What happened to Kensei in Bleach? Explained

Modified Aug 02, 2024 21:30 GMT

Bleach and what happened to Kensei (Image via Studio Pierrot).

Bleach fans often wonder about Kensei's fate in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, as it tends to be a bit confusing. He was apparently killed by Gremmy Thoumeaux and later turned into a zombie by Giselle Gewelle, leaving many to question if he died by the end of the story or came back in some shape or form.

The truth is that Kensei's fate can be a bit confusing in Bleach because of the way author Tite Kubo wrote it. However, it becomes much clearer in the 2021 No Breath from the Jaws of Hell one-shot, which provides more clarity regarding his current state and his role within Soul Society as a Gotei 13 Captain. Despite the confusion, he survives the Thousand-Year Blood arc and returns to a normal state.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Kensei's ultimate fate in Bleach, explained

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Kensei Muguruma survived the Thousand-Year Blood arc and stopped being a zombie. He is shown during the ten-year time-skip still serving as the Captain of the 9th Division of the Gotei 13. He is shown three hours before Rukia Kuchiki's ceremony to become Captain of the 13th Division, teasing his lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi for his lack of mastery with his Bankai.

He also appears in the 2021 one-shot, No Breath from the Jaws of Hell, set after the original ending of the manga. Kensei is one of the Gotei 13 Captains who are doing the ceremony to honor those who died during the Thousand-Year Blood War. However, it is worth pointing out that he doesn't have any major role to play and is mostly in the background.

What happens to Kensei during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc?

Kensei, Shinji, and Rose as seen in the new anime (Image via Studio Pierrot).

Kensei doesn't have a prominent role during the Quincy's first invasion of Soul Society in Bleach, mostly serving in the background. He does have a moment where he trains Shuhei Hisagi to master the latter's Bankai. However, it shows the tension between them due to the betrayal of their former underling and captain, Kaname Tousen.

It is during the second invasion that readers and viewers get to see Kensei in action, taking the Sternritter known as Mask de Masculine after the latter defeated Hisagi. He is defeated and knocked out by the Quincy, but is saved by Isane Kotetsu. He is eventually killed by another Sternritter, Gremmy Thoumeaux.

Kensei's dead body is eventually found by the Sternitter Giselle Gewelle, who turns him and Rose into zombies. The 2nd Division Captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, manages to manipulate Kensei and Rose's blood to gain control over them, with the 9th Division Captain stabbing Giselle in the process. Later, he is manipulated by PePe Waccabrada's abilities against Byakuya Kuchiki.

How Kensei is saved from his zombie fate?

Mayuri Kurotsuchi as seen in the new anime (Image via Studio Pierrot).

Mayuri Kurotsuchi is responsible for what happened to Kensei at the end of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc in Bleach. He managed to take control of Kensei's body when he was a zombie, using a blood sample to turn the tables against Giselle.

Author Tite Kubo never truly shows how Kensei returned to normal, though he is shown in his regular form after the time-skip. This could be considered a plothole since the story never addresses how he came back to life. Although some fans have inferred that Gremmy's imagining of his death was reversed as he died fighting Zaraki Kenpachi, that is mere speculation.

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Edited by Shubham Soni