated several unseated Shinigami soldiers who were controlled by the Bount Mabashi. His Reiatsu is red.

Shunpo Expert: Komamura is highly proficient in Shunpo, with at least the average speed of a captain-level Shinigami. Komamura was able to grab Lieutenant Momo Hinamori just before Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine's explosions came in contact with her.


 * A special technique that is unique to the werewolf clan that Komamura is from, which allows one to shed their beast form and return to their Human form. This is achieved by ritually removing one's heart. In this form, his body is nothing more then a shell. The secret technique of Human transformation allows his clan to obtain a immortal body by offering their physical heart. Therefore as long as he is Human he can never die. While in this state, attacks have no effect on either Komamura or his Bankai and all wounds quickly regenerate.

Zanpakutō
Tenken redirects here. For the manifested spirit that appears in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc see Tenken (Zanpakutō spirit).


 * It takes the form of a normal katana. The cross-guard is a rectangle decorated with a pattern of vertical lines, with the long sides pinched in towards the middle. The overall appearance is similar to a squared-off hourglass.


 * Shikai: Its Shikai command is . Tenken maintains its form as a regular katana.


 * Shikai Special Ability: In its Shikai, Tenken creates various phantom body parts of a fearsome armored giant to copy whatever body part Komamura moves; for example, should Komamura swing his sword, a gigantic disembodied arm wielding a sword appears and mimics the movement. The body's gigantic parts generated by this Shikai possess strength and attacking power proportionate to their size (though not as great as it could be, due to not having a full body), making Komamura's Zanpakutō quite powerful.


 * Bankai: : Komamura brings forth the entire giant, an armored Bankai with a life of its own. Standing at about a hundred meters tall, the giant resembles an armored samurai. It wields a sword with a guard similar to Komamura's, but with a different blade and a string hanging from the hilt. Komamura also retains its form as a regular katana. While in use, Komamura and his katana maintain a glow of spiritual energy.


 * Bankai Special Ability: The giant copies Komamura's movements to devastating effect, allowing it to deal out colossal amounts of damage. Its strength is proportionally far greater than that of Komamura, due to its size. It is strong enough to take a released Arrancar's point-blank Cero without being damaged, and could easily smother him with its bare hands. It is also durable enough to withstand a blast from Captain Suì-Fēng's "Jakuhō Raikōben" while sustaining only a few injuries. Despite its enormous size, the giant is also deceptively fast, as it instantly copies all of Komamura's movements. However, his Bankai has a critical weakness. A powerful bond exists between Komamura and Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, causing any harm inflicted on the Bankai to be reflected onto its master. This essentially makes it a larger target to a sufficiently powerful opponent. However, this same bond allows Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō to be restored if Komamura's wounds are healed, making it unique among Bankai. According to Tōsen, it has such immense destructive power that Komamura has never considered that he might not defeat an enemy with a single strike, let alone receive a counterattack.


 * In its Dangai Jōe form, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō's armor is removed, exposing a body composed of nothing but pure Reiatsu. Since its armor is its life, by shedding the armor, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō is literally casting its life aside. When Komamura uses this technique, his Bankai brings forth the entire giant as usual. The difference is that in this form, the giant sheds its armor and only has a large cord wrapped around its body multiple times. Its visage is exposed, appearing to be that of a demonic creature. This form is only possible via the use of Komamura's Humanization Technique. Due to the nature of the technique used to attain this form and its symbiotic connection with its wielder, this Bankai is virtually invulnerable to physical harm.

Appearance in Other Media
Komamura appears in most Bleach games. He is a decent character that moves slowly, but displays nearly unmatchable strength in close range combat, such as throws and high defense, making him difficult to be defeated. His alternative costume in most games includes his signature helmet with which he originally appeared. Most games give Komamura and his Bankai some degree of independence from each other to make it function better as a game mechanic.

In Bleach: Dark Souls, one of the mini-game events in part 2 of story mode deals with Sajin's and Hisagi's birthdays, which occurred a week after Tōsen's betrayal. To cheer them up, Matsumoto has Ichigo help by getting Komamura's gift, bones, which she says is Komamura's favorite thing. After the mini-game, the birthday celebration happens. Ichigo's gift of bones frightens Sajin. Ichigo immediately realizes Matsumoto tricked him. After Matsumoto starts the fireworks, Komamura thanks her. It is revealed that Iba gives him and Hisagi wine.

In Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, Komamura is heard giving a release command to his Zanpakutō, saying "Roar, Tenken". He is also one of the first recruitable people during free time events after the time skip. Sajin is able to befriend the game's protagonist, as according to Iba, he's able to relate to their loneliness. He gives the protagonist the offer of rejoining the Gotei 13 under 7th Division. Sajin also informs the gate guards that the protagonist has his permission to enter Seireitei when they need to. He, along with Ichigo and Renji Abarai, are the 3 people Yoruichi Shihōin chooses to help the protagonist train with using Zanjutsu. When the impostor captains appear, Komamura's impostor is his polar opposite, very irritable and refuses to say he ever helped anyone. When the Kudo twins decline the offer of returning to the Gotei 13 as high-ranking officers so that they can return to the Human World to protect all the reincarnated souls, Komamura is shocked and saddened at the decision, but comments it's strange, as most Shinigami would have jumped at the offer.

Though he is not a playable character, Komamura appears in Bleach: Soul Resurrección as a boss in mission mode. The player must face his Bankai.

Trivia

 * As of the current Bleach character popularity poll (2009), he is ranked 36th.
 * His Shikai command has yet to be used in the actual series. It has only been mentioned in Databooks and video games.
 * In the Zanpakutō poll, Komamura's Bankai ranked equal 46th with 5 others, while his Shikai ranked equal 56th with 7 others.
 * Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō's skin, along with part of its helm, was of a different color in the anime in comparison with the manga (being orange and not gray), as its original color wasn't shown until Chapter 328. However this is later fixed in Episode 220 when Komamura summoned his Bankai against Poww.
 * He is the author of A Puppy's Feeling and A Kitten's Feeling that appear in the Seireitei Communication.

Quotes

 * (To Tetsuzaemon Iba) "Don't worry. I have no doubts. My loyalty lies only in my debt to Genryūsai-sama. He took me in when I was alone because people pushed me away due to my looks. I shall repay this debt, even if it means I will be shattered into pieces. I shall have no doubts. If his greatness says ‘yes’, then even in death, I say ‘yes’!"


 * (To Shūhei Hisagi) "...With our hands, we will open Tōsen's eyes!""


 * (To Choe Neng Poww) "You're right. I have not yet introduced myself. I am Seventh Division Captain Sajin Komamura. And though it shames me, I am just as you say...a mere worm of a man."


 * (To Kaname Tōsen) "I never thought the day would come when I would be forced to protect someone from your blade."


 * (To Tōsen) "Ichigo Kurosaki did not seek that Hollow transformation of his own volition. But you are different. You chose that forbidden path for yourself, despite already possessing more than sufficient power as a Shinigami! You have debased yourself, Tōsen!"


 * (To Tōsen) "It is your betrayal of your allies, betrayal of your friends, betrayal of your own subordinates - all for the purpose of obtaining this unnatural power that I refer to as debasement!"


 * (To Tōsen) "If our core beliefs are truly incompatible, then attempting to solve this with words is meaningless. For the sake of Soul Society, I must strike you down. I do not wish to do so. Having heard your true beliefs, I am now satisfied. In my heart, I have already forgiven you."


 * (Referring to Tōsen) "That is why I swore to myself that I would become a true friend to you. If you bore great sadness, I would take it upon myself. If I obtained great joy, I would share it with you. If you strayed from your path, I would scold you. If you made terrible mistakes, I would forgive you. If the world scorned you, I would be your shelter. Somehow, I would give this man who had lost his love for the world the power to love it once more."


 * (To his great-grandfather) "When I was unable to bear the burden of living in shadow...When I abandoned my own family and fled, not caring for the shame I brought upon myself...It was Genryūsai-dono who took me in. That man, to whom I owe the greatest debt, has had his own life cut short at the hands of these Quincy. I have a duty...to avenge this humiliation!!"


 * (To Bambietta Basterbine) "I have not thrown my life away. I have merely gambled it. Genryūsai-dono gambled his own life on this battle. I see no reason why I should not do the same. From the moment I set foot on this battlefield, I had already left my life behind!"

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