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
Zaraki is a very tall, muscular Shinigami with a wild and aggressive appearance. He has a long face with high cheekbones, enlarged canine teeth, and pronounced, hairless brow ridges. He has green eyes and stringy black hair reaching past his shoulders. 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.

Since becoming a Shinigami, he wears the standard, black shihakushō, with the addition of white bandages across his midsection and a short-sleeved captain's haori (which he took from the previous captain after defeating him), with ragged ends on the sleeves and back flap. He styles his hair into stiff strands, 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, Zaraki's hair grew to mid-back and no longer has the bells in it. His eyepatch's design has changed again, as it is now a single piece with no straps and a grey outline.

Personality
Although he is known to be a violent man who fights for his own interest, Zaraki's actions tend to be for the best. Zaraki 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, Zaraki usually stops a fight if his opponent is too injured to fight back, 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 stop fighting, 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.

Zaraki strongly believes fun comes before working. One example is when Zaraki 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, Zaraki always takes his afternoon nap. He does not have a particularly favorite dish, but he particularly hates nattō.

Zaraki regularly shows great respect to those who can push his limits or even defeat him. Ever since Ichigo Kurosaki handed him his first known loss since against Retsu Unohana, Zaraki has considered Ichigo a member of his Division. Despite Ichigo's refusal to engage in a rematch with Zaraki as he considers him an ally, Zaraki 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". Zaraki 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, readily acknowledging they 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, Zaraki was reduced to screaming and begging for her to not die.

Zaraki sometimes contradicts his own logic in fighting. While wishing to grow stronger, he use various methods to restrain his might to make the fight longer and tougher, including fighting with only one hand. Although he thrives for battle, Zaraki is capable of showing complex emotions. Zaraki 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, Zaraki deeply gives meaning to his name. Following his fight with Ichigo, Zaraki 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.

After killing Unohana and knowing he could never cross blades with his admired foe again, Zaraki for the first time in his life felt remorse in his actions. This experience, combined with finally learning the name of his Zanpakutō, made Zaraki became somewhat calmer and more focused. Though he retains his desire to battle and is not overly interested in the details, 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, Zaraki frantically orders his men to begin looking for her.

Agent of the Shinigami arc
Zaraki 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. Zaraki, 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 Zaraki, at his level, could actually kill people, Zaraki tells him to try him, and before the two can engage in combat, Gin, stopping Zaraki, ties him up and drags the protesting man away.

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

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

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 Zaraki, who all continue to watch the situation. Renji reveals they all, including Zaraki, 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, Zaraki asks Byakuya to wait and trade with him, since his opponent, Shūkurō Tsukishima, looks stronger, but he cannot. When Giriko Kutsuzawa questions him, saying Zaraki must think he is weaker, Zaraki, telling him to stop talking, says it is boring to kill small fry. Giriko, calling him an imbecile, says he will teach Zaraki 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 Zaraki, who, cutting Giriko in half, says it was boring.

Having defeated Giriko, Zaraki 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 Zaraki greets Ikkaku as the dimension he was in disappears, Ikkaku is surprised Zaraki is out of his dimension so early, only for him to say Ikkaku is late. Zaraki, 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 Zaraki. When Zaraki asks how Ikkaku did, Ikkaku says he lectured him for a bit and took off. Zaraki, 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 Zaraki and the others turn to leave, when Byakuya reminds Rukia they were only tasked with observing Ichigo and his decision, Zaraki, interjecting, states he only came because he was bored. Later, when Ichigo, seeking the return of Kūgo's body, goes to Soul Society, Zaraki, informed of his arrival, is among the captains present to hear Ichigo's request.

Echoing Jaws of Hell arc
On the day of Ukitake's Konsō Reisai, Zaraki gathers with the other captains around Ukitake's grave and is confused to see Jigoku no Rinki floating through the air, only to be astonished when Shunsui reveals that the true purpose of the Konsō Reisai is to cast deceased captains into Hell.

Equipment
Eyepatch Power Seal: While unneeded, Zaraki wears an eyepatch he requested the Shinigami Research and Development Institute to create. 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, Zaraki 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 Zaraki. Sometime after Aizen's defeat, Zaraki stopped wearing them.

Powers & Abilities
Specialized Combatant: Zaraki did not attend the Shin'ō Academy, and thus has a limited skillset, especially for a Gotei 13 Captain. Despite that and even before accessing any of his Zanpakutō's power, he more than made up for this fault with his sheer might, resilience, and ingenuity. Training himself into a masterful combatant, he uses basic and direct, but effective methods to overwhelm his opponent. Fighting solely on instinct, reflexes, and present observation, he has no set pattern of attacks and likewise steadily improves with each exchange. From this, he can instantly change his approach and tactics, making it almost impossible for his opponents to anticipate him. Against Tōsen's Bankai, which left him with only a sense of touch, he was able to adapt and dodge Tōsen's attacks at the moment the latter's blade touches him to avoid serious injury and counter-attack with increasing accuracy. These traits, combined with his monstrous power, easily make him one of the strongest Shinigami in the Gotei 13's history. His immense fighting prowess is the reason why Zaraki was recognized as one of the 5 Special War Powers by the Wandenreich, proving himself as such by having easily defeated three Sternritters back-to-back, who are said to possess above-Captain level might, early in their first invasion.

Master Swordsman: Due to the lawlessness of the Zaraki district, Zaraki's sword-fighting skills were strengthened 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, he single-handedly kill hundreds of adult fighters and wound Retsu Unohana, the 1st Kenpachi, in battle. His unpolished skill, but immense might with his sword allows him to always fight with one hand free, only using both hands against opponents he feels will beat him otherwise, such as with Nnoitra and momentarily Ichigo. Likewise, he has equal might with either hand. 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.
 * Zaraki possesses some knowledge and skill in Shinigami Zanjutsu, which Yamamoto forced him to learn before officially joining the Gotei 13. He is particularly advanced in Kendō, able to defeat several Shinigami at once with it. However, the training only lasted a day out of Central 46's fear that Zaraki would become too powerful of a threat to the Seireitei if he ever rebelled while having fully completed and mastered his training. Also, Zaraki despises using skills and techniques learned from another source, only using his formal training as a last resort.


 * A technique which Zaraki uses when he is gripping his sword with two hands. It allows one to split an opponent down the middle, even being able to overcome the powerful Hierro of the fifth Espada.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While preferring to use his blade in battle, Zaraki 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.

Immeasurable Spiritual Power: Even by a captain's standards, Zaraki's Reiryoku is monstrous. Even as he subconsciously suppressed the majority of his true power for centuries, his spiritual power was of such a degree that his fighting prowess is never noticeably hindered even with his energy-sealing eyepatch, as Zaraki could challenge two captain-level and Bankai-wielding opponents in succession. 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. During the Invasion of Hueco Mundo, he defeated the Fifth Espada, Nnoitra Gilga, and could overpower Yammy Llargo, the strongest of the Espada. After defeating Unohana and removing his mental limits, Zaraki becomes powerful enough to fight on par with and defeat Gremmy Thoumeaux without taking off his eyepatch, and pressure Gerard Valkyrie while the Sternritter was vastly empowered by The Miracle and previously defeated several Shinigami in a single attack. When unleashing a strong enough surge of energy, it becomes visible and yellow in color, sometimes appearing as a skull.


 * Unruly Reiatsu Control: By his own admission, Zaraki 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 Zaraki'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 defeating Unohana, Zaraki gains considerable control over his Reiatsu; prior to fighting Gremmy, 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 Zaraki'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, Zaraki 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 from the attempt.

Highly Perceptive Combatant: Despite his seeming disregard for any strategy and self-admitted aversion to thinking, Zaraki has regularly displayed a surprisingly keen understanding of various situations. Even Byakuya was impressed by Zaraki's ability to understand things he has no personal experience with. He is likewise able to quickly see through his opponents' attack patterns and battle methods, finding and exploiting weaknesses in his opponents' techniques, and likewise quickly adjust and alter his own methods to better counter them. Against Gremmy Thoumeaux, Zaraki correctly deduced that Gremmy Thoumeaux's The Visionary was limited by concentration and can have its effects removed if his attention is diverted. He is also insightful to people's nature, 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.

Immense Strength: Zaraki possesses an extreme 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. When Pernida Parnkgjas began warping and damaging his arm, Zaraki ripped it off effortlessly.

He can launch full-grown men through buildings with a kick, as well as grab Ichigo's large sword to reel him in for an attack. He can also ram clear through a solid wall unscathed. He blocked the stomp of an enormous Gerard Valkyrie and throw him back a tremendous distance, and even succeeded in tripping Gerard with just one arm when the Quincy was even larger. With just his bare hand, Zaraki grabbed and deflected Nnoitra's Cero.

His attack strength allows him to launch opponents back during a weapons clash and slice apart a skyscraper with a mere flick of his wrist. He can easily cut through an Arrancar's Hierro, which is harder than steel, including Yammy's while he was in his released form, where Zaraki cut off his leg and knocked the enormous Espada off his feet in a single strike. Against Gremmy's imagination powers, Zaraki claims that the Quincy's powers cannot come up with anything that he cannot cut, proving so by slicing through Gremmy's hardened body.

Shunpo Practitioner: Though Zaraki originally possessed no known skill in Shunpo, after his battle with Unohana he developed it to some degree. Most notably, after recovering from the injuries inflicted by The Compulsory, Zaraki 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 Zaraki arrived before they did.

Immense Speed: Prior to learning how to perform basic Shunpo, Zaraki displayed deceptively fast physical speed for his size and build. Thanks to the tremendous raw strength in his legs, Zaraki'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, Zaraki manages to keep up with his opponent's incredibly fast Shunpo, a feat which shocked and impressed Byakuya.

Immense Endurance: His physical prowess is equally displayed by his resilience. Zaraki often ignores most of the injuries he sustains in battle, not suffering any debilitation despite having multiple slash and puncture wounds on his body and rarely any signs of pain much like a berserker. While battling Sajin Komamura and Kaname Tōsen, he took a hit from Komamura's Tenken and stabbed by the projectiles of Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō and shrugged it off, claiming it wasn't even enough to wake him up. He allowed himself to be stabbed by Tōsen just to grab Tōsen's sword to dispel his Bankai's effect. During his first battle with Nnoitra, he suffered numerous slash wounds, was 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. Even after Zaraki suffered severe organ damage from his battle with Gremmy, it took the combined effort of four Sternritter to finally defeat him, rendered immobile from his injuries but still fully conscious. Despite having his arm mangled by Pernida's The Compulsory, Zaraki still managed to nonchalantly hold his sword with that arm.

Immense Durability: As resilient as Zaraki is, he is just as hard to damage. During his battle against Yammy, as Zaraki was focusing his attention on Ichigo, Yammy delivered a powerful blow with his massive fist, launching Zaraki several meters and smashing him into a large pillar. Despite the impact, Zaraki quickly emerged unfazed, unimpressed by the "decent punch" Yammy threw at him. During his battle with Gremmy, Zaraki 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.

Zanpakutō
Nozarashi redirects here. For the manifested spirit see Nozarashi (Zanpakutō spirit).
 * As a young boy living in the Rukongai, Zaraki came upon a dead Shinigami. He took the Asauchi, imprinting his soul upon it to become his own Zanpakutō. While still a wanderer, he would carry the sword across his back by a rope, over his right shoulder and at the left of his waist under his sash while a Shinigami. The blade is much longer than most Zanpakutō, roughly the size of a nodachi, with a relatively narrow, but long tsuba shaped like a serrated, eliptical bicone. The hilt and braid are both white, though they are mostly wrapped in white bandages, as is his sword's brown saya.

Originally, Zaraki was the only captain in the history of the Gotei 13 to not know the name of his Zanpakutō, nor could he perform either of his blade's releases. Zangetsu noted Zaraki's disharmony with his sword caused the two to damage each other's powers; consequently, Zaraki could not hear the cry of his sword. Their disharmony left it with little spiritual energy and easier to damage; the blade is chipped and worn-down upon its edge. Despite this, Nozarashi can easily cut through most targets: Zaraki stabs straight through Ichigo's Zanpakutō, and later slices a building in half with no apparent effort after removing his eyepatch. After his fight with Ichigo, Zaraki wished to learn more about his Zanpakutō because he wanted to become stronger and could identify with the pain of not having a name. Later, upon defeating Retsu Unohana in battle and awakening his true strength, Zaraki finally heard his Zanpakutō's voice.


 * Shikai: Before Zaraki knew its name, Soul Society believed that Zaraki'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. The top of the blade has a brass cover with a green tassel attached to the backside.


 * Shikai Special Ability: In its released state, Nozarashi possesses tremendous additional attack power, easily destroying a huge meteorite with a single attack. Its cutting power is also greatly enhanced, able to effortlessly cut even through space itself.


 * Bankai: Unnamed: Upon activation, Zaraki's Bankai releases a huge wave of energy powerful enough to level nearby buildings. In this form, Zaraki'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: Zaraki's Bankai grants him a tremendous increase in 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.

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

Reiatsu Mental Limiters (Formerly): As noted by Unohana, because of Zaraki's strong desire for a challenging fight, but possessing such overwhelming power that quickly defeats most opponents, he subconsciously began limiting his Reiatsu, even without his eyepatch. Against foes of high power, his power will instinctively be just slightly above said foe. The longer he fights a foe that pressures him, the more he subconsciously removes his limits, steadily increasing his Reiatsu. Zaraki's subconscious limit was the reason he lost his fight with Ichigo, as he could not adjust to Ichigo's increase in power in time. After his death-battle against Unohana, Zaraki's subconscious barriers were permanently removed, granting him constant and instant access to his full power (when not wearing his eyepatch).

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 Zaraki's Bankai releases more power than his body can handle, his body will start breaking under the pressure, as demonstrated when his right arm was tearing itself to pieces after he started attacking Gerard for a fourth time.

Berserker state (Bankai): While Zaraki 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 wellbeing. After cutting Gerard in half, he attempted to attack Hitsugaya and Byakuya without any warning.

Video Games

 * Zaraki 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, Zaraki can freely use Shunpo any time like other Shinigami in Bleach: The Blade of Fate, Bleach: Dark Souls, Bleach: Soul Resurrección, and Bleach: Brave Souls (although in the last instance he only has half as many Shunpo as most characters).
 * In some Bleach games, Zaraki'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, Zaraki 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, Zaraki is a melee character with the "Mind" Attribute and the "Arrancar Killer" ability. His unlockable skills are "Bruiser +20%", "Devastation +40%", "Frenzy +1", "Long Reach +20%", and "Poise", while his Soul Trait is "Strong Attack Damage +20%"; meanwhile, his Arena Traits are "Strong Attack Recharge Time -7%" and "Spiritual Pressure +45", while his Arena Abilities other than "All Stats +5%" are "Strong Attack Damage +10%" at level 5 and "Strong Attack Damage +20%" at level 10. Zaraki's special is, where Zaraki 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.
 * Zaraki is also playable as an alternate-universe version of himself introduced as part of the Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You tie-in event who gained a power beyond Bankai, causing him to gain jagged white armor on his left arm with light blue energy glowing through cracks on his bicep and tricep, a large white sword in his left hand with a jagged cutlass-like handle and spikes of varying length on the flat edge of the blade with a thin hollow section running beneath it that is pierced by two thin pillars and the sharp edge of the blade extending to nearly reach the guard, yellow fur covering his left arm and a long crimson-brown hide wrapped around his bicep and tricep to trail behind him, and a large cleaver-like sword with a flat wooden handle in his right hand, as well as pale blue streaks in his lengthened hair.
 * In this form, Zaraki's left side notably resembles, while his right side notably resembles.
 * In this form, Zaraki is a melee normal attack character with the "Mind" Attribute and the "Captain Killer" ability. He has three Innate Skills built in at ★5: "Paralysis Duration -100%", "Weaken Duration -100%", and "Guard Break", and his unlockable skills are "Brave Battles Only Prevent Last-Ditch Survival +1", "Berserker +60%", "Brave Battle Counter +20%", "Flurry +2", "Ignore Brave Battle Invincibility +1", "Last-Ditch Survival 100%", "Poise", "Sprinter +1", and "Start Barrier +10", while his Soul Trait is "Damage Taken -16%"; meanwhile, his Arena Traits are "Normal Attack Damage +13%" and "Attack +45", while his Arena Abilities other than "All Stats +5%" are "Normal Attack Damage +10%" at level 5 and "Normal Attack Damage +20%" at level 10. Zaraki's special is, where he unleashes a ferocious attack with both blades that inflicts immense damage and has a very small chance to instantly kill.


 * Additionally, Zaraki is playable in a form specifically tailored for the Arena mode of Brave Souls, drawing from the conclusion of his fight against Nnoitra. In this form, Zaraki is a melee normal attack character with the "Speed" Attribute and the "Shinigami Killer" ability. He has two Innate Abilities built in at ★5: "Drain Duration -100%" and "Decreased Soul Reaper Damage Taken -20%". His unlockable skills are "Berserker +50%", "Bruiser +40%", "Damage inflicted at low STA +30%", "Devastation +40%", "Flurry +1", "Last-Ditch Survival 100%", "Poise", "Sprinter +1", and "Weaken Defense", while his Soul Trait is "Normal Attack Damage +20%"; meanwhile, his Arena Traits are "Damage Taken -10%" and "Attack +90", while his Arena Abilities other than "All Stats +5%" are "Flurry +1" at level 2, "Long Stride" at level 5, and "Normal Attack Damage +30%" at level 10. Zaraki's special is, where he takes a two-handed stance and attacks with all his might, inflicting immense damage.


 * A special form of Zaraki was also released as part of the Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You tie-in event. In this form, Zaraki is a melee strong attack character with the "Power" Attribute and the "Shinigami Killer" ability who has a chance to inflict Weaken with every attack. He has three Innate Skills built in at ★5: "Full Stamina Only Increased Strong Attack Damage +40%", "Weaken Duration -100%", and "Sprinter +1", and his unlockable skills are "Ailment Reversal", "Bruiser +20%", "Debilitator +5 secs.", "Devastation +40%", "Frenzy +2", "Havoc +20%", "Marauder", "Melee Damage +10%/+30% in Co-Op Quests", and "Poise", while his Soul Trait is "Strong Attack Recharge Time -12%". Meanwhile, his Arena Traits are "Strong Attack Damage +13%" and "Focus +30". His Arena Abilities other than "All Stats +5%" are "Strong Attack Damage +10%" at level 5 and "Strong Attack Damage +20%" at level 10. Zaraki's special is, where he laughs maniacally and unleashes a brutal attack that inflicts immense damage and weaken.


 * Additionally, a special form of Zaraki was released as part of the Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World tie-in event. In this form, Zaraki 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%". Zaraki's special is, where his overflowing Reiatsu surrounds him as he mows down his foes with Nozarashi, inflicting immense damage.

Movies

 * Zaraki 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 ice 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

 * Zaraki appears in the second session of Bleach Beat Collection. Fumihiko Tachiki performs two tracks as Zaraki: "COME to LIKE it This FIGHT Now" and "We," a quartet with Yachiru, Ikkaku, and Yumichika.
 * Zaraki 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 Zaraki 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

 * Zaraki wasn't bleeding from the first slash wound Ichigo has inflicted upon him in the anime compared to the manga.
 * Zaraki's slash wounds, inflicted by Ichigo, weren't as severe in the anime compared to the manga.
 * After Zaraki was hit by Kaname Tōsen's Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō, he was less injured in the anime compared to the manga.
 * When Tōsen impaled Zaraki, and when Zaraki 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 Zaraki 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
 * Despite Kenpachi Zaraki being referred to as the "11th Kenpachi" and having bested the 10th Kenpachi in battle, it is eventually revealed that the 1st Kenpachi was never actually killed in a duel until she fought Zaraki, putting his actual position and the legitimacy of all his other predecessors' titles of Kenpachi into question.
 * His theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is Massive Attack's "Superpredators."
 * Zaraki 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. He rose again in the tenth, ranking 4th.
 * Nozarashi ranked 29th in the first Zanpakutō poll while unnamed; in the second, it ranked 11th.
 * In the first best bout poll, Zaraki'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.
 * Zaraki'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 does so to make it easier to set his hairstyle.
 * He once tried a hair treatment recommended by Chōjirō Sasakibe, but his hair became too silky to set for a while. Zaraki has since greatly disliked the lieutenant.
 * Zaraki attaches the bells to his hair himself. Despite taking him several hours, he refuses help as he thinks it is weird for someone else to style his hair.
 * 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 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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