Kenpachi Zaraki

"Consume everything, demon of the blood-thirsty sword." - Tite Kubo

is the Captain of the Eleventh Division within the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Yachiru Kusajishi. Among the current captains of Gotei 13, he is the only one to have obtained his position by defeating and killing the previous Captain of the division. He is well-known for his fanatical love for the carnage of combat and for being the only captain-level Shinigami who does not know the name of his Zanpakutō.

Appearance
Kenpachi has a wild and aggressive appearance, fitting with his personality. He wears his captain's haori without sleeves, and with a more ragged look to it (he acquired his jacket from the previous 11th Division captain, whom he defeated and killed in a duel). He styles his hair into spikes with bells at the tips and wears a special eye patch on his right eye created by the 12th Division to absorb the bulk of his power. Both of these are meant to give enemies an advantage so that he can have even fights with weaker opponents. He has a huge scar on the left side of his face, apparently gained well before his time in the Gotei 13, and even before finding Yachiru. He is also one of the tallest Shinigami, towering at 202 cm (approx. 6 ft 7½ in). This is slightly taller than Yasutora Sado and more than double the height of his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi. His stature is often exaggerated even more for dramatic purposes, especially in contrast with Yachiru's.

Zaraki's unique hairstyle is partly the result of his habit to take a bath every day before going to sleep, a thing that he needs because of his strong perspiration. During these baths, he usually washes his hair with soap, which makes it stiff. He began to like it, because it was easy to set. Once he tried a hair treatment told to him by Chōjirō Sasakibe, but his hair became too silky and was impossible to set for a time. Since then, he dislikes the lieutenant of the 1st Division a bit.

Kenpachi is once shown attaching the bells to his hair, which apparently takes quite 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. Occasionally, Yumichika will offer to do it, but Zaraki usually refuses because he thinks that it is weird for someone else to style his hair.

Personality
Despite his initial introduction as a lethal foe, Kenpachi later begins to play the role of the comical anti-hero: though still self-centered and violent, his actions tend to be for the best and his relationship with his division and others is always portrayed comically. This comical shift is primarily centered around his appearances in the Bleach anime and omake stories, with the exception of the occasional diatribe between himself and Yachiru. He is usually depicted as having a very poor sense of direction, asking his lieutenant Yachiru for directions (who then randomly points in a direction).

Kenpachi lives for battle (evidenced by his method of attaining his rank) and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even weakens himself in an effort to make any fight last longer. He also claims that injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his group being the most bloodthirsty of the Gotei 13, they have a code of ethics, though different from the set rules of Soul Society.

Though he literally lives for battle, Kenpachi has shown human emotion and caring for two things: his lieutenant Yachiru (who is one of the few people he is shown to care for, along with Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa) and his name, which he gave himself. Following his battle with Ichigo Kurosaki, in a rare moment of sorrow, Kenpachi talks about the pain of not having a name (as he lived his childhood and early adult years without one), and feels guilty that his sword isn't acknowledged by its name.

Since he fought Ichigo, he seeks revenge or likely another fight with him since he is a challenging opponent. But he considers Ichigo as part of his squad. In Bount arc he stated he could let Ichigo take care of the Bounts because he will grow stronger then so he can fight him. Though being unable to feel Spiritual Energy, when Ichigo comes in Amagai's arc he knew he was in Soul Society with Rukia.

Kenpachi also strongly believes that fun comes before working. In every battle, he tries to get as much enjoyment out of it as possible. He also sent his 5th seated officer, Yumichika, to fend off the Bount in Karakura Town, as he was the only high-ranking officer who wasn't busy, or rather, busy having fun, as Yachiru was snacking and Ikkaku was napping, while Yumichika was organizing documents. Kenpachi, when his duties permit it, always takes his afternoon nap. He does not have a particular favorite dish, but he does not like nattō.

At times it seems Kenpachi contradicts his own logic, as he on one hand wishes for ever increasing personal power, yet on the other restricts his might. Irrational to a certain extent, Kenpachi is one of the most complex characters in the series, as he exhibits a wide range of traits; lackadaisical abandon, reckless blood lust, peculiar sentiments of affection toward his subordinates, and even indications of wisdom in the form of terse pep-talks usually given to opponents just before or even during battles. All these factors parallel Ichigo's character giving insight to the inward struggle he seems to contend with.

History
Zaraki's surname comes from the district he once resided in, Zaraki, which is district #80 of the North Alley of Rukongai. District #80 is the worst, most lawless region of Rukongai, full of thieves and murderers (whereas area #1 is the most orderly and law-abiding). While residing in District #80, Kenpachi was nameless. During that time, he became proficient in swordsmanship and killed numerous enemies. During his travels outside of District #80, he found a small girl and named her Yachiru, in remembrance of the only person he ever admired, after she showed no fear of his sword. Yachiru came from area #79, Kusajishi, where her parents were murdered. The two events were apparently quite close. On that day, he also took on a name: Kenpachi, the title bestowed upon the strongest swordsman, the one who has killed the most. The two are close and have a father-daughter-like relationship. Before he became a captain, he fought and defeated Ikkaku Madarame; for this reason, Ikkaku pledged to serve under Kenpachi from there on out, (Ikkaku doesn't actually get the chance to do so until he joins the 11th Division), and wishes for only one thing, to die under Zaraki's command.

After some time had passed, Kenpachi found his way to Seireitei. He defeated and killed the previous Captain of the 11th Division (whose name was also Kenpachi due to it being a nickname assigned to the Captain of the 11th Division regardless of who it may be) and gained his seat in the Gotei 13 in this manner. In the anime, his assumption of the captain's seat caused Maki Ichinose to leave Soul Society. According to the anime, it is also what convinced Ikkaku and Yumichika Ayasegawa to join the Shinigami.

Soul Society arc
Kenpachi first appears with Gin Ichimaru, they were teasing Byakuya Kuchiki while Kenpachi demands a fight with him, although jokingly stopped by Ichimaru.

After Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends arrive in Soul Society, Kenpachi begins to hunt the strongest, and eventually battles Ichigo. During their fight, Ichigo becomes enough of a challenge that Kenpachi removes his eye patch, thus releasing the extra power it has been devouring. The battle ends in a draw, with Ichigo falling first and Kenpachi shortly after, both admitting defeat. Much later on,Orihime guides Zaraki to Ichigo and find Chad,Uryu and Ganju on the way,while searching for Ichigo with his friends in tow, they are headed off by 7th and 9th Division members for helping the Ryoka intruders,telling his squad to go find Ichigo with the Ryoka and Yachiru leading them,though Ikkaku and Yumichika support Kenpachi by holding off Iba and Hisagi in different locations, Kenpachi alone battles the captains Sajin Komamura and Kaname Tōsen, respectively, defeating Tōsen and fights off Komamura before the latter runs away.

A week after the incident with Aizen,he finds Ichigo training with Ikkaku in his base, Ichigo ran and refused when Kenpachi seeks a rematch with and says he will never do so,chasing Ichigo and then losing sight of him. He doesn't see Ichigo and his friends when they leave the Soul Society,telling Yachiru that him and Ichigo will certainly meet again because they are the only ones who are what they seem to be.

Bount arc
Kenpachi also helps fight off the Bount invasion, and successfully defeats Maki Ichinose.

Arrancar arc
Zaraki appears to Ichigo as his instinct and desire to win, explaining to him that they were both the type of people who lived to fight battle after battle. After Orihime is taken to Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi arrives with Byakuya Kuchiki to retrieve Tōshirō Hitsugaya's group and bring them back to Soul Society.

Hueco Mundo arc
Later, in Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi comes to Ichigo's aid during his battle with the Arrancar, Tesla, dealing him a mortal blow with a single strike and then engaging Nnoitra Jiruga in battle. After sustaining several injuries, Kenpachi emerges victorious by using kendō, landing a massive blow to Nnoitra. Kenpachi stands over Nnoitra's corpse and thanks him for a good fight. He then tells Ichigo to take Orihime and leave but Stark comes to recapture her and he narrowly avoids both Zaraki's and Ichigo's attack.

Powers & Abilities
Kenpachi is the only captain of the Gotei 13 who doesn't know the name of his sword, nor can he use his Bankai as a result. In addition, he never uses Kidō or Flash Steps. However, he more than makes up for his faults in sheer power making him easily one the strongest Shinigami.

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Kenpachi's skill with his sword is at the expert level, due to the lawlessness of Zaraki district, letting him strike multiple times with changes of attack type (from slash to pierce) without any difficulty. His skills and strength with his sword make it so he always fights with one hand it. He only uses both hands went faced against opponents he feels will beat him otherwise, as shown with Ichigo and Nnoitra. His insane cutting strength is also evident as he is capable of easily cutting through an Espada's Hierro which is harder than steel using kendo. As the Captain of the 11th Division it may be assumed he is the most proficient swordsman in all of Soul Society. Kenpachi has also displayed knowledge and skill in other fighting style, though Kenpachi despises using skills and techniques learned from another source.

Expert Hand to Hand Combatant: While preferring to use his blade in battle, Kenpachi has demonstrated several times to be very dangerous barehanded as well. He can easily catch an opponent's attack with a single hand and has demonstrated superb skill with throwing weapons.

Vast Spiritual Power: Even by elite captain-levels, his Spiritual Pressure is such that, even when wearing the energy-sealing eyepatch, Kenpachi can fight on-par with two other captain-level opponents, even when they release their Zanpakutō to Bankai. He can affect others from seemingly miles away causing them to enter a state of paralysis and confusion and use it as a sort of armor making it impossible for him to be harmed by nothing less than the most skilled or powerful opponents. This is further demonstrated when Ichigo tries to cut Kenpachi at the start of their fight, who deliberately allows Ichigo to strike him; not only did Ichigo fail to cut him, but it was actually Ichigo's hands bleeding instead of Kenpachi. He has also demonstrated enough control to focus and unleash his spiritual pressure in the form of a powerful shockwave.

Highly Perceptive Combatant: Despite his seeming disregard for any strategy in his fights and his self-admitted aversion to thinking during battle, Kenpachi is a very insightful man, regularly showing more understanding than one would expect. He is very adept at finding and exploiting weaknesses in his opponents' techniques, such as in his battle with Kaname Tōsen, where he subdued the latter's Bankai while armed only with a Zanpakutō and the one sense that was left accessible by Tosen's Bankai at the time - that of touch. While he admits to having no sanity or common sense, Kenpachi is actually very perceptive and notices traits in people that others wouldn't notice and seeing what drives a person's actions. For example, he correctly singles out Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru as the only captains who are afraid to die.

Enhanced Strength: Perhaps due to years of combat experience and time on the battlefield, Kenpachi has a very large degree of physical strength, most commonly displayed by his ability to fight back his opponent's attacks with a single arm. Repeatedly, he has shown clear evidenced of his strength from acts like kicking Tōsen through a building and slamming Komamura over his should with one hand in their battle, as well as when he grabbed Ichigo's giant sword barehanded and reeled both him and the sword in for an attack. He also demonstrated his strength when he rammed through a building fighting Ichigo. He was also able to stop and deflect the fifth espada, Nnoitra Jiruga's cero with just his bare hand.

Enhanced Speed: While he possesses no skill for Flash Step, Kenpachi has still shown to be deceptively fast for his size and built. Thanks to his tremendous raw power, Kenpachi's leg strength allows him to move fast enough to instantly close a huge gap of space between him and the opponent and even seemingly disappear from sight.

Enhanced Endurance: His physical strength is matched by his stamina and endurance, Kenpachi has been shown to easily ignore most of the injuries he's sustained in battle (much like a berserker), not suffering any debilitation despite having multiple slash wounds in his body. He even allowed himself to be stabbed just to grab Tōsen's blade and break his bankai's effect.

Zanpakutō
Kenpachi does not know the name of his Zanpakutō, and is the only captain of the Gotei 13 who cannot perform bankai.


 * Shikai: There is much dispute as to whether or not Kenpachi has achieved a true Shikai release. Despite not knowing its name his Zanpakutō is constantly released in some form of released state due to his immense Spiritual Pressure (much like Ichigo does during his short fight with the Menos Grande before Renji and Byakuya take Rukia back to Soul Society). The sword's appearance is a reflection of Kenpachi's own practice of weakening himself to fight: it is a seemingly worn-down and dull blade with a guard that extends inward from its center. The blade is much longer than that of a standard Zanpakutō. Despite its appearance, it is easily capable of cutting through most objects. This is demonstrated when he stabs straight through Ichigo's Zanpakutō and later slices a building in half with careless effort after releasing the full force of his spiritual power.


 * Shikai Special Ability: None

It appears that after his fight with Ichigo, Kenpachi wishes to learn more about his Zanpakutō because he wants to become stronger and can identify with the pain of not having a name. However, he is not yet capable of communicating with his Zanpakutō, and it is implied that he continually tries to learn from it so that he can achieve a new tier of power. Zangetsu notes that Kenpachi's disharmony with his sword causes the two to damage each other's power. As it is revealed in later chapters, it is possible that he has at least communicated with his Zanpakutō on some level after his loss to Ichigo. For example, during his fight against Nnoitra he refers to his Zanpakutō as "him".

In some Bleach games, Kenpachi's unnamed sword demonstrates the ability to leave a trail of black dimensional matter everytime he swings it. Anything that walks into it suffers liberal damage. In Bleach DS series,his strongest attack is a big yellow void, releasing his full spiritual power by doing high damage, something that Kenpachi has not done in the anime.


 * Bankai: Not Achieved

Bleach Video Games
Kenpachi appears in most of the Bleach video games. He is very powerful in the Bleach DS series (which he was considered cheap in Blade of Fate) and Heat the Soul (including Soul Carnival) for PSP. He was recently confirmed to appear in Bleach: Versus Crusade.

Trivia

 * Tite Kubo has remarked that Zaraki's hair is the most difficult to draw, tied with Kaname Tōsen's.


 * As in an interview, Tite Kubo would like to go more in depth about Zaraki.


 * Kenpachi shares many traits and personality similar to Mitsurugi from the Soul Calibur series.