What Is Kenpachi’s Bankai in Bleach TYBW? Answered

Kenpachi has always been a terrifyingly strong character in Bleach. From the first time we see him in his first fight with Ichigo when he nearly kills the young Substitute Shinigami, we get an impression of Kenpachi as an overwhelming force of violence. This becomes all the more impressive when you learn that the Division 11 Captain didn’t even know the name of his own sword, only being able to use it in its most basic form without Bankai or even Shikai which are all but ubiquitous among the rest of the Captains. He had to learn his blade’s name through training with Unohana in the most recent arc. Here’s what you need to know about Kenpachi’s Bankai in Bleach TYBW.

After his harsh training with Unohana, Kenpachi has gone through an arc of learning his Zanpakto’s name, Nozarashi. In the Thousand Year Blood War, Kenpachi finally got the Bankai that most other captains needed in order to become a captain in the first place. What’s more Nozarashi’s Bankai is a fittingly strong special ability for the bloodthirsty Shinigami. After his fighting and training with Unohana, Kenpachi has gone through an arc of learning his Zanpakto’s name in order to gain more power.

Kenpachi’s Bankai and What it Can Do in Bleach TYBW

Nozarashi’s Shikai form is that of a massive axe-like blade with tremendous abilities to carve through nearly anything, including space itself. The Bankai itself actually shrinks Kenpachi’s Shikai blade from a massive axe to a much smaller yet still cleaver-like blade. The most dramatic changes, however, are to Kenpachi himself, who undergoes a dramatic transformation into a demonic-looking being. He gains red skin, and a pair of horns and generally changes to look like an Oni, a devilish ogre from Japanese mythology known for its ferocious nature.

Kenpachi’s Bankai works in a fittingly straightforward way: it makes him much stronger. There isn’t a lot of nuance with his ability, but it is devastatingly effective. It makes him a lot physically more powerful, able to seriously injure Gerald Valkyrie, a powerful Sternritter, including ripping his arm off entirely and cutting him in half.

There do seem to be some downsides to this Bankai’s power, as the power takes a toll on his body, apparently being too strong for his physical form. In addition, he goes into a frenzy when his Bankai is active, attacking friend and foe alike. Kenpachi has only activated his Bankai once in the Thousand Year Blood War arc, so the full extent of his abilities when his blade is in Bankai form are not fully known.

That’s all for an explanation of Kenpachi’s Bankai in Bleach TYBW. If you’re interested in more content about Bleach and the Thousand Year Blood War arc, then we have guides covering topics like what Head Captain Yamamoto’s Bankai does, whether or not Yhwach is Zangetsu, and where the Quincy came from.