Sajin Komamura

"Unshakeable, stable loyalty." - Tite Kubo

is the captain of the 7th Division and is the tallest captain of the Gotei 13. He has the appearance of an antropomorphic canine, easily making him the captain with the strongest build-up, except for maybe Kenpachi Zaraki. For a long time, he has been self-conscious about his appearance and has hidden his face behind a helmet until the betrayal of three of Gotei 13's captains, one of whom was his close friend, Kaname Tōsen. Following the incident, he doesn't wear his helmet anymore. His lieutenant is Tetsuzaemon Iba.

Appearance
Komamura is an unusual character in the series due to the fact that he is an anthropomorphic canine. Initially, he has been very self-conscious about his appearance and wears gloves with bracers, combined with a helmet, to conceal his entire body. However, he later gains enough confidence to go without his helmet after Kaname Tōsen's betrayal against Soul Society, along with Former Captains Sōsuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru. His fur is light-brown in color, which matches the color of his gloves. He also wears shoulder pads on top of his haori and large plated boots rather than sandals. During the battle in the fake Karakura Town, he starts wearing a high collar, having a similar build to his shoulder pads, the top of which is visible in his uniform.

Personality
In contrast to his 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 overriding the rules of Gotei 13 and taking him in; so grateful that he would even die for him. Komamura is also a serious man, deeply scarred by the times when he was spurned by Soul Society for his appearance. Like fellow Captains Jūshirō Ukitake, Shunsui Kyōraku, and Retsu Unohana, he isn't tough or cruel to his squad, preferring to lead with them impartiality.

An omake shows Komamura being pleased with the gift of a dog brush from the human world, as he finds brushes in Seireitei ineffective at brushing his fur. In addition, he notes that he will possibly use a dog Gigai if he were to go undercover in the human world. He also likes dogs (which is obviously not surprising), especially ones of mixed breed, and even keeps one, whose name is 'Goro', in his squad's quarters; During his free time, he takes Goro for strolls.

Complimenting his appearance, his favorite food is meat but dislikes carrots, supposedly because his father once told him that carrots were "not for their kind."

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). 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 has previously referred to him and his opponents as "worms").

Despite being a gentle person, he is cold, ruthless, and calculating when fighting. Once his is done fighting, however, he reverts back to his gentle, giant self.

History
One day, while sitting on a grassy area, Komamura is 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.

Although it is currently unknown where Komamura originated, Yamamoto gave him the opportunity to join the Gotei 13 even if he wasn't human.

Later, they meet time and again during their time in the Gotei 13, and Aizen is introduced to Komamura through Tōsen.

Soul Society arc
Komamura first appears with his helmet on at the captain's emergency meeting regarding the questioning of Gin Ichimaru’s apparent slip of duty in handling the Ryoka. Standing between then Captains Sōsuke Aizen and Kaname Tōsen, his relatively large stature is visibly apparent, but little is known of him beyond that.

After Aizen’s apparent death, Komamura and Tōsen visit Aizen’s body in the 4th Division Relief Station.

On the day of Rukia Kuchiki's execution, his lieutenant, Tetsuzaemon Iba, rushes to him, subsequently kneels, and profusely apologizes for him being late. Showing his lenience, Komamura finally talks by stopping him in mid-sentence and saying he knows Iba understands that he needed time to think.

Later, Komamura, Iba, Tōsen, and 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi stop Kenpachi Zaraki and his men in an open courtyard from aiding the Ryoka. After an exchange of words, Komamura and Tōsen deal with Kenpachi while their lieutenants take on the 3rd and 5th Seats of the 11th Division. Komamura, getting tired of Kenpachi’s arrogance, unleashes his Shikai, while Tōsen follows up with his own. Despite their obvious advantage, the duo seem to be on the losing end of the ensuing battle. Kenpachi then sneers at Komamura and demands that he release his Bankai. Komamura is shown to be greatly angered by Kenpachi's words and responds by telling him that he doesn't require using it to fight a "traitor" like him. It is in this point that Tōsen interrupts Kommamura, informing him that he would release his first.

Although Kenpachi manages to defeat Tōsen, Komamura stops Kenpachi from killing his friend just in time by deflecting Kenpachi's blade with his left arm and helmet. As a result, Komamura's helmet smashes into pieces and falls into the ground, revealing his true appearance where is shown to have a fox's facial attributes, making him humanoid.

Prior to Rukia's execution, Komamura finally releases his Bankai to face Kenpachi and "satisfy" the latter's lust for fighting. Sensing Yamamoto's Shikai release, He later leaves Kenpachi to rush to his benefactor's aid.

Before reaching to Yamamoto, Komamura learns of Aizen and Tōsen's betrayal and rushes over to Sōkyoku Hill to intercept the real traitors. Upon arriving at the hill, Komamura immediately attacks Aizen with his Shikai. In response, Aizen easily blocks his attack and calmly greets him that it's been a while since he last saw his face. Komamura gives a response of his own by angrily interrogating Aizen on how he can still smile, stating that he will never forgive him for betraying Soul Society.

Angered at Aizen's trechery, Komamura then turns to Tōsen and demands an explanation for his own actions. Receiving no answer, Komamura attempts to release his Bankai. However, he is caught under the hypnosis of Aizen's Zanpakutō, leaving him vulnerable. Aizen takes advantage of this situation by performing a Level 90 Kidō Spell on Komamura easily defeating the 7th Division Captain.

Komamura later regains consciousness during Aizen, Tōsen, and the third traitor, Former 3rd Division Captain Gin Ichimaru, departure from Soul Society. He is shown demanding for his former friend to get back down and questioning the latter's justice, only to hear Tōsen's misguided sense of self-righteousness.

A week after the incident, Komamura visits the grave of Tōsen’s friend, asking what the latter would have said to stop Tōsen. Hisagi later joins and asks Komamura of Tōsen's possible return. "Without a doubt," he replies. "By our own hands, let us open his eyes."

Bount arc
He is seen fighting an infected Shinigami with Shūhei Hisagi.

Fake Karakura Town arc
When Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, Kaname Tōsen, and his top three Espada attempt to destroy the fake Karakura Town, Komamura and the rest of the of the Gotei 13 captains currently not in Hueco Mundo are seen awaiting for their arrival.

During the ensuing battles with Barragan Luisenbarn's Fracción, Komamura steps in to save Ikkaku Madarame after his defeat at the hands of Barragan's largest Fracción, Choe Neng Poww. Komamura catches Poww off guard by punching him into a wall. Poww immediately gets up, however, and belittles Komamura in being an animal. He responds to Komamura's attack by delivering a "real punch" back at him, sending the 7th Division Captain flying. Following the attack, Poww releases his Zanpakutō.

As Poww prepares to crush Ikkaku and 7th Division Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba, Komamura retaliates by blocking his punch and throwing him over his head into the ground. Although Poww is unscathed, he admits that the captain did surprise him; so surprised, he could "yawn" (which is actually a preparation in building up a Cero in his mouth). To counter Poww's attack, Komamura calmly releases his Bankai, halting the Arrancar's tracks. Shocked, Poww asks who he is and prepares to crush him. The 7th Division Captain reveals his identity to the Arrancar and intercepts the former's attack with his Bankai's massive sword, killing Poww in the process.

In the anime, however, Komamura's fight with Poww is significantly altered. Komamura's Bankai deflects Poww's "yawned-Cero" with its sword. It then blocks four of Poww's punches and delivers one of its own against him. After recovering, Poww proceeds to grapple with it and follows up by firing another Cero, thinking that he "will get him this time". Fortunately, the attack appears to have no effect on it, as Komamura's Bankai forces the Cero down on Poww's throat, bringing him to his knees. In disbelief, Poww asks the same question but doesn't attack Komamura. Komamura gives the same answer and slays Poww the same way he did in the manga.

Komamura is later seen with 3rd Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira, tending to the injured Shinigami, while noticing a huge hollow coming through a Garganta and recalls seeing its eye during Aizen's conspiracy. He also witnesses the defeat of fellow Captains Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake and the comeback of the defeated Espada. He is suddenly brought out of thought by Kira, who tells him that he and the fallen lieutenants will be fine and that he should go help the other captains for if even if he stayed and protected them, "What would be the point if we would just die anyway?"

Powers & Abilities
Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Komamura is a master swordsman and is more than capable of holding his own against the likes of Kenpachi Zaraki, who is probably one of the most well-versed combatants in Soul Society.

Enhanced Strength: Due to his immense size, Komamura possesses incredible physical strength for he is seen capable of throwing Choe Neng Poww (note that Poww is in his released state).

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Although he doesn't rely much on had-to-hand combat, Komamura is capable of dominating his opponents with his brawling abilities.

Enhanced Durability: Komamura has also been shown to take considerable amounts of damage and still continue to fight despite the severity of his injuries, as shown when he refused medical treatments after being hit by Aizen's Level 90 Kidō Spell.

Enhanced Senses: Because of his animal features, Komamura is seemingly in possession of superior senses.

Animal Communication: In addition to his animal instincts, Komamura is capable of talking to animals.

Immense Spiritual Power: Being a captain, Komamura possesses a great amount of spiritual energy. When Komamura releases his spiritual energy, it has the same amount of magnitude that complements his enormous strength. He's also skilled in hiding his spiritual presence due to the nature of his appearance.

Flash Steps: Komamura is also shown to be highly proficient in flash steps with at least the average speed of a captain-level Shinigami, quickly anticipating Poww's punch.

Zanpakutō

 * Komamura's Zanpakutō 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 middle, making it look like a squared-off hourglass.


 * Shikai: Its release command is . Unlike most Zanpakutō, Komamura's Shikai maintains its form as a regular katana.


 * Shikai Special Ability: In its Shikai form, Tenken can create various body parts of a fearsome giant to mimic whatever body part Komamura moves; For example, should Komamura swing his sword, a large, disembodied arm wielding a sword appears out of nowhere and does the same thing. The giant's enourmous parts, generated by the initial release, possess an attack power that is proportional to its size, making Komamura's Zanpakutō a lot more powerful than its sealed state.


 * Bankai: : Like his Shikai, Komamura's Bankai maintains its form as a regular katana. Upon usage, however, Komamura and his blade are bathed in a glow of red spiritual energy.


 * Bankai Special Ability: In its Bankai form, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō brings forth the entire giant that comes in the image of an armored samurai. It still copies Komamura's actions but with an even more devastating effect, allowing it to deal tremendous amounts of damage to opponents within its massive range. It is also durable enough to receive an Arrancar's Cero at point-blank range without a single scratch, even capable of sweeping it with its bare hands.

Quotes

 * "Todoroke, Tenken."


 * "Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!"


 * (To Tōsen's nameless friend)"Oh, nameless friend of Tōsen... What would you have said to stop him?"


 * (To Kenpachi Zaraki)Come, Zaraki! Time for the killing you love so much!"


 * (To Kaname Tōsen)"Tōsen! What happened to your justice?!"


 * (To Choe Neng Poww)"That's right. I still haven't told you who I am. Captain of the 7th squad, Sajin Komamura. And sadly, just as you said, I'm nothing more than a meager worm!"

Bleach Video Games
Komamura appears in most Bleach games as a decent character that has a slow movement, but displays a substantial amount of strength in close-range combat, such as powerful throws and high defense capabilities, making him a formidable opponent. In most games, his alternative costume is him wearing his helmet. Although it is implied that his Bankai perfectly mimics his every move, most games give the two some degree of independence from each other to make Komamura's Bankai work better as a game mechanic.

Trivia

 * Komamura is the only Shinigami who literally isn't human.
 * Komamura's Bankai is the largest of its kind, towering over a hundred meters.
 * Komamura never seems to smile, even when he is honored by others.
 * Komamura is one of the three current captains who doesn't appear during the Turn Back The Pendulum Mini-Series. The other two are Kenpachi and 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya.